I have been in the Navy for almost 6 years, stationed on a submarine based out of Groton, CT for the better part of the past 3 years.
Up until the the point where I reached my present command, I would have rated my time in the Navy as overall positive, since I reported to my present command, I would have to say that the little benefits the Navy provides, with the lingering threat of reduced retirement pay included, is not worth the stress and excessive hours required.
The following is a summary of my last week and a half of frustration, pain, and the run-around I have been given while trying to obtain medical help.
Last week, while riding bike home, a woman ran a stop sign and in the process of trying to minimize the impact, I hit the frame of the bike hard.
The pain wasn't more than I would have expected , and subsided by the time I got home.
The next day, I discovered that my right testicle had swollen slightly. I figured it was simply a bruise from the prior day's accident.
Over the course of last weekend, the swelling increased, but was not painful to the touch.
On Monday (05May08) I saw the Ship's Medical Department Representive, he asked what happened, examined me, and told me that the testicle was either infected, damaged, or had cancer.
I then had an appointment made for an ultrasound check, to rule out cancer and major injury.
I showed up for the appointment a half hour early, and was seen almost half hour late, in typical Navy fashion.
I was told that I have a large hydrocele on my right testicle , and that would require surgery to fix.
I went back to the boat to go see Doc (the nickname for the MDR also known as a Corpsman.)
He wasn't in, he went out to go for a run. It took me 2 hours to find his cell phone number, only to have him not answer.
It was about an hour later when he finally came back to the boat and saw me. I told him what I was told, and he said that I needed to make some calls to the Squadron Medical Liason.
I made several calls, I was told to keep calling back to schedule a urologist consultation to see what kind of help I need (discussion and reasearch has yielded the fact that I need surgery to fix this.)
During the course of the running around that I have had to do, the hydrocele had become swollen to the point where I has constantly in pain, rangine from burning to sharp stabbling pain running up and down my right side.
Now I have a very swollen and painful hydrocele (by definition, hydroceles are not supposed to hurt, only to be a discomfort.)
The medical department on my ship and squadron have been brushing me off repeatedly.
I have been told to stand by and to make calls to get my appointment set. None of the calls have been any productive.
I have had to run around a lot to try to get the help I need, only to be screwed with by Tricare and Navy Medical.
The best solution that has been provided was to give me Percocet, which is not helping with the pain unless I stay completely still.
Also, I have to deal with the side effects of Percocet (mood swings, dizzy/tired spells, difficulty focusing) and try to get help is not working out so well.
I have already been to the emergency room, my pain was not taken seriously by the attending doctor. ("Hydroceles should not be painful, so I do not understand why you are in pain.") The medical representative from my boat came with me and played down the fact that I am in a lot of pain from this, and the cure is to give me more painkillers.
Right now, I am beside myself in pain, my command has pretty much pushed me aside, if I am at home trying to get bedrest, I can't possibly hassle the command as much.
The squadron medical representative was supposed to have scheduled me a visit with a urologist on Tuesday, nope, I got pushed aside and had to have my wife drive my drugged up ass around for hours today to try to get an appointment to get this corrected.
Even the Doc on my ship realizes that I am in a lot of pain and need surgery to fix this.
The secretaries at the Urologist were not at all sympathetic to the fact that I need help and soon, and "could not get me in until next week."
I told them that my pain medications run out tomorrow, which the last one will be around noon tomorrow. Solution: more pain pills, which only work for about 3-4 hours when resting, 1-3 when active, which means even with the pills, I am still in a fair amount of pain. Again, hyroceles shoud not be painful.
Lesson learned: DO NOT JOIN THE MILITARY, or IF YOU DO JOIN, DO NOT GET SICK OR INJURED!