U
Unregistered
Guest
I'm in a professional aviation program and currently hold a 1st class medical (that I would like to keep).
I'm a Reservist. Recently, after some military training missions, I noticed loss of sensitivity in my fingertips. It's in all fingertips of both hands, in varying degrees. I feel that it's most significant in my index and middle fingers and least significant in my thumbs. I can still feel pressure, but have a diminished feeling of touch. The best way I can describe it is like wearing a pair of latex gloves.
I can still feel the shape of things and whether or not I'm touching something. For instance, I don't have any problem pushing buttons or using my touchscreen phone. My typing speed and accuracy may be suffering a bit, but if so, not much. I did have some trouble sewing when I had to fix a loose button. At present, I don't feel like this will be a hindrance in flying.
The medic I saw had me look the other way. He poked me with the tip of a pocket knife, and then something else small but soft, and I couldn't tell the difference. There was no pain or discomfort when being poked with the knife. The medic's supervisor, who I believe is licensed as a PA, saw me and I have a copy of the handwritten physical exam (we were in the field). I was instructed that if this does not resolve itself by our next drill, I need to get some kind of c-spine imaging done.
So, a few questions:
1. Assuming this completely goes away without any medical intervention, do I need to report, on my next medical, the symptoms or the conversation I had with my medic during a military exercise?
2. If this requires further treatment, is there anything I should do to reduce the headache this is going to cause with reporting and maintaining my medical?
3. I have a SODA for something completely unrelated and unaffected by this. I would think not, but is there any reason to be concerned that unrelated conditions might compound to cause a denial that wouldn't happen with any condition individually?
4. How serious is this?
I'm a Reservist. Recently, after some military training missions, I noticed loss of sensitivity in my fingertips. It's in all fingertips of both hands, in varying degrees. I feel that it's most significant in my index and middle fingers and least significant in my thumbs. I can still feel pressure, but have a diminished feeling of touch. The best way I can describe it is like wearing a pair of latex gloves.
I can still feel the shape of things and whether or not I'm touching something. For instance, I don't have any problem pushing buttons or using my touchscreen phone. My typing speed and accuracy may be suffering a bit, but if so, not much. I did have some trouble sewing when I had to fix a loose button. At present, I don't feel like this will be a hindrance in flying.
The medic I saw had me look the other way. He poked me with the tip of a pocket knife, and then something else small but soft, and I couldn't tell the difference. There was no pain or discomfort when being poked with the knife. The medic's supervisor, who I believe is licensed as a PA, saw me and I have a copy of the handwritten physical exam (we were in the field). I was instructed that if this does not resolve itself by our next drill, I need to get some kind of c-spine imaging done.
So, a few questions:
1. Assuming this completely goes away without any medical intervention, do I need to report, on my next medical, the symptoms or the conversation I had with my medic during a military exercise?
2. If this requires further treatment, is there anything I should do to reduce the headache this is going to cause with reporting and maintaining my medical?
3. I have a SODA for something completely unrelated and unaffected by this. I would think not, but is there any reason to be concerned that unrelated conditions might compound to cause a denial that wouldn't happen with any condition individually?
4. How serious is this?
