Conscripted

Before Dallas, I was in El Paso, Texas, in the US Army at Ft. Bliss.  At that time, 1968-1970, Ft. Bliss was a Basic Training Post.  As you may remember this a period of Universal Conscription, I know, I as a conscripted physician.

Early on in my Army career I was assigned as a General Medical Office to a clinic where I did “sick-call” for Army Basic Trainees.  These were previously certifiably healthy young men.  They lived in barracks, just like the ones you have seen in the movies.  I saw the usual and predictable illnesses.  Contagious respiratory infections were common.  Aching joints and muscles were common.

Early one morning a well-developed and well-nourished young man came to the clinic.  He complained of shoulder and arm pain.  His shoulders and arms were tensely swollen and tender.

I asked him, “What color is your urine.”  He replied, “Like Coca-Cola”.  I said, “What happened”.

He, as many basic trainees, had done exercises.  Push-ups had been forced upon him unrelentingly.  How many?  Too many.

He had exertional rhabdomyolysis of his shoulders and arms.  The proteins of the damaged muscles went to his kidneys.  It was the muscle proteins that had colored the urine to look like Coke.  These proteins damaged the kidneys.  He developed kidney failure.  He required hemo-dialysis.  His kidneys never recovered, and the dialysis became permanent.

He had just graduated from law school.  The Army had enough lawyers.  He had been conscripted and was being trained to be soldier.

I was lucky to be conscripted as a physician.