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Military type 1

I recently went on a 'course' at my hospital with several other type 1 diabetics in the area all ranging in age ranging from myself at 20 into late 40's, but during this period was one male who was diagnosed type 1 after serving a length in Afghanistan as a military plastic surgeon. He believes something about his time spent out there was the due cause of his diagnosis, until then I never knew about such a thing but I guess it is a real issue!


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Yes, my brother. He did a tour in Afghanistan & was later diagnosed with type 1. He's currently waiting for his med board. Is it type 1 you have?

I have family members who are convinced both mine & my brothers type 1 was caused by some kind if trauma.


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Yeah it is type 1. I was away in afghan last year. Job was searching for IEDs with the EOD Taskforce, was in an attack where 2 of my lads were killed and 8 injured, I was first on scene at the carnage caused by rocket!


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Hello All .

Interesting thread :thumbup:
Hope "more" military or service persons will and can add their points of views here .

Stress is definetely a factor whether through injury/illness of service trauma .
Remember reading article in a magazine similar with lads from USA returning from vietnam war zones .
Some had resulted to the onset of Diabetes .

Similar points to consider I have found both interesting and enlightening .
There must be some sort of trigger to this upon the human body aside from the stress
injury trauma ?
Or is it 'this' that acts as the trigger switch to it happening :shock:
Certainly thought provoking factor to consider ...

Anna.

Anna.
 
I served 23 years in the army, and was medically discharged after being involved in a blast. I was diagnosed with diabetes while in hospital after a heart attack. I was sedentary for 10 years after discharge. Doc thinks I had been diabetic for around 2 years.



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I have now been made aware of another lad at my last Regt who has been diagnosed T1 upon return from an arduous, stressful course. I agree that there must be a link in here somewhere.
 
in my case the stress was a dose of flu that laid me out flat for about 4 days, appeared on Thursday but as I was going home Friday I worked through it.

Speaking to the consultant at my annual review just before Christmas, his view was that there is an underlying susceptibility/genetic predisposition and the external stressor may be enough to tip the scales from reduced/declining pancreatic function to a point where it becomes clinically diagnosable as T1D.

I realise the stress of a dose of flu is not comparable to the military experiences, but it's that extra stress that just triggers the autoimmune response.
 
I definitely think there is a link. My brother was on similar op leighrickards. He won't talk about it but I know he has personally had a run in with an IED & been under attack from mortars. Seeing his fellow troop lose part of a limb.
After returning he & his missus were in a car accident, 3 cars written off whilst she was pregnant. He was diagnosed just after the baby was born. Im sure they were triggers.
As for me, I had 2 heart ops at the age of 3 (the first went wrong), I was diagnosed at 4 & a half.
Also want to say thank you for your service!!
 
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