Chief Medical Officer

Defence Force Recruiting

Dear Sir/Madam,

I write to you in response to your letter dated 4/3/13, DFR reference number 6242808-1.

In this letter, your second paragraph frames the premise of it, and I quote: “during your entry level medical examination on 13/6/2012, you were found to have a history of medical tibial stress syndrome. As a result, you have been assessed as medically unfit for entry to the ADF”.

In your following paragraph, you go on to say that “due to the recurrent nature of the condition… you do not meet the entry standards for the ADF”.

I write to you because I believe that this is a crucial piece of misinformation which has lead to my assessment being conducted under false pretences, and I wish to correct it.

The issue to which we are referring is a SINGLE, ISOLATED incident which occurred when I was still in high school, in the middle of a growth spurt, some 6+ years ago. It is NOT a recurring problem. I have NO issues standing all day (which I do currently for work), running, doing very heavy squats (upwards of 140kg) or anything else I’ve done which would place large amounts of stress on my legs.

Additionally, I was never diagnosed with “shin splints”. My legs just hurt a bit after running and I just assumed it was shin splints. Considering the isolated nature of the condition, this self-diagnosis upon reflection would appear to be quite foolish and “jumping the gun” on my behalf. In fact considering how long ago this was, how many YEARS it has been since it occurred (i.e there have been NO reoccurrences since) and the fact that it occurred during a growth spurt (something which I in all honesty had completely forgotten until now), even mentioning it seems to have been a foolish waste of everyone’s time.

In your previous (first) letter you also seemed to be of the impression that this was an “issue” at the current time of examination (13/6/12). Again, I feel this needs to be corrected. It would appear that I wasn’t clear in that this is not a 6 year old/recurring for 6 year problem. It occurred once, 6 years ago. Again why I even mentioned it is now a question I find I am asking myself quite frequently.

In this previous letter, you mentioned that adolescents/teenagers often grow out of this condition. Assuming I had it (which isn’t necessarily the case), I believe that what has occurred is exactly as you describe. I have had NO further incidences in the past 5+ years and as I have previously mentioned, my current job requires me to spend large amounts of time standing still in the one place, I am running, and I work out at the gym consistently. The reports I have previously provided you with from the sportsdoc and podiatrist would certainly support this notion.

Furthermore, in your first letter, after mentioning that (and assuming I had this condition) shin splints are a condition that are often simply grown out of, you went on to say that should I continue with a rigorous exercise regime and have NO symptoms for the following 12 months, that you would reassess my application.

My initial exam was on the 13/6/12. I am writing this letter on 22/3/13, in the hopes that I will be approved for the final part-time ADG intake occurring early May. So far I have been 9 months without issue and come May this will be 11 of the 12 months you previously required. Factoring in the 5 years without further issue previous, I am asking you to reconsider your 12 month position. I have a large amount of doubts that there is ANYTHING that wouldn’t be able to be aggravated in 11 months that could be in 12. Again, the sportsdoc and podiatrists’ reports further support the notion, along with 9 months of exercise and 5 years before that without issue, that this is NOT a recurring problem. It was and remains a single, isolated incident that occurred in the middle of my teens, in the middle of a growth spurt. I’m not a doctor but I’m sure that the ability to “grow out” of this condition would have some sort of significant causal relationship with the fact that it occurred when I was growing more rapidly than usual and once this growth has stopped, so have any symptoms. If it was something that simply occurred only when growing then that would explain why it can be grown out of – no more growing, no more pain!

I don’t believe these two facts to be coincidence. In fact what I’ve just assumed to be/have labelled to be “shin splints” and never had diagnosed I believe was in all likelihood just growing pains.

So please let me summarise:

Single, isolated incident of lower leg pain after running, 6 years ago, occurring in the middle of a growth spurt, which was just assumed by me to be shin splints.

Zero issues in the 6 years since the single, isolated occurrence Zero issues in the 9 months since first examination and mentioning of a single, isolated

incident some 5 years ago, in which time a rigorous exercise regime has been adopted Your own admission that this condition which we aren’t even sure I had is something which

is often simply grown out of A specialist sports physician (which included a PhD along with his specialisation) and a

podiatrist both examining me and a report by both essentially saying that I have no leg abnormalities and they do not foresee me having anything other than standard risk of injury. i.e none will occur due to my body not being physically up to the task.

A promise, by you, to reconsider my application should I be able to train for 12 months without symptoms, 9 of which have already passed.

And a May ADG intake I am DESPERATE to get on.

I understand that you have investment and legal issues which you must consider for every applicant, which is why I will gladly sign any indemnity clause absolving the ADF from any and all responsibility should I incur any leg injuries in the course of my service. My communication to you of both the sportsdoc and podiatrists reports could be used as irrefutable evidence against me should such a situation occur (though, I would never do such a thing. I would consider anyone who did to be the absolute scum of the earth). Even in the ridiculously unlikely event that I do aggravate any pre-enlistment medical condition (not that I believe I have any), this is going to occur in basic training anyways (though after finding out what the PT is like in basic training I have my doubts. I’m training more than recruits do, right now on my own). I.E when the ADF has invested relatively very little money in me. I also understand that there are safety issues (RE: placing my fellow ADF members in danger) and all I can say to such that is that I have a lot more integrity than has been assumed and find the very suggestion to be appalling.

I implore you to reconsider your position. I have done everything you have asked of me. I have explained the full circumstances of the incident to which we refer, which occurred once, six years ago. I have at my own expense, been examined by two specialists in their field to confirm my lack of injury/condition. I have trained, for months, without a single issue. I am at a complete loss as to what else I can do to convince you that I have no chronic/recurring conditions and present no unacceptable/abnormal risk to ADF service.

Surely you are not going to base your assessment of my application on the uninformed self-assessment of a single, isolated, years old, non-recurring, undiagnosed incident which happened during a growth spurt, by a teenage kid with no knowledge of medicine whatsoever? When a qualified sports physician with a PhD in his field, and a podiatrist, both have examined him and have said, in a nutshell, that he’s fine and won’t have a problem? And he’s been training for months just to prove that so?

Please reconsider your belief that I am unfit for service. Every shred of evidence I believe to be to the contrary.

George