Agent Orange COVVHA CO-Founders Announcement
Kelly L. Derricks will be speaking at The Philadelphia PA March Against Monsanto Location
This Saturday May 25, 2013
Heather A. Bowser will be speaking at The Akron OH March Against Monsanto Location
This Saturday May 25, 2013
Event Links Have Been Attached Below For More Details
Monsanto Corporate Connections.
Apple Products Must Have Flash Players.
Browser Recommendation – Google Chrome.
I have been sitting on this information for several weeks now. Un-sure of how to present it to thousands of people, I have spent many hours becoming familiar with the project. It is an amazing piece of work that I have been navigating like a video game of sorts. I am offering this to all of you now so that everyone has an idea of what is going on in our World, Nation, States, Cities, and Towns behind closed doors.
I have started everyone with Monsanto’s Map. Each line draws a connection to another company. Each chair is yet another connection. Everything is “clickable” as well as allowing you to move the screen…Yes that’s correct, tap your mouse of the screen and drag it left right down up, and you will see the map expand.
After you become familiar with the idea of what you are navigating, Take your attention to the left hand side of the page. There you will find a world of links that you can learn to use individually. As an example, If you click on “companies” Box A and Box B will appear. You can then scroll on a list of companies to choose to see if they are connected to each other.
Please be patient when the program loads, after you watch the introduction, you will without a doubt know what you are seeing in front of your own eyes.
Enjoy.
I encourage everyone to SHARE… PLEASE DO NOT SEPARATE THE LINKS!!!! I worked very hard on this post so that everyone understood what they were looking at.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)
2013 All Rights Reserved
New research shows that if your grandmother or even your great-grandmother came in contact with some very common environmental chemicals, you could be suffering the consequences today in the form of male infertility, ovarian disease and the early or late onset of puberty.
It’s freaky when you think about it. It means that generations ago, for example, a pregnant woman was exposed to, say, DEET, the most common insect repellant in the whole world. Her baby grew up to have his own children and passed along mutations that occurred during mom’s exposure. Those children went on to also pass along those changes when they had their own kids, and there’s no telling how many future generations might be affected.
Michael Skinner and his colleagues at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, published data supporting this phenomenon today in Public Libray of Sciences. In addition to DEET, they looked at several other common chemicals including those found in soft plastics, pesticides, and jet fuel. They also looked at dioxin, the contaminant in Agent Orange.
Skinner and his colleagues have published several other studies looking at a chemical called vinclozolin, a common fungicide used on crops. They found it impaired fertility, and that the effect was carried down through generations. Now, the scientists are adding BPA, phthalates, pesticides, DEET, permethrin, dioxin, jet fuel, hydrocarbons, and JP8 to the list of chemicals with a similar effect.
“We didn’t expect them all to have transgenerational effects, but all of them did,” Skinner told me. “I thought hydrocarbon would be negative but it was positive too. This tells us that it’s not simply a unique aspect for a unique compound but that many environmental compounds have the ability to do this.”
The reasons behind choosing which chemicals to study partly came from the Department of Defense, which initiated the study. Why jet fuel? Because military bases spray it on roads to control dust. That’s also why they looked at three plastic compounds found in disposable water bottles: troops stationed overseas almost always drink bottled water.
Agent Orange Prostate Cancer and related Diseases
(Reuters Health) – Men who were exposed to Agent Orange chemicals used during the Vietnam War are at higher risk for life-threatening prostate cancer than unexposed veterans, researchers have found.
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK | Mon May 13, 2013 12:23 am EDT
“This is a very, very strong predictor of lethal cancer,” said urologist Dr. Mark Garzotto, who worked on the study at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oregon.
“If you’re a person who’s otherwise healthy and you’ve been exposed to Agent Orange, that has important implications for whether you should be screened or not screened,” he told Reuters Health.
But one researcher not involved in the new study said it’s hard to take much away from it, given the imprecise way it measured exposure.
Agent Orange – named after the giant orange drums in which the chemicals were stored – was used by the U.S. military to destroy foliage, mainly in southern Vietnam. The herbicide was often contaminated with a type of dioxin, a potently carcinogenic chemical.
The Vietnam Red Cross Society has estimated that up to one million Vietnamese suffered disabilities or health problems as a result of Agent Orange, including children born with birth defects years after their parents were exposed.
Past research has also suggested that U.S. veterans who served where Agent Orange was used are at an increased risk of lymphoma and certain other cancers, including prostate cancer.
For the new study, researchers wanted to see whether exposure was more closely linked to slow-growing prostate cancers or aggressive tumors.
They analyzed medical records belonging to 2,720 veterans who were referred to the Portland VA for a prostate biopsy. About one in 13 of those men had been exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, according to their VA intake interviews.
One third of all men in the study were diagnosed with prostate cancer, about half of which were high-grade cancers – the more aggressive and fast-growing type.
When the researchers took men’s age, race, weight and family history of cancer into account, they found those with Agent Orange exposure were 52 percent more likely than unexposed men to have any form of prostate cancer.
Separating out different types of tumors showed the herbicide was not linked to an increased risk of slower-growing, low-grade cancer. But it was tied to a 75 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, the study team reported Monday in the journal Cancer.
“The increase in the rate of cancers was almost exclusively driven by the potentially lethal cancers,” said Garzotto, also from Oregon Health & Science University.
More research is needed to figure out exactly why that is, he said. In the meantime, Garzotto said veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange should discuss that with their doctors.
But Dr. Arnold Schecter, from the University of Texas School of Public Health’s Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Program in Dallas, said there’s a “big problem” with just asking veterans if they were exposed to Agent Orange or served in an area where it was sprayed.
“Of those most heavily exposed in the military as best we know, only a relatively small percentage of them had elevated dioxin from Agent Orange in their blood when tested by (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),” he told Reuters Health.
Schecter said that in Vietnam, people who have high levels of that type of dioxin in their blood live in places where the chemical has become integrated into the food supply – or were sprayed directly with Agent Orange.
Another researcher who has studied the effects of Agent Orange agreed that not having blood dioxin levels is a drawback, but said the findings are consistent with past research and general thinking about the chemical.
“Almost all studies have implicated that men with Agent Orange (exposure) either have higher-grade prostate cancer or a more aggressive clinical course,” said Dr. Gregory Merrick, head of Wheeling Hospital’s Schiffler Cancer Center in West Virginia, who also wasn’t involved in the new research.
But, he added, as long as men are getting into the VA system and getting regular evaluations and treatment for cancer, Agent Orange exposure “is not a death sentence by any means.”
SOURCE: bit.ly/gzHzeL Cancer, online May 13, 2013.
REUTERS - http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/13/us-agent-orange-cancer-idUSBRE94C03U20130513
AGENT ORANGE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OFFICIAL COVVHA TESTIMONY
There is a renewed push for the Institute of Medicine to take seriously the claims made by the Children of Vietnam Veterans and their families about the birth defects and illnesses they are suffering from. The adverse affects of the dioxin laden herbicide sprayed over the jungles of Vietnam, AKA Agent Orange, have been well known since the government first admitted in 1991 to cause illnesses in Vietnam Veterans. For years, the veterans and their families have been saying birth defects and rare illnesses have affected their children’s health. These anomalies and illnesses are not only happening in the children of Vietnam Veterans (2nd generation), but now are showing up in alarming numbers in the grandchildren (3rd Generation) of Vietnam Veterans as well.
January 16, 2013, Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA) participated, in the public hearings for the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee to Review on the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update) in Irvine, California. Tanya Mack, COVVHA Core Chairperson, and California resident, gave testimony on behalf of COVVHA to the committee. Tanya Mack is the Daughter of a recently, deceased Vietnam Veteran who succumbed service connected Agent Orange illnesses. She was born with severe hip dysplasia and has developed several rare aggressive cancers in her thirties which she is currently still fighting.
