Dom's neuropathy has gotten so bad that he's now in a wheelchair. He can't feel his feet.
A dear friend, Richard McM came over to build a wheelchair ramp for him. Unfortunately, Dom is using my dad's old wheelchair- probably 30 years old and HEAVY. I can barely move it into my car.
On Wed., we had an appointment with Dr. Safah at Tulane. She's going to arrange for a few weeks of physical therapy to get him walking again, then putting him back on a different chemo. She said that besides the neuropathy, his muscles have atrophied after a couple months of inactivity.
We came home very hopeful- feeling positive- happy to be back with Dr. Safah.
We stopped to get some food to go on the way home.
Dom went to bed after eating.
I noticed that there was a message on the answering machine.
It was Dr. Safah's nurse telling us to get to an emergency room IMMEDIATELY. His sodium was "critically low" at 120. (Hyponatremia)
So... off we go to Our Lady of the Angels ER in Bogalusa, LA- about 15 miles away.
The ER doctor told me to go home, as he would be admitted.
They finally put him in a private room at about 10 pm. By that time, his sodium had dropped to 119.
They pumped him full of sodium and released him last night once he reached 130.
Got home around 7:30 pm. He fell TWICE last night using a walker. He cannot feel his feet or calves.
So, now I'm working on getting him a wheelchair. Hoping that Tulane will do it. He called our VA Rep this morning, and she said that if he got an appointment with the VA (ha-ha), they'd pay for it.
I'm waiting to hear from Dr. Safah's folks to obtain a lightweight wheelchair that I can lift for him.
So- kinda "gloom and doom" here.
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Showing posts with label VA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VA. Show all posts
Friday, August 25, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Christine's Visit- What a Fun Week!
We had a GREAT VISIT from our daughter who lives in Colorado!
We did a lot of running around. The above pictures were taken at Fatty's in Picayune. About 20 minutes away. Dom and I split their club sandwich, Christine got a Catfish Poboy. Dynamite Onion Rings with an Abita Beer batter!
One of her local gals Nicole, who we adore, spent the night with us. We indulged in Moscow Mules. The 3 gals went to The Italian Grille for one of their KILLER pizzas the next day.
Afterward, the 3 of us headed to The Texas Roadhouse for a lovely dinner. (Christine found a $100 bill on the floor underneath our booth!)
We BBQd one day while waiting for Dom's shipment of Revlimid and steroid delivery.
Christine carted us around all week, which gave me a nice break.
We're back on our Chemo schedule for 2 weeks.
Our patient is doing very well. Tired, but very well!
Thanks for the continued prayers and positive vibes. We'll take them!
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Our Progress Report- So Far So Good
We've had a busy couple of weeks. Today Dom completed his 5th radiation treatment on his left hip. Only 5 more to go.
We're meeting with a gal at the Slidell Cancer Center on Monday to discuss medications and insurance.
His last radiation treatment will be next Tuesday, then we have an entire, much needed, week off.
