A
Anonymus
Guest
I currently have a class 3 medical, which is valid for another 15 months or so. I have recently developed (TMI warning for the squeamish) a pain and a hard spot in my left testicle. Obviously I'm going to have to go to the doctor, and there is a non-zero chance of it being cancer. I'm trying not to be too freaked out about this, but in the back of my mind is the concern about how this will affect my ability to fly.
I think I understand that any cancer diagnosis requires self-grounding if you are flying on a standard medical. I also think I understand that is not necessarily the case for Basic Med, assuming the cancer is minor and not spread, and you and your doctor agree that it is safe to fly.
I also suspect it would be impossible (and arguably improper) to get a doctor to sign off on basic med with an undiagnosed/untreated issue like this, so if cancer is the diagnosis, I'll be stuck for a while between being self grounded and being able to start basic med.
Testicular cancer looks to be one of the CACI's, so there's a good chance of getting another medical in the future assuming it's caught early. Is there any requirement to report a disqualifying diagnosis prior to your next medical application? Is FAA Aeromedical hooked in to electronic medical records and capable of flagging something like this? What's the risk legally of continuing to fly if you feel fine and aren't on any disqualifying medication?
What is the process for getting cleared to fly on a regular medical again after an issue like this? I assume it involves talking to a really good AME and following their directions. Is there anything to do/watch out for during the treatment that can trip up that process?
I'm still hopeful that this is something minor, but want to be prepared to minimize my downtime if it's more serious.
I think I understand that any cancer diagnosis requires self-grounding if you are flying on a standard medical. I also think I understand that is not necessarily the case for Basic Med, assuming the cancer is minor and not spread, and you and your doctor agree that it is safe to fly.
I also suspect it would be impossible (and arguably improper) to get a doctor to sign off on basic med with an undiagnosed/untreated issue like this, so if cancer is the diagnosis, I'll be stuck for a while between being self grounded and being able to start basic med.
Testicular cancer looks to be one of the CACI's, so there's a good chance of getting another medical in the future assuming it's caught early. Is there any requirement to report a disqualifying diagnosis prior to your next medical application? Is FAA Aeromedical hooked in to electronic medical records and capable of flagging something like this? What's the risk legally of continuing to fly if you feel fine and aren't on any disqualifying medication?
What is the process for getting cleared to fly on a regular medical again after an issue like this? I assume it involves talking to a really good AME and following their directions. Is there anything to do/watch out for during the treatment that can trip up that process?
I'm still hopeful that this is something minor, but want to be prepared to minimize my downtime if it's more serious.
