A
soldier's tale: military misdiagnosis
He was
a decorated Green Beret, but when his performance
faltered, the Army gave him the boot - not medical
treatment for his deadly disease
11:24
AM CST on Monday, October 27, 2003
By
NANCY BARR CANSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas
Morning News
KARNACK, Texas – Staff Sgt. James Alford can't
talk. He doesn't recognize his wife. His head shakes,
his hands tremble.
He is agitated, restless, diapered and helpless,
requiring round-the-clock care from his family. Unable
to coordinate his fingers and hands, the former marathon
runner can still walk, with assistance, and his daily
ritual is to unsteadily "walk the floor," as
his wife, Army Spec. Amber Alford, describes it.
In April, the Green Beret and Bronze Star recipient
was sent home from Iraq by the Army. But it wasn't
because he badly needed medical care.
... etc
The cause of Staff Sgt. Alford's disease, diagnosed
as "sporadic" CJD, is unknown
*
Nancy Barr Canson is a Marshall-based freelance
writer.