Hi All,

I’ve been previously diagnosed with severe neuropathy in hands, forearms, shoulders, abdomen, feet, legs and thighs, as well as my private parts, for many years. Symptoms arose during my late teens and progressed into early twenties, for no apparent reason, having taken no previous meds, no known (at the time) chemical or toxic exposures, no tobacco, no drugs, no alcohol, no diabetes. A real mystery, which began as painfully, sore feet, about a year before military discharge. Ever hear of a U.S. Fleet Marine (US Navy Field Medic stationed with US Marine Corps) who didn’t complain of painful feet? Pain for the most part eventually disappeared, leaving near total numbness in its’ place in all of the above mentioned body parts.
Years later, I discover that my neurological problems could only have started because of my being stationed at the US Marine Corp base during 1967 in Camp Lejeune, NC, attributable to water contaminated with Benzene, Trichlorethelene and other solvents in amounts over 400 times thought acceptable by FDA.
The Veterans Administration has eventually acknowledged service connection, thanks to the recent passage of the PACT Act, but aside from getting the answer to a lifelong mystery, I’m almost sorry that although the VA has responded favorably in accepting service connection, along with their assurance of continuing care, I feel that after fifty years, at this point in my life, recalling all of the sports and social limitations I’ve lived through, I might have been better off not knowing the origins. Today, I really do not suffer from much pain, just the severe numbness. I’ve always been under the care of neurologists, but at this point, I only take Gabapentin; 300mg/day and Alpha-Lipoic Acid; 600mg/day. My biggest problems are that when walking, It feels as though I have thick, spongy carpeting under my feet, unsteady, constantly tripping over my own feet & falling. Also, I’m never without my thermometer when showering, since I’m occasionally burned by fluctuations in water temperature when showering.