medical discharge - crohn's

[wvhelp]

What is the name of your state? WV
I have been a member of WV army national guard for two years. I was diagnosed with crohn's disease in January. I was due to go to AIT this summer but due to the crohn's I was not given the spot for AIT - I am supposed to have my case reviewed by a medical review board. According to the military regulations crohn's can be cause for medical discharge or a change in duty assignment or training. I would like to stay in the guard and perhaps have duties appropriate to this disease, currently I am in the MP. I realize I probably could not be deployed or sent to a country without adequate medical care, I can still be of benefit during homeland disasters. I have not been discharged yet, my recruiter said it could take a year or more and to continue on going to monthly duty. I am going to college and the tuition benefits and monthly pay (approx $125) are very beneficial for me. I just got a call from my sargeant and he told me not to bother coming to guard because of the crohn's - he is surprised that they have not acted on the medical discharge yet and says that because of the crohn's his superior is worried about liabillity during training. I asked if there was anything else that I could do besides the PT and he said not really. My concern is that I have nothing in writing and first am concerned about not fulfilling my obligation and perhaps later getting a dishonorable discharge for not showing up for monthly duty. The sargeant said that would not happen and if it did he would "stand up for me". I also need to earn that montly pay and feel that the guard still has a contract with me. What do you suggest I do to protect myself and do I have any recourse to avoid a medical discharge?
Thanks

[rmet4nzkx]

You were only recently diagnosed so there is still time to receive traditional treatment, see how that goes. THere are some other possibilities.

Recently is has been discovered that a dangerous organism called mycobacterium avium Paratuberculosis (MAP) that was both active and had the ability of multiplying was found in pasturized milk, this could be the source of your Crohn's disease. It has been known that MAP causes Johne's disease among the cattle and sheep population. The continual rise of Johne's has become a concern among the dairy producers because of the way it wreaks havoc upon the bodies of the animals. MAP damages the animal's systems by triggering chronic inflammation of their intestines then spreading rampant throughout their bodies leaving them with a deteriorating disease and no practical cure. Switching to certified raw milk from healthy dairy heards may also improve your health, in a combat situation you could simply avoid dairy products, drink canned coconut milk or focus on femented products.

Experts have noted a clear relationship between MAP and Crohn's disease. This could be seen from the tests that revealed nearly all of the people affected by Crohn's disease had also been affected with the MAP infection, have you been tested for this infection? You may also have sensitivity to gluten

Raw milk is actually one of the more profound healing agents in inflammatory bowel disease. Rather than causing it, raw milk causes the disease to go into remission.

You may also want to look into some nurtitional treatments like virgin coconut oil which has been found to be useful in taming Crohn's disease. The anti-inflammatory and healing effects of coconut oil have been shown to play a role in soothing inflammation and healing injury in the digestive tract. Coconut oil also has antimicrobial properties that promote intestinal health by killing troublesome microorganisms that may cause chronic inflammation, it helps you absorb nutrition etc. it's worth a try, if you can get it under control, you have a better chance of being able to continue to serve.

[fozzy2]

Unless you are *ordered* otherwise, I would continue to show up for drills and meet all other obligations. Respectfully tell your superior that while you trust his/her word, for bureaucratic purposes you need an order to not show up for drills in writing. I have a feeling they will suddenly decide to allow you to drill. If your superiors are truly worried about medical complications then they can send you to a doctor/board for a professional opinion. If they are worried about legal liability they can contact a JAG officer. However, it is YOUR responsibility to fulfill your obligations until ordered otherwise.
A "suggestion" that you not drill might not be very clear in your record, which many people might be pouring over in the near future. And, the old "I will stand up for you" line -- no matter how honestly uttered -- is not much of a guarantee.

Similarly, imagine an active duty petty officer being told by the Chief "Go ahead, take a few weeks off. Don't bother with leave papers, I'll stand up for you." How far do you think that would fly if discovered by superior authorities? I can recall an analagous situation of a CPO being told by a more senior enlisted to "not bother" officially checking out on leave - the heat came down hard on both of them when it was discovered. YOur not showing up for drills, for example, might be construed by a future board as evidence that your medical condition prevents you from even stateside duties. I don't know about Guard procedures, but they might list you on rosters/check-ins as "medical absence", which once again could look bad in the future.