Maybe I should have run for Congress instead of joining the Army. If I was a congresman, and i Kealed over in my home, I would be rushed to the ER, and would probably have a diagnosis within a week, NOT 20 FLIPPIN YEARS!!!!!!!!

After I received my first Anthraz vacc, I developed a lump intramuscularly at the injection site. When they gave me the second round, I had another lump. Okay, the medic was good! He injected the second one right next to the first. That night, I woke up in a sweat, drenched, throwing up, dizzy and disoriented. I went to my 1SG and was evac'ed. Mind you my unit was Helicopter Medevac. My own men thought it was serious enough to evac me!!! When I finally got to see the doc, he told me that my symptoms were not listed as recognized reactions to Anthrax. Again, I say, if Anthrax was that safe, why were mine the only medical records to disappear from the unit filing cabinents after we got back from the our deployment. Now, the VA tells me that because I do not have health records from my time in Saudi, Kuwait and Iraq (not even the physical given at the stateside base upon return), that I am making it up in order to get a disability.
How ****ed up it that?

It sometimes is hard to not feel some of that is intentional. I was a 20 year man, my service medical records reflect every minor complaint for 20 years - except there is not one entry during a year in RVN, they were not even opened up on the sheet that shows each unit was keeping your records. Nothing much missing, except records of my treatment after being in a building that was blown up by enemy rockets, multiple shrapnel wounds, TBI, etc. How convenient for the VA.

I felt so alone in this. How can I get treatment for something I was given or exposed to if my medical records are devoid of all proof of NAPP tabs and Malaria Pills and Anthrax and I forget what else they had us taking . . .?

quote:

Originally posted by Legend68:
I felt so alone in this. How can I get treatment for something I was given or exposed to if my medical records are devoid of all proof of NAPP tabs and Malaria Pills and Anthrax and I forget what else they had us taking . . .?

Go to your local VAMC and discuss this issue with a veterans service officer. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

quote:

Originally posted by DaveBarker:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Hopefully instead a a thousand miles, it will only be a few feet!

quote:

Originally posted by DaveBarker:

quote:

Originally posted by DaveBarker:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Hopefully instead a a thousand miles, it will only be a few feet!

We rarely post on the same forums. But from time to time I get a chance to read your remarks.

You're a good man Dave Barker, a credit to the nation, and a saving soul to many. Thank you for your service.

Dave

I am considering writing a open letter to at least one newspaper editor, a hospital administrator, the senator chairs the Veteran's Affairs committee, etc...

What I would like to ask of everyone is to ask their VA doctors if they have even read any of the research done on what was formerly called "Gulf War Syndrome"???? The most important doctors to ask are your PCT Doctor and your neurologists. Dave, you can ask the same question of your closest VAMC.

I will try to put all of the answers in the open letter. If we have any English majors out there who can assist with the letter ,the assistance would be appreciated..

The main point of the letter is in some cases the doctors just do not believe there is any kind of Gulf War medical problem. Another is that the Doctors who are responsible for treating our problems have not even bothered to check for such research. Without even mentioning any doctor's names, at least we can identify where these doctors work, and the hospital's director can be listed on the addresses.

Each of us alone can do very little or nothing. But by working together, at least we can try to improve our own health care, and letting the public know of all the problems that we have to face every day.

I normally fall down or collapse 4 or 5 times a day. But just this one instance ended up with a broken leg and surgery to try and reconnect the broken bones. I went to neurology twice complaining about the dizziness, and each time was referred back to the ENT doctor who could find no problem with my inner ear. That proved that there was a neurological problem. The neuro doctors refused to even talk about my dizziness. That has been over 2 years now and when asked a year ago, there was still no answer.

You can tell of your own instances of trying to get medical care and being refused.

Come on everyone, working together I think we can do a lot of good. You can post your own experience of trying to get help here in the forum. Just title it for the "open letter".

SeaBeeSC, Inbound PM your way.

quote:

the research done on what was formerly called "Gulf War Syndrome"????

The government has extremely downplayed this issue. This issue still exists and once again veterans get the short end of stick.

MSNBC based on government reports went so far as to claim it did not exist on September 13, 2006.

quote:

what was formerly called "Gulf War Syndrome"

MY DAUGHTER'S DEATH CERTIFICATE WILL ALWAYS SHOW "GULF WAR SYNDROME" THANKS TO A SURGEON/FORMER MARINE AND AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN WHO TRIED FOR SIX YEARS TO SAVE HER...

God bless RONCO.

AND ALL PARENTS WHO MUST FACE THE TRUTH OF THE PRICE OF FREEDOM...

RONCO
Posted Tue 24 June 2008 03:50 AM
quote:
what was formerly called "Gulf War Syndrome"

RONCO...my sincere condolences on the loss to you and your family. May you and your loved ones somehow find peace and solitude.

