My son is as MCRD SD for boot and has a med problem - Q's:

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My son is as MCRD SD for boot and has a med problem - Q's:

Posted: 8/31/2012 7:01:51 AM EDT

My son, who has wanted to be a Marine since he was 15, shipped to MCRD San Diego on Monday. Last night he called my wife and informed her that he has cellulitis in his foot and has been pulled out of active training. My wife is now freaking and scared he's going to be dropped. Has anyone here seen this happen? He has an infection that requires rest and antibiotics. It should be a 10 to 14 day issue max. My real concern is that my son is a tough SOB (at 14 he had a completely splintered bone in his hand and toughed it out for 2 weeks so he wouldn't miss soccer games, never said anything to us about it, hid it from us!) so for him to go to medical it must have been absolutely killing him. From the timing of the call, I suspect he toughed out his first 72 hours at least....fingers crossed that he got caught limping instead of self reported.

Posted: 8/31/2012 7:11:19 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
My son, who has wanted to be a Marine since he was 15, shipped to MCRD San Diego on Monday. Last night he called my wife and informed her that he has cellulitis in his foot and has been pulled out of active training. My wife is now freaking and scared he's going to be dropped. Has anyone here seen this happen? He has an infection that requires rest and antibiotics. It should be a 10 to 14 day issue max. My real concern is that my son is a tough SOB (at 14 he had a completely splintered bone in his hand and toughed it out for 2 weeks so he wouldn't miss soccer games, never said anything to us about it, hid it from us!) so for him to go to medical it must have been absolutely killing him. From the timing of the call, I suspect he toughed out his first 72 hours at least....fingers crossed that he got caught limping instead of self reported.

Whether he self reported or not it doesnt matter.

Cellulitis can be BAD news, as in amputation bad, if you dont get meds quickly. With that said, with medication it is easily cureable and not a big deal.

Your son will be fine. They arent going to drop him for something so minor.

And be careful with encouraging him not to report medical issues and to "tough" it out. There is a fine line of "tough" and "stupid." If he didnt report cellulitis and it spread he could have lost a limb, for being "tough." Many medical issues are easily cureable with rest and some minor medications. But if you dont report them then they will grow to issues much larger than what it originally was. And that is when you run the risk of being dropped.

Posted: 8/31/2012 1:20:31 PM EDT

[#2]

People always get that shit. Its not as bad as they make it out to be. Regardless that shit NEEDS to be taken care of right away. Most likely if it takes too long you will be dropped from training and you will pickup with the next company. He might have to repeat some training most likely. Ive seen a kid develop that shit overnight on his chest got it surgically removed that same night from a Navy hospital and he came back the next day. Tell him if its not life threatening, DONT go to BAS. Ive seen kids get dropped because of POTENTIAL sickness. I had a fucking sickness im pretty sure didnt even EXIST and i made it through without saying a word, not to mention a fucked up right knee that could not bend. Went through the second half of boot camp with a straight leg the entire time and i did an awesomely painful job at hiding it.

Posted: 9/1/2012 2:31:18 PM EDT

[#3]

Cellulitis is a common occurrence in training environments. It ran rampant in Ranger and SERE schools. It is not something they will likely drop him for. Most likely he will go to a MED hold until it heals then resume training.

Posted: 9/2/2012 1:15:26 AM EDT

[#4]

Chances are his medical condition was seen by his Drill Instructors during nightly inspection. He will get dropped on Monday, if not already, to the Medical Rehab Platoon (MRP). Once cleared by medical staff, he will pick up with the next training company. The first couple of weeks is a pretty important time period for recruits, so he will not be picked up by his original Company.

While in MRP, your son will still be treated as a recruit, which means he will still be training. It won't be as physical, but he will still learn. He will probably be doing lots of paperwork and reading his knowledge. Your son will come out of MRP better prepared than any other recruit entering the Depot, and if he uses this advantage properly, he will do very well at MCRD.

Serious medical conditions should always be reported, but like others have said, staying away from medical is usually the route to take.

Posted: 9/3/2012 5:59:12 PM EDT

[#5]

He'll roll back and get picked up in a new platoon when he heals. Don't sweat it. Just make sure to tell him to stay focused. MRP can kill the will to get through it.

Posted: 9/3/2012 6:14:24 PM EDT

[#6]

My platoon's first Guide at PI had broken his leg during his first go around at boot camp. They sent him home, and he came back 6 months later. In 2nd phase, he developed a hernia, and was dropped to MRP. I last saw him when we were about to graduate, and he had just been picked up by another platoon. That was one hard core recruit.

Semper Fi

Posted: 9/3/2012 6:27:31 PM EDT

[#7]

Not to worry.

He will be dropped to MRP (Medical Rehabilitation Platoon) which is part of Special Training COmpany (STC) for a week or so until Medical clears him to train then he will drop to a new Platoon. Right where he left off or thereabouts. This is sometimes a blessing in disguise as the kids who go to STC early on get a chance to figure out how Boot Camp works a bit and that helps when they go back to a Training Company.

