Vietnam Vets & Agent Orange

[JohnP]

Don't know how many are Vietnam vets but I'm pretty sure Semp is and maybe Pat.  If you all recall the problems I had (have) with my feet and legs, in and out of the hospital, PT, wheelchair, crutches, etc, etc.  The VA has determined that it is a neurology  disordered caused by Agent Orange.  In addition I will start, next week, to be tested for Parkinson's disease which also can be attributed to agent orange.  I spent forty-two months in Vietnam and most of that time watching and "working" the Ho Chi Ming Inter-state, which was heavily dosed in agent orange.

The guy that I am working with at the VA has given me a list of disorders that are recognized by the VA as attributable to agent orange.  They are:
1.  AL Amyloidosis
2.  Neuropathy
3.  Chloracne
4.  Lymphocytic Leukemia
5.  Diabetes Mellitus (Type2)
6.  Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
7.  Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
8.  PROSTATE CANCER (My emphasis)
9.  Almost all respiratory cancer (lung, bronchus, larynx, trachea)
10.  Soft tissue Sarcoma
11.  Parkinson's diease

After 9/11 I was re-called and spent some time in Afghanistan (early stages - very early stages) and now the VA is associating some health problems from serving there.  My guy said he will get me a list of them and when he does I'll post them here.

So if any of you guys are suffering these symptoms or in fact have been diagnosed with them go talk to a VA counselor. 

[snafu]

Sorry to hear JohnP. Hope you do well.

Two of my Bro's were over there. A Marine grunt & Army Re-con grunt. My Marine Bro was sprayed a couple of times by a tanker plane. When he came home. He would sometimes break out in skin splotches & would have bouts of diarrhea. He also said he sweated agent compounds. Its not like war wasn't bad enough. Et to suffer this to boot.

LONG live our Veterans! 

[Okanagan]

John, Thank you for serving.  I'm sorry to hear your trial of pain and sickness.  The unintended consequences never stop.

 

[KySongDog]

I was in country '69-'70.  I went through some defoliated areas but never got soaked as some did.  Agent Orange was definitely some bad shit. No one knew just how bad at the time.  Well, at least none of us on the low end of the totem pole knew. 

Good luck with the VA, John.  Some of my friends have had good outcomes with the VA.  Some others not so good.  It all depends on who you get to review your case it seems.   

[shaddragger]

Thank you for serving John, and best wishes for your medical future!

[gravesco hunter]

I was thinking that it was a mixture of Paraquaut and other chem we used the chem on tobacco ground till they deemed it unsafe so i have no doubt getting sprayed with it would def not be good,john i am sorry for your suffering but thank you for your service

[FinsnFur]

Sorry to hear that John. Thats quite a long list.
While I also appreciate your time serving our country, thats a helluva price to pay for it.

[snafu]

I forgot my manners. Thank you & Semp & ALL other Veterans for serving.

[Dave]

Want to express my thanks to all the vets here for your sacrifices and service.  John, I wish you well with your health problems.

[Dale]

thanks to all of you that served... John, sorry to hear of your problems, but you're tough enough to get through this... I now of all these years I've been threatening you to come on out there, well I'm thinking it's finally gonna happen... I got a bud of mine that wants to make a run to Phoenix to visit his sister, and if we're gonna be that far may as well drop down to see you... will keep you in the loop as plans finalize... good to see you're still up and kickin... Dale...