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Unfit For Military Service....

Jnkmnky

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Jnkmnky Collaborator
Jnkmnky
Posted

A person with celiac disease can't be in the U.S. military, and I was wondering if there were any other job limitations for a person with diagnosed celiac disease. Does anyone know? I guess a police officer would have to bring along his Kinnikinnick donuts when patroling! ;)

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  • Replies 53
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frenchiemama Collaborator
frenchiemama
Posted

I can't think of any......

I do understand why the military is off limits though. Imagine being out in the middle of a war and having to run to the latrine every 15 minutes because your MRE wasn't gluten-free!

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

Yeah, I understand about the military. They would not want to take on that liability and inconvenience.

I don't think anything else would be prohibited due to the diet..o wait I'm wrong...you probably couldn't be a food tester for restaurants :P

julie5914 Contributor
julie5914
Posted

Haha, yeah, being a food critic is out. I imagine jobs that involve a lot of travel would be hard, but they couldn't turn you down if you wanted to do it. I wouldn't want to though - I don't like going out to eat anymore. Guess I am a bit of a control freak!

jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted

I was going to mention food critic...but did you guys ever hear of the woman who was diagnosed with celiac and continues to be a food critic. She doesn't recommend it to anyone with celiac disease, but she eats non gluten-free foods, and just spits them out...doesn't swallow. :blink: I can't remember where I read about her now...

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted
I was going to mention food critic...but did you guys ever hear of the woman who was diagnosed with celiac and continues to be a food critic.  She doesn't recommend it to anyone with celiac disease, but she eats non gluten-free foods, and just spits them out...doesn't swallow.  :blink:  I can't remember where I read about her now...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats really dumb...what does she think no traces get in. That's just nasty..I would just find another job.

mytummyhurts Contributor
mytummyhurts
Posted

I've thought about the military thing too. I was considering joining a few years back and now I'm so glad that I didn't. I'm sure no MREs are gluten free! Could you imagine having a bad case of D out in the field. That would be terrible!

I've also thought a truck driver would be bad, having to stop at every rest stop. If there even is one!

Of course, these are just when you are glutened.

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VegasCeliacBuckeye Collaborator
VegasCeliacBuckeye
Posted

Even if you weren't glutened, I think we celiacs as a whole go to the potty more than ANYBODY :lol:

scotia Newbie
scotia
Posted

hehe...other jobs...careers...

Astronaut...more like Astro~NOT!!!

Bartender...all that beer sloshing around, and breathing in the fumes...much as they smell like Nirvanna!!!

Bakery/Deli

I worked for an Airline for years, travelled a lot, before being diagnosed, then didn't travel on vacation, for about 7 years...due to me being scared 'witless'...for want of a better expression...of getting 'Glutened' away from home.

My first trip after being diagnosed, and like I said, was 7 years later...was to the UK, where they had lots of gluten-free stuff for me to chow down on.

Guess me being a Game Show Host, is also out of the question...

Scotia

Slightly off topic...I didn't realise that the Military was out for celiac disease'ers...I'd like to find out if we are allowed to give blood.

I have always though we couldn't, or shouldn't...anybody know???

celiachap Apprentice
celiachap
Posted
A person with celiac disease can't be in the U.S. military,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd bet that there are numerous people in the U.S. military with celiac disease, whether they (the person, not the military organizations) know it or not.

gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted

I actually have thought about the whole military thing a lot. My 9 year old has talked of nothing but going into the military since he was 5 years old. I am not sure they would take him, not only because of the gluten issue, but also because he has some other problems that require him to take meds EVERYDAY. I haven't mentioned my concerns too him, since I figure he can handle the dissappointment better when he is older, and you never know, I could be wrong...

I have heard that they do have gluten free MRE's since there are obviously people who get diagnosed with celiac disease while they are in the military, and I don't think they could discharge you for that. They would probably reassign you to a homeland position and not allow you to be sent overseas. But again I could be wrong. Maybe they could medically discharge you for having celiac disease. I don't know. I guess I'll find out for sure when my son is in high school. If he wants to actively pursue a military career then he might be in for the fight of his life just to get in! :blink:

mytummyhurts Contributor
mytummyhurts
Posted
Slightly off topic...I didn't realise that the Military was out for celiac disease'ers...I'd like to find out if we are allowed to give blood.

I have always though we couldn't, or shouldn't...anybody know???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just think it would be out because you would be a pain in their butt. Pun intended! :P Because of the specialized diet. I don't think they would want to deal with that. Of course, some people in higher up positions don't have to eat MREs. My bf's dad was a colonel in the Air Force Reserve and he worked regular hours and came home everyday. But you have to work to get there. My BIL and SIL were in the Army. Infantry and Special Intelligence, respectively. The infantry is pretty obvious that you would be out in the field. But even my SIL who usually had a desk job would go on field type training when they would be out somewhere for days, living off MREs. I assume this would be very difficult for somebody with celiac disease as even regular travel is hard for us.

We've had a post about giving blood before and we couldn't figure out any reason why we could not give blood as this is not passed through the blood. However, you would not want to if you have low iron levels just for your well being. You could ask when you went in and they always test your iron first.

