I'm being Medevac'ed out a second time: US Army's medical care

I am a regular army captain - a social worker - currently stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. I have been here almost 13 months and getting ready to go to Landstuhl for possible surgery - I'm writing this from the CSH in Baghdad Internet Cafe.

Well, the horror story was when I first signed up for the Army as a private in 1983 I went to basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Around the 4th week we went on bivouac and I developed a fever and heavy bleeding. They sent me to sick call (even though we were told NOT to unless we were on our death beds) and they took some tests. The fever wouldn't go down so they admitted me. Well, I was watching CNN from my hospital bed and apparently the hospital I was in had an incident... someone switched Argon Gas tanks with Oxygen Tanks and killed people in the operating room. Well, the hospital completely shut down and they stated (in the records I still own) that they felt I needed more tests to determine the cause of these problems but due to circumstances beyond their control, they were discharging me to the Troop Outpatient Clinic. Then I went back out to the Field, and things got even worse, more bleeding and continued high fever. Under the fear of saying anything I just continued my training.

When we were returning, that night in the shower, I fell down delirious, and the ambulance was called. They did a camera probe of my cervix area and found infection that had burst. They then wheeled a telephone over to me and told me to make my final phone call as it was not expected for me to live through this surgery. I called my mother. Next thing I remember was waking up and them telling me I had a total and complete hysterectomy, to include my ovaries.

I then recuperated and went through basic training a full second time and have not left the service completely for 25 years. That was March 1983 and it's almost March 2008 now. So I was unable to have children at age 19 and have been on HRT for 25 years. I have a 20-year Reserve retirement since I spent all that time in the Reserves and National Guard but have a total of 10 years active duty service. I became a social worker, direct appointment into the medical service corps 04/06 and have three more years to go.

Well, 16 years ago my ex-husband and I decided I should get implants. I loved them and they have been great all these years. Well, last July a series of rockets came into our FOB Falcon and I ran with a large box in my arms to the bunker, but, tripped and fell... causing the box to smash my left breast. They sent me to Landstuhl to have an MRI and the physician/radiologist stated that it was ruptured. Then a few hours later another doctor said that it was not ruptured. They differed in opinion and I was sent back to FOB Falcon where I didn't notice anything but the usual stinging pain in my left breast they told me was just "nerve damage" from falling on it.

Then a few days ago I noticed actual jell like blob underneath my bra strap heading south to my stomach area. They sent me here to the CSH and the doctor blatantly stated, "Since these are such a problem for us we are going to recommend they be removed." She made it sound like I was causing problems with the army medical system so they will simply remove these things. What she didn't realize was that the Army misdiagnosed the rupture 6 months ago...and it was not my fault but theirs that I'm being Medevac'ed out a second time. It was like she was disgusted that I was causing such a "non-military, non-weapon caused injury" to take up her resources.

So... now I'm waiting to fly to Landstuhl today or tomorrow to have them crassly remove my implants and NOT replace them with new saline implants. What a nightmare. I am a social worker and I don't even know how to negotiate the Army medical system to advocate for my own medical care. It's like this giant, huge blob of permanently compartmentalized disinterested individuals... much worse than a HMO like Kaiser Permanente. I feel like a number and not a human being where my thoughts on my breasts make a difference.

I have had the breast implants for 16 years and they were fine until the friggin' rocket made me fall on them... Are they going to make a law about women having breast implants in the army? I don't think so...

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent about this... The other thing was they gave me a copy of this medical record from the ultrasound I had here at the CSH and there is incorrect information all the way through the record...dates, time frames, etc. Nothing I said was placed into the medical record. It makes me frustrated and scared to face what is next for me at Landstuhl. I feel they already once removed all my female parts and now they will take these breast implants...

-Diana M. Colon LCSW, PIP
CPT, MS
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
FOB Falcon, Iraq

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