Children Of Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Dioxin Reported Illness List – COVVHA Database Update

CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS, SONS AND DAUGHTERS, SECOND GENERATION, AGENT ORANGE DIOXIN BIRTH DEFECTS & HEALTH ISSUES

We have compiled a list of 63o reported illnesses that the biological 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. Other reports indicate that there are up to 30 years of illnesses and conditions being collected that we suffer from as the second generation. While many of us are born with these problems, our members that participated in this list are generally between the ages of 20-45 both male and female, often with no prior family history. If you are suffering from any illness not listed, please email us at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM or fill out the comment section on our “Contact Us” page. This list has been updated as of July 24, 2012


JUMP

Something Brand New and Exciting: "Myeloma Cure Panel"

Cure Panel on Multiple Myeloma - 22 August 2012 1pm (EST)

CureTalk is kickstarting its Cure Panel, a series of monthly conference calls that invites leading experts to inform patients/caregivers/health consumers on the latest developments underway to treat a particular condition, with a panel discussion on Multiple Myeloma.

We welcome everyone to join us in our discussions!

Mail us NOW to ask your question. RSVP closes on 15 August 2012!!

More Info Here

Lame dogs brought to heal with stem cells

Awwwwww... we would have gladly spent the money for our now deceased old gal, Trouble!  She was a little German Shepherd mix.... a mutt, but the light of our lives!

Stem cell injections in dogs will become routine in the next two years and will probably cost less than $1000.

The first data, collated last week, into the use of the procedure where cultured cells are injected into the joints of dogs with hip dysplasia or canine osteoarthritis has shown a success rate of 96 per cent.

JUMP 

Spectacular Mississippi Sunset

We had an amazing sunset the other day.  Both Western and Eastern skies were illuminated.  The top pic is looking West.  The bottom pic is looking East.  I've never seen anything like this, so thought that I'd share.

Pageant winner focuses on Agent orange

For those of you with no clue (Secret agent? Double agent?), Agent Orange was the code name for an herbicide sprayed by our government during the Vietnam War, the idea being to wipe out the vegetation where the enemy could hide. (Yes, people do brutal things in war.) The result? The government of Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, plus another half-million children born with birth defects.

Then there were the effects on American troops in the area, which is where Grant’s family comes in.

Her grandfather James, 65, served in the Air Force and was in the area where Agent Orange was used. Her mom, Tanya, 38, was born with a hip illness, and genetic testing revealed she’d been exposed to Agent Orange.

More on this Great Kid

A Laugh from our Dear Friend Donn in PCB!

Vietnam veterans should get Agent Orange tests

The Veterans Administration offers compensation and benefits for Vietnam veterans suffering from diseases considered to have been caused by Agent Orange exposure. Recently three more diseases qualify as service-connected conditions from Agent Orange. This totals 14 diseases related to Agent Orange.

The Agent Orange test consists of an X-ray, EKG and blood work. Of course, you have to prove you're a Vietnam veteran. I cannot figure out why anyone would put off finding out if that ailment you have may be caused by Agent Orange.

More Info HERE

Our Food Supply: Are We Ready for ‘Enviropig’ and ‘Agent Orange Corn’?

Here’s an unbelievable example of how small farmers are losing out to big agri-business. Farmer A is growing organic, non GMO corn. Farmer B down the road is using Monsanto’s GMO corn in his field. Bird A, Insect A and Breeze A inadvertantly pick up some pollen from Farmer B’s corn and deposit it on Farmer A’s corn, (called cross-pollination), corrupting the ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ corn Farmer A’s customers are waiting to buy. That’s not good you say. Well, it just gets better. Monsanto has actually sued HUNDREDS of farmers for patent infringement, because they’re now growing Monsanto patented corn! Unable to afford the legal defense, many farmers have had no choice but to sell to big ag, and Monsanto’s profits have soared.

We can read the emotional pleas about saving the family farm and bemoan the ever increasing price of food. Our farm policies were built with farmers in mind,  but until Congress figures out how to protect the rights of individual farmers with substantial changes to our farm policies, big business and BIG MONEY will continue to take over our food supply. Now that’s what I call  Frankenfood!

Stay green and healthy!

 JUMP to this disturbing story

Human Stem Cells Found to Restore Memory

StemCells Inc. hopes a clinical trial of its proprietary stem cells in rodents will lead to a clinical trial with Alzheimer's patients.

Last week, a California biotech company announced that its human stem cells restored memory in rodents bred to have an Alzheimer's-like condition—the first evidence that human neural stem cells can improve memory.

