[JCasp]

Summer 2004, EIB Roadmarch. I was cocky and got smashed the night before and went into the march severely dehydrated. My camelback blew leaked out in my ruck and the only water I had was the 2 cups available at the 8 and 10 mile checkpoints. Ended up going down across the finish line, although I lost all clarity of thought or conscious control a good mile before the end.

In-field core temp was 108, temp taken at Womack was 105.8. They said I suffered a full heat stroke, rhabdomylysis, Acute renal failure, and a enzyme issue called hyper-something- I can't recall the exact word. I was in and out of consciousness for 2 or more days and only vaguely recall what my squad leader relayed to me. They had me in the hospital for a week and a half and it took 3 or 4 days for my kidneys to resume functioning. After I got out of the hospital I bitched until I got permission to continue with the EIB stations, wasn't too hard with the CSM and 1SG were parading me around as their guy that wouldn't give up on the footmarch.

Long story short, I have no real information other than within a few months of the heat stroke I was back on my feet training for PRC and felt like I was back at 110%. I have noticed my bodies tolerance for cold temperatures is much worse than it previously was, and my physician stated it could potentially be a result of the heat injury but beyond that I have no noticeable long-term effects 3 years after the incident. I tell you what though, I never forget to stay hydrated.