Re: U.S. military practices genetic discrimination in denying benefits/OT

[Guest guest]

I have been in and out of the recruiting office for about a month now,

trying to learn the status of my eligibility due to my PSC (diagnosed

when I was 18 in 2002). I guess I was hoping against hope because the

Coast Guard immediately turned me down without even a chance to

contest it. I am now talking to an Air Force recruiter and that

doesn't look good either. Once the initial rejection occurs at the

local recruiting level, the case is sent to the military surgeon

general dude in Texas and the reply as to one's eligibility usually

takes between one and two months.

I suppose I can understand the U.S. military not wanting to take any

chances with potential recruits afflicted with a disease. My only wish

was that they were more thorough in the physical testing (i.e. pay for

a their own medical evaluation which might allude to the fact that,

" while, yes, you do have psc and will no doubt display symptoms in the

future, as of right now, you are ready to perform, learn, and grow

with the military. " Instead, they just look at very personal medical

records, locate " hot words " that immediately spell disqualification

and leave it at that.

When I do go into the recruiting office now (my case is currently

being reviewed in Tejas), I have to grit my teeth and check my

envy-levels for the Recruiting Officers, who no doubt paid their dues,

but who lounge in offices, and to me, get paid not for the sake of

honor or discipline, but because the military has become a corporate

entity and they have quotas to fill and that you're sitting in a

privately-owned chair that no longer does you any good.

I was planning on being a Navy Corpsman, specifically a battlefield

medic for the Marines. I thought this would be an amazing opportunity

to acquire an education in medicine; to work, live, and grow with

fellow brothers trying to find their place in the world. But, like

most of my recent past, and I'm sure like most of yours too, it seems

that more doors have closed than opened and I can surely attribute

this to PSC. The fact is that for how dormant and unassuming the

disease can be, it certainly does, even in its asymptomatic stage,

hamper one's means to thrive.

I am not angry at the U.S. military. They do not see my resolve to

discipline, honor, and to the welfare of my brothers. So right now I'm

looking into the Canadian military.

Many more hoops to jump through but perhaps they'll take me, what with

socialized medicine and all.

[Guest guest]

> I have been in and out of the recruiting office for about a month

now, trying to learn the status of my eligibility due to my PSC

(diagnosed when I was 18 in 2002). I guess I was hoping against hope

because the Coast Guard immediately turned me down without even a

chance to contest it. I am now talking to an Air Force recruiter and

that doesn't look good either. Once the initial rejection occurs at

the local recruiting level, the case is sent to the military surgeon

general dude in Texas and the reply as to one's eligibility usually

takes between one and two months... I suppose I can understand the

U.S. military not wanting to take any chances with potential recruits

afflicted with a disease. My only wish was that they were more

thorough in the physical testing (i.e. pay for a their own medical

evaluation which might allude to the fact that, " while, yes, you do

have psc and will no doubt display symptoms in the future, as of

right now, you are ready to perform, learn, and grow> looking into

the Canadian military.

I haven't read in here in a while, but popped in and caught your

post. My husband doesn't have PSC, our son does, but my husband and

son both share a genetic condition/disease/syndrome. My hubby, Russ

is 36yo and was cleared (preliminary medical clearance) by the

California National Guard to sign up. They've loosened their

criteria a great deal in order to up their numbers. Russ has no

colon and grows adenomas (pre cancerous polyps) in parts of his

remaining GI tract. His genetic condition is a mutation on a

specific gene's chromosome that ups his odds for various GI cancers

(guarantees colon cancer, but he's had that one already). He has

issues with bloody stools (not all the time), occassional bowel

incontinence (minimal), and some other problems at times -some all

the time, but he's incredibly fit and active (he's what I call

a " hottie " ). Anyway, they CA Nat'l Guard was ready to take him last

yr --before we got our son's PSC and IBD dx's and started down that

road. They were ready to take him, btw, even though he would likely

have had some trouble if they had -sort of the opposite of what

you've been experiencing. He does have issues right now w/ his

condition and his goal of flying Blackhawks would not likely have

been possible. But, they were willing to let him in and I thought

you might like to know. Have you asked your Dr to write a letter of

clearance for you?

--Meghan, mom to Wyatt -13yo, FAP 8/01, PSC & IBD 1/07 ( & 6/07), a-i

hives 6/07 (and wife to Russ)