Gulf War Syndrome: Reactive Airway Disease

I am hoping this thread will help me find other veterans of the Gulf War who suffered reactions while in service, may have been dismissed, whether or not they still recieve treatment, also if you were dismissed what type of disabilaty level if any, and whether or not you were diagnosed with reactive airway disease.

My husband was in the gulf war, he was a navy corpsman, located between fires and the bahrain airport he suffered with asthma like symptoms then had a reaction that required surgery, afterward a diagnosis of reactive airway disease was made, and he was determined to be unfit for duty, and honorably dismissed, in 1995.

I don't want to give detail yet of his disability level or whether or not it was considered to be service connected, I am seeking others who had a reaction or similar diagnosis, and were also determined unfit for service, to see what level disability they had and presently have, what do you thing actually caused the reaction, do you recieve pay for your disability, ect.

Any information could be helpful.

Thanks

I was in the gulf war. I came down with cancer while in the military and was eventually medically retired because of it. I have symptoms like those who fit the gulf war syndrome criteria, but the VA lumps everything together with the cancer and the cancer treatment. I feel that I am not having any complications from the cancer or treatment these days, as I have been in remission for several years now. Along with fatigue, headaches, joint pain and extreme irritabilty, the skin routinely peels from the palms of my hands. It is not a little bit of peeling. The skin on my palms will start by turning white and lift up in places. After a couple days of this, I can remove a sheet of skin that is basically the entire palm of my hand. Beneath this, there is new skin already in place.

edit to change entite to entire

[edit on 4-7-2010 by tamusan]

reply to post by tamusan


try this stuff!
methyl b-12 (read the whole article, as it isn't just for diabetic neuropathy)
www.delano.com...

reply to post by space cadet


I know nothing of this reactive airway disease. However, I was on the ground, and the oil wells polution never crosssed my path. I was upwind.

However, while this oily substwnce was raining down upon me and my buds, we were told it was residuals from the oil well fires. bull crap!

It was chemical weapons fall out, from the engineers who were blowing up all the munitions around us.

Good luck with your concerns, sweetie, and I hope your husband gets along well for many years.

The Gulf War Syndrome stuff has taken the backseat to the current problems from the current wars. I understand how this works out, but you are not happy, nor is my wife happy with this now long forgotten stuff.

How could you forget? You watch your husband suffer. But no others of consequence care.

It's the same ole, same ole.

Until the youngsters and the supposedly educated commisioned officers wake up, then it continues.

Yeah, this is off topic, but I felt a need to add, many of my comrades from my time spent in the army, are now encouraging their kids to join the militry and sending their kids off to war. They are stupid! And the consider me a flaming liberal.



Not. Honey, if you have kids in your family who want to join the military, kick the everloving # out of them. You will have done them a favor.

Reactive airway disease or

Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome

Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome is more what the gulf vets would have had as a result of exposure to the oil fire and other toxins.

toxicology.leadingexperts.com...
www.penfield-gill.com...

Its my understanding that some vets were DXed with Reactive airway disease because they had something that looked like childhood asthma when they were younger(pre-service)
but without a childhood DX of asthma.

Its my understanding that a number of these vets got a lower service connection disability rating then vets that were DX with Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome.

www.cdc.gov...

If his condition has gotten worse he need to be re evaluated and he can file for a increase in his disability rating.
he also needs to get a copy of his medical records as research them carefully as some VA doctors do not explain the reasons or disclose all the persons medical problems unless you know what to ask.

If he has any problems with the VA he should try this web site for help. they are a good bunch of vets always willing to help and some are ex veterans service officers from veterans service groups and know the rocks and shoals of dealing with the VA.
www.hadit.com...

I found things in my VA records that i was never told about.
Your husband being a ex navy corpsman should find it easy to research on the internet what he finds on his records and base a opinion on that

I am not a gulf war vet I but a navy vet that served in Vietnam and I do medical research for veterans. and i am always glad to help a ex navy corpsman.
I was a EMT after Vietnam so i know my way around medical terms and understand the VA because i deal with them with my own health problems.

[edit on 4-7-2010 by ANNED]

reply to post by undo


I'm gonna research that a little and see what I think. A few of my friends and I have neuropathies unrelated to diabetes. Thanks for the link.

My husband has suffered from numerous disorders, he has gotten treatment reguarly for the reative airway disease, while stationed just below the Bahrain airport he had a gastrointestinal rupture, and couldn't breath. It was a sudden attack. He was in surgery within hours, to remove a portion of his intestine, after he 'recovered' he was unable to walk even short distances without gasping for air. He was diagnosed then as having reactive airway disease, and considered unfit for duty, released with a severance pay and 10% disability which has netted him nothing.

We only recently got a VA clinic in our area, he signed up and is eligible to see the doctors, who have now got him going to the Atlanta VA hospital for testing. So far they have hooked him to a monitor to wear home, we return it next week, then they are doing 'nuerological' testing, then gastrointestinal.

He was told to get a new ID before returning to the hospital, the new ID says 'service connected'. It was previously determined he had a non service connected disorder, when he was dismissed.

His primary problem is his breathing, but he also suffers with severe pain of unknown origin in his legs and back, confusion, dizziness, and has been diagnosed with OCD, which I have now read up is also a common disorder among some gulf war veterans.

I just want to know what it takes to help him get a status that will help him finacially, his life is so affected by his health, but 10% doesn't get him paid, he still works, like me he is an auditor for a hotel, but I fear he is not even going to continue to do that for much longer.

reply to post by ANNED


Are you saying that if he had a childhood condition, it would affect whether or not his condition now is due to that, rather than due to his exposure?

BTW, thank you for the links and information, he has just joined up with a local VFW, we are hoping it is going to help him sort out what he needs to sort out and put in place. We have ordered his medical background, he had all his medical records from when he was in the service, we needed to show what treatment he has received since then, so far it has gone well, but we have sent all this info out and don't know yet what they are making of it.

reply to post by space cadet


He needs to get a good advocate to help push his claim through. When I filed my claim with the VA, the DAV was much more helpful than they are now. They put my claim together and had someone who went and presented my case. I hear that the American Legion is the best veterans service group right now, and that they will help process claims.

There is also another agency that will assist with processing claims. I forget who, but I can get that info for you next week. If you do not have a u2u from me by wednesday, please message me to get me moving. I have a horrible memory.

reply to post by tamusan


Thank you! This is the problem we are having, how to get started. We went to the local VA office and feel the rep put us on the right path, and joining the VFW should be of great help, like you mention they have advocates who know the ropes, and can assist, the VA office told him he would benefit from joining.

Thank you again.

reply to post by space cadet


I am not sure who the agency is I am talking about. I see a sign where I get my travel pay. It has a number and says to call if you need help getting the VA to recognize your service connected conditions. I am pretty certain it is a non-profit. I go to the VA on Tuesday, and will right the number down.

No need to thank me. Vets look out for each other.



[edit on 4-7-2010 by tamusan]