Good Afternoon everyone,
It's great to see all of the useful information on these forums and am looking forward to contributing to this community in the future as well.
Let me first start by saying I'm 24 years old and started flying back when I was 13 years old, with special thanks to my late mother who introduced me to aviation on the many trips I accompanied her on while she worked the flight as a Flight Attendant. After several years of training, I soloed in January 2005 and received my ASEL PPL in July 2005. I graduated with a B.S. in Aviation Management and minor in Business Administration almost two years ago.
Since my last medical examination (December 2006), I've had some medical "issues" that had come up since and I am not entirely too sure on how to report it on my next medical, which has expired December 2011. For years, I've had this unexplained generalized, non-debilitating pain in my body. I've had no major medical history except for quite a bit of dental work throughout my youth (braces, special retainers, etc.). I didn't report this on my last medical as I didn't feel like it was out of the ordinary for a kid to have braces as I felt everyone I knew had them.
Anyhow, no one could explain the body pain that I was experiencing until I saw a Rheumatologist in 2008 and was simply given, without question, the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and a prescription for Lexapro. It was difficult for me to grasp the facts of this condition, particularly the diagnosis. The doctor had asked me about my history and at that time - went through the stress of Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding process, I was in and out of a troublesome relationship at the time, and my mother had passed away to cancer in 2007. I did have some sort of emotional breakdown during dinner with my ex-girlfriend back in 2007 (two months after the death of my mother), which had caused me to be rushed to the hospital. The doctor did not find anything to be wrong but linked the "breakdown" to grief over my mother's death.
Because of the side effects, I never took Lexapro for more than a few weeks; I hated the way it made me feel. I probably could've waited the symptoms out but I just could not see myself taking this medication because of the way it made me feel. Because of this, I saw my primary care doctor of 24 years, who had tried several other antidepressants - Cymbalta, Zoloft, etc., with still horrible side-effects. Needless to say, I never took any prescribed antidepressants for more than two or three weeks.
I just wasn't sure about the "fibromyalgia" diagnosis because I then started to feel different symptoms - neck aches, jaw pain, etc. I saw a Rheumatoloogist near where I went to college (300 miles from my hometown where I had the initial diagnosis of fibro) and he tried putting me on SSRIs, said I have high foot arches (related to my pain) and probably should exercise and seek out non-medical solutions to my pain, as it as probably related to possible situational depression over the death of my mother. It made sense, but nothing was said to me that I DO have this or that. It was always "possibly" with this doctor.
I will try and cut this short as I feel like I am rambling, but I want to make sure I cover everything. Eventually went to get evaluated for possible TMJ problem and sure enough, I was diagnosed with TMD with minor arthritic changes in my left jaw joint (X-Rays, CT scans, MRI's show this). I've seen several TMJ doctors and now on my third doctor, wearing an orthotic (splint) 24/7 with a positive prognosis. My TMJ doctor believes all the pain I've been having is relative to TMJ, which makes sense (jaw is connected to the neck to the shoulders to the back, and so on and so forth...sounds something like a nursery rhyme I learned back in elementary school). I was prescribed some anti-inflammatory medication (steroid z pack), some antidepressant that is used at night time (stopped taking it after a week or so as I was prescribed in September)
As recently suggested by my TMJ doctor, I saw an Orthopedic Specialist regarding my neck for neck pain (minor degeneration I am in physical therapy and was advised that my muscles are extremely tight, a highly possible reason why I experienced this pain. He advised that physical therapy, ongoing stretching, and exercising should relieve the pain.
I want to renew my medical for a 1st class very soon. I was advised by another AME that because my SSRI use was less than 6 months, a letter from my first Rheumatologist regarding SSRI use and the need not to take the medication anymore, should work accompanied by my Primary Care Doctor; both Doctors are willing to write a letter as both agree that there is no reason that I couldn't fly an airplane. Also, my TMJ doctor advised that he will write the same.
I am in the process of obtaining all medical records from all my doctors over the past several years to take to my next medical examination. I visit the Rheumatologist who dx me with fibromyalgia on the 31st so we can develop a letter for me to bring to my next medical.
1) With all that said, do I include all that above in Section 18 (from 2009-2012)? I assume I should note SSRI use in this box or 17.a?
2) According to Section 17.a., I only include current medications that I am taking, NOT what I have taken, correct?
3) I am unsure as to what I mentioned as "Medical History" on the 8500-8 that I filled out in December 2006 because I had deviated septum surgery performed in Summer 2006 (before last medical examination)...is it wrong to include this now?
Hope I didn't bore you with my narrative!