We to had serious problems when our daughter was born in 1979. We had specialists working on her for almost a month in the hospital neonate ICU when finally one of the doctors came to as, told us to take her home, show her as much love as possible but not to be very hopeful of her surviving. I won't go into all of the details of what we did but we took the doctors advice, brought her home and hoped. After about a month at home she seemed to improve everyday. Her blood chemistries began to improve markedly and within six months she seemed and appeared to be as healthy as could be. Now, I have no way of knowing if the treatment in the hospital, her blood transfusions...whatever were responsible for getting her over the hump but she made it...and all of her doctors agreed, they had never witnessed such odd symptoms and eventually agreed that my exposure to defoliants was a strong indicator in her medical problems.

After this episode and because at the time I was involved in medical research, I sought out the major geneticists around the world who had been involved in gene research pertaining to defoliant exposers. The papers on their research were mind boggling and my conversations with some of them was even more profound. I actually composed a research file in 1982 with their work and submited it to various people within the VA and certain politicians and asking for a response to the information provided. Despite many phone calls and letters to all of them (for two years) not one was decent enough to respond...with the exception being Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut. He actually obtained for me classified information available at the time from DOD regarding defoliants and other chemicals American servicemen were being exposed to (I also attended NBC School and was the squadron NBC NCO). This information was actually used in the Agent Orange (nothing was ever mentioned of Agents White, Blue, Yellow, etc...only the chemical dioxin, nothing about the effects of the combinations of these defoliants either) class action lawsuit which was a travesty of justice of epic proportion.

We now find our veterans again having to do battle with a government that promises so much to our veterans but cares so little after the fact. The veterans exposed to radiation during atomic weapons testing finally received some relief but well after most had died. History demonstrates there is a concerted effort within the bowels of government to minimize what is expended on veterans...the record speaks for itself.

Here is my opinion...if you entered the military healthy and you're sick when discharge time comes...they are responsible. If a certain amount of time elapses before symptoms show up and the symptoms defy the then current knowledge with in medicine, they are responsible. According to Federal Law, a veteran is always supposed to receive the benefit of the doubt in any decision made by the VA...something that as far as I'm concerned rarely happens.

There is a lot of veteran bashing veteran on this board which is exactly what they want...a lack of unity in purpose by veterans. Politicians talk about blocks of voters, segments of the population they cozy up to. What veterans need is not all of the non-profit veterans organizations whose hands are tied and mouths' taped due to their IRS status but an organization that can legally lobby on veterans issues, donate money to politicians who support veterans issues 100%, the ability to effect an election, the ability to forcefully speak out on veterans issues...what we now have is not getting the job done. I believe there are more than 24 million veterans in the US...enough to change the course of an election in any state and nationally. Add in the people veterans could influence in their vote...say even two votes, that is 75 million votes total.

If we could, people such as yourself and your family and friends would be treated differently, with more respect and care.

S/F Gordon

_______________________________________________


MY DAUGHTER'S DEATH CERTIFICATE WILL ALWAYS SHOW "GULF WAR SYNDROME" THANKS TO A SURGEON/FORMER MARINE AND AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN WHO TRIED FOR SIX YEARS TO SAVE HER...

THANKS FOR YOUR WORDS...AND FOR YOUR SERVICE, GORDIE... S A L U T E ! ! !

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.

quote:

Sorry again to jump into a Gulf War Vet discussion but you guys just scared the livn crap outta me.

Rich this discussion is for everyone, thanks for jumping in.

BTW welcome home!

Our ERA?
Nahhh...."Us" veterans decided a few hundred years ago not to distinguish one era from another, for once discharged with a "Go home and have a happy life" and not even a "Oh, and thank you for your service" Veterans have found themselves fending for themselves. The battles from your time in service have now found a home in the recesses of your memory and the new battles with the VA for your compensation and care have begun. So welcome home, and welcome to this band of brothers/sisters who share and care . Help is no further away than key strokes.
A Veteran in Arms
Freddy

This is not a "your" war / "my" war. This is veteran helping veteran. BTW, Freddy, thanks for mentioning the females! Not all of us sat in cozy cinder block builings with electricity and heat & air (yeah, i'm jealous), but were right up in the mix!

DUSTOFF!

quote:

Originally posted by Legend68:
This is not a "your" war / "my" war. This is veteran helping veteran. BTW, Freddy, thanks for mentioning the females! Not all of us sat in cozy cinder block builings with electricity and heat & air (yeah, i'm jealous), but were right up in the mix!

DUSTOFF!

I have a deep admiration for the females that served, they were good, well qualified and often performed duties far better than their male counterparts. In Vietnam, I heard from time to time about nurses, so, for me the perfect opportunity came 8 months into my third tour to FINALLY meet one, in fact, I could almost smell the sweet fragrance already. I hopped a dustoff to escort my right hand man to the Evac hospital, ONLY TO MEET A NURSE WHO HAD A MUSTACHE,AND WAS NAMED GEORGE. So much for my bubble that popped so sudden. Anyway, if at any time, I miss stating "Sisters in Arms" believe me, it is only through my own attention to detail memory span, and never ill intended. God Bless you and Yours.
A Veteran in Arms
Freddy