News Mystery blood clots felling U.S. troops: UPI

[Ivan Seeking]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Unexplained blood clots are among the reasons a number of U.S. soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom have died from sudden illnesses, an investigation by United Press International has found.

In addition to NBC News Correspondent David Bloom, who died in April of a blood clot in his lung after collapsing south of Baghdad, the Pentagon has told families that blood clots caused two soldiers to collapse and die. At least eight other soldiers have also collapsed and died from what the military has described as non-combat-related causes.

A disturbing parallel has also surfaced: soldiers becoming ill or dying from similar ailments in the United States. In some cases, the soldiers, their families and civilian doctors blame vaccines given to them by the military, particularly the anthrax or smallpox shots.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031006-113325-5591r

 

[russ_watters]

As with David Bloom, the cause is the same for all the soldiers and is not a mystery. It also happens to people on long distance flights.

 

[Nicool003]

Interesting. Has there been any response from the military that you know of Ivan? Russ?


By the way, I've mostly been reading topics these days but I think I'm going to start posting again. Congradulations to both of you on your elevation to mentor.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I tend to agree with Russ; with the understanding the US gov lied about Agent Orange and Gulf I syndrome. Surely they wouldn't lie again.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
I tend to agree with Russ; with the understanding the US gov lied about Agent Orange and Gulf I syndrome. Surely they wouldn't lie again.

[?] [?] [?] I'm a little young to remember Vietnam, but what exactly (if anything) did they say about Agent Orange then and how is it different from what we know now? And when exactly was "Gulf War Syndrome" shown to be real?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by russ_watters
[?] [?] [?] I'm a little young to remember Vietnam, but what exactly (if anything) did they say about Agent Orange then and how is it different from what we know now? And when exactly was "Gulf War Syndrome" shown to be real?

Here are a few insights on AO:

Agent Orange spraying missions were flown in Vietnam between January 1965 and April 1970.

VA's Advisory Committee on Health-Related Effects of Herbicides was established in 1979 to examine issues surrounding the possible health effects of herbicides on Vietnam veterans.
VA has offered special access to health services and studies since 1978, when it initiated a medical surveillance program for Vietnam veterans with health concerns.

By 1981, VA offered priority medical care to Vietnam veterans with any health problems which may have resulted from Agent Orange exposure. That program continues today.

As knowledge has grown from studies of Agent Orange, some diseases that may not have become evident in service have been recognized as service-connected. Based on clinical research, the following diseases are now on VA's Agent Orange list: chloracne, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, porphyria cutanea tarda, respiratory cancers (lung, bronchus, larynx and trachea), soft-tissue sarcoma, acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy, prostate and adult-onset diabetes.

In addition, monetary benefits, health care and vocational rehabilitation services are provided to Vietnam veterans' offspring with spina bifida, a congenital birth defect of the spine. VA presumes that all military personnel who served in Vietnam and who have one of the listed diseases were exposed to Agent Orange.
On Jan. 23, 2003, IOM issued a report citing "sufficient evidence of an association between exposure to herbicides" during the Vietnam War and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). That same day, Secretary Principi announced that he was directing VA officials to draft regulations adding CLL to the list of presumptive conditions associated with herbicide exposure

http://www.appc1.va.gov/opa/fact/docs/agentorangefs.htm

After a decade of denials the issue was finally investigated. By then, many of the worst victims of agent orange - our vetrans, the people whose illness demanded these studies - were dead. I remember when the only advocates for these victims were mostly considered a bunch of radicalized liberals; and the issue of AO was considered just more anti-American cr*p.

It is never in the interest of those who wage war to admit to its true costs - a lesson that I chose to remember.


As far as GWS:
MEDICAL ISSUES RELATING TO SYMPTOMS AMONG GULF WAR VETERANS
http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/medical/storyboard/med_storyboard_18_dec_01.htm

http://www.gulflink.osd.mil

Also:

TESTIMONY OF HOWARD B. URNOVITZ, PH.D.
FEBRUARY 2, 2000 U.S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM
SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Thanks to ABC news for covering this story

I am grateful to the Committee for allowing me the opportunity to review the GAO report on ÒGulf War Illnesses: Management Actions Needed to Answer Basic Research QuestionsÓ and for inviting me to present my views and recommendations on research directions for Persian Gulf War Related Illnesses or GWS, Gulf War Syndrome. My name is Dr. Howard B. Urnovitz. I received my doctorate degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan in 1979. My entire CV is submitted with my written testimony. I currently hold the position of Scientific Director of the Chronic Illness Research Foundation as well as my current position as Chief Science Officer and Director of a publicly traded biomedical company.

http://www.chronicillnet.org/PGWS/HERV_TESTIMONY.html

 

[Bystander]

"Presumptive" association of a variety of medical conditions with agent orange; there's no report of any survey of the other carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic compounds in the chemical cocktail that was SE Asia, and to which troops were routinely exposed in the line of duty. "Whyzat?"

Tonnage-wise, the most likely candidates for veteran health problems resulting from service in SE Asia are the dyes used in smoke grenades and other pyrotechnic devices.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by Bystander
"Presumptive" association of a variety of medical conditions with agent orange; there's no report of any survey of the other carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic compounds in the chemical cocktail that was SE Asia, and to which troops were routinely exposed in the line of duty. "Whyzat?"

Tonnage-wise, the most likely candidates for veteran health problems resulting from service in SE Asia are the dyes used in smoke grenades and other pyrotechnic devices.

Clearly the soldiers were ignored in favor of scientific skepticism.
right?

I don't think you're in a position to take on all of the VA.

 

[russ_watters]

Maybe I'm missing the point, but it should be self-evident that you shouldn't drink or inhale "Roundup." I've heard all sorts of crazy things argued about Agent Orange (like that its a chemical weapon) and they generally ignore that simple fact.

And as far as the Gulf War Syndrome thing goes, war is unhealthy. That should also be self-evident.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by russ_watters
Maybe I'm missing the point, but it should be self-evident that you shouldn't drink or inhale "Roundup." I've heard all sorts of crazy things argued about Agent Orange (like that its a chemical weapon) and they generally ignore that simple fact.

And as far as the Gulf War Syndrome thing goes, war is unhealthy. That should also be self-evident.

We sent guys into the bush for weeks. We then dropped this stuff all over them.

The point about GWS is to support our vetrans and not to deny benefits or serious investigation due to skepticism. The vets deserve better than that. With all the cr*p that these people are exposed to, the potential for uninteded bio-chemistry must certainly significant. Even if the effects are purely psychological, it should still be treated as an injury sustained in battle. We have a long history of leaving our vets for fend for themselves when we're done with them.