It's great to see all of the useful information on these forums and am looking forward to contributing to this community in the future as well.
Let me first start by saying I'm 24 years old and started flying back when I was 13 years old, with special thanks to my late mother who introduced me to aviation on the many trips I accompanied her on while she worked the flight as a Flight Attendant. After several years of training, I soloed in January 2005 and received my ASEL PPL in July 2005. I graduated with a B.S. in Aviation Management and minor in Business Administration almost two years ago.
Since my last medical examination (December 2006), I've had some medical "issues" that had come up since and I am not entirely too sure on how to report it on my next medical, which has expired December 2011. For years, I've had this unexplained generalized, non-debilitating pain in my body. I've had no major medical history except for quite a bit of dental work throughout my youth (braces, special retainers, etc.). I didn't report this on my last medical as I didn't feel like it was out of the ordinary for a kid to have braces as I felt everyone I knew had them.
Anyhow, no one could explain the body pain that I was experiencing until I saw a Rheumatologist in 2008 and was simply given, without question, the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and a prescription for Lexapro. It was difficult for me to grasp the facts of this condition, particularly the diagnosis. The doctor had asked me about my history and at that time - went through the stress of Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding process, I was in and out of a troublesome relationship at the time, and my mother had passed away to cancer in 2007. I did have some sort of emotional breakdown during dinner with my ex-girlfriend back in 2007 (two months after the death of my mother), which had caused me to be rushed to the hospital. The doctor did not find anything to be wrong but linked the "breakdown" to grief over my mother's death.
Because of the side effects, I never took Lexapro for more than a few weeks; I hated the way it made me feel. I probably could've waited the symptoms out but I just could not see myself taking this medication because of the way it made me feel. Because of this, I saw my primary care doctor of 24 years, who had tried several other antidepressants - Cymbalta, Zoloft, etc., with still horrible side-effects. Needless to say, I never took any prescribed antidepressants for more than two or three weeks.
I just wasn't sure about the "fibromyalgia" diagnosis because I then started to feel different symptoms - neck aches, jaw pain, etc. I saw a Rheumatoloogist near where I went to college (300 miles from my hometown where I had the initial diagnosis of fibro) and he tried putting me on SSRIs, said I have high foot arches (related to my pain) and probably should exercise and seek out non-medical solutions to my pain, as it as probably related to possible situational depression over the death of my mother. It made sense, but nothing was said to me that I DO have this or that. It was always "possibly" with this doctor.
I will try and cut this short as I feel like I am rambling, but I want to make sure I cover everything. Eventually went to get evaluated for possible TMJ problem and sure enough, I was diagnosed with TMD with minor arthritic changes in my left jaw joint (X-Rays, CT scans, MRI's show this). I've seen several TMJ doctors and now on my third doctor, wearing an orthotic (splint) 24/7 with a positive prognosis. My TMJ doctor believes all the pain I've been having is relative to TMJ, which makes sense (jaw is connected to the neck to the shoulders to the back, and so on and so forth...sounds something like a nursery rhyme I learned back in elementary school). I was prescribed some anti-inflammatory medication (steroid z pack), some antidepressant that is used at night time (stopped taking it after a week or so as I was prescribed in September)
As recently suggested by my TMJ doctor, I saw an Orthopedic Specialist regarding my neck for neck pain (minor degeneration I am in physical therapy and was advised that my muscles are extremely tight, a highly possible reason why I experienced this pain. He advised that physical therapy, ongoing stretching, and exercising should relieve the pain.
I want to renew my medical for a 1st class very soon. I was advised by another AME that because my SSRI use was less than 6 months, a letter from my first Rheumatologist regarding SSRI use and the need not to take the medication anymore, should work accompanied by my Primary Care Doctor; both Doctors are willing to write a letter as both agree that there is no reason that I couldn't fly an airplane. Also, my TMJ doctor advised that he will write the same.
I am in the process of obtaining all medical records from all my doctors over the past several years to take to my next medical examination. I visit the Rheumatologist who dx me with fibromyalgia on the 31st so we can develop a letter for me to bring to my next medical.
1) With all that said, do I include all that above in Section 18 (from 2009-2012)? I assume I should note SSRI use in this box or 17.a?
2) According to Section 17.a., I only include current medications that I am taking, NOT what I have taken, correct?
3) I am unsure as to what I mentioned as "Medical History" on the 8500-8 that I filled out in December 2006 because I had deviated septum surgery performed in Summer 2006 (before last medical examination)...is it wrong to include this now?
Hope I didn't bore you with my narrative!
