My husband was attached to the "Big Red 1" out of Kansas when he was sent to Iraq. (However, I gather his attachment was loose.) He spent time in Saudi, Kuwait, and Iraq. He was somewhere in Iraq very close to Baghdad when the cease fire was called. Based on what I know, he was probably exposed to DU and whatever came out of the oil well fires. His unit was sent in to get to Baghdad until they were called off with the cease fire.

After returning home, he was assigned to a very nice post (Ft. Meyer's), where he remained until he had to leave the Army after 11 years of service. He received a discharge based on weight gain. He was extremely sick all the time and could not work out or perform his duties a lot in the end. He left the Army and later found out from civilian doctors that he had a rare form of bone cancer in his hip. The docs at U of Michigan said he got this from the Gulf War, but they would not even tell my husband their names! Amazingly, when I obtained his hospital records there was no mention of the cancer he had fought and beaten. The records said he went into the hospital's ER for an EKG and was released! He later told me that he went to these doctors after hours and that they were afraid to work on GW vets.

To this day he continues to get the rashes (groin, chest, legs, and wrists), though they do not occur as often or stay as long. When he went in for the rashes while he was still in the Army, he was told it was all in his head. They gave him some ointment that didn't help and sent him on his way. He has severe short-term memory loss and is afraid to use his GI Bill to go back to school because he can't remember things. He has nightmares and unexplained pain. If anyone has similar stories, or can give me some direction to take, please email me. I hate the fact that all these men and women risked their lives for the rest of us and they are left with the scars and pain without any guidance. Our men and women of the military deserve more than we can ever give, yet they seem to get nothing in return. Thank you for your service and your help.

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Freedom isn't free

Source gulfweb.org

Rouse68917

Only Post
July 2008

Thank You, Soldier

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The chemical ... BUTYL or 2-butoxyethanol is an autoimmune metabolic causing chemical ... so weight gain * or difficulty loosing weight is one of the things it does.

I'm convinced that metabolic features (changes in cholesterol and lipid profile, changes in glucose uptake and cell use, mitochondrial diseases and so on) are among main underestimated issue of 2-BE," says a French journalist

Short term memory loss is a stand out harm.  Also headaches, difficulty concentrating, irritable personality change.  Depression, suicidal tendencies, etc

It causes a red blood cell destruction that is the ANEMIA doctors are looking for

Check out some of these things in addition to what the docs would think to check:

You didn't comment on FATIGUE, but if this chemical is the cause, the fatigue would be acquired autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and it is not easily found.  But it is the most important issue for our Nation.  I suspect more people die of the anemia than subsequent cancers that show up or even what is blamed on 'heart attack & cardiovascular issues

British Research identifies a multitude of cancers.  Maybe they are not as rare as is thought. 

Suspect Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether for Cancers, too *

Now, because of the memory loss, someone should always go with t hese when they go to the doctor and take with them all the symptoms they can think of.  It is not helpful to go in for only one of the symptoms; doctors need to look at the big picture of CFIDS, CFS, FM  (the exact variety ... not that important)

Memory Loss       Memory Loss

Chad Pagel of Indiana told me that when he would go to the emergency room they stopped telling them that he was a gulf war vet and he got better service.  I think doctors know they don't know what they are dealing with or what to do to help.  They also have heard that doctors who saw a lot of gulf war vets .... came down with 'the syndrome' themselves.  It would be 'second hand solvent exposure'

It's a big issue, isn't it?

More thoughts  reply to Fred

Chart health damage of GWVets to that of Vietnam Vets

Health harm to Vietnam Vets  *

CFIDS Health Handout

Another Health Checklist