For decades the MoD denied my mystery illness. At last I feel I know the truth

Prime minister John Major speaks to soldiers from the 3rd battalion of the Desert Rats during the 1991 Gulf war. Photograph: David Giles/PA

I was very fit and healthy when I was deployed for the Gulf war. I ran to work every morning and led the military fitness training. I was also into motocross and used to play rugby. Now, after 30 years of suffering from “Gulf war syndrome”, I still struggle to breathe and just a month ago I had to have an injection in my spine to block the pain from my damaged nerves.

For decades since the Gulf war, thousands of veterans have suffered from mystery illnesses. Part of that suffering has been not knowing the cause of that illness and not knowing what was really happening to my body.