Jnkmnky Collaborator
Jnkmnky
Posted
  • Author

Open Original Shared Link

I've posted this here before. You cannot be in the U.S. military with dx celiac disease. He could be a policeman or a fireman...or an emt... Lots of good jobs that help others still available.

Jnkmnky Collaborator
Jnkmnky
Posted
  • Author

Celiachap,

If you know you have celiac disease and get caught *in the military, that is* you can lose your retirement, and be discharged in an ugly way. Read the final warning to those who try to conceal known disqualifications at the bottom of the link I've posted above. It wouldn't be worth having it and knowing it and lying about it. Though, I'm sure some people do this for reasons that make sense to them.

gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted

I went over the list of medical disqualifications and oddly enough, it is the asthma and migraine headaches that would disqualify him first. Since those are actually diagnosed and his gluten intolerance isn't actually. He doesn't have celiac disease genes and he was borderline on the blood tests. He does react severely to gluten, but technically doesn't have a diagnosed GI disease at this point in his life. He also has recurring nasal polyps, but that is only a disqualification if he has had surgery less than a year before examination. His next surgery for that is scheduled for age 13-14...

I know he doesn't have to be in the military. But he seriously wants to be. I just hate to tell him that he won't be able to join, when he can't even try to join for at least 8+ years. He probably couldn't even be a cop. They are pretty strict with their medical qualifications as well.

God bless,

Mariann

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

There are a lot of things he can do that support the military while still being a civilian - particularly in the engineering fields. It's the large defense companies out there that do a lot of the interesting development work for the military.

cdford Contributor
cdford
Posted

I read an article recently about how the military was finding a number of celiacs because they reacted so strongly out in the field eating the MREs. Apparently it is a big enough problem that they are now working out a specific procedure for members who have celiac disease or have family members with celiac disease. If I remember correctly, they were looking at ensuring that those members of the service were stationed at locations near a larger medical facility so that they/their family member would be near appropriate care if necessary. It was an interesting article. It would be logical to me that the oddball cases of V/D that could not be attributed to the usual field issues might be previously undiagnosed celiac disease.

celiachap Apprentice
celiachap
Posted
Celiachap,

If you know you have celiac disease and get caught *in the military, that is* you can lose your retirement, and be discharged in an ugly way.  Read the final warning to those who try to conceal known disqualifications at the bottom of the link I've posted above.  It wouldn't be worth having it and knowing it and lying about it.  Though, I'm sure some people do this for reasons that make sense to them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, that's true - but how can they prove that you "knew" you had Celiac? Most army hospitals are not exactly SOTA, to say the least. Anyway, my best wishes go out to all our Military people with, or without, Celiac.

Jnkmnky Collaborator
Jnkmnky
Posted
  • Author

Well, I guess they would investigate your life. If they turned up a private dr appt that you made for bloodwork checking for celiac, that would be one way to prove you knew. :o When you're in the military, they own you. It's not like being a private citizen. :blink:

Guest zipy
Guest zipy
Posted

This is a really interesting post. I'm ex-military and got out because I wanted to be a mom and not be away from a two month old for a year's stint in Iraq. So, now I just had my second child and it triggered the gene. I wouldn't have made it past my second child? Military doctors are dumb, though....they wouldn't have figured it out. With numbers like 1:133, there have to be soldiers suffering out there that have no idea what's going on with their bodies. MRE's are nothing but starchy wheaty foods.

  • 1 year later...
givingthanx Newbie
givingthanx
Posted

Hi. I'm in the military, and I'm pretty sure I have celiac disease. I'm going through Entero Lab for diagnosis. I'm in the Air National Guard. I'm afraid I'll get kicked out when (and if) I get a positive diagnosis... Oh well.

I hate MREs. I never had one I liked. Nasty.

Question on giving blood: Do any of you have trouble giving blood, physically speaking? Whenever I've given blood, they say it spurts. They can hardly get it to come out of my veins, and it takes longer than normal. They tell me I'm dehydrated or ask me if I've eaten. I drink plenty of water, and I'm not diahrea-prone, and I eat. Anybody else have the same issue?

Last time I went in to give blood, they didn't turn me down for low iron-count. But after that, I came down with "classic celiac symptoms" - I didn't know what was wrong with me. I called in, so they "quarantined" my blood. Do they do the iron test right there when you go in? Or do they do it later?

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted
Do they do the iron test right there when you go in? Or do they do it later?

That thing where they poke your finger and put a drop of blood into the blue liquid is testing the density of your blood. If you have iron levels lower than they'll accept your blood floats.

chocolatelover Contributor
chocolatelover
Posted

My husband has been in the navy for 19 years...I have to agree that they are pretty much clueless all around and I avoid them at all costs, but I do have to give credit to the military doctor who diagnosed my friend's daughter. Civilian doctors didn't have a clue what was wrong with her...she was so sick her teeth were turning grey. She was diagnosed immediately by a military doc. So, they're not ALL stupid...

As for the discussion about service, he is limited to staying CONUS (continental united states) so that she can be near a major medical facililty at all times. So, they can never be stationed overseas, including Hawaii. Just FYI. :)

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

giving thankx:

Enterolab can NOT diagnose Celiac. It can identify a gluten intolerance, but it is not a Celiac diagnosis.

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

You can't be in the military if you have ahistory of anaphylectic allergic reactions either. So anyone with food allergies at all can not enlist.

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