The company, called StemCells, is betting that its proprietary preparation of stem cells from fetal brain tissue will take on many different roles in the central nervous system. The company and its collaborators have already shown that its stem-cell product has potential in protecting vision in diseased eyes, acting as brain support cells, or improving walking ability in rodents with spinal cord injury.

This metamorphic ability is not so surprising—they are stem cells, after all. But experts say the quality of scientists involved in StemCells and the interesting properties of its cells sets the company apart. "They've really been steadfast in their work to get these cells into clinical trials. That is a tough road and they've done it," says Larry Goldstein, a neuronal stem-cell researcher and director of UC San Diego's stem-cell program. 

JUMP

Stem Cells Show Promise as Heart Failure Treatment

MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists who used modified stem cells to rejuvenate damaged and aged heart cells from elderly heart failure patients say their research could one day lead to new treatments for the illness.

"Since patients with heart failure are normally elderly, their cardiac stem cells aren't very healthy," Sadia Mohsin, one of the study authors and a postdoctoral research scholar at San Diego State University's Heart Institute, explained in a news release from the American Heart Association (AHA). "We modified these biopsied stem cells and made them healthier. It is like turning back the clock so these cells can thrive again."

JUMP

Bortezomib Ups Response, Survival in Multiple Myeloma

For patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, induction treatment with a combination of bortezomib, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone followed by bortezomib maintenance therapy improves complete response, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates, according to a study published online July 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.


JUMP

HU Scientists Probe Embryonic Stem Cell Potential

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have uncovered new information about the abilities of embryonic stem cells and their potential for future treatments. The study, which shows the ability of embryonic stem cells to renew themselves indefinitely, and differentiate into all types of mature cells, was conducted by Dr. Eran Meshorer, head of the lab at the Department of Genetics at HU's Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, and PhD student Shai Melcer. It focused on epigenetic pathways that were specific to embryonic stem cells, and chromatin.

                                   
SNIP

“This could expedite the use of embryonic stem cells in cell therapy and regenerative medicine, by enabling the creation of cells in the laboratory which could be implanted in humans to cure diseases characterized by cell death, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and other degenerative diseases.”

JUMP

FREE Myeloma Manager™ Personal Care Assistant™

The Myeloma Manager™ was developed by the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) to help patients and caregivers deal with the glut of information and constantly increasing complexity of myeloma treatment programs. It helps organize laboratory test results, notes and reports and also provides a reference shelf and news features.

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE 

U.S. FDA OKs Onyx's Kyprolis for multiple myeloma

(Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators approved Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc's Kyprolis for people with a type of blood cancer that has failed to respond to other medicines.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday the intravenous drug was approved for treating multiple myeloma in people who have tried at least two other medicines, including Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd's Velcade and Celgene Corp's Revlimid or Thalomid.

JUMP 

Dom Turned THREE YEARS OLD yesterday!

I was SO relieved that he was leaving his "Terrible Twos".  My niece told me, "Aunt Nan....  The twos were NOTHING.  Just wait until he turns three years old!"

We celebrated for a nice lunch at a nearby joint.

Heading back to Tulane next month for our quarterly test.

Monsanto is at it Again

 If you do not know who Monsanto is then here is a brief introduction. They are the makers of Round up, the world's deadliest herbicide. They also have their hand in the creation of 2-D-4, which is the chemical make up of what we know as Agent Orange. Agent Orange is a defoliator that was sprayed all over Vietnam and our soldiers. Today the Vietnam soldiers are dealing with multiple cancers and all sorts of disorders, illnesses and disease as as well as their children being born deformed. Monsanto owns the patent to the soybean seed, most of the corn seed, the cotton seed, the canola seed, the sugar beet seed and many more these days. That is because they are creating food in their chemical laboratory that is being approved left and right by the USDA, the FDA and the US Government.

 The term GMO's stands for Genetically Modified Organism. That is what Monsanto is doing to the seeds that is growing your food in their chemical labs. They are creating seed that grows crops that is immune to Round Up and now Dow's 2-D-4 chemical, that is because they want to be able to spray America's farmlands with Agent Orange and Round UP. You will be eating these altered foods, which have shown tremendous destruction of internal organs in lab mice and creation of diseases in humans that are running ramped now, such as breast cancer, brain cancer, organ failure etc. You can not wash the chemical off, it is embedded in the gene of the seed. You can not wash off the Round Up or any other chemical that is sprayed on crops totally because the roots drank the water that soaked up the chemical, it is in the plant, in the food.