If your son is motivated, eager, and ernest then he will be fine. You can tell your Wife to relax as this is perfectly normal.

I spent over 3 years on the Drill Field and I can tell you honestly, if your son WANTS to graduate, he WILL graduate. We don't send home the kids who really want to be there unless they are bleeding out their eyes with bones portruding through the skin and suffering from unheard of tropical diseases. And those are rare,...... even aboard Parris Island.

He should be fine.

Posted: 9/3/2012 6:31:04 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
People always get that shit. Its not as bad as they make it out to be. Regardless that shit NEEDS to be taken care of right away. Most likely if it takes too long you will be dropped from training and you will pickup with the next company. He might have to repeat some training most likely. Ive seen a kid develop that shit overnight on his chest got it surgically removed that same night from a Navy hospital and he came back the next day. Tell him if its not life threatening, DONT go to BAS. Ive seen kids get dropped because of POTENTIAL sickness. I had a fucking sickness im pretty sure didnt even EXIST and i made it through without saying a word, not to mention a fucked up right knee that could not bend. Went through the second half of boot camp with a straight leg the entire time and i did an awesomely painful job at hiding it.

Bingo. I'm on boot leave right now, and this is exactly the advice I'd have given. Cellulitis is some nasty shit.

Posted: 9/3/2012 6:56:30 PM EDT

[#9]

MarineParents.com

they have a forum specifically for Recruit Parents and MCRD

Posted: 9/4/2012 6:11:32 AM EDT

[#10]

Thanks for the replies, all.

He is definitely motivated and eager. He's motivated enough that he did 6 months of DEP PT. Only thing that kid has ever been on time for in his life!

Posted: 9/4/2012 4:06:10 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Not to worry.

He will be dropped to MRP (Medical Rehabilitation Platoon) which is part of Special Training COmpany (STC) for a week or so until Medical clears him to train then he will drop to a new Platoon. Right where he left off or thereabouts. This is sometimes a blessing in disguise as the kids who go to STC early on get a chance to figure out how Boot Camp works a bit and that helps when they go back to a Training Company.

If your son is motivated, eager, and ernest then he will be fine. You can tell your Wife to relax as this is perfectly normal.

This, in the conditions they are living in cellulitus is a common occurence he will get dropped but not out of the Marine Corps he will just get dropped from his present platoon and picked up by another platoon once he is cleared to go this will lengthen his stay at MCRD but wont take away his oppertunity. Now it may also not even be bad enough to make it so they drop him I have seen people with Cellulitus be able to stay in the platoon they usually get bed rest or light duty but i think it is case by case dependent.

Posted: 9/4/2012 5:44:38 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
My platoon's first Guide at PI had broken his leg during his first go around at boot camp. They sent him home, and he came back 6 months later. In 2nd phase, he developed a hernia, and was dropped to MRP. I last saw him when we were about to graduate, and he had just been picked up by another platoon. That was one hard core recruit.

Semper Fi

We had a pick-up at PI who had been there for nine months as a result of two med rolls when he joined us at the start of Third Phase. He had guaranteed PFC in his contract and picked up Lance just on TIS when we graduated.

Posted: 9/5/2012 2:48:34 PM EDT

[#13]

Cellulitis is treatable provided they caught it in time. Sounds like they did. He's probably pretty bummed so keep the encouragement up.

Posted: 9/9/2012 12:12:38 AM EDT

[#14]

60% of my platoon in boot got celulitis and pink eye...quite nasty. I was lucky enough not to get that shit

Posted: 9/9/2012 11:15:55 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Not to worry.

He will be dropped to MRP (Medical Rehabilitation Platoon) which is part of Special Training COmpany (STC) for a week or so until Medical clears him to train then he will drop to a new Platoon. Right where he left off or thereabouts. This is sometimes a blessing in disguise as the kids who go to STC early on get a chance to figure out how Boot Camp works a bit and that helps when they go back to a Training Company.

If your son is motivated, eager, and ernest then he will be fine. You can tell your Wife to relax as this is perfectly normal.

I spent over 3 years on the Drill Field and I can tell you honestly, if your son WANTS to graduate, he WILL graduate. We don't send home the kids who really want to be there unless they are bleeding out their eyes with bones portruding through the skin and suffering from unheard of tropical diseases. And those are rare,...... even aboard Parris Island.

He should be fine.

This.
I developed a stress fracture in my right leg and spent 5 weeks in MRP and then a few day in PCP (Physical Conditioning Platoon, had to pass 2 PFT's there)
The key is to stay motivated and work out best he can while getting back to a training platoon

There are some posers in MRP who just want to go home and your son will want to avoid those types.
Keep writing your son and let him know how proud you are of him because that helps a recruit get through the tough times.
Best of luck to your son.

Monk

ETA: The DI's probably spotted it and sent your son to BAS. They look closely for that type of stuff during the Health and Welfare inspections.