“The Institute of Medicine is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public (From the IOM website).” They have been commissioned to review biannually, the most current data available about herbicides and the health effects on our Veterans. In the past, the IOM have been responsible for getting new illnesses added to the presumptive list for our ailing Vietnam Veterans. Like On October 13, 2009, when, the Veterans Affairs added three new medical conditions for Vietnam Veterans presumptively associated with exposure to herbicides; hairy cell and other B-cell leukemia’s, Parkinson’s disease, and ischemic heart disease, to the list of covered illnesses.
Included in COVVHA’s report to the committee, were the number and types of illnesses and congenital anomalies found in the second and third generation members of COVVHA. This includes the ailments that mirror the Vietnam Veterans and the congenital anomalies found on the list of birth defects covered in the children of women Vietnam Veterans. Tanya Mack, shared several studies from the early eighties including Ranch Hand studies and a current epigenetic study from Washington State that show a correlation to trans-generational exposures to dioxin, with the committee for them to consider. Several recommendations were made as to the next actions to help the children of Vietnam Veterans in the most practical ways.
Three of COVVHA recommendations included approving the currently covered eighteen plus, birth defects for children of female Vietnam Veterans for the children of male Vietnam Veterans. The second recommendation included the request for free DNA and Epigenetic testing for the biological children of Vietnam Veterans as needed, and an official Agent Orange Registry for Children of Vietnam Veterans. COVVHA made several other recommendations that were included in their submitted testimony.
Highlights of other participant’s testimony:
Ken Holybee, Director at Large, of Vietnam Veterans of America. Ken pointed out in the Veterans and Agent Orange 2008 Update, the IOM Committee concluded that it was plausible exposure to herbicides that could cause paternally mediated effects in offspring as a result of epigenetic changes, and that such changes would most likely be attributable to the TCDD contaminants in Agent Orange. He urged the committee to follow up on their 2008 recommendations. Due to the continued suffering the VVA sees in the families who attend their Agent Orange Town Hall Meetings.
Debra Kraus, widow of a Vietnam Veteran, Activist and Artist, shared a slideshow presentation of her art that is based on her experience through her husband’s dealings with the V.A. and health issues.
Elayne Mackey, National Health Committee co-chair for the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America (AVVA). AVVA recommends the creation of Centers of Excellence to provide for research, treatment, and social services for the offspring of veterans of all eras who have been exposed to toxins while in service to our country.
Wesley T. Carter, Chair of the C-123 Veterans Association, asked for two possibilities, the Department of Defense designates the contaminated -123 aircraft, by specific tail number, as Agent Orange exposure sites. The other for the VA to accept claims from veterans able to provide evidence of service aboard the aircraft known to have been contaminated.
Andy Olshan, PhD, Chair of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina and Kim Boekelheide, MD, PhD, Professor of Medical Science, Brown University phoned into the meeting. The Doctors gave their opinion on the likelihood of Paternal Transmission of Dioxin through Sperm. The Doctors stated that paternal transmission is relatively small because the male system is made to minimize the transmission of issues and that there is not enough evidence to support the theory that Dioxin is transmitted through sperm.
COVVHA is committed to serving as a voice for the children of Vietnam Veterans including second and third generation victims of Agent Orange and Dioxin Exposures worldwide. We believe in empowering each other to hold the companies and governments responsible for causing so much devastation and suffering to our generations. We fight for justice globally. We hope the IOM will make the responsible recommendations to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Please, see the full testimony submitted to the Institute of Medicine attached which also includes Tanya Mack’s personal health struggle with Agent Orange related birth defects and cancers.
COVVHA members and supporters who have joined our email subscription will also receive the Video of Tanya’s testimony. If you would like to receive the video and other information from COVVHA you can subscribe in the box below
Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update… by View Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance’s profile on Scribd” href=”http://www.scribd.com/COVVHA1″>Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance
Camp LeJeune, NC – Marine Toxic Water Update 2013
On March 15, 2013 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released its “Chapter A: Summary and Findings” water modeling report for the Hadnot Point and Holcomb Boulevard Water Treatment Plants and Vicinities for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/hadnotpoint.html). Enclosed you will find a copy of the ATSDR fact sheet about this report and other information from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
During 2007–2009, ATSDR published historical reconstruction results for Tarawa Terrace and vicinity. Results for Hadnot Point, Holcomb Boulevard, and vicinity—based on information gathering, data interpretations, and water-modeling analyses—are now presented as another series of ATSDR reports supporting current health studies.
Supplements
Agent Orange Presumptive Exposure – Information For The Vietnam Veteran
Information (evidence) that the Veterans Administration (VA) requires from vets for filing a claim for Agent Orange Presumptive Exposure can be mind consuming. This likewise may also apply for the widow of a veteran when applying for Dependence Indemnity Compensation (DIC). In some cases, children of a Vietnam veteran who are disabled due to Agent Orange by way of conception if qualified might also apply for compensation. Children infected with Dioxin are known as second generation. There is now third generation children showing up with illness’s from Agent Orange Dioxin.
Steps to take in filing a VA claim:
Contact the nearest VA office by phone, letter or E-mail for VA claim forms. Most forms can be downloaded on the VA website atwww.va.gov. Follow all instructions. Mail the form/s to the nearest regional VA office with a copy of your DD-214. (address/s can be found on their website). Once submitted, the VA will send you other forms to file with them. A letter of instruction will also be enclosed with the additional forms.
Note:
Be sure to include Social Security Number, you are identified by your SS#. It is also advised, all mailings to the VA be sent registered mail with return receipt. This insures they did in fact receive the forms.
Evidence:
The VA will require evidence of service. DD-214, Lists of service medals; especially the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). The VA will supply you with a form for your personal statement. They will want to know if you feel your illness exposure to Agent Orange is combat related. Did you have boots on ground or at sea or in the air. If at sea, were you in the territorial waters of Vietnam. If in the air, did you fly over land Vietnam. When it comes to Navy, Coast Guard, Fleet Marines, there are two values, (1) Blue Water (2) Brown Water. Blue Water meaning at sea in the territorial waters of Vietnam combat zones. Brown Water meaning the inland water ways and or harbors of Vietnam. Nearly all US Army and Marine Corp and some Air Force were in country Vietnam, This is boots on ground. Some US Navy were also boots on ground. You determine which and must prove it.
Important:
Every item of evidence you send to the VA in support of your claim, put your SS# on each page. Accompany evidence with a letter.
Additional Evidence (Medical):
Doctor/s reports for your medical condition. Only medical conditions listed by the VA are accepted that are related to Agent Orange exposure. The VA with normally request medical reports from your doctor/s. You sign a release form for them to do this. However, it is your responsibility to insure that your doctor/s comply. A list of medical conditions that the VA accepts can be found on their website at www.va.gov .
Additional Evidence (Military):
Transfer orders to Ship, Unit or Command. Award of the Vietnam Service Medal, Personnel files that show your service onboard ship or on land. If you do not have these records, they can be gotten.
