What went wrong?

My wonderful husband arrived home from his tour in Iraq three months ago. His block leave was the entire next month. We didn't do anything spectacular. We rested together and enjoyed each other. That included not doing any PT or anything that was physically exerting. I couldn't blame him for just wanting to rest. I'm sure that is all I'd want to do were the roles reversed.

He reported back to his unit on a Monday and was told that same day he had a APFT test the next morning. That was the first he knew anything about it. Yes, it is the soldiers responsibility to maintain their level of fitness. I have to side with the laziness here. He JUST got back from Iraq. I knew the next morning was going to be a difficult one for him.

Within a mile of the run his leg gave way to another stress fracture. He heard it, felt it and had been there before. Determined and in pain he ran the remaining distance. Before he could proceed to see a Doctor he had to go to the office to get 'taped.' He is finally able to get to the TMC and was given a pair of crutches and sent to another clinic for x-rays. That clinic was booked up. We went to another TMC, their machine was broke. Finally the fourth TMC I took him to was able to do his x-rays. A couple of days go by and he returns for the results. Like with his prior stress fracture it doesn't show up on regular x-rays. Now he has to go to the hospital to schedule an MRI. The soonest appointment is a month away.

We are now a week into his leg being hurt and he has yet to see a Doctor. A month passes with him on crutches and in pain. He has the MRI and is told to check with his Doctor in 3-4 days. After the allotted amount of time he goes to his TMC and is then told his provider is no longer there and he would need to make an appointment which is three more weeks away. That time passes and still not being seen by a doctor is sent on for a bone scan and referred to an Orthopedic doctor for surgery on his knee. A month away.

You can bet I am steaming mad at this point. His bone scan is in the morning, at least that isn't another month's wait. He is still on crutches, he is still in pain. When I look at his leg it looks like a 'Z.' His muscles in that leg have atrophied. He will recover in time. He is facing knee surgery from the damage done.

I am sad and disappointed that this has gone on so long. Why on Earth should a soldier be treated with such disregard?

His next deployment is only a couple months away. Yes, that's less than six months home. I don't know what will happen at this point. He has a great deal of recovering to do in two months time. He would be so unhappy getting stuck in Rear D.