<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

A continuation of Part I-- this one having excerpts from original replies:

--
…In my experience I found having CD does not change anything...is in my
records. When I retire I will have some sort of medical benefit (more then
a normal retirement) due to the disease... ( I am not in the Navy so not
sure if it makes a difference...
--
Hi! I am a civilian internist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I can
confirm absolutely that there is no screening in the military for CD and,
unless a doctor was looking specifically for CD, your brother would not
have been tested for it. I have heard that there are some people in the
military with CD (per dieticians I work with) but this is all heresay. I
know of one person with CD who is retired (he is elderly) but don't know
when he was diagnosed.

I do know that there would definitely be issues for your brother with CD
as a diagnosis because of dietary restrictions and this would restrict his
assignments, such as deployments, because of the need to guarantee that he
can get GF food. The regulations on this issue for the army are not very
specific (see http://www.usapa.army.mil/series_pubs.asp and look there for
AR 40-501) but I don't know the regulations for the Navy.

Your brother is correct that this is a bit of a sticky wicket in terms of
his medical fitness for military duty. Nonetheless, as you know,
undiagnosed CD is also a big problem.

If you and your brother would like me to look into this further, I would
be happy to do it. I do have a colleague who is a physician and a retired
Navy Captain (formerly at National Naval Medical Center) who could provide
some more detailed information...
-------------
[I accidentally deleted this fellow’s e-mail!! Sorry!]

“I fully understand your brothers concern about continuing his Navy career
and keeping his pending retirement eligibility. I'm a retired Senior Chief
and was diagnosed with Celiac Disease just as I was retiring...
I was actually diagnosed by a Navy Medical Officer (then CDR Butler, now a
Capt) who is now the Dept Head of the GI Clinic at Bethesda Naval Hospital
in Bethesda, MD. This guy is the best in my book, all the way around. When
it appears that most civilian Dr's do not know much about this disease,
this guy did over four years ago. He ran all the tests and performed my
endoscopy which confirmed the condition. I'm sure a Navy Dr could contact
Dr Butler, or your brother himself...
--
…could ask the Navy to run the series of blood tests that would indicate
whether he had to take the next step…would be the Gliadin blood test which
checks the Iga level...the first indicator to having the endoscopy.
Even as a retiree I have no problem with having follow-up tests to see how
I'm maintaining my diet. As for continuing a career if diagnosed...I would
not really want to comment on that one. If shore based and living on the
economy I would not see where it should matter...I would not want to
attempt to go to sea with this condition...food is generally mass
prepared…following the diet is a personal choice. Unless your brother was
to have severe reaction who would really know?...
--
Two years ago I came across a LT in the Navy with Celiac. He had no
problems. Not sure if you were stationed overseas during wartime though. I
work at a Navy Hospital/Clinic. They finally know what they are doing
regarding Celiac. Not sure all understand the Labs they need to use for
testing though. From what I have seen they sent the blood tests out to
Quest here in CT...
---
A lot of the answers probably depend upon where you are stationed.
Bethesda Naval Hosp. & Walter Reed Army Hosp. are both very knowledgable
about CD. I was handed a 2" thick packet of info ( which was correct) from
the dietician. As far as active duty, I'm sure it depends upon the
service, your specialties, etc. I have heard of some that could not
continue- I doubt that field rations would work- however, I have also
known some that continued.
---
The Air Force Reserves don't test…
But the active duty elements get really upset when they find out.
On deployments it is very difficult... I was in Cairo West (an airbase of
sorts... The 55th AEF almost sent me to the Egyptian Embassy to get rid of
me...they were told to...get me food. Did not make me very popular...
--
...will serve gf meals on ship...Not on...bases or reserve centers.
----
...non-celiac son is in the military...has run across a couple of
celiacs... They choose to keep their disease private and do the best that
they can with eating...afraid that they would be medically discharged.
--
...might...check out Dr. Fine's testing www.finerhealth.com Between him &
them, not part of his official medical history. If he is truly celiac he
can prevent future complications and autoimmune disorders by going g.f. If
he's only gluten sensitive, he might...buy...time by reducing gluten
consumption. ...Retirement won't be good for much if he's not healthy
enough to enjoy it...check out Dangerous Grains by Braly & Hoggan...
----
All I know is that it's pretty hard to convince someone who is in denial
to get tested... The excuse that he was probably already tested is just
more denial... All you can do is try to push him to get tested without
pushing so hard... Point out the symptoms you have in common and tell him
why his additional symptoms point to celiac…
--
...My brother-in-law just entered the military…he did not get tested for
celiac. The military would lose a lot of people if they tested for
celiac... If...realized how many people they would lose because they can't
accommodate the diet, they might...change...I wonder what the Italian and
Irish military does...do they test and accept celiacs?? hmmm...
--
If you send email to the celiac archives ([log in to unmask]),
and type in the body of the email GETPOST CELIAC 013882 you will receive
an interesting post by someone in the military. It is from a few years
ago, and of course things can change....He was diagnosed while in the
military, and said he received very good medical treatment from them.
--
The military does not test for it unless you say on intake that aunt/neice
etc. has CD.  Then they test you for it and if + you are out! So I can
understand that he does not want them to know...they will discharge you…
--
Several of the people who responded to my draft question indicated that
they had been diagnosed while in the military. When it was learned they
were celiac they were told they could not deploy. None of them mentioned
being discharged.
--
...I am in the Army, 16 yrs...diagnosed with celiac for about 1 year. No,
the military does not normally test for celiac,...However...got a doctor
who...was smart enough to send me to a specialist (civilian)...the Army
did consider me for medical retirement, but decided that because I only
have 4 years...they would...just not deploy me...I have a permanent
medical 'profile' that says I have to maintain a gluten free diet and
cannot deploy...
--
Believe me, if they want you bad enough, they'll take you! ...already
retired when diagnosed, but as a retired officer I must keep the Air Force
updated on my physical condition. If I was recalled...most likely be kept
stateside (or in Germany, Spain, Italy) to allow me access to the proper
food. I'd have problems being a Reservist...Combat Medical Readiness
Training required every four years includes a few days of living on MREs
(...NOT GF!)...if...had a shortage of nurses...they'd pull me right back
in... New enlistments...You can...remain in the military after being
diagnosed as a diabetic or... but cannot enlist... It might be wise for
your brother to make discreet inquiries before being tested. It may depend
on his rank, his job, or the discretion of his Commanding Officer...
--
My husband was diagnosed...after nearly dying from his symptoms. At the
time he was a Commander (O-5) in the Navy. I was the one who figured out
what was wrong...They DON'T test for celiac unless YOU tell them to...I
paid the $399 to Dr Fine's Lab, Enterolab, to have something to shove in
the doctor's face! They then did the endoscopy...your brother was not
tested for celiac by the Navy 99%...they may have run the most basic of
blood tests, but not the IgA antibody, so if he is IgA deficient, they
would mistakenly say he is fine.  Ok, now to your brother's fear of
discovery:...if he is in a...type of job where...will be deployed...career
could be over...depends on how long he's been in. If he were at the 18
year point...maybe...a desk job...
…can he go as gluten free as possible…on a ship...avoid the major glutens,
bring along...own food...Ener-G granola bars...don't take much space and
keep for a year...


=====
Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach
that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you
for weeks. - Willie Weiss

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more
http://taxes.yahoo.com/

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the Celiac List *