Go Back   Professional Soldiers ® > TMC 14 > Vital Signs

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-23-2012, 06:28   #16
JJ_BPK
Quiet Professional
 
JJ_BPK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: 18 yrs upstate NY, 30 yrs South Florida, 20 yrs Conch Republic, now chasing G-Kids in NOVA & UK
Posts: 11,901
Quote:
Originally Posted by CalicoJack View Post
Too bad they couldn't do this before my dad died of 3 different cancers in '07. VV 2 tours, and they never treated him for agent orange exposure. Sorry to all of you who lost or are losing same. Glad they finally got it right, even if this is an old thread.
RIP to your dad..

AO is not something you can treat.. It causes various problems, mainly several forms of cancer. The cancer may or may not be treatable, often in late stages,, not.

The Pentagon and the VA were slow to acknowledge that AO could and did cause some of the problems. The current "screening" process used is a simple Q&A. "Do you have XXXX(pick from list of AO cancers)" AND "Were you in an area of VN that was sprayed??"

If the opportunity for exposure AND your medical problems match, you will get help.

Many VN vets get sick and go to their doctors and get treatments for cancers and the root cause is never investigated. Their doctor is trying to treat the cause not necessarily find the cause.

In the case of the cancers related to AO, there often is no cure. The VA can't reverse the process, nor can the best doctors in the WORLD...

BUT that can be said for many cancers. AND the cancer types related to AO can ALSO happen to people that never were exposed. They are not AO unique.

This is not a feel good story. But if VN vets and their families are informed and pro-active in their health care, and they seak treatment early, they may be able to beat the sickness caused by AO.


__________________
Go raibh tú leathuair ar Neamh sula mbeadh a fhios ag an diabhal go bhfuil tú marbh

"May you be a half hour in heaven before the devil knows you’re dead"
JJ_BPK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-23-2012, 15:04   #17
Badger52
Area Commander
 
Badger52's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Western WI
Posts: 6,817
Quote:
Originally Posted by JJ_BPK View Post
This is not a feel good story. But if VN vets and their families are informed and pro-active in their health care, and they seak treatment early, they may be able to beat the sickness caused by AO.


As long as this thread has been resurrected I'd like to reiterate BMT's advice from 1st page: NEVER QUIT!

When someone speaks of a rep, seek out your STATE's Veterans Services Office (VSO). They are usually at the county level. Not all states are resourced the same, but SOMEWHERE is that person to advocate for you.

They go to seminars & clinics to learn specifically how to do that and have connections with VA claims reps they meet at same. You don't have to nug this out alone.

Drive on.
Badger52 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-23-2012, 17:12   #18
Saturation
Guerrilla
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 155
Know that not all Service Officers are built the same. I have had countless Veterans and families completely pissed- rightfully so- because someone was just getting by. Paid vs. employees OR Veteran vs. Non-Veteran status alone will not tell you if you've got a good one!

TIPS-
* A good service officer will not want to file a claim when it's halfway completed. They will want all the pertinent documents (with the exception of VA medical records) in hand with your application.
* A good service officer won't say- leave that question blank; we'll follow up with that later
* A good service officer will be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your claim. Someone who states, 'I guarantee you'll get this' is full of it. Even if they KNOW you'll get it- think AO presumptives- they aren't going to guarantee it since they don't have ultimate control.

I have seen claims for presumptives go through within a month. NOT the norm but it shows at least a straightforward claim can move faster than molasses on a cold January day.



For the previous poster whose dad has AO presumptive---- Is your mom still alive and they were married at the time of his death? If so, she may still apply for DIC (widow's benefits).
Saturation is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2012, 10:51   #19
HOLLiS
Area Commander
 
HOLLiS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pacific NorthWet
Posts: 1,495
One aspect is that the VA does not report stats on cancer in RVN Vets. Maybe that is something the reunion groups might be able to collect from their members. IIRC of the nearly 3 million RVN vets about 800,000 are still alive.

Most of the people that I personally knew in my Company are already gone. Our TAR was reported as the most heaviest used area for AO in the time period I was there. (1968 Quang Tri Province)

AO at the time may have saved a lot of lives. It was not uncommon for the NVA to hit much small Marine units. One can google "Mutter's Ridge", Cam Lo etc. We also shared our TAR with the Infamous Bravo 1/9 (The Walking Dead).

The thing is interesting is that the VA does not collect or release data on cancer and the RVN vet. As another member mentioned, there is no prevention and maybe no cure. The other aspect is age. It is easy for the VA to attribute cancer etc with age related problems not AO. IMHO, it is not a simple issue for anyone, the VA or the Vet or dependents with birth defects.

I first became aware of this in 1980.
HOLLiS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2012, 11:31   #20
Badger52
Area Commander
 
Badger52's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Western WI
Posts: 6,817
Quote:
Originally Posted by Saturation View Post
Know that not all Service Officers are built the same. (and rest of post)
Solid advice. I'm blessed because mine and 2 counties surrounding have 3 of the finest humans to ever serve in that position (vets all) but Saturation is correct. One of them replaced someone who was marking time in a little 'g' job till she finally got tired of taking naps in the chair... good riddance but, yeah, they're out there. Just another x-section of humanity, good/bad/ugly.
Badger52 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2013, 20:30   #21
HOLLiS
Area Commander
 
HOLLiS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pacific NorthWet
Posts: 1,495
I recently had a triple by-pass for ischemic heart disease. The Doc said I have had it for over 40 years. I had a ECG in mid October that was normal. My blood tests were normal. As it was I was lucky when I finally talked to a Cardiologist on 28 Nov. Really impressive person, my plans was to go home after the visit. In a firm and pleasant manner, she said I was not going home. It was Friday, for which she apologized for nothing would happen until Monday. Monday, I had a ultra sound and angiogram. I told the Doc, that if it was reversible by diet, that I did not want stints. She told me I was not going to get stints that I was going to be on the table tomorrow. One vain was 100% blocked, 60+% on the others, and 80 something on the third.

Moral of the story, if you have fatigue and some bloating, get a cardio stress test.

I was in Quang Tri in 1969, it was a area that Agent Orange was heavily used. Other Marines that I served with started dying off long ago, in their mid-30's.

I was lucky, if I would have waited a little longer, I probably would not be posting anything.

If you know of someone whose husband has passed away, to heart problems or cancer, let them know.

As JJ said, nothing can be done to fix the AO problem, but early discovery can mean squeezing a few more years out of one's body.
HOLLiS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2013, 21:22   #22
JJ_BPK
Quiet Professional
 
JJ_BPK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: 18 yrs upstate NY, 30 yrs South Florida, 20 yrs Conch Republic, now chasing G-Kids in NOVA & UK
Posts: 11,901
Quote:
Originally Posted by HOLLiS View Post
I recently had a triple by-pass for ischemic heart disease.
Glad to see you're back,, Hope all is well..
__________________
Go raibh tú leathuair ar Neamh sula mbeadh a fhios ag an diabhal go bhfuil tú marbh

"May you be a half hour in heaven before the devil knows you’re dead"
JJ_BPK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2013, 22:08   #23
HOLLiS
Area Commander
 
HOLLiS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pacific NorthWet
Posts: 1,495
Quote:
Originally Posted by JJ_BPK View Post
Glad to see you're back,, Hope all is well..
Everyday is better. I seem to have more energy now that I did in October. Still recovering from the operation. I had it at the VA in Portland OR. Care was very good.
HOLLiS is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:26.



Copyright 2004-2022 by Professional Soldiers ®
Site Designed, Maintained, & Hosted by Hilliker Technologies