Upon realizing that you have been offering advice and response to questions I have asked during my MEB, I sent you a private message. Since we both have eye injuries, don't take my exaggeration as an offense, but agree to disagree.
No problem. I was downrange when I had my injury and did not have the luxury of going to an ER and was stuck with the military docs who failed to do their job and get me the care I needed. I did lose my vision, but I know without a doubt that if I would have been stateside, I would have been at my nearest ER. Never once was I given Motrin to handle my eye issues and not once did my unit expect me to go out and do a PT test with my injury.
You are welcome to state your opinions as am I. I try to not pass judgement on anybody on these forums and give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but I do see those who clearly abuse this system and are making it worse for others. Some are active in these forums and I see many each day I am on post or even in the unit. I don't call anyone out though, as that is for their docs to determine. But I have seen, with my good eye, those who use canes in uniform and produce a limp, then are at the PX with their friends or family on the weekend without that cane and wearing their flippy floppies walking around perfectly fine. Come Monday, back to the cane and limp. I just get tired of that type of nonsense.
I don't feel I gave bad advice when mentioning going to an ER or Acute Care Clinic for an eye injury. Most good hospitals will have either an eye doc on duty or on call in the event of an injury and that goes for almost all medical specialties. Unfortunately when I was in Iraq, there was one Ophthalmologist to go around for the entire country. If I had been medevac'd, I would have received that care, however, my local clinic mis-diagnosed me and gave me Roxicet and a bunch of ophthalmic ointments with a profile and quarters. Command pressure left me in country against the advice of my PCM, but as a Test Pilot and helicopter Maintenance Manager, they wanted to take their chances with me.
Sorry, the whole dangling of the eye doing push-ups was what pushed me to respond. I know the military will forever prescribe Motrin to those who initially come to sick call, but before I lost flight status, I had little choice as to what meds I could take. Narcotics are rarely prescribed because in my profession, those meds, do not mix well with helicopter maintenance or flying. Operating any kind of machinery using these meds is ill-advised and if something were to happen while Joe was high on Roxicet, then there would be some legal issues. Motrin is safe and if someone needs something a little stronger, then by all means, request it, but there is a reason it is handed out like candy. It is a good medication to start with and safe at that.
I know I have given you advice in the past and wish you the best of luck during your MEB. Feel free to use your freedom of speech, I was only using mine, even though I didn't even think of it in those terms.