USMC recently diagnosed me.....really long story

I'm a 18 year old male and I was just recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. In Sept 07 I signed up with the United States Marine Corps and left July, 28, 08 for Parris Island SC (Boot Camp). I had completed 6 weeks of training when I threw up one night while performing firewatch duty, I thought nothing of it and did not inform my Drill Instructor thinking it was just something I ate. We had a 7 mile hike to rifle range in a few days (Friday) and I did not want to seem like a panzy or a faker so I didn't say anything. The night before the hike I threw up again and my stomach starting hurting something fierce. The morning of the hike we ate MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), I ate a cracker as that was all I could eat and my stomach began hurting even worse. But once we started the hike it went away, and when we got to rifle range it had gone away completely so I thought nothing of it.

That night after the hike I started feeling really weak almost to the point where I couldn't stand. The next morning (Saturday) at chow I wasn't hungry so I just got a couple grapes. For afternoon and evening chow I would just drink water no food. That night I threw up atleast three times, I'd lay in my rack and my stomach would hurt like hell, then all of a sudden I would feel the sudden urge to throw up and I would run to the head. I told my Senior Drill Instructor that I was throwing up and he put my on bedrest Sunday, and then Monday I went to sick call. The Navy Corpsmen told me I had pneumonia and gave me some pills and Tylenol, they told me to report back Friday. From Monday till Thursday I threw up multiple times every night, had blood in my stool and it even got to the point where if I drank water or even eating just one grape or a piece of bread I would immediately throw up afterwords. Finally Thursday morning my Senior Drill Instructor told me I was going to go to sick call.

This time they told me I was dehydrated and they gave me water thru an IV and sent me back to training. It kept continuing with the throwing up and the no food and little water until Saturday which was the PFT (Physical Fitness Test) I could hardly make it to the PT field I did 0 pullups 66 crunches and couldn't even make it 500feet in the 3mile run and the only reason I made it 500 feet was becasue my Drill Instructor was yelling at me to not be a quitter, I almost collapsed. When we got back to the barracks the Series Gunnry Sgt told me I looked anorexic and told my Drill Instructor to take me to the Hospital. From the Hospital on Parris Island they sent me to the Navel Hospital at Beaufort SC where they weighed me I weighted 160lbs when I arrived at Parris Island, I now weighed 124lbs. They scheduled me for an appointment with a GI who gave me a colonoscopy and after the results came back he told me I had Ulcerative Colitis.

He put me on Remicade infusions, I took 3 of them in a 2 month period. He told me I would have to take the Remicade every 6 weeks for the rest of my life. After the first Remicade I havn't had a problem sense not one problem not a flare up nothing. I stayed on Parris Island from July 28 to Dec 16 as a recruit it was very stressful. They sent out medboards and they came back saying the UC was prior and that it was a genetic disorder they rated me 0% and discharged me on Feb 14 I recieved an Honorable discharge seeing as I served 6 months, 1 1/2 months being home awaiting orders. When I joined the service I was taken off my parents insurance and when I got discharged my medical benefits no longer appled so I have no medical insurance to pay for the remicade. I contacted the VA about it and they told me because I was rated 0% disability that I wouldn't receive any benefits or help from them, though they are going to send the paper work I hope they'll accpet me so if it does flare up again I can just go on base and get the remicade.

I'm not sure what to think really, I haven't experienced any problems sense my first Remicade dose. I've eaten whatever I want so far. I gained all my weight back in a matter of a few weeks, and am back to 160lbs. I'm not even sure if I even have UC I'm thinking about getting a second opinion or something. I might just be denial but isn't it possible that it was just an ulcer and not ulcerative colitis I mean I've never had any symptoms of it before this incident and I was in Boot Camp 6 weeks before any of the symptoms started. I love the marine corp and would like to re-enlist but if I have UC so I don't think thats an option. For those of you with UC did any of you experience the same type of problems? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You throwing up and then being diagnosed with UC doesn't make much sense to me. Have you ever displayed any symptoms like loose bowels or blood when you go to the bathroom? This urgency you had to vomit is an urgency on the wrong end!

I think you must get a second opinion. Take all of your records with you and explain in detail how things went down for you in this situation. If I take what you wrote above, I would not have diagnosed you with UC-- though I'm no doctor, I do have UC. Also, as someone who has had to deal with the military and having an illness, I can tell you that your treatment is not the standard of care you should have received. No one goes straight to Remicade. Or at least never that I've heard of. It is a serious and powerful treatment and though your health improved it may not have been because of this. Furthermore, your treatment by the med board and the USMC is also less than adequate. My suggestion would be to seek the advice of a lawyer who deals specifically with military matters, veterans and medical issues. In light of our country's duel-wars, MANY veterans have been mistreated and ushered through an overwhelmed and ambivalent broken system. It absolutely p!sses me off that our veterans are and have been treated so poorly, especially in cases of medical issues, whether they are psychological or physical (inflicted by battle or not). If you do a search on the internet there is a fair chance you will find a counselor who will likely offer their services pro bono as it is known that people in your situation have had a difficult time of things and may not be financially able to hire their services.

Something else I'd like to address is the prior issue and a genetic issue. If this was a prior issue it is fairly certain you would have never made it into the military anyway. Granted, our armed forces are suffering from loss of manpower these days but this IS the Marine Corp we're talking about here-- the standard is at least high enough not to enlist people with debilitating conditions. The genetic issue is unethical. No one in their right mind would ever discriminate against someone based solely on your genetic capacity-- for or against the situation. Poor eye sight may be genetic-- do we not provide glasses to soldiers? Some people get anemic or get the flu because of a weaker immune system-- does this mean they are unfit? If this is honestly what they used to discharge you, you may have grounds to make them at least say they're sorry. It is military law their running under so that is where you would need someone with that experience.

Good luck, man....I wish you the best and I pray to God your good health continues. I'm sorry you had to leave the USMC under anything other than your own will but you'll find out in time, these things happen for a reason. I hope, if for nothing else, you do fight them to at least set the record straight.

Good luck--

(former USAF)

What about C-Diff? There are people here that explain it better than I can, but basicly it's a bacterial infection that mimics the symptoms of UC. You should be tested for it right away.

The last time I had a bad flare I threw up many times. I wasn't able to keep any food down and I didn't have an appetite, but I've had this disease for 11 years. When I first noticing symptoms they were just a slight difference in my trips to the bathroom.

     Get another opinion.  I NEVER threw up with UC.  It does sound more like a gastric ulcer to me.

I was throwing up frequently in the AM in the 1 or 2 years before I found out I had UC.