Question on medical and kidney stones

Ron Natalie wrote:

7 years ago it only took about 8 weeks.
This has changed...they are running 12 now.

And that's if they can keep all your paperwork in one place. If your file gets
sent to Oklahoma, give it four to six weeks and start giving them a call every
few days. The last time I had to deal with this, the number was 1-800-350-5286.
Gave them a call after eight weeks, and, yep, they lost the file.

If you're going to be calling AOPA anyway, ask them about this idea. It's what
they recommended to me three years ago (and that's where I got the number), but
times change.

George Patterson
If you're not part of the solution, you can make a lot of money prolonging
the problem.

SFM wrote:

Got my 3rd class at the exam no problem.

Hey "nospam". Bookmark this one. If your AME gives you problems, it might be
worth a flight across the country to visit this guy's AME!

George Patterson
If you're not part of the solution, you can make a lot of money prolonging
the problem.

However, if an exam is deferred or otherwise not issued by the AME, the AME
is still required to notify OKC.

What you will need are the following:
1. Medical records pertaining to the stone including initial evaluation and
treatment.
2. results of all imaging studies from initial diagnosis and followup
studies.
3. Lab studies showing renal function. Chemistry panel and urinalysis. Most
recent should suffice.
4. Letter from your physician stating the current status of your health as
it relates to the stone. i.e. no evidence of recurring stone and currently
having no problems.

Gather all of this information up. Send it to the FAA aeromedical division
in OKC now with a cover letter explaining your situation and when your
medical expires.
Doing this now will allow suffecient time for them to review and send you a
letter to take with you to the AME allowing him to issue your certificate
when due. If you wait until your exam, you may end up with a derral which
will take more time. If everything looks good and you have not had recurring
stones, there should be no problem.
There is no rule that staes you must wait until your medical is due to
report medical conditions.

John Holden, M.D.
"nospam" wrote in message
...
About a year ago I passed a kidney stone. I know it passed because I
saw it, and I know it was the only stone because I've had two
ultrasounds: one on the night it passed showing just one stone, and
another several months later showing no stones. My 3rd class medical
expires in spring of 2004.

I do NOT want to "beat" the medical. If I have a retained stone I don't
wanna be the sole pilot in a plane, because I know what they can do to
you when they pass. The one I passed last year was my first one ever
and it hit me about 3 hours before I was scheduled to fly solo. I was
very lucky it hit when it did. That's why I went back for another
ultrasound several months later.

However I want to be prepared for my medical without doing excessive
tests or having excessive delays. I want to go in there with all the
records and required proof of being stone-free when I go for the
appointment, because I don't want any unnecessary delays. I read the
AOPA's page on this and they said I would need a "recent" ultrasound
showing no stones. I tried calling my AME to ask him but his office
has a voicemail system and I'm a little shy about leaving my name and
number for a callback for this. So some questions if any who have been
through this can answer:

1. Probably the best thing to do is to call my AME and ask him what I
need to do to prepare for this medical exam. But if I do this six
months before before medical expiration, could that have a bad effect?
Like could he say "you're grounded until I get an ultrasound" even
though I've had one showing I'm clear since then? btw, the reason I
need to know now is that I am doing my medical benefits for next year,
and if I'm going to need an expensive procedure, I want to set up my
flexible medical spending account for it.

2. Has anyone gotten insurance, specifically an HMO that requires a PCP
referral for all tests, to cover the ultrasound/IVP/whatever required
for this?

3. How "recent" does the ultrasound showing no stones have to be?

4. If I lose my medical temporarily (like if a retained stone is found
and I have towait for it to pass), could I still take instrument
training with a CFI and log the time as PIC?

5. Any other advice or war stories would be appreciated.


Thanks.