My name is Christina and was raped while serving in the Army. Before that dreadful night in Kuwait, I was In Balad, Iraq, which had one of the largest burn pits. I was assigned to burn the feces and urine of my comrades daily with no face mask.

After I went to get medical treatment for rape, someone called CID command and I was charged with drinking, swearing to a false statement, and making a false statement. I am not joking, magnifying it, or lying. I was initially given a General Under Honorable discharge for misconduct 30 days after asking for treatment. My discharge was upgraded in 2005. I fought and won against the Army to have fully Honorable and the narrative reason as Secretarial.

Even with this new discharge, my troubles with the DoD and VA did not end. The Department of Veterans Affairs refused to recognize the upgraded discharge until 2015 when it was fixed in their system. 10 YEARS went by from when my discharge was upgraded until the VA recognized the change…. JUST WOW. Every decision made about me concerning medical treatment and benefits was incorrect.

I experienced more retaliation at the hands of the VA. The Department of Veterans Affairs withheld the proper treatments for my many health problems that would have helped me, and it was worked through by the Health Eligibility Center and the VBA. I fought so hard and in the end, all the work was wasted the day I learned I had small vessel disease with the beginnings of dementia.

That diagnosis gives me three years of life. My lungs have moderate disease that has now developed into asthma, and my heart is damaged. I have two abnormal heart waves instead of the one I had five months ago. I also have calcification in the arch of my aorta valve. I am dropping weight at a moderate pace, with this being a primary reason for the small vessel disease. I have five years max before I am alleged to die.
I don’t understand and have no words for the pain and anguish I feel at this time. My biggest concern is for my daughters. I have three, and the youngest is two years and seven months. I am praying for a MIRACLE. May you learn from me. That is all.