Military and GBS for me

Hello all,

I am an Air Force vet with 15 years of service who walked away 4 years after my diagnosis with GBS. I tried like crazy to get help with the chronic problems that continue to plague me. I could not get help. Imagine being so tired of fighting the system that you walk away only 5 short years from retirement. I have so many residuals from GBS that the VA rated me at 90% disabled only one month after leaving the Air Force. The Air Force left me with nothing, even after my pleas to be boarded and considered for the TDRL List. I walked away with a disfigured face (from severe nerve damage to it) a limp gait and weak legs (from not receiving any physical therapy) 😡

The VA has been vigourous in thier quest to ease my daily pain and diagnose and treat the number of problems I’m dealing with. The one that has plagued me daily is the constant heart palpitations that started during the first week of my diagnosis. Not one AF medical doctor took me serious in treating it over my 4 yrs post diagnosis. They just told me that I was just more sensitive to my heart beats than other people. Now, with the VA’s help I know that it is a real life threat and real life condition, that they do believe is directly related to GBS. I will be on medication for the rest of my life to make sure that my heart muscle will not wear itself before it’s time. They have been understanding and know that most Active military docs don’t have the long term “sick people” training they need since they treat a mostly healthy active force. I want to say Thank god for the VA, even though they can’t give me back the honor of completing my service until retirement they gave me back my life. 🙂