Army: US Army Reserve Personnel Center, 9700 Page Blvd, St, Louis, Mo. 63132-5100
Air Force: Air Force Reference Branch, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Blvd St. Louis, Mo. 63132-5100
Marine Corp
Coast Guard
Navy Navy Personnel Command. Room 5409, 9700 Page Blvd,
St. Louis, Mo. 63131-5100
General: National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, Mo. 63138-1002
In writing, you must be specific what you want in the way of files. I.E. Duty Station/s, Unit, Command, Medals, DD-214
Additional Evidence (Military Other):
Deck Logs, Navy, Fleet Marine, Coast Guard: Onboard ship, deck logs are important. They record the operations of the day, to include ship’s location at sea; Heading, and longitude and latitude. These sailing details can be mapped out. Some deck logs can be found on line. It is best to contact the Archives first:
Archives 2 Reference Section, Textual Archives Service Division
National Archives
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, Md. 20740-6001
Ph# (301) 837-3510 Fax#(301) 837-1752
E-mail:
It is best to call first and ask if your ship is listed on line and what is the link.
You will need to give some detail information, Name and type of ship, Dates you think you were in the territorial waters of Vietnam (combat zone). Dates you think you were on inland water ways. Use a plus factor of approx. 8 to 10 days on both ends of the estimated dates; unless you do know the exact dates and time. The archives will do a records search, This could take up to 8 weeks to receive an response. There could be a small charge for the deck logs per page. There is the possibility that some deck logs are still classified, if so, the archive will have no record. Classified documents are nearly impossible to get. Not even your Congressman or Senator has clearance to get them. There were 714 Naval ships involved in the Vietnam war. The archives is a busy place. Let the archives know if your ship was designated Blue Water , Brown Water or both.
US Army Information:
There is a contact for Army info.
All request to the Army must be submitted on Standard Form 180
This form can be gotten by calling 1-888-276-9472
Or E-mail:
Or: access
Then click on ASK HRC
Note: This is a free service.
Other reliable sources for information and help:
www.bluewaternavy.orgwww.vnvets.com
Vietnam Veterans of America ph#1-800-vva1316
American Legion ph#1-202-861-2700
AmVets ph# 1-877-736-8387
Disabled American Veterans ph# 1-877-426-2838
Veterans of Foreign Wars ph# 1-816-756-3390
These veterans organizations can assign a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to help with your case. Also contact your District member of US Congress and both of your States US Senators. It is their job to help you.
NOTE: When you do get approval from the VA and are rated for disability compensation, and are retired military, check the following website:
www.dafs.mil/retiredmilitary/
This website is only for those who retired from military service with 20 years active service or more, it is not for those who were disabled retired. To contact the author,please email John Bury at Jbury@Covvha.net
© John Bury 2013 (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC. All rights reserved.
Agent Orange – Monsanto – GMO
March Against Monsanto 2013 season is here! Please read the following for important information.
Truth Teller 2013
On October 16, 2011, Kelly L. Derricks, also known as TRUTH TELLER traveled to New York City where she gave a public speech about Agent Orange after being invited by Millions Against Monsanto to participate in the rally event for World Food Day. Since then, the illness list she referenced reported by Children of Vietnam Veterans has grown to nearly 800 which are listed on the website of the Non-profit she Co-Founded, (COVVHA) Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC., with Heather A. Bowser.
Kelly has battled severe health issues since she was born that continue today. Some of her illnesses, presumed to be associated with the inter-generational effects of Agent Orange, include but are not limited to the following:
• Chronic kidney disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Addison’s disease
• Congenital adrenal hyperplaysia
• Intersticial cystitis.
*Her complete list of illnesses staggers to 35 different things.
Kelly will be speaking at the Philadelphia Location (Independence Mall) March Against Monsanto Event on Saturday May 25, 2013
Please Read Kelly’s Full Bio
Please Watch the video below
http://www.youtube.com/user/teppnme
© 2013 (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC. All rights reserved.
Who Ordered Agent Orange Sprayed
(C) James J. Alonzo
With all the illnesses, malformed babies, and suffering from Agent Orange, one could wonder who the person that ordered it to be used was. It was Elmo Zumwalt Jr., who as commander of U.S. naval forces in Southeast Asia that ordered the chemical defoliant sprayed over the South Vietnamese countryside to deprive communist troops of cover.
Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of navel Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of navel Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. military history, especially during the Viet Nam War.
After his selection for the rank of Rear Admiral, Zumwalt assumed command in July 1965 of Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Seven. In September 1968, he became Commander Naval Forces, Viet Nam, and Chief of the Naval Advisory Group, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam.
Zumwalt’s command was not a blue water unit, like the Seventh Fleet; it was a brown water unit: he commanded the flotilla of Swift boats that patrolled the coasts, harbors, and rivers of Vietnam. Among the swift-boat commanders were his son, Elmo Russell Zumwalt III, and later future Senator John Kerry. During this time, the elder Zumwalt had an opportunity to safeguard the men who served under his command from the Viet Cong who hid in the jungle and ambushed American and ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) patrols at will.
A new group of herbicides, Agent Orange, White, and other assorted color names, could be sprayed on the foliage to remove the cover that the Viet Cong used so effectively. It was claimed at that time that the side effects on humans of long-term exposure to Agent Orange were not yet known, and the manufacturers, Dow and Monsanto, were eager to reassure potential users about its safety.
Admiral Zumwalt acted to protect not only his own son, but also his many comrades from a “clear and present danger,” but in so doing, he exposed them to chemicals now known to cause cancer. As all commanders must do, Admiral Zumwalt acted quickly and decisively on the available information; in this case, he relied on sources that were biased and unreliable, as later developments made clear.
In the end, he paid personally for his decision. Zumwalt’s son, Elmo Zumwalt III, died in 1988, aged 42;
Zumwalt’s grandson (born 1977) suffers from a congenital dysfunction that confuses his physical senses. Zumwalt’s son, prior to his own death, said in 1986 that
“‘I am a lawyer and I don’t think I could prove in court, by the weight of the existing scientific evidence, that Agent Orange is the cause of all the medical problems – nervous disorders, cancer and skin problems – reported by Vietnam veterans, or of their children’s severe birth defects. But I am convinced that it is.” He also said he never blamed his father for his disease.
Admiral Zumwalt said he felt his son’s cancer was most definitely due to Agent Orange. He also mentioned that his grandson Russell suffered from very severe learning disabilities that could possibly be traced to it as well. However, Zumwalt said he did not regret ordering the use of Agent Orange, because it reduced casualties by making it difficult for the enemy to hide and find food.
Admiral Zumwalt, along with his son, authored a book called My Father, My Son, published by MacMillan in September 1986, where they discussed the family tragedy of his son’s battle with cancer.
After treatment in a number of hospitals, Elmo Zumwalt III went to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center inSeattle, where he received a bone marrow from his sister Mouzetta, whose tissues fortunately matched his well enough for this treatment to be feasible. Results were promising but in the end, he died in 1988.
Sadly the Zumwalt family also suffered from Agent Orange. Was it all a case of “What goes around, comes around” or for those of the eastern thought, Karma”?
The health effects of a Roundup -tolerant genetically modified maize (from 11% in the diet), cultivatedwith or without Roundup, and Roundup alone (from 0.1ppb in water), were studied 2years in rats. Infemales, all treated groups died 2–3 times more than controls, and more rapidly. This difference was vis-ible in 3 male groups fed GMOs. All results were hormone and sex dependent, and the pathological pro-files were comparable. Females developed large mammary tumors almost always more often than andbefore controls, the pituitary was the second most disabled organ; the sex hormonal balance was mod-ified by GMO and Roundup treatments. In treated males, liver congestions and necrosis were 2.5–5.5times higher. This pathology was confirmed by optic and transmission electron microscopy. Markedandseverekidneynephropathieswerealsogenerally1.3–2.3greater.Malespresented4timesmorelargepalpable tumors than controls which occurred up to 600days earlier. Biochemistry data confirmed verysignificant kidney chronic deficiencies; for all treatments and both sexes, 76% of the altered parameterswere kidney related. These results can be explained by the non linear endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup, but also by the overexpression of the transgene in the GMO and its metabolic consequences.
