Hi! Thank you for your reply. I haven't thought of Quantico in Virginia or
Beaufort/Parris Island in South Carolina for a while now. In the late 1960's-mid
1970's, they were the center of the universe to many of us who had family and
friends training and deploying for Vietnam. It was an era of its own.

During my very brief tenure as a Navy Nurse,I was stationed at Bethesda Naval.
After my discharge, I didn't go far. I just went across the street to NIH and
worked in Building 10 in what was then called The Institute of Heart and Lung.

Before I was discharged and during the time that I was being diagnosed by the
NAVY for FSH, one of the neurologists said the strangest thing to me that I will
never forget. He said that I wouldn't be able to walk by the time I was 40 -
but, not to worry, and that it would be o.k. because life doesn't have much
meaning at 40. Well...he was wrong on both counts.

After reading your post, I contacted the VA. It should be interesting where this
will go. Thanks for your help!

Willow


-- In fshsociety@yahoogroups.com, "phillips1223" <pbhardy@...> wrote:
>
> Hi, Willow. You are taking me back to 1990. I was stationed at MCB Quantico,
VA, so the trip to the Naval Hospital at Bethesda was about a one-hour drive.
The first doctor I saw was a neurologist who did not want to second guess
anything. All she would tell me is "You've been hiding from us...." I went
back the next day and was examined by the head neurologist, who happened have
done an internship with the MDA. Also present was a neurologist from the NIH
(across the street) and a Navy neurologist intern. They did an EMG and told me
I have Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. I asked them if it would kill me, and
they all started laughing--so I guessed it would not kill me. A few months
later, I had a muscle biopsy performed to confirm the original diagnosis, and
then my medical board submission was prepared. I rebutted the doctor's findings
and submitted this to the board. I was given a 70% disability rating and
transferred to the TDRL, and after 5-years I was given an honorable discharge.
I registered with the VA as soon as I was discharged, and I am considered 100%
disabled.
>
> Could it be proven that I had this before I entered the military? Perhaps,
but I did a lot of things as a U.S. Marine that likely helped the disease
progress. Therefore, I don't look back. Time of service may have had something
to do with my rating; as I had 15 years of active service when I was diagnosed.
>
> I would say it would definitely be worth going back to the VA.
>