Here is one for you all...

[Poony]

Been interested in RM since I was a small kid at a navy days event that I was at with my step-father. I applied when I was 17 but met a girl an got sidetracked. Same happened at 21. Then the back pain started, lower back pain that sends surges of pain down either or both legs, sometimes its just a lower back pain an sometimes I was in agony just getting out of bed, almost in tears, and I'm far from a stranger to pain or indeed a "wimp"

So I take myself off to docs an go for MRI scans an X rays all clear, pain continues so I go back an have it all done again. Then my consultant put me on 6 weeks of hydrotherapy an 4 months of general physio. Things improve greatly and I have now been discharged by the consultant as he was happy that if I continue the stretches and other bits I got given, then I would be well enough, in his opinion, for applying again.

he said "the MRI an X ray is all clear an I'm very happy with your progress and there is nothing medical to say your more risk than the next applicant"

Now I am working like a loon whenever I can, doing the stretches and exercises. And feel pretty good, get some pain now an then but nothing major or even close to as bad as before.

I guess my question is has this ruined my chances? I still have 5 years to apply so maybe I should wait? Have a clean bill of health for a year an train hard and then go to the careers office....or maybe just go speak to them...hmmm

help?

(been a long time since I have posted here so hello to all, glad to see some familiar faces )

[ChrisBell]

Well its up to you weather you wait a year or not but your afco will simply say its down to the medical you get during your application. So this is really the only way to know for sure.

[Crabfat]

Totally sypmathise with you poony mate, I am kind of going through the same thing just now. I am waiting for my AFCO to get back in touch with me about a medical issue just now to see if I can continue my application, fingers crossed and good luck to you mate

[Poony]

aye cheers lads...its a shitter. the only thing your sure u wanna do in life an it may not happen, well ...........good luck bud in your app, ahh its xmas eve an im wasted...weill cont this 2m...burrrp...hicup.....ooo a barmaid...zzz

[degrees of passion]

does that lad say hes from middlesbrough at the end?? wehheyyy up the boro!!!

[JCAP3]

Often lower back pain can be attributed to the Psoas muscle (as with me)

http://www.fitstep.com/Advanced/Anatomy ... natomy.jpg

[Poony]

Ahh bud I have heard a million things it could be, my bed, sciatica, disc probs, diet, where i sit at work, how i sit, posture, this muscle, that muscle, trapped nerves...

But at least you know what the problem is, which is a good thing.
Has it messed up your chances aswell?

I'm well on the road to recovery and hope that medical history, in certain areas, wont matter as much as long as you can prove yourself and given the fact they seem to have a shortage on recruits, might also help me.

[Artist]

Poony

If it starts to hurt then stop doing what your doing and have a rethink about your training regime. To hack PRMC you just need to be fit as in able to do the basic stuff required. Don't push yourself to far or your going to end up back at the Docs.

Far to many blokes seem to have this idea that they need to be built along the lines of Conan the Barbarian in order to pass the PRMC. Load of crap! You need to be above the norm in fitness for this day and age true but no more.

A good level of fitness and a good mental attitude is what the Corp wants from guys, not some bricksh*thouse sized bloke who can bench press 4 tons. Just how is he going to be able to hack the stuff like the tarzan course or the assault course carrying all that extra weight? It's five minutes for each test. Later it's ten for them combined.

Just stick to light reps, running, and stamina stuff and you will not go far wrong. This applies to all you wannerbies by the way. I left Cdo training weighing in at just under 11 stone and 5' 11" tall. In other words a bog standard newbie Green Lidded Warrier.

The average Royal Marine is just that. Average height, average weight, average everything apart from whats between his ears. Thats what makes us different. A Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). Without it don't even bother to apply. You have to really want to do it in other words.

Artist

[fleeter]

[quote="Artist"]Poony

Just stick to light reps, running, and stamina stuff and you will not go far wrong. This applies to all you wannerbies by the way. I left Cdo training weighing in at just under 11 stone and 5' 11" tall. In other words a bog standard newbie Green Lidded Warrier.

The average Royal Marine is just that. Average height, average weight, average everything apart from whats between his ears. Thats what makes us different. [b][color=red]A Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)[/color][/b]. Without it don't even bother to apply. You have to really want to do it in other words.

Artist[/quote]
i guess me being 5'4 and 9 and a half stone is not an average bootneck then