Armed Forces Memorial Month
Armed Forces of wars past and present are honored with monuments and memorials. They are symbols to remind us Freedom is not Free, it is paid for in blood. Those who served wrote a blank check to our Country payable at any cost to include the giving of their life in the name of Freedom. The month of May is when we honor those who served in remembrance of the heroes who fought the battles.
For many, the battle is not over. The wars of Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan they burn deep within us. Many are laden with PTSD, diseases caused by agent orange dioxin exposure, dust inhalation caused by explosives. We battle with our legislators for equality. This addresses only a few of the battles we deal with today. For the most part we appear healthy unlike those with loss of limb and paralysis.
On those special days in May there are parades. The streets are lined with flag waving Americans to honor the fallen and those of the living. Politicians gather on the steps of government buildings making speeches of praise and glory that are soon forgotten. Those who fought the battles and their survivors never forget.
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen submit claims to Veterans Affairs for benefits to include hundreds of pages of required evidence to prove their disability a demanding effort for the veteran. The VA offers little assistance in how to locate the evidence required, for the most part the veteran is on his or her own. Many are denied benefits only to learn the injury or disease is not on the VA’s list or not enough evidence was presented. Some who served were on covert missions, where they were and what they did in time of war does not exist, personnel records are sealed classified, these are the unlucky vets who can not prove their very existence on a mission and are sick with diseases. These records should be made available to the veteran for their VA claim.
What does our Congress do about these discrepancies, nothing. Legislative Bills are introduced to afford VA benefits for better quality of life. All to often these Bills fail, why, because of expenditure. We who served are not worth the dollars. Yet there are dollars available to give to harboring terrorist active nations, government grants to study how high a grasshopper can leap, the counting of calories of a donut, the painting of a salmon on an Alaska airplane. To what extremes do our dollars go for, do not our veterans deserve to be thought of who are in need who fought the battles? It is not easy to accept what our government fails to do in caring for its veterans. Many of us have and in time to come will go to our graves with a thought in mind, our government did not care enough for we who fought the battles.
Yes, during the month of May the politicians will offer praise, glory and promises to help our veterans, only to forget their offering in months to follow. All we ask is for our Legislators to do their job, pass legislation to help our veterans in need.
-30-
By: John J. Bury, US Navy, retired, Vietnam War veteran, Media, Pa. for immediate press release
Agent Orange & Infertility – Issues all too common for children of Vietnam Veterans
Today my words are meant to help uplift, empower and heal you. I know the feelings written here personally and it has hurt me in the past. I would like to give you some helpful ideas on how you can help children. How you can have them be a part of your life. How you can help them to fulfill their dreams, goals and lives even if you cannot have your own.
Recently I lost another child and finally put into motion a means that I would not concieve again to avoid the pain. I wanted to have my husbands child so badly that I could almost see him already. I felt that he was almost here and I could reach out and touch him and change my life. It was a boy I know that and it tore me open. I cried for weeks about this and I just want you to know that I truly understand how hard it is. This was not my first loss of a child but this one hurt the most.
I have had my share of trouble conceiving a child and then when I could was not able to carry to term. I made some changes in my lifestyle without the intention of having a baby at that time. I got rid of all the chemicals and animal products and voila ..side effect I was pregnant. I was so excited and happy. Then I found out the truth about what was happening and in the end I kissed my child goodbye and told him through tears that I was so sorry that I couldn’t be the mother that he had chosen.
I dealt with that pain and came out the other end knowing that I am here for another reason. That as much as my whole life i heard things like *Oh my god you will make such a good mom* to *You are so maternal* Why can’t I help children or adopt them and give them a better life? Why can’t I be their teacher and inspiration? Why can’t I help other people who feel like i do? I thought about it for months and came to the conclusion that I could do all and any of these things that I wanted to. The only limitation in place is what you believe there is. You can accomplish so much more than you may even realize.
I think that it is very important to remember that you may not be able to have your own child. But there are millions upon millions that could benefit from the love you hold in your heart for the ones you cannot have. They are just there waiting for you to find them, to lift them up and out of their desperate circumstances. To show them a better world and a kinder heart than they may have seen. So long as your choice is kindness and love towards a lonely or hurt child it is a good one.
These links will be a road that you may choose to go down. Remember while you do that just as you may feel alone and without joy and love, there are many children that feel the same exact way that you do. You hold this amazing gift in your hands and it is called free will. You can choose to gift and uplift and show these young people that they may suffer and that life is difficult but it is also filled with surprising kindnesses and gentle loving people.
http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5301295/k.BE9A/Home.htm
http://www.shiningstarsfoundation.org/how-to-help-1/volunteer/
I try to think what the reasons could be as to why people cannot have children. There are so many it would take a very long time to cover even half of the reasons. But I think that while it is a heartbreaking thing to have to realize there is a reason I believe. We are here to help others. We are here to look at and find children that need us and just help them in any way we can. Mourn your losses and move on it is the best thing you can do for yourself. It may sound harsh but that is the truth. You are here for another potential purpose. Perhaps you are meant to be Father or Mother to the children of the world. Perhaps you were given a gift instead. One that could make a huge difference in the world. Have you considered that? 
We are all here just floating around and sometimes we see something. We stop and look at it and examine it closely because it speaks to us. Loving other human being that may not be your blood is one of those things that passes by us. We should stop and examine it and see what we can do to help others and in doing so heal ourselves.
http://www.freearts.org/volunteers
http://www.pageahead.org/volunteer.php
I have been amazed at how many things we can do to help children. We could just type in volunteer to help children and find out for yourselves what is out there. What we can do to make a difference in the lives of so many children that lack hope. Because they have been hurt so badly that they find trusting someone difficult. But if this is what you want to do then there is nothing stopping you from helping someone else. Imagine the power that you possess! You could change the life of another human being for the better!
http://www.freethechildren.com/get-involved/
You could volunteer at your local school. See if they need any help and do what you can. If you have medical problems and I know that many of you do then tell them your limitations. Many would be happy to have the help from anyone. If they cannot work with you then keep trying and see what you might be able to start in your community. There is always some way to help others.
http://www.americaspromise.org/Act/Volunteer.aspx
http://www.abetterchance.org/abetterchance.aspx?pgID=963
http://www.mentoring.org/get_involved/become_a_mentor/volunteer_referral_service
http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962345/k.E123/Volunteer_to_start_something.htm
I am including as many things that I can find that you could go out and do for yourself. Helping others can help to heal your own suffering. That is a proven fact in this world. If you reach out and help another human being you heal a hurt inside of you. These children that you help will not forget you or the things that you do to try and help them. I know you are hurting inside and I understand and this is a way to heal what is ailing you and your heart. Couples can benefit from this as well. Reach out and take a chance!
Quiescent Aureate Serpent © 2013 (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC. All rights reserved.
CURRENT EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO YOUR CONTACTS & HELP US RAISE AWARENESS
Agent Orange: What Legacy Do We Leave Behind For Children?
During the Vietnam War, the United States military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides on trees and vegetation. Several decades later, concerns about the health effects from these chemicals continue. One of the groups impacted by Agent Orange Dioxin poisoning is the servicemen who were at sea. These brave men are often referred to as Blue Water Navy, which includes Coast Guard and Fleet Marine personnel.
Although it has been over forty years, there are still so many servicemen as well as their offspring who continue to suffer due to Agent Orange Dioxin poisoning. While the United States Veterans Administration offers “eligible Veterans”, a free Agent Orange Registry health exam to assess possible long-term health problems related to exposure, gathering the information is quite a task. However, there are people out there who are doing everything they can to help our veterans get the help that they need.
