Herniating Discs can be an autoimmune Issue

to the list

I think it is part of the picture

& it's probably something autoimmune

Source
 

Quote:

Is it really worth fighting the VA for Gulf War Syndrome?  worth it?  

MRI's showed a herniated disc

 

As a Fire Controlman I worked on the Navy's Close In Weapons System (CIWS) which fired 20mm DU rounds. We fired the rounds all the time and of course had to clean the gun and police up the deck for the sabots and debris as well as daily exposure to the magazine. This of course meant exposure to solvents when cleaning the gun and its systems. Shipboard life naturally meant some exposure to pesticides because the corpsman would have to routinely spray for pests.
 

 Continuing:

In In Jan 2003 I became ill and was having severe pain when breathing, my doctors took some x-rays and decided I had pneumonia and treated me with 10 days of antibiotics, a follow up appointment showed no improvement, they then started another course of stronger antibiotics. Another follow up with no improvements. The x-ray showed a large amount of fluid on my left lung. My doctor took me aside and explained to me what was going on. He had consulted with another doctor and I was going to have to go into the hospital for some test to rule out TB and cancer. I went in, they drained 900ml off my left lung. Spent 10 days in hospital. Tets were neg for TB and cancer. Was out of hospital for 10 days when it all started to happen again. This time fluid was too thick to drain and I ended up with having my chest spread open and having lung surgery to remove the mess. I spent 4 days in ICU and 10 more days in hospital. I now have only about 50% lung capacity. Subsequent follow up with the consulting rheumatologist shows it was an autoimmune attack due to unspecified rheumatoid disease. I had a similar episode in 1985 but the doctor ( an internist) was never able to figure out what happened. I applied for benefits based on that and of course the VA denied my claim. They say there is no service connection and it is probably related to the fibromyalgia

My reply:

For the muscle weakness you shared on ... Could it be CIDP? In the advance or acute stage it is what Pres FDR had (goes by another name). He didn't have polio, but the acute (instead of chronic) version of CIDP

Why I think Pres FDR was exposed to bomb fumes of WWI when he was Assist Sect of the Navy & got as close to the front lines as they would let him. About that time the male tanks were brought into the war ... then in 1918 the 'Spanish flu" that killed millions. General Dynamics wants to test these old things in a new package & shoot them off beyond our town in Jan/Feb of 07. Scares me a lot

The Autoimmune Issue you relate is VERY significant

I think the Presumptive list should be for all military from WWI to the present (excluding Agent Orange 'for sures')

Repost 8/18/08

helpourGulfWarVets/degeneratingdisks

http://www.valdezlink.com/re/msn/helpourgulfwarvets/herniatingdiscs.htm

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