Can i join coast guard with diabetes

He submitted one waiver, which was approved. However, they changed the rules and revoked his waiver. This time, he submitted another waiver. He got approved, and was able to deploy to Afghanistan with his unit.

Here is a summary of his story:. He is evidence that as long as you can prove to the military that you are in control of your disease and not the other way around, that you can make it through the grueling process and get approved. It is going to take dedication and perseverance, but it can be done.

Mark got help from the American Diabetes Association and went before a medical review board. He got his A1C down to a 6. Mark did have some set-backs while deployed with his unit to Iraq for 18 months.

His insulin pump was crushed and he had to start taking up to 16 injections per day with regular, not insulin, needles in order to stay in range with his blood sugars. He had to wait a month for a new pump to be delivered, and he had an episode of low blood sugars that his unit buddies had to help him out of. He went through sleep deprivation and the stress of long night watches that raised his blood sugars 1.

The Marines has Captain Nick Lozar, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and placed on an insulin pump after 10 years of service. He went through the waiver process. His first hurtle was the medical board. His advice for those active military personnel that are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and wish to remain in active service is to find as many doctors and superiors that you can to sign off that you are fit for active duty. His particular active duty occupation as a logistician made it possible for him to stay in active duty.

He makes a point. If you want to join the military I hope you can follow your dreams and do so! Sergii Vasyliuk MD on June 10, During her time at St. After obtaining her nursing degree, her first job out of school was on the vascular surgery floor, where she saw many people with diabetes lose their limbs.

She worked as an RN for 22 years in public health in South Carolina. In her spare time away from educating people about diabetes, she continues her passion by writing about diabetes. This information will be collated and may be published on our website periodically, or may be used for publication, but we will use composite data only. We do not maintain any individual data from these items. If you ask another question at a later time, please fill this out each time.

Submit your question to our team of health care professionals. See what's on the mind of the community right now. Learn more about our world-renowned team. Review the entire archive according to the date it was posted. July 13, Other Social Issues. From: DTeam Staff. The American Diabetes Association is an excellent place to start.

BS Additional comments from Dr. SB Additional comments from Jane Seley, diabetes nurse specialist: I just wrote to my friend who is a flight nurse and Major in the Air Force reserves, who says that the Air Force also has such a policy.

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We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. By Forest Time. Medical Waivers According to the Army website, diabetics who take insulin or other medication to manage their illness cannot join the Army or any of its branches. References Military. However, technology as it stands today does not solve all problems. In fact, without a strong family and social support, uptake and continued use of diabetes technology is poor. The key to making technology work best is involving families and having a good support system.

Perhaps the greatest contribution a person with diabetes could make is to simply be supportive of families with children with diabetes who are in the military. Often a parent is deployed overseas, and this puts an incredible stress on the family. Just being supportive and sharing how you handle diabetes management can be very helpful. One way that our diabetes educators at Tripler supported families was to hold events for children with diabetes and even had older children with diabetes babysit the younger ones so that parents could get together for the events.

What would you most like to say to anyone with diabetes or parenting a child with diabetes about dealing with this disease while in the U. First, I would like to thank them for all they do for our country. Also, never forget that the true strength of our military comes from all of the great families that support us. Although moving frequently and having family members deployed can be extremely difficult, it is important to work with the community of families who are in the same position you are.

I have always been so impressed how giving and caring military families are, even though so much is constantly asked of them. They are our best resource! Diabetes camp can be life-changing. Learn all about the experiences and available programs. With type 1 diabetes, there are essentially two types of diabetic coma to know about.