In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Mr. John J. Bury, a retired US Navy and Vietnam War Veteran. He is going to talk about Agent Orange Dioxin poisoning and his work as an advocate, helping others that have also been affected.
Vietnam latest news – Thanh Nien Daily | Okinawa and Vietnam: bound by war.
Faded glory: the author, Jon Mitchell, in front of the main gate of Camp Reasoner as seen today. Camp Reasoner, located in Da Nang, was the US Marine Corps base during the Vietnam War.
In the spring of 1945, 180,000 US soldiers clashed with 120,000 Japanese troops, catching Okinawa civilians in the crossfire; almost a third of the population lost their lives.
However less well-known is the suffering the islanders have been forced to endure since the end of that war. In 1952, the US military was granted control of Okinawa under the Treaty of San Francisco and soon it took advantage of the island’s influential location in the South China Sea.
Read Full Article - http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/pages/20130308-okinawa-and-vietnam-bound-by-war.aspx
|
OKINAWA – A TIMELINE |
| 1400s: Okinawa, an independent kingdom, starts a trading relationship with China which stays out of the island’s domestic affairs in return for tributary of goods.1609: Japanese samurai invade Okinawa and take share of Okinawa’s trading profits. For the next 270 years, Okinawa exists in a gray zone.1879: Okinawa becomes a prefecture of Japan; Japan introduces policies to bring Okinawa in line with the rest of the country – including the suppression of the island’s culture and language.1920s: Widespread famine causes tens of thousands to leave Okinawa in search of work overseas and in mainland Japan (where they experience widespread discrimination).
1945: Battle of Okinawa kills 145,000 Okinawan civilians. 1952: Treaty of San Francisco ends the Allied Occupation of mainland Japan but Okinawa remains under US administration. 1959: US jet crashes into Miyamori Elementary School killing 17 people. 1969: Leak of nerve gas on base sickens 23 US GI’s – and confirms suspicions that island houses bio-chemical weapons. 1970: 3,000 Okinawans participate in anti-US riot in Koza City, burning more than 80 US cars and injuring 60+ Americans. 1972: Okinawa reverts to Japanese control after Tokyo pays US$650 million to Washington in a secret agreement. 1995: Following the gang rape of an Okinawan child, Washington and Tokyo make an agreement to reduce the US military presence on Okinawa. 2012: Despite a 100,000-person rally, US stations V-22 Osprey aircraft on island.
|
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
Thomas Jefferson
Kelly L. DerricksCOVVHA readers may have recently noticed an increase of our publishing less recent government documents regarding Agent Orange. For many readers, this is the first time they are able to see these once classified documents. For others readers, these documents are nothing more than “OMB Memos” (Office of Management and Budget).
Which ever type of reader you may be, COVVHA will continue to make these documents available, many of them once ignored by our own government officials. Every day, crucial information about the Vietnam War, Agent Orange, and Dioxin, is being removed from the public education system as well as the virtually non-existent education of medical students regarding these subjects.
We ask that our readers remember that COVVHA, Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance, was founded by, and is operated daily by the same children of Vietnam Veterans that have ALWAYS been ignored by the United States Government. Our renewed push for justice will most certainly include, to the best of our ability, the distribution of any documents that we feel our government would much prefer to stay under the rug they were once swept beneath.
In previous COVVHA articles, I personally have said “Agent Orange is a serial killer”. In the world of criminal investigation, many professionals would say this is a cold case. As with any cold case, the need for fresh eyes to review old evidence is crucial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnlTYFKBg18
When the US government ignored repeated warnings by its own scientists and allowed untested genetically modified (GM) crops into our environment and food supply, it was a gamble of unprecedented proportions. The health of all living things and all future generations were put at risk by an infant technology.
After two decades, physicians and scientists have uncovered a grave trend. The same serious health problems found in lab animals, livestock, and pets that have been fed GM foods are now on the rise in the US population. And when people and animals stop eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), their health improves.
This seminal documentary provides compelling evidence to help explain the deteriorating health of Americans, especially among children, and offers a recipe for protecting ourselves and our future.
More information can be found at: http://geneticroulettemovie.com and http://responsibletechnology.org
Order the DVD at: http://seedsofdeception.com/store/dvdcd?product_id=124
Understanding the Impact 40 Years Later U.S. Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange: National Organization on Disability With funding from the Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin.
Foreword The following paper was commissioned by the Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin and written by the National Organization on Disability (NOD). The paper benefits extensively from independent research conducted for NOD in 2008 by Mary Carstensen, U.S. Army, Colonel (retired) and from additional research and analysis in 2008 and 2009 by Mary E. Dolan-Hogrefe, Vice President and Senior Advisor, NOD.
Understanding the Impact 40 Years Later U.S. Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange:National Organization on Disability With funding from the Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance
The age range of children of Vietnam Veterans is roughly between the ages of 20-45. Many of us have Fathers with service connected Agent Orange Claims recognized by the Veterans Administration. Most of us have Dads who are dead or dying of Agent Orange presumptive illnesses that have been recognized by the VA. Our lives and the lives of our kids are the result of a giant science experiment between the United States Government and the chemical companies gone awry. New information known about human exposure to dioxin and trans-generational exposures, reinforces our belief of a strong plausibility of an epigenetic link to our illnesses and our Father’s or Mother’s service connection to the Vietnam War. We have been treated as collateral damage. The science is now quickly catching up with what we have known all along, we’ve been damaged by a war we did not fight.
COVVHA completes an informal survey when a new member joins our private support community. Through our 500 members (only COVVs) we have consistently been faced with like illnesses, and deformities. We want to bring this information to you, the IOM, urging this committee to finally investigate fully what has been done to us and our children. From our informal research we believe the children and grandchildren of Vietnam Veterans have a much higher instance of several types of disease. (In our submitted documents you will see the categories of illnesses and the number of times the illness has been reported). Represented in our membership also, are several suffering from the illnesses on the Veterans Presumptive lists, please keep in mind this is a group of people between ages 20-45. Diabetes Type II, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Ischemic Heart Disease, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Peripheral Neuropathy, Acute and Sub-acute Respiratory Cancers, Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Parkinson’s Disease.
Our membership of 500 COVVs have reported as many as 93 different congenital anomalies. Fourteen of them listed on the testimony we have submitted are some of same birth defects that are currently covered for the children of Women Vietnam Veterans. Considering there were 6-8 thousand women Vietnam Veterans and Approximately 2.8 million men who served, COVVHA believes this Study was used to keep the children of male Vietnam Veterans from making claims even though early studies showed dioxin caused birth defects in the children of Male Vietnam Veterans. Our fathers were told they were overreacting; there was no scientific link to their children being born with birth defects, rare illnesses and cancers. Air Force study of Ranch Hand personnel responsible for herbicide spraying reported statistically significant increase in reported birth defects in the Ranch Hand group (Albanese, 1988). Defects included: Skin defects, Neural tube defects, Heart defects, Oral clefts, and Kidney defects. Erickson, et al (1984) reported that risks for fathering an infant with spina bifida, cleft lip, and certain neoplasms” were higher for Vietnam veterans than controls. Increased evidence of birth defects were also reported in a population of Vietnam veterans living in Tasmania (Field and Kerr, 1988)., These were ignored, as were many other studies on the effects of dioxin on offspring from other countries, like in Vietnam where reports of birth defects, miscarriage and deformities were rampant.
