Sgt Grit Marine Forums

Well, I have a few questions, and this might be a really long explanation. You can guess, based on where I posted, I'm interested in enlisting in the Marines. First off, I guess I should introduce myself. You can read my bio. haha moving on, first I'd like to state my medical situation and ask a few questions about it. I have been diagnosed with mono, which I've had for the past month and a half, but more importantly, I I have hyperthyroidism. For those who don't know what that is, my thyroid is producing too much hormones, and my natural antibodies are trying to fight it off. When I went to MEPs the first time (But for the Army National Guard) swollen glands in my neck were why they sent me home. Went to the nurse, she said I might have a cold, went to my dorm and took some cold medicine and went to sleep. Few weeks later I went back, and she did a mono spot test, I tested positive, and while doing a blood test for strep throat she noticed abnormal thyroid readings. Went home, talked to my private practitioner, he sent me for x-rays, and I went to a specialists, and now for the past week I've been on am anti-thyroid called Methimazole (generic for Tapazole). The doctor said it'd take about a year to test whether or not my thyroid problem has gone into remission, but I'm currently researching information on enlisting with this medicine. I'm under the impression you cannot enlist if you're taking medicine, which I think is fair, but I wasn't sure if that was just for the army or if it was for all branches of service. I also sent an email through the army website Thursday asked for further information on getting a waiver when my problem goes into remission. If/when I get an email from the army, should I expect the Marines to give me the same answer?

 "Screw up your metabolism" is something I saw on the Newbie FAQ. Hyperthyroidism does just that, because your metabolism is located in your thyroid. Pre-medication, I lost five pounds in a week, which I consider a lot for someone who is condoned to bed rest due to her mono. Are there any ways other than more pills to help regulate my metabolism while I start conditioning? I liked the Navy Seals work outs; it seemed to work easiest for my schedule and availability. My mono thankfully should just be about gone in that although I'll be really weak at times for a few months still; I won't rupture anything by working out, which I ran the risk of a month ago. But that still means right now I don't have a stable work out schedule, which I will normalize once I get back into shape and my symptoms wear off. I know that in basic training, they will tell us to work beyond the pain and to push yourself harder, or a quote I found 'work until you're numb and sore and can't go on, then do it again and again...' but is it safe to work through exhaustion or muscle pain due to mono?

When I first wanted to enlist, it was through the army national guard. When my friend, now boyfriend, enlisted he went active army, and I had the enjoyment of meeting his recruiter, who then tried to tell me how futile it is to join the guard, and to join active service. They were both down right lying to me by the end of it, once I told my other recruiter what one was saying and asking if it was true. It more so infuriated me than anything; I had a clear interest of enlisting in NG why are you still lying to me buddy? I know this next question is awfully naive of me to ask but...are Marine recruiters pretty cut throat and twist the truth to get recruits up to the bus at MEPs? They'd lie about little things, like, if I went NG and wanted to switch I had to switch within six months after training and no the other said, I had to choose in six months. Also, do the Marines have Split Op available? When I can do boot camp one summer, a year of college and then come back and do secondary training that following summer?

I will contact my recruiter...in a few months when my hyperthyroidism details are solidified a bit more. I got a 70 composite on the ASVAB, I've been told that's pretty good, and in the army it gets me into most anything I want to do. Do the Marines have a DLAB (defensive language aptitude test), or is that an army test? I was originally looking at Military Police, as according to my friends I'm "just a girl who wants to kill stuff," hahaha. That isn't entirely true. Almost done with questions - if all else fails and i get DQed for a record of hyperthyroidism (in some cases brought on by stress, which boot camp is going to do to me), do the Marines have something like the Army Civilian Corps? I promise I’m almost done! My dad is a retired W4 in the Army National Guard, so he knows the ins and outs of recruiting. When I first mentioned going Active duty he fired off a lot of questions for me to find answers to, such as, if I get deployed how will I do education...etc. So if you guys had any questions answered during your recruiter process, or anything you wish you'd known before signing those wonderful papers, could you share a little bit about it? There must be a few female Marines on this board, or spouses of female Marines, could you tell me a little about your experiences? Also, I'm not saying my father is going to go crazy on me for wanting to enlist in the Marines, just make sure to a fault it is what I want to do.

Well I’ve spell checked this and made sure I capitalized the ‘M’ so I hope none of it is offensive or seems juvenile. Thank you for your help!

Also I really hope this site doesn't have server lag or anything, because if it does I might've accidentally posted this post twice.  

Your thyroid problem is going to be tough to beat for enlistment purposes.  But, that is your first step in gaining a solid base of information.  When you know exactly whatyour physical condition, not strength or endurance, is you'll have the from which to proceed in your quest.  While each service can make its own decisions as to who enters they all start at pretty much the same lowest common denominator.  Ask yourself this... will a service which prides itself on being the elite take a recruit who can not meet minimum standards and will need a waiver at the very begining of training?  Good luck, many of your questions can be answered by speaking directly to a USMC recruiter in your area.

Thank you very much for replying, sir. I don't remember if I mentioned it in my first post but my physical situation will be solidified in a year, when they can decide whether my thyroid has gone into remission or not, which is about a 30% chance. Honestly, I partially feel bad, I don't want my thyroid to hinder the effect of my training or the platoon's if I do get the waiver. I don't want to have to go in with the Drill Sergeant knowing I'm liable to get sick. I want to be prepared for the treatment I'll recieve as a result of having this medical record, because honest to God I don't blame him if he decides to push me harder because of it. Its the only real way to test if I can do it. But in that same breath I want enlistment all the more, I want to push myself further before I get in so that whoever my Drill Sergeant is has to look twice to make sure he's looking at the right person with a history of thyroid problems.

Thank you again, God bless!

 

Well your on the right track, until you find out 100% on the Thyroid issue you'll have to wait.  If I recall correctly after a year you might have to retake the ASVAB (not sure though), and yes there are DLAB's for the Marine Corps as well.  What other languages do you speak?

 

Yeti

Hello sir,

I speak Japanese. Next year I'm also planning to take Chinese (mainly because of how it overlaps with Japanese occasionally) and Arabic. Which both at once might be academic suicide, but if I can't handle it I might as well not take the DLAB. I don't have a problem with taking the ASVAB again, I know I can do better.

Also, on my thyroid, I've talked to a few people from different branches of the military and they all say that I have to be off medication for a year, and at that rate I might as well finish up  my degree first and become an officer. The good news is that the swelling has gone down dramatically, so my body is on the right track to recovery. Thank you for taking the time to reply, God bless!

 

I think it's great you're going into the Marine Corps, I'm enlisted as well.  My physics teacher's son is actually going in to OCS this summer so maybe you will be stationed with him if you go.  I'm glad that there are others out there that believe as I do, that all of us have a purpose, and that some have been called to the highest purpose of all:  Becoming a United States Marine.  God Bless all.

Thank you sir. Well I can't do any of that until I'm off medicine, and then a year after. :) But pass on to your teacher's son my good luck to him!