SAN DIEGO — Tierney Mayer-Tucker dreamed of joining the military long before he ever put on the uniform. He enlisted in the Marine Corps straight out of high school, serving six years that included two deployments aboard the USS Boxer and the USS Tarawa. Looking back, he says it was one of the best experiences of his life.
What he didn’t realize at the time was the toll that service may have taken on his body.
Years after leaving the military, Mayer-Tucker began experiencing a cascade of unexplained symptoms—severe headaches, double vision, and gastrointestinal issues. As his condition worsened, he sought help through the Department of Veterans Affairs. But instead of answers, he says he encountered a series of misdiagnoses, ranging from migraines and PTSD to syphilis and somatic symptom disorder…