In September of 2012, Washington State University released an epigenetic study looking at exposures of female mice to dioxin and the trans-generational effects dioxin had on the children and grandchildren of the mice. The Study showed there was a negative trans-generational effect. We need more of this type of research, Skinner, et al (2012). That study was funded partially by the Department of Defense. Why can’t they replicate the same study, but just expose male mice?
COVVHA would like to offer the following recommendations (See our submitted testimony for more):
A. The eighteen plus birth defects for children of female Vietnam Veterans should be approved for children of male Vietnam Veterans: This act alone would help some of the most disabled, and those in most desperate need of services, in the COVV community.
B. Free DNA and Epigenetic testing for the biological Children of Vietnam Veterans : (Our Data shows that biological children of Vietnam Veterans who have been required by their Doctors to have DNA Testing have proven to show genetic mutations. See submitted documents).
C. An official agent Orange Registry for Children of Vietnam Veterans (COVVHA proposes that an official Agent Orange registry be made available to the biological children of Vietnam Veterans.) COVVHA has submitted the types and numbers of each of the roughly 694 illness we have had reported over the past year.
We are willing to cooperate with the IOM in any way possible.
The following is a glimpse of how my Father’s exposure to Agent Orange has affected my life. I am 39 years old and am a 2nd generation Agent Orange Survivor. I was born with severe hip dysplasia and started having hip reconstruction surgery at just 4 months old. I learned to walk in a full body cast after my second reconstruction at 13 months old. After 15 hip reconstruction surgeries, at age 17, I had my first total hip replacement surgery. 22 years later, I’ve had 4 total hip replacements. Currently, I’m scheduled to have it replaced for the 5th time. At 32 years old I started to develop multiple basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. They were very aggressive and according to the pathology reports, were a different mutation than normal. I was sent to UCLA to have genetic testing. There, I was diagnosed with Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome (also known as Gorlin Syndrome) with a Mutation in my PTCH1 gene. A mutation in this gene is only caused one of two ways. It is either inherited from a parent or a new mutation occurs due to chemical or biological environmental exposures. Only 20% of all cases reported are new mutations. Both of my parents were tested, and neither one had the mutation which means that I am in the 20% of new mutations.
By the time I was 34 I had a total hysterectomy due to Squamous Cell Carcinoma in my Uterus and on my Ovaries. At 35 years old, I was diagnosed with Lupus and Raynaud’s Disease, again no family history. I was also informed the severe back pain that I was having was a curve in my spine. In 2010, I was diagnosed with Melanoma. I was fortunate that is was caught early and had not spread to my Lymph Nodes. It did however, spread far enough to have tissue and muscle removed, causing a golf ball size disfigurement in my shin. August, 2011, I was diagnosed with another rare form of Cancer called Bowen’s Disease. Now, my Oncologist was extremely worried because they almost never see this in someone as young as me. Bowen’s Disease is caused by extreme exposure to Arsenic and is considered Arsenic Poisoning. Since I have never worked or been exposed to herbicides or pesticides, I was told by my Oncologist that it was due to my Father’s exposure to Agent Orange. Over 50% of the Compound used in Agent Orange was Arsenic. In March 2012, my Oncologist found a large tumor on the neck of my gallbladder which required another surgery to have my entire gallbladder removed.
As of today, I have had 198 skin biopsies of which 181 were positive for Cancer. I am currently on a new Cancer drug in which I was involved in the Clinical Trial. This drug, however, will only slow down the progression of Basal Cells and still leaves me vulnerable for Squamous Cell and Melanoma. I’m in constant pain and my quality of life has decreased drastically over the last several years. My medical costs with insurance runs an average of $800-$1000 dollars a month. These costs consist of office visit copays ($45 per visit) and tier 6 drugs, these do not count toward my annual out of pocket maximum. Because of this, I struggle every month to make ends meet as my medical insurance and copayments/coinsurance have to be first priority. In March 2007, in an attempt to get help with my mounting medical costs, I applied to the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits (38 U.S.C. 1815). I sent the V.A all of the required documents, and medical records. I felt confident I would get some help because after all, Hip Dysplasia is a covered birth defect. Four months later I received a letter from The Department of Veterans Affairs denying my claim (See Statement below).
“We denied entitlement to a monthly monetary allowance for your claimed birth defect(s) because the evidence
does not show that your biological Mother served in Vietnam to qualify for payment under 38 U.S.C. 1815. The
claimed disability is hip dysplasia which is considered a qualifying condition. However, regulation 38 C.F.R. 3.815
refers to benefits allowable for an individual with disability from covered birth defects whose biological mother is or was a Vietnam Veteran”
I remember thinking that my Father’s Service to his Country would end up killing me. In my opinion, this was blatant discrimination against men and their offspring. I became depressed and wanted to give up. I was undergoing systemic chemotherapy at the time of my denial letter, and did not know how I would be able to continue since I could not afford the coinsurance for each treatment. Without going into detail, I will say my family has had to give up a lot so I could stay alive. August 21, 2012, My father passed away from Lung and Colon Cancer. He was 64 years old. His Cancer had been attributed to his exposure to Agent Orange. At the time of his death, he was receiving benefits from the V.A. and was considered 100% disabled due to service connected Agent Orange Exposure…..But of course, according o the V.A., there was no possible way that his exposure could have any effect on me, Sad!
Please See Below COVVHA’s Full IOM Testimony Packet
© (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC
I Was Told I Was Wrong To Go To VietNam
My step father that raised me was a heavy handed parent back in the 1950′s & early 1960′s. In today’s times he would of been arrested for child abuse. He also was heavy handed with my mother but that ended when I was 16 years old. He never hit her again. However my mother loved him so in the interest of peace and harmony I did my best.
1978, Some years after i had been back from Viet Nam we did try and find ways to move closer in the last two years of my step-father’s life. He had been diagnosed with cancer, and it was Terminal. There were few things we had in common. However, One of them was boxing. We both loved the sport, so I would take him to the ‘fights’ when he asked.
He had never served in War, as I did in Vietnam. But we never really talked about my experiences until one day, when we were on our way to the boxing fights at the city auditorium; we stopped at a diner to have a snack.
All of a sudden the conversation became very serious, when out of the blue he said,
“You know you were wrong to go to Viet Nam!!”
“ What?“ I was shocked, “This is coming from the man that was “Joe Patriot” and used to tell me that it was an honor to serve my country?”
“You know,” He continued, “you’re not the Jimmy I knew before. The Jimmy I knew before died in Viet Nam!”
I first ignored his hypocrisy, but I couldn‘t forgive the cruelty of his statement. I told him something I had felt for a very long time but had never said it out loud.
“Fuck you! You’re an asshole! I can’t believe the media likes to say you’re from the “ greatest generation.”
He didn’t say anything, just looked at me in kind of a very strange way.
” You know yours was the last generation that grew up believing there was a man in the moon, so how great is that?” I said in anger.
His was the last generation that grew up in rural communities untouched by modern technology, unknowing of all that is going on in the world. I grew up in the information age, knowing everything, seeing everything, watching history unfold in front of my well-worn TV eyes.
His was the last generation that grew up having the full American dream intact; mine was the generation who saw the American dream tarnished by exposed lies, the high taxes, Assassinations, Watergate and other political, and business corruption.
Finally, and this was when it got very serious, I told him that his generation was a generation who was able to come home after fighting in a war not only knowing what you did was necessary but everyone around you knew it too.
My generation; part of us fought in a war we did not understand and when we came home, we were demonstrated against, spit on, yelled at, shunned, and left alone, by the other part of our generation. We were denigrated by being emulated in movies and other media programs as drunks, druggies, mentally unstable killers.
We had no justification, no heroes, no protection of the heart, and no treatment for the one wound no one could see. And his generation not only sent us to this war, they didn’t support us when we came back!
