Originally posted by AMGENguy:
The sad part is, our government refuses to look at the multitude of studies that have been conducted since WW 1 on the effects/long term effects of chemicals on the human body. Most government studies look at one chemical with little to no research on the effcts of a combination of chemicals and exposure to them.
A good example is Agent Orange. The only studies ever conducted by the government concentrated on only Agent Orange and its byproduct, dioxin. They have never, at least to my knowledge conducted studies that included Agent White, Blue, Yellow, piclorin, etc. and the effects in combintion upon the human body. While one agent alone may not have lingering effects, the possibility of a cocktail of these agents may produce an entirely different result.
I spent 16 years in medical research. In all of those years and the countless studies I was involved in, combinations of chemical exposures was nearly always more detrimental to an individual in most instances than exposure to just one specific chemical.
The other important issue never studied, and again, not to my knowledge is the effect chemicals have on individuals. Our immune systems react differently as individuals. Some people can be exposed to a noxious agent and suffer no ill effects, while others react violently to the exposure. A good example is a bee sting. Some of us have no problem with it while others, it is a life or death event. There are events in some that occur on the chromosomal level when exposed to noxious compounds/chemicals where little study has ever been conducted so as to ascertain the damage. Again, with Agent Orange, veterans in large numbers were having children with spina bifida. Perhaps it is not only Agent Orange and its byproduct dioxin causing the problem? We don't know if Agent White, Blue, Yellow, etc. is causing the problem because no studies have been completed that are acceptable to the government and the VA...or so they say!
There is little doubt our troops during Gulf War 1 were exposed to damaging chemicals. But like always, the government and VA will drag their feet, not recognize studies that have been done outside of their juristiction which clearly demonstrate and prove damage was caused to our troops. No matter what they say, it is the bean counters who control the purse strings and it is their job to minimize payments for disabilities to deserving veterans.
Good luck and do not give up the fight...don't let them wear you down. If you are sick and believe it was due to exposure to noxious chemicals...just keep filing claims right up to the Veterans Court of Appeals.
S/F Gordon
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Not to interject myself into your era,
but I have been ignoring threads lik this since we got home last Laborday and tripped over this thread by accident.
I have some bad news. History is repeating itself. Joints popping, muscle pulls for no apparent reason, tired, Tingleing in the fore arms and fingers, Heart attack symptons that aint a heart attack, ( some times I get a "Heart attack, IE Tight Chest adn numb arm, on the RIGHT side, so unless I'm a Kligon it aint that)
Sorry again to jump into a Gulf War Vet discussion but you guys just scared the livn crap outta me.
I hope I live long enough to walk my youngest daughter down the aisle, then they can all go to hell with me.
