BobLaPierre
Filing Flight Plan
Hi all, I've historically been a lurker, and I never suspected that my first post would be about the Medical certification (nor a wall of text), but here we go:
I'm going through the paperwork on the MedXPress site before going to my AME appointment for the Medical requirement for my PPL and I've got several questions.
First, I've had LASIK but it was a long time ago (1997'ish). I'll obviously report it, but I've found documentation stating that if the surgery was over 2 years ago it wouldn't be a problem, but I also found other paperwork which seems like I'd need an eye doctor to fill out? Unfortunately since this is my first post I can't provide links to the above docs, though I have them.
Should I go to an eye doctor and pay to have that documentation filled out before I visit the AME, or is 20 years long enough ago that the AME can just examine me? No side effects to the surgery btw, though I now wear glasses because my vision slowly got a little worse over the last couple decades (1.25 and 1.5 prescriptions, so not bad), and because "old age eyes" finally caught up to me last year (getting old sucks).
Second, kidney stones. I've had kidney stones twice in my life, but the last time was probably 15 years ago. Once again I found documentation stating that if there were no symptoms in the last 5 years that it wasn't a problem, but that documentation was part of a form that apparently I'm supposed to have my regular physician fill out. Due to how long ago it was, is this something the AME can do, or do i need to bring (and thus pay for) supporting documentation from my primary doctor with me to the AME? Since they were so long ago I have no idea who treated me, so I'd basically be asking my primary doctor to examine me and say there's no evidence of kidney stones, as best as I can tell.
Third is the part where I'm "required to enter ALL visits to any health professionals" in the last 3 years. So we're talking things like my annual physical for the last 3 years? A year or two ago I was sick and went to a doc-in-the-box in a pharmacy. I'm supposed to list that? Heck, I might have even been sick more than once in the last 3 years, I can't hardly remember what I had for dinner last night, let alone a sniffle years ago. I don't have the faintest idea how i'd even come up with documentation for something like that. What about flu shots provided by "health professionals" onsite where I work? Am I overthinking this?
Finally, the last question in the medical history section says to list "Other illness, disability, or surgery", though the help text says "List any illness/illnesses or disability/disabilities not provided for in 18a-y.", which only mentions illness & disability but not surgeries. I ask because I've had other surgeries in my life (none in the last ~15 years), though I don't think any would have any bearing on a PPL - things like surgery for a deviated septum, getting fixed after our 3rd kid, etc. Also, like the thing with the kidney stones, I don't have any idea at this point in my life who did some of those surgeries. What am I supposed to do about these? Do I list them?
I scheduled the exam with an AME for later this month, but now I'm thinking about cancelling or rescheduling. Any thoughts on what I should do? I've seen a post or two suggesting people schedule a consultation with the AME instead - is that the route I should go? Cancel the exam and schedule a consult?
Sorry for the wall of text - I divested myself of much of another hobby to come up with the money to get my PPL (wife said expensive hobby limit is 1), and I'd hate for all of that to have been in vain.
Thanks in advance for any input you might have,
-bob
I'm going through the paperwork on the MedXPress site before going to my AME appointment for the Medical requirement for my PPL and I've got several questions.
First, I've had LASIK but it was a long time ago (1997'ish). I'll obviously report it, but I've found documentation stating that if the surgery was over 2 years ago it wouldn't be a problem, but I also found other paperwork which seems like I'd need an eye doctor to fill out? Unfortunately since this is my first post I can't provide links to the above docs, though I have them.
Should I go to an eye doctor and pay to have that documentation filled out before I visit the AME, or is 20 years long enough ago that the AME can just examine me? No side effects to the surgery btw, though I now wear glasses because my vision slowly got a little worse over the last couple decades (1.25 and 1.5 prescriptions, so not bad), and because "old age eyes" finally caught up to me last year (getting old sucks).
Second, kidney stones. I've had kidney stones twice in my life, but the last time was probably 15 years ago. Once again I found documentation stating that if there were no symptoms in the last 5 years that it wasn't a problem, but that documentation was part of a form that apparently I'm supposed to have my regular physician fill out. Due to how long ago it was, is this something the AME can do, or do i need to bring (and thus pay for) supporting documentation from my primary doctor with me to the AME? Since they were so long ago I have no idea who treated me, so I'd basically be asking my primary doctor to examine me and say there's no evidence of kidney stones, as best as I can tell.
Third is the part where I'm "required to enter ALL visits to any health professionals" in the last 3 years. So we're talking things like my annual physical for the last 3 years? A year or two ago I was sick and went to a doc-in-the-box in a pharmacy. I'm supposed to list that? Heck, I might have even been sick more than once in the last 3 years, I can't hardly remember what I had for dinner last night, let alone a sniffle years ago. I don't have the faintest idea how i'd even come up with documentation for something like that. What about flu shots provided by "health professionals" onsite where I work? Am I overthinking this?
Finally, the last question in the medical history section says to list "Other illness, disability, or surgery", though the help text says "List any illness/illnesses or disability/disabilities not provided for in 18a-y.", which only mentions illness & disability but not surgeries. I ask because I've had other surgeries in my life (none in the last ~15 years), though I don't think any would have any bearing on a PPL - things like surgery for a deviated septum, getting fixed after our 3rd kid, etc. Also, like the thing with the kidney stones, I don't have any idea at this point in my life who did some of those surgeries. What am I supposed to do about these? Do I list them?
I scheduled the exam with an AME for later this month, but now I'm thinking about cancelling or rescheduling. Any thoughts on what I should do? I've seen a post or two suggesting people schedule a consultation with the AME instead - is that the route I should go? Cancel the exam and schedule a consult?
Sorry for the wall of text - I divested myself of much of another hobby to come up with the money to get my PPL (wife said expensive hobby limit is 1), and I'd hate for all of that to have been in vain.
Thanks in advance for any input you might have,
-bob