We were left on our own to figure it out by ourselves, and many of us, unable to deal with the reality of what we did and what we saw, did the logical thing to survive– the only thing we could do to survive– we buried it. We buried it in the deep place with in ourselves, inside where no one could see, no one could touch, and no one could hurt. Some buried it so deep they withdrew from the world around us and have never been able to reenter.
It was one of the most interesting and sad conversations I ever had with my step-father.
He argued with me on every point except the last– and when we got to that point, he looked at me and said, quietly, and simply,
“You’re right.” And there was a very long pause after he said that – neither one of us said anything, nor when we both had tears in our eyes. My stepfather tears, I knew of no explanation, maybe because his stepson had been hurt and there was nothing he could do about it.
Moreover, me, I had tears in my eyes because it was the first time I had admitted aloud to someone I too had been emotionally wounded in ‘Nam. I guess It caught us both off guard. It was one of the few times that I felt kind of close to my stepfather. I am sure it was because we had shared a deep and significantly personal moment. We never talked about that conversation again, but I remember that moment of sharing, with one whom I had never really shared anything with, my step-father.
*****
“Not everyone who lost his life in Viet Nam died there. Not everyone who came home from Viet Nam ever left there.”
(C) James J Alonzo Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance
Fibromyalgia where to begin.
Where do you begin when you are feeling ill and overwhelmed with pain? When each movement is like some sort of agony, when stress can end your day and you spiral into another bout of pain. Getting out of bed can be a struggle and most days you most likely wish that you could just crawl back into bed and stay there. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Have you been wondering why do I feel this way? Why me? What have I done to deserve this? We can beat ourselves up over this or we can try to understand it. We can choose to give up or we can decide to take charge of our life and diet. We can crawl back into bed and wish it was all over or we can take some control back and realize that life IS worth fighting for. We can listen when people tell us it is all in our head, we made it up etc.
We can let the world bring us down or we can research, listen, learn, try something different. We oftentimes repeat our patterns over and over and wonder why nothing changes. In order for change to exist we have to try a new choice and stick to it. Fibromyalgia can become more bearable and I am living proof of that. Do you find that your skin tingles? Do you get muscle spasms? Weakness in your limbs or nerve pain? Do your muscles twitch or do you begin to find that good sleep is becoming more and more rare? Are you finding it difficult to concentrate? Do you suddenly find that either you can remember things that happened long ago and short term memories are disabled? Or is it the other way around for you? Did you used to be able to multitask like a pro and now you sit there wondering what you can do. Spend time doing that and before you know it your day is coming to an end and you are so tired and you go to bed. Then while you toss and turn do you turn to pills? All of these questions are linked to Fibromyalgia. We all feel this at some time or another. Some of us get all of these symptoms, some only a few.
http://www.fmnetnews.com/fibro-basics/symptoms
So you have just been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and you are terrified and overwhelmed and full of questions. You looked into the eyes of your doctor and found little help there. It is frustrating and sometimes you will cry. You might come home and look up on Google this then you will read it. You might even read between the lines and realize that this is just a name for something that they do not really understand at all. That is when you got a little angry, when you realized that your doctors were practically clueless. That they wanted to throw pills at it and then hopefully you would leave them alone. For some a prescription for Lyrica works.You pray and hope and sit nervously in your chair. This is supposed to help you, you look at that bottle like a potential saviour. You might think that with this pill you just might be able to feel normal again, or at least to some degree. Right? Well the chances of it working are just like any other pill. It may or may not work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregabalin
One thing that you may have noticed having Fibromyalgia is that not only are you more sensitive physically. You may also find loud noises unbearable. Strong smells bother your olfactory sense as well. So on top of everything else your other senses may go into overload. Even spicy food is a bit too much for some people. Add in the extra strong senses into the situation and it can make most mundane tasks more difficult. It is a bit like being the most sensitive person in the world. You may wonder why you did not get your cape and outfit if you are going to have super anything. You might ask why you cannot at least fly along with super senses.
Treating Fibro can and should be more than just a pill. Pills treat symptoms but they do not cure. So this means that the root cause is somewhere either inside of you or around you. I am suggesting that you look at the inside of your home and inside of your body. Your home can be hiding many toxins that can only make you more miserable. This website goes on to speak about this. Chemicals are not going to help you at all. Whether it is a glass cleaner or a surface cleaner be very careful of chemicals. There is a way to make your own homemade cleaning items that work just like those cleaners bought from the store. The benefit of this is that you can eliminate not only chemicals that are having an effect on your Fibromyalgia symptoms, but also you are getting rid of chemicals that are harming your family too. People buy these items without thinking. Sometimes they do not even read the labels. You have to begin to read labels and take responsibility for what you are bringing into your environment. These take a toll on your health.
http://managingfibromyalgia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/fibromyalgia-and-chemical-sensitivities.html
You may wonder how to make household cleaners or something that will clean your bathroom etc. You may also buy home fragrances, air fresheners, scent warmers or scented candles. The trouble with many of these is that they are chock full of synthetic scents etc. You should not be exposing yourself to things like this. This teaches you how to make your own. It is not hard at all once you get used to this. Not only that but doing this thoroughly around your home when you have the energy can really help you. If you cannot do it find someone that can and ask for help. Do not be ashamed to admit you need help. You are sick and you deserve understanding and compassion. Once you get this done then your home will not smell as bad. The vinegar does fade away leaving a clean surface. Plain candles can be substituted for those chemical nightmares.
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/cleaningtipsandrecipes/a/Homemade_Cleaners.htm
You also need to take a long look at what you are eating. This is no joke, this is your comfort and happiness here. You need to look at everything that you are eating and get rid of anything that is overly processed. You would be wise to seek out food in its most whole form. Instead of frozen potatoes or powdered ones buy the fresh ones. I know that Velveeta tastes good but it is nothing but chemicals and food colorings really. If you are going to eat cheese then make sure that you eat it sparingly and try to spend a little more and get real cheese. The same goes for sodas of all kinds. Sodas are not worth it. I know they taste good, but is it worth your health? Really consider this please. You may be saying but it tastes so good, or only a little bit can’t hurt me. A little bit can hurt you. Getting rid of processed foods and sodas is step one.
http://waterforlifeusa.com/blog/8-ways-soda-fizzles-your-health
Continuing on with diet, there have been studies done. There are clear links with a plant based diet and improving of symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Your author is on a plant based diet and has lost weight and symptoms have become better over time. Remembering how bad it was and where it is now, things are better. This is something worth looking at. There are many many places that tell you fish will help. I advise against consuming fish vehemently.There are studies coming out right now showing that mercury contamination is much higher than previously believed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_poisoning
http://www.greenandhealthy.info/fish.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11093597
Sleep is a very big issue with people suffering from Fibromyalgia. Sleep comes rarely and you wonder when it will come by and visit you. It becomes that thing that people talk about and you hear but seem to almost never experience. You toss and turn add pillows and finally you will sleep after tossing enough. When you wake up you may feel like you have been wrestling with sleep rather than sleeping next to it. This does not help you when all you want is sleep, some peace from the constant pain. This article goes over some of the problems found with patient suffering from this.
http://www.musculoskeletalnetwork.com/fibromyalgia/content/article/1145622/2110825
Now I will cover medical marijuana uses for people with this.It can be said that the author uses this for medical reasons and it has helped tremendously. Each person makes their own choices and finds their own path. Personally, this coupled with a plant based diet and complete elimination of household chemicals and processed foods have helped. Symptoms are much less than they were which of course does tend to cause worry. Because it makes you wonder how bad it would be if these measures had not been taken. It is not so much pain relief as a disassociation from your pain that it provides. It makes it feel slowly less and less until your pain becomes easier to deal with.This is what most people that suffer from Fibromyalgia usually lament. They will say “I wish I had one day without pain, that would be nice, Or that would be a gift” or they will simply lay in bed and cry wondering why they are suffering so much from something that even the doctors wonder about. These things do not inspire confidence or peace of mind.
