Some updates
Posted by Gypsy on Dec 13, 2006
I’m about to start work on a year in review post, but to hold you over, a few updates:
I’m getting rid of the cat tomorrow. Jeremy is flying back to Ohio for good soon and with him will go Ciyati. Although that cat drives me nuts and I bitch about her all the time, I’m going to miss the little demon. But I’m sure she’ll be happier with Jeremy seeing as how I can’t pet her for fear of completely breaking out in an allergic rash. I think I need to get a dog.
My medical board is going far slower than it is supposed to. By their timeline, I should’ve had a definite answer after the new year, but there is one doctor holding up the whole process. I’ve made some phone calls and hopefully someone will light a fire under his ass.
Christmas is less than two week away and I’m still missing one of my gifts. Hopefully it arrives in time. I’ll be back home in New Y0rk December 23-31, so give me a buzz if you want to get together. Need my number? That’s why my email address is at the top of the page.
I’m going to get better!!!
Posted by Gypsy on Nov 16, 2006
I had another doctor’s appointment today for my medical board. This one was so another orthopedic doctor could look at me and write a summary of exactly what is wrong with me and how it’ll effect my military service. Finally, I have a decent answer on if I’ll get better and what is exactly wrong with me. To assist me in sharing, here is a photo:
So basically, I have Sacroiliac joint syndrome. What that means is my sacroiliac joint on my right side likes to move, which causes it to become inflamed. Through trial and error, it’s my job to discover what causes it to become inflamed and not do those things. Basically, I need to learn my limits. Because I will be limited in what I can do and for how long, this doctor is going to urge the evaluation board to release me from the Army. I still won’t have a definite answer for a couple more months, but he says it looks like I’ll be getting out.
I consider this to be great news. Firstly, because this is something I can control. Secondly, because I’ll be able to get out of the Army. Part of me feels bad for not completing my 5-year contract, but I have given four years of my life to the Army, which is more than many people do, so I can live with myself and the sacrifices I’ve already made.
Phase one physical, a cold and a kitty
Posted by Gypsy on Oct 7, 2006
As you read this, you will realize why the complete lack of updates throughout this week. It’s been an extremely hectic week giving me very little spare time to do anything.
The week actually started out nice. On Monday I had phase one of my medical board physical. It was just the basics, including bloodwork, eye exam, dental and hearing exam, but took up most of my morning and part of my afternoon. The next step will be another physical on the 16th, this one with the doctor doing an actual exam.
……….
Throughout the week, I’ve still been working on getting all my equipment sent to Fort Hood, which means very long days and very little sleep. It’s no wonder after weeks of working 15 hour days and only sleeping 4-5 hours a night that come Wednesday I started getting sick with a really bad cold. I was fine most of the morning, but by lunch I was running a mild fever and was stuffy with a runny nose. By Thursday morning, I had a pretty bad fever and could hardly think straight. Unfortunately, I had a ton of work to do in the morning, though I was finally able to leave work around noon.
I was so sick on Thursday that I actually called my mom to whine about how sick I was. She being the awesome source of home remedies that she is suggested I take a couple shots of whiskey and try to sleep. Since I don’t keep any alcohol in my apartment, I just went with cold pills and sleep, alternately freezing and sweating my ass off thanks to the fever. Not a pretty site. Luckily by Friday the fever was gone and all that was left is this awful hacking cough, kinda like Bronchitis but not as bad, and that’s where I’m still at today.
Unfortunately, I have passed this cold on to Andy. The poor guy has been in the fever stage all day today, alternating between sleeping on the couch and in the bedroom. I feel pretty bad as it seems to be hitting him harder than it hit me. But if his is running like mine, he’ll feel a lot better tomorrow.
……….
Jeremy called me last night. It seems he and Mindy broke up and she won’t keep Ciyati anymore. With him living in the barracks, he can’t keep her there. I got the feeling when he called that he’s tried pretty much everyone else he knows and no one else will take her, so he asked me to keep her at least until he moves back to Ohio in a couple months. So as of Monday, there will be a cat in the house. Part of me really wanted to tell him no. He hasn’t been very nice to me in the last few months (the few times we’ve spoken) and suddenly he was pleasant as can be on the phone (no doubt because he wanted me to say yes about taking Ciyati). Regardless, I always said I’d take her if he couldn’t have her, so I agreed. I’ve actually kind of missed having her around and was planning on getting a kitten in a couple weeks, so it’s really not a big deal. Although after not having a cat for the last 6 months, I must seriously stock up on allergy pills or else I’m going to have a ton of problems.
Again the Army proves it can’t seem to pull its head out of its ass and why I hate DoD civilians
Posted by Gypsy on Sep 25, 2006
As many of you already know, I’m supposed to be moving to Fort Hood in two weeks. I say supposed to because things have changed and I might not be moving.
As many of you know, I’ve been having problems with my hip and lower back for well over a year now. I’ve been going to physical therapy and have done a ton of exercises to make it better but nothing has worked. The problem is my joints are very flexible, causing my hip to move when it’s not supposed to. At this point, my physical therapist says it’ll probably heal as I get older and my joints lose some flexibility, but until then I’m shit out of luck.
So after a year of failed treatments, I got sent to another doctor who wanted to give me a permanent profile allowing me to not do certain things that aggravate my hip, mainly lifting and sit-ups. The problem this brings is a no lifting profile means I can’t do something a basic as carrying a ruck sack with the required gear. Because of this, the doctor is required to refer to me to a medical evaluation board which will determine if I can stay in the Army based on this profile.
Here’s where the real issue comes in: my doctors want to complete the MEB here in California instead of wasting the money to move me to Fort Hood when I might not even stay in the Army. Since I already have orders to Fort Hood, I now have to jump through hoop after hoop to get those deleted, with no guarantee that will actually happen. At this point, I’m going everything I need to do to leave, while working on staying because if they decide to make me go, I don’t have a lot of time to prepare a move. That’s all the news that I have. I’ll have a more definitely answer later this week, hopefully.
To make matters worse, it would seem the people who run my office think me and my buddy AK can’t be trusted. Let’s ignore the fact that we have worked there longer than everyone and are the only people in the office who have secret security clearance. Let’s ignore the fact that the Army trusts us enough to be NCOs. Let’s ignore the fact that we know our job better than anyone else in the office. According to them we can’t be trusted. And to prove that they think that, last week they changed the locks and refused to give us keys. Then today we find out we aren’t allowed to stay in the office when there isn’t anyone else there. What the fuck???
Of course, those spineless, two-faced pricks would never admit to not trusting us. Or to the fact that they tried to trade the two of us, the only trained public affairs personnel and NCOs on top of that, for a private who isn’t PA trained and instead is an MP. Would someone please tell me the sense in that???
Honestly, I’ve never been treated so poorly in my entire life. I consider all this a slap in the face. Especially since I’ve never done anything to make myself seem untrustworthy. In fact, the people who are doing this to me and my coworker are the actual untrustworthy ones. They are the ones who just stole equipment from my unit, saying since we are going to turn it in anyway they might as well take it and use it. They can have it, but they should have to sign for it. Not steal it from us.
This is why I’m so against the Army replacing certain military positions with civilians. When my office was run by the military, none of this shit happened. Suddenly the majority of the military element is gone (all that’s left is us peons) and everything has gone to shit. I seriously could go on, but I’ll save that for another post.
