Everyone:

Although I'm not an active member on S2ki/Vintage anymore, I will always consider many of you as my very special friends. For that reason, I find myself coming here to share some news regarding my son who, until recently, was serving his third deployment in Afghanistan. Many of you (Veterans and otherwise) have shown great personal support and encouragement to me over the years regarding my son's service, etc, and I've appreciated that very much.

A few days ago, we received word that Brent had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. During the past few months, he has been experiencing dizzy spells, had trouble focusing his eyes, and some difficulty with coordination in his right leg. About a week ago, the symptoms came back and never subsided. After briefing his senior squad leader on the platoon sergeant duties, and checking with the PA, he was flown out of Nangalam to Jalalabad. He saw a doctor who came to the conclusion that his symptoms were neurological. He was then flown to Bagram where they ran a CT scan, and decided to order an MRI. The MRI showed scarring on his brain stem and additional lesions on his brain, so it all pointed to MS. He was then flown to Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center in Germany. Today they performed a spinal tap collecting spinal fluid and additional units of blood. Tomorrow, he will be returning to the States, and will be at the San Antonio Military Medical Center - Fort Sam Houston, TX, for further evaluation. From there, he will fly home to Ft Carson, CO, and be reunited with his wife and two sons. I'm so glad he is returning from that hell-hole of Afghanistan full of life, courage, and determination...and not in a body bag. That is truly a blessing! I have been in contact with Brent through phone calls and messaging, and he is displaying his typical resolve and strong spirit through it all. When I try to offer encouragement and optimism, he always lifts my spirits.

I know we have some Vintage friends who are coping with MS, and I have always found courage and hope by observing their lives. There are many others (Maury) who continue to battle the odds and fight for the life they love. These disease's are not respecters of persons nor age groups, but can strike anyone...all the more reason to live each day to the fullest, and be thankful for our blessings.

Thank you all for your time, and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers on behalf of my son and his little family.

- Jerry

 

Jerry,

Obviously this is not how you wanted your son coming home. I'll offer some hope.
My boss has MS and with medications, he's been asymptomatic for many years.
He's now in his 60's and cruising towards retirement.

hang in there and god bless.

one of the other Jerrys

 

Jerry, I'm happy that your son will soon be home safe, sorry to hear of his diagnosis. MA Jerry mentioned, they have made great strides with medications for MS.

Hopefully, they will find the medication for your son that keeps his symptoms at bay.

I hope you get to enjoy a visit with your son and his family soon.

 

Jerry (Spokes Man, that is), I'm so glad Brent's coming home in one piece and with his personality still intact. I really believe he's getting the best possible care and that once they finish up examining all the test/lab results, he'll get on the right medication to keep him happy and healthy. I see this as a huge blessing in disguise. He's coming home and he won't go back!

 

Jerry,

I have re-written this post four times looking for the right thing to say. My late wife, Diane, had MS as does my oldest daughter.

One of the most important things to know is that they have made great strides in the treatment of MS. There is still no cure but we all pray it will come soon. He should get to one of the major facilities that specialize in MS as they usually have several trials going on plus they know the latest in cutting edge treatments. We were luckily that we had the Cleveland Clinic close by.

Just remember that MS is no longer a death sentence. There is hope!

 

Jerry,

I am happy to learn that Brent is coming home, but obviously not happy about his MS. As the others have stated, hopefully with the right medications he will go on to live a long and happy life in the country that he loves enough to serve. Perhaps, this means no more foreign deployments for him, and he will get time to spend with his wife, kids and family.

This veteran thanks him for his service. Give him a hug and a salute for me when you see him.

 

Jerry, your son is lucky to have you for his dad and he is in my thoughts and prayers.

 

I know the stress of having a son in the Gahn...
I know the relief of his return...
I don't know the issues of MS, but I pray for his health and the many, many years you'll be sharing with him.
jb

 

A bittersweet story, Jerry, but living with a chronic illness is still living!! I don't have any relatives with MS, but can relate a bit with my mother, who has lived with debilitating back pain for more than 10 years now. I am always amazed at her spirit and resiliency. Anyone visiting her would not even know she is in constant pain. The military has certainly given your son that can-do spirit, which I'm sure will carry over into the future. Good luck to him and thanks for sharing.

 

Jerry, I hope his condition is easily managed and that he has a rich, full life. It's tough to be a dad, isn't it?