Hello all,
I am trying to join the Royal Navy as a MEO having recently finished my engineering degree. I have always wanted to serve the country. For me, it's a great opportunity to get a real head start in life, take on responsibility early on and beats most careers out there.
I am writing this thread as I have a few question regarding Capitas Medical appointment and the likelihood of me getting through it, and wondering if there is anyone that might be able to help. I figured starting a thread would also be of assistance to others that are thinking of joining the Navy with similar health histories.
Basically I had a bout of gastritis starting August 2016. I went to GP on a number of appointments with stomach pain and was messed around until I eventually went to A&E out of desperation. I left A&E after a couple of hours and they ruled out anything serious. The GPs called the next day with a diagnosis of gastritis. Why it took the NHS a month with five appointments plus an A&E visit to come to that conclusion I still do not know.
Moreover, I was prescribed PPIs and my symptoms improved drastically. I had an endoscopy which discovered mild irritation of the stomach lining in January 2017. I stayed on PPIs for an extended period of 9 months to make sure I was fully cured until I stopped in May 2017 and have been symptom and medication free ever since, about two years now.
Now I understand this is may be considered chronic gastritis due to the lengthy treatment. The condition was partly my own fault for bad eating habits, getting poor sleep and running on coffee for years on end. I denied there was anything wrong with me until it got severe and I was forced to do something about it.
Additionally, I asked for an ultrasound in 2018 to make sure I was 100% and it turned out they found a gallbladder polyp. This is small, does not cause any issues and is unrelated to the gastritis I had. The GP said they are common and nothing to worry about. How would this be viewed considering it does not present any health problems?
Anyway, I understand I may need to prove that me once having gastritis is no longer an issue to Capita via my medical records. I believe PMU is likely without this. I am under the impression that chronic gastritis is Bar to Entry and I don't want to waste the Navy's nor my time with a long, drawn out appeal.
I am TMU at the moment as Capita did not receive my records from my medical practice. I am thinking I should visit the GPs, and before getting them to send my records away, get them to write in the notes it has fully remitted. Would this be a good idea first off? I have been symptom free for two years - no pain or discomfort, my training is unaffected, and I have zero dietary restrictions. Hell, I'm even on five coffees a day once again.
I know its the Med. Officer's decision in the end but I just want to maximize my chances first time and get it sorted sooner than later. Sorry for the long post, just trying to provide a good understanding of my situation. Any help on this matter would be most appreciated!
Cheers,
Chookter
I am trying to join the Royal Navy as a MEO having recently finished my engineering degree. I have always wanted to serve the country. For me, it's a great opportunity to get a real head start in life, take on responsibility early on and beats most careers out there.
I am writing this thread as I have a few question regarding Capitas Medical appointment and the likelihood of me getting through it, and wondering if there is anyone that might be able to help. I figured starting a thread would also be of assistance to others that are thinking of joining the Navy with similar health histories.
Basically I had a bout of gastritis starting August 2016. I went to GP on a number of appointments with stomach pain and was messed around until I eventually went to A&E out of desperation. I left A&E after a couple of hours and they ruled out anything serious. The GPs called the next day with a diagnosis of gastritis. Why it took the NHS a month with five appointments plus an A&E visit to come to that conclusion I still do not know.
Moreover, I was prescribed PPIs and my symptoms improved drastically. I had an endoscopy which discovered mild irritation of the stomach lining in January 2017. I stayed on PPIs for an extended period of 9 months to make sure I was fully cured until I stopped in May 2017 and have been symptom and medication free ever since, about two years now.
Now I understand this is may be considered chronic gastritis due to the lengthy treatment. The condition was partly my own fault for bad eating habits, getting poor sleep and running on coffee for years on end. I denied there was anything wrong with me until it got severe and I was forced to do something about it.
Additionally, I asked for an ultrasound in 2018 to make sure I was 100% and it turned out they found a gallbladder polyp. This is small, does not cause any issues and is unrelated to the gastritis I had. The GP said they are common and nothing to worry about. How would this be viewed considering it does not present any health problems?
Anyway, I understand I may need to prove that me once having gastritis is no longer an issue to Capita via my medical records. I believe PMU is likely without this. I am under the impression that chronic gastritis is Bar to Entry and I don't want to waste the Navy's nor my time with a long, drawn out appeal.
I am TMU at the moment as Capita did not receive my records from my medical practice. I am thinking I should visit the GPs, and before getting them to send my records away, get them to write in the notes it has fully remitted. Would this be a good idea first off? I have been symptom free for two years - no pain or discomfort, my training is unaffected, and I have zero dietary restrictions. Hell, I'm even on five coffees a day once again.
I know its the Med. Officer's decision in the end but I just want to maximize my chances first time and get it sorted sooner than later. Sorry for the long post, just trying to provide a good understanding of my situation. Any help on this matter would be most appreciated!
Cheers,
Chookter
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