Quote:
Originally Posted by CalicoJack
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.
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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.
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