http://www.medicalmarijuana.net/uses-and-treatments/fibromyalgia/
Herbal relief can also be something else that you can incorporate into your regimen. Now they do say that you should consult your doctor before you begin taking these supplements. Personally, I would make sure that my doctor knew and was open to the idea of herbal remedies. Many doctors seem to be against herbal remedies opting for the more standard western practices. So please be forewarned and forearmed. I am suggesting that you research it and try to find a homeopathic doctor in conjunction with your regular doctor. Just to make sure that you are not getting a biased opinion.
http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/conditionsetoh/a/Fibromyalgia.htm
http://www.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=285
You can also try alternative therapies to find relief from your symptoms. There are many things that you can do that do not involve taking a pill, getting surgery of some kind, etc. Massage does help with the pain aspect of this. While massage is expensive for some it is possible to just do it yourself. You can give yourself a massage and relax somewhat if there is nobody to help you with this. You could also save up to buy a used massage table that you and your partner can use. You do not have to rely on a professional for the rest of your life. You can get books and begin to practice gently on your partner and eventually it can be something that you can share with your significant other. Acupressure and acupuncture can be very helpful as well. Read more about various other things that you can look into.
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/self-massage-for-fibromyalgia.html
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/alternativetreatments/a/bodywork.htm
https://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Acupuncture+for+Fibromyalgia+Syndrome
Remember, you can be your own worst enemy if you do not watch what you say and do carefully. Do not pay attention to others that show you no patience at all while you suffer. The following is an article on ten things that you should stop doing to yourself.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/copingwithfmscfs/a/10-Things-To-Stop-Doing-To-Yourself.htm
Ways of coping are very important tools. Sometimes perhaps write yourself small notes when you are feeling good. Then keep them stashed away somewhere for when you are feeling bad. When you are having a bad day read what you wrote and remember to smile even if you do not feel like it. You can fool yourself into being more happy over time if you just continue to smile.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/copingwithfmscfs/a/pacing101.htm
Finally I want you to repeat after me. This is not my fault and I am a beautiful worthy person. You deserve to be happy and have enjoyment in life. This can feel like a heavy burden but you can find ways to lighten the load. My advice comes from living with Fibromyalgia myself. I know what it feels like and how hard it is. So just know that this advice is coming from someone that does indeed know how you feel. Find something that you enjoy doing that helps others. There is a joy in helping someone that cannot possibly pay you back for your kindness, but it brightens the world. You can smile and find joy and hope and a reason to go on. Life is beautiful and you are not alone.
Quiescent Aureate Serpent
©Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance
A Soldiers Eyes
Look into a soldiers eyes, and you can see how much war he has seen. You will note the eyes don’t make the soldier look brave, even if he tried. Still. There is something about a soldier who has experienced combat.
The soldier’s honor comes from the way they live their lives and the respect they show to each other. They are witnesses of events beyond any non-combatant’s imaginations. The combat soldier has feelings and emotions molded by unthinkable bravery, conditions, and fear.
Some came back with honor, ethics, and acted as Gentlemen should, assimilating into society without too much trouble. Some did not. However, when these same men are all together, facing cold steel, screaming lead, from enemies that want to only kill them, these same soldiers will keep fighting for each other, themselves, their loved ones, and their country.
Some eventually died in the arms of a friend, and some died alone in a muddy rice paddy.
Maybe after coming home, they will eventually die homeless in an alley. Maybe in a lonely bed, where once they laid next to their loved ones. Some will die alone and miserable, with not one person to visit them. No one to tell them, at the very end, ”I’LL miss you.”
Soon they will be all forgotten. Or were they ever really remembered? Some are remember as the loving person they were, some remembered as that crazy person that lived down the street. Very few will be remembered for what they did for you, me and this country.
They will be remembered as the they came to be afterward. They came to be because nobody tried or could understand the damage done to them by the war. See that thousand yard stare? It’s there in a soldiers eyes.
“Not everyone who lost his life in Viet Nam died there. Not everyone who came home from Viet Nam ever left there.”
© James J Alonzo
GRANDCHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS, THIRD GENERATION, AGENT ORANGE DIOXIN BIRTH DEFECTS & HEALTH ISSUES
We have compiled a list of 107 reported illnesses that the biological Grand-Children of Vietnam Veterans are suffering from to try and find common threads. There have been no official claims that anything on this list has been proven to be caused by Agent Orange/Dioxin unless otherwise noted in the information below. If your child is suffering from any illness not listed, please email us at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM This list has been updated as of January 22, 2013.
Please click on the page “JOIN OUR SITE” to become an email subscriber. You will then receive notifications when databases for 2ND GENERATION, 3RD GENERATION, and VETERANS HEALTH have been updated as well as any new articles that are published. Please be sure to check your email after subscribing for your confirmation completion.
Abdominal Scar Tissue Growth
Abdominal Migraines
Allergies
Amblyopia
Anencephaly
Anxiety
Apraxia of Speech
Apraxia of Limb
Asperger’s – Autism Spectrum Disorder
Asthma
Auditory Processing Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Autoimmune Problems
Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome
Bedwetting
Borderline Personality Disorder
Born with One Kidney
Bowel Obstruction
Cellulitis
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic Ear Infections
Cleft Palate
Constipation
Cystic Hygroma
Deafness (in one ear)
Deformed Baby Teeth
Depression
Developmental Delay
Dual AV Node In Heart
Dyslexia
Eczema
Edwards Syndrome
Enlarged Adenoids
Enlarged Tonsils
Failure to Thrive
Fibromyalgia
Fine Motor Aphasia
Frequent Ear Infections
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gluten Allergy
Gross Motor Aphasia
Heart Murmur
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hole in Heart
Hydrocephalus
Hyperflexability in the Joints
Hypospadias
Insomnia
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
ITP
Keratosis Pilaris
Lazy Eye
Learning Disability, Non Specific
Leg and Hip Problems at Birth
Low Vitamin D Levels
Migraines
Missing Teeth
Neural Tube Defects
Night Terrors
Nosebleeds
Not Good Hand/ Eye Coordination
Obesity
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
One Testicle That is Smaller Than the Other One
Overall Weak Immune System
Past Urinary Problems
Peeling Finger/ Toe Nails
Photosensitivity
Plagiocephaly
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Potty Training Problems
Premature Birth
Prone to Vericocele/ Hydracele
Prune Belly Syndrome
Pulmonary Stenosis
Pyloric Stenosis
Radial Dysphasia of the Wrist
Reflux
Retinoblastoma
Ruptured Ear Drums
Scoliosis
Seizures
Sensitive Skin
Sensory Processing Disorder/ Dysfunction of Sensory Integration
Severe Colic
Severe Seasonal Allergies
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sinusitis
Sleep Apnea
Snoring
Social Anxiety Disorder
Speech Disorder, Articulation
Spine is Blunt at the Bottom
Stickler Syndrome
Teeth Growing in Crooked
Tourette’s Syndrome
Two Uteruses
Type One Diabetes
UTI’s/ Bladder Infections
Vacterl Syndrome
Ventricular Septial Defect
Von Willebrand Disease
Warts
Weak Baby Teeth
Weak Enamel In/On Teeth
Weird Skin Rashes
© (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC
Join Us On
