PULHES goes up

In the Army, you want to have a low PULHES score and a high physical fitness score. A 111111 means you have no physical limitations. If you have a "no running" profile, that raises the "(L)ower extremities to a "2." Anything with a "3" means you have to go through a medical evaluation board. [Source - full list of definitions]

I already have a "3" in (P)hysical Stamina due to multiple sclerosis, but today my (H)earing went up to "2" because of hearing loss in my right ear.

What's really strange is that there's no telling why. According to the audiologist, there's no problem with nerve conductivity in my cochlea.

That would mean there's a problem with mechanical conductivity, but there's no occlusion, damage to the eardrum, or mass behind the eardrum (according to a CT scan). And because it's been this way since 2016, there's no way I could have messed up the test by failing to push a few buttons.

The only way to get a better answer would be to cut open the eardrum in an exploratory surgery, look behind, and then stitch it back up and hope it heals.

Fortunately, the federal government does NOT do this sort of thing, which I am totally fine with.

It's a little bit of a bummer, but I can still distinguish words and hear the things I need to. Also, my left ear is still working fairly well, so there's no need for a hearing aid.

I suppose, if anything, it's just one more thing I can add to my list of stuff that's wrong with me for my veteran's disability rating.