Well, like the headline says i'm going to be a 'veteran' and it's going to be within the month.
No-one needs to reply to this, this is more to get it straight in my head and i know that this will have an audience that will probably have some idea of what's going through my head at the moment.
Nearly 2 years ago i was stood about 20 feet from an (empty thank god) Warrior AFV that got hit by two RPGs in close succession. The blast through me over a wall and into a rock filled ditch, i sustained no broken bones but i was knocked out for about 5 mins. Anyway, i was evac'd to the Tri-Service Military Hospital at Camp Bastion and had a full check-up and an MRI (standard procedure for head trauma). I was kept in the Hospital for 48 hrs under observation then was called to see a surgeon to talk over the results. Well i was fine, no injuries from the blast were showing and i was ok to return to duty. He did however tell me that i had a couple of shadows in my brain that weren't related to the blast. They weren't cancerous he said and many people had them and not to worry about it but he thought i should be told.
Fast forward to about 3 weeks ago.
I woke up one morning with several issues, poor balance, reduced feeling in my left foot and lower leg and a stripe of numbness around my waist. So got dressed, went to see the Medical Officer who gave me a thorough examination and then sent me to the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot where they poked and prodded me, gave me another MRI and sent me home, not back to barracks but home, on an open sick leave (always suspicious). The Commando Training Center at Royal Marine Lympstone is very close to me and i've been reporting to the Medical Center there twice a week and they continued to sign me off (my balance is back and i can run again but still have reduced feelings in my lower leg and waist).
Last night i get a surprise call from the M.O at Lympstone asking if he can come around (it's about a 20min drive to me from there) as he'd like to talk to me and he feels it'd be best if i was at home and is my wife at home too? Oh Sh*t! was the first thing that came to mind followed by yes to both his questions. Anyway, to cut a long story short my latest MRI showed more and different 'patches' in my brain (i now also have 2 in my spine which is causing the loss of some feeling) and i have been officially diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)......... He talked to me and my wife for about an hour telling me about it and that i have a 2hr appointment on Sunday at Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot to speak with a Neurologist about my MS.
I've been phoned 3 times this morning by Brigadier James Chiswell CO 16th Air Assault Brigade who has talked me through what's going to happen next which is that my promotion to WO1 has been ratified (Yay, i made it) and that he'd like me to return to barracks after i've seen the specialist at the hospital.
Over the next 2 weeks i'll be officially promoted and will need to hand over to my successor, who i had a say in and i'm happy with the choice (he'll be getting promoted at the same ceremony as me). My last Week will be filling in forms and relinquishing duties and saying many, many goodbyes (not looking forward to that bit).
My last day of active duty will be Friday, 10th August and i'll have served 20yrs, 7 months and 5 days.
As it's a medical discharge and after 18 years i'll get the full pension as if i'd done my 22yrs and the promotion (which has pushed through about a month faster than it would have normally taken, i owe my Brigade CO a big one for that) has pushed my pension up by a nice amount so i'll not be bereft.
So... there you go..
I'm going to be a civilian a bit earlier than expected and not in the way i thought. I've read up on MS and talked to my doctor about it and i know that i may be as i am forever or it may get a bit worse or a hell of a lot worse. I might have relapses that last a while then go or they may be permanent. I know that they may appear when they want or never so there's no point in worrying about it. I have my wife and kids and my life ahead of me. The future is what it is, i'll just have to wait and see, like always.
I'm good with that.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Baldrick
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