Over the years I’ve known many Marines with physical problems. I’ve pretty much seen everything from combat injures (with PTSD) to a wide range of more common service related problems like being damn near deaf (like myself), joint and back issues, sleep apnea, etc. Considering everything, I was very lucky and I retired after 28 years with what I would consider very minimal physical problems. Recently however, I did have a first hand experience with something that I’ve seen many times in others. To make a long story short a few weeks ago I had a pretty bad ear infection, bad to the point where I was dizzy and out of balance. So reluctantly, I went to sick call and the Navy Doc gave me some antibiotics. Now I hate taking any meds, not even aspirin, but, I didn’t ask what they were, I just did what I was told and took the pills for the full directed 10 days. My ear infection cleared up in a few days, which I thought was the end of it, not.
After the 10 days were up, a few days went by and I started having chest pains. Something like I had never experienced before. I still kept running every morning and going to work, but they got worse and worse. So one morning, I felt I must be having a F’ing heart attack or something. So I had to leave work and go to medical. They did all kinds of tests and came back and told me that my heart/lungs/blood pressure were fine, great in fact. However the pain was coming from a serious GI track inflammation from the previous antibiotics? So the cure for that? A different drug for another 8 weeks. So now I need another drug to counter act my last drug? WTFO?
What is the point of all this? That I think that we all should be very cautious about what drugs we are prescribed to “fix” what ever problem we may have. It seems that is the first thing that many doctors do nowadays, is throw some strong drugs at any problem. I think that’s one reason that we have so many service people (and others) addicted to pain killers. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t listen to your doctor, or take medicine when you need it, but I think we all need to be mindful of falling onto this prescription “Merry-go-Round.” I’ve seen too many others on this ride and it isn’t pretty. I once worked for a LtCol that was on so many pain killers for a bad back, he would hold multiple meetings with the same people on the same issues, as he couldn’t remember having the previous meetings? No thanks.
Along with eating right and exercising, your relationship with your doctor is an important part of the health and fitness equation. With that doing your own research into your medical situation is very important also. If I had read up on this drug I would have known to ask some questions about its possible serious side effects, and maybe asked for a alternate solution? I don’t know, and that is the point. I was lazy about it and suffered for it. Get your own info and ask the hard questions. It can’t hurt in any case. On a lighter note; After I got back to work from medical and told my retired Navy Capt boss what happened, he said. “Don’t sweat it, this new drug will probably give you an ear infection.” No shit.
Take care and be Safe
Semper Fi
MGunz