There are nationwide reports coming out this year now that are talking about the disappearing of butterfly's, bee's, and other pollinating insects. This has been linked to Monsanto's new crops and the chemicals that are being sprayed on farmlands nationwide. If you do not already know, these are pollinating insects, if they all die there is no way for flowers to become pollinated which will result in the plants death. Garden flowers that are not pollinated will die and produce no fruit, I am an organic gardener that knows. Without these insects there is no food people. Their seeds and chemicals are creating weeds now that we can not kill as well. Super bugs (disease type) that we can not cure with any antibiotic.

 More

Fourth of July on PCB

I got our patient home on the 26th, then drove to the condo on the 27th.  Dear brother Ric flew in on the 28th for 11 days.  BIG FUN.

I've never seen the beach that crowded.  From what I understand, Wal Mart had bare shelves.

The firework displays were truly amazing.  It's unreal how much money tourists spend on putting on a show.  Fireworks went off right in front of our balcony....after over 2 hours, we went inside.  Bored with them.  LOL

We treated ourselves quite well.... Firefly, Dee's Hangout 3 times, Montego Bay, Ketana, Rock it Lanes, Coyote Ugly with our Donn and Linda....  non stop food and drink.

Our favorite joint, Dee's Hangout, now has an early bird special.....  Only 12.99.  A nice choice of entrees with 2 sides.  We went nuts over his Skirt Steak! (pictured below).  On another night we had his fish of the day.  DYNAMITE!

I just returned home this past Monday.  I need a vacation from vacations!

A Visit From Four Little Bandits

Dom took off to meet a friend in Memphis yesterday.  His best buddy, Chris called to check up on me.  While chatting, I looked out the window to see a mama raccoon and her 3 babies taking a stroll in front of the house.

 We've lived here for over twenty years.  Wild boars, coyotes, possums, deers galore,  but this was a first.....

These pics were snapped inside of the house.  Chris suggested that I get rid of them, as they could be rabid, and would definitely tear up my kitties.

By the time I circled around the house to take some decent pics, they were gone. I'm glad that I didn't have to chase them away.  TOO CUTE!

Arthritic? Stem Cell Injections on the Horizon!

A breakthrough treatment for arthritis using stem cells derived from body fat could see the end of years of pain for millions of sufferers.

The patients suffering from the so far incurable condition may feel the benefit within two weeks and, if used early enough, could avoid the need for joint replacement operations, scientists behind the new technique claim.

Studies have shown that the fat-derived stem cell therapy has been startlingly successful in the treatment of osteoarthritis in pets and it is now being used on humans.

Doctors treat the joint and tendon disease by injecting the stem cells into the affected area, replacing lost or damaged cells. 

JUMP 

The Enemy of My Enemy......

Thought that I'd share some cute kitty photos.

The little black female, Mimi is about 15 years old.  When the little grey girl, Jada showed up a couple of years ago, Mimi hated her.  As Jada got a little older, she'd fight back.  The 2 would have nothing to do with each other.

Then, my little black 6-toed boyfriend with an overbite, Barnabas showed up.  The  girls immediately tormented him.  Picked on him.  (Didn't faze him a bit).

My girls are now best friends!  What bizarre little creatures!

Stem Cell-Based 'Tracking Devices'

TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- Call it a fantastic voyage. Scientists have successfully found a way to inject tiny iron filings into the human body to potentially monitor medical therapies. The particles work as tracking devices that may help physicians determine if certain treatments are working.

The development of methods to track cells is critical to stem-cell and other therapies that rely on the delivery of particular cells to a target site, such as the heart or other organ, according to the authors of a small new study.

"Eventually we'll be able to prove stem cells are going where they are supposed to be and track cells going into other tissues," said Dr. David Newby, study co-author and professor and chair of cardiology at the Centre for Cardiovascular Science at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland.

JUMP

Dom's Recent Hospitalization..... SALMONELLA

Hi gang-


We had quite the scare a few weeks ago.  Dom became violently ill a few hours after visiting our favorite Chinese buffet.


After a couple of days of diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and nausea, I took him to the closest ER.


Much to our surprise, they admitted him for "severe dehydration" and ran some tests.  Within an hour, they informed us that his kidneys were shutting down!  They called in a kidney specialist who ran further tests.


They got his kidneys functioning properly and pumped him full of fluids.


They sent him home on the 3rd day.  


Well, yours truly was scared to death.  MYELOMA!  It attacks the kidneys!  (I didn't tell him that, though).


The hospital called the next day to say that he tested positive for Salmonella..... Put him on CIPRO for 10 days.  


I never dreamed that the day would come when we'd be so happy for such a diagnosis!  *smiling*


He called the Health Department, and they were going to do an inspection.


We went in for a blood work follow-up today.  All is perfect!


I miss the Chinese Joint already!