CNN iReport

Since this forum is limited I will try and be short.

It's been 17+ years of being treated by my government / VA as if all my physical problems were just mental. I have been on over 400 different prescription drugs, today I'm on 21 different prescriptions /63 pills a day plus 2 inhalers. In 1995 I was declared medically unfit for military duty due to Gulf War Illness but since there was no such officially recognized syndrome it was non-compensateable and so I was given the options of either applying to the retired reserves or separation actions would proceed. So after 20 years 11 months & 3 days I was forced to apply to the retired reserves of which I did under duress. Six months later in 1996 my first wife of 13 ½ years filed for divorce because she was tired of living with someone who was sick all the time. My health during this time was not very good but despite it all I worked a full time Federal Civil Service job, coached my oldest daughter's softball team, did all the cooking for my family (until they left) and maintained my home and property. I started in late 1992 applying for VA disability compensation only to be denied many time and having to resubmit documentation each time until Dec 2000 when they actually read my medical documents and rated me at 90% permanent and then 100% unemployable. Well my second wife who came into the picture in late 1999 saw this and thought she had hit the lottery since the disability payments were retroactive back to 1994 minus what I was already paid. Well needless to say when all her personal credit cards were paid off and my money was gone so was she. Over the past 17+ years with all my hospitalizations combined I have spent almost 2 ½ years in a hospital bed.

I am now remarried for what is my 3^rd and final time to a loving woman who is so understanding that it is hard to get use to even now at times she catches me off guard.