Posted: 9/12/2012 3:28:52 AM EDT

[#16]

My brother had the exact same thing happen to him. He was pulled but was able to get back in time to graduate with his class. He ended up being Recruit of the Cycle or something like that.

Posted: 9/12/2012 7:49:54 AM EDT

[#17]

Echoing what has been said here in that he should be fine as long as he stays away from the "shit birds" and keeps his motivation and focus up.

If I recall correctly, most of the cellulitis came from blisters on the feet not being taken care of properly. I always popped mine early and used tape to cover them. Sterilize a needle and poke a hole at the base. Do this at night and overnight it will dry out. Keep it clean EVERY DAY. Seemed to work for me, but YMMV.

Semper Fi

Posted: 9/18/2012 8:46:50 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Echoing what has been said here in that he should be fine as long as he stays away from the "shit birds" and keeps his motivation and focus up.

If I recall correctly, most of the cellulitis came from blisters on the feet not being taken care of properly. I always popped mine early and used tape to cover them. Sterilize a needle and poke a hole at the base. Do this at night and overnight it will dry out. Keep it clean EVERY DAY. Seemed to work for me, but YMMV.

Semper Fi

Update if anyone cares...he's been released back to full duty. In his letters it sounds like he's been miserable not training and having to be around guys that aren't motivated. The crazy kid skipped the next available training slot because that platoon had a reputation for being too easy. Looks like he'll graduate on Pearl Harbor Day if nothing else goes sideways on him.

Posted: 9/18/2012 11:00:49 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Echoing what has been said here in that he should be fine as long as he stays away from the "shit birds" and keeps his motivation and focus up.

If I recall correctly, most of the cellulitis came from blisters on the feet not being taken care of properly. I always popped mine early and used tape to cover them. Sterilize a needle and poke a hole at the base. Do this at night and overnight it will dry out. Keep it clean EVERY DAY. Seemed to work for me, but YMMV.

Semper Fi

Update if anyone cares...he's been released back to full duty. In his letters it sounds like he's been miserable not training and having to be around guys that aren't motivated. The crazy kid skipped the next available training slot because that platoon had a reputation for being too easy. Looks like he'll graduate on Pearl Harbor Day if nothing else goes sideways on him.

Good news OP. Tell him to keep his head down and just do everything they say.

Posted: 9/21/2012 7:57:28 AM EDT

[#20]

I want to pass on something that a Sgt. in Infantry Training School told me when I was an 18 year old PFC. The Corps will issue you everything you need, but they will never issue you a new body. It is the duty of every Marine to take care, as best they can, of the one they have. If you are sick, go to sick call. If you broke something, get it fixed. Going down range at less than 100%, is dangerous to you, your fellow Marines, and the mission. Sure, you may be able to suffer through a bout of the flu, a bum ankle, a bad knee, etc. in the field in peacetime, but the conditions in wartime take a toll that no peace time maneuvers ever will. The strange and hostile environment can turn the flu into pneumonia, that bum ankle can give out, and a bad knee can become permanently damaged.

Cellulitus is serious, and the Corp does not mess around with it. They want it healed so they can get your son back into training. Semper Fi to your boy.

Posted: 9/21/2012 8:11:31 AM EDT

[#21]

I knew of someone who was probably 12-24 hours from having his arm amputated because he wanted to be hardcore and keep a medical problem to himself. Someone had botched an IV stick on him and a minor problem escalated into a huge problem. Fortunately someone caught sight of how discolored his arm was and forced him to see the medics. That suck it up at all costs stuff is fucking stupid. There might be times when it is entirely appropriate but doing it when it is inappropriate makes you dumb, not hardcore.

Posted: 9/21/2012 8:17:51 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
I knew of someone who was probably 12-24 hours from having his arm amputated because he wanted to be hardcore and keep a medical problem to himself. Someone had botched an IV stick on him and a minor problem escalated into a huge problem. Fortunately someone caught sight of how discolored his arm was and forced him to see the medics. That suck it up at all costs stuff is fucking stupid. There might be times when it is entirely appropriate but doing it when it is inappropriate makes you dumb, not hardcore.

There's a reason they do the naked hokey pokey every night and it aint because they like looking at dicks.

Posted: 9/23/2012 2:35:42 PM EDT

[#23]

I can understand why he would be upset, in medical if you get sent there time pretty much stops for you you arent moving foreward with your training and you arent getting to leave and go home because your training isnt over. it just lengthens the time that you are on MCRD and it just isnt fun at all. Search for the article in the Marine Corps times where some recruits were there for almost 2 years before they got to go home.

Posted: 9/27/2012 4:27:00 PM EDT

[#24]

I echo everyone's advice on the cellulitus. I am now in my forties wearing compression socks. Cellulitus gets me about two to three times a year. It will return and it will be bad. Your son will be able to tell when it is coming on. I get the night sweats and I experience flu like symptoms. Thank your son for his service and dedication in sticking with it.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My son is as MCRD SD for boot and has a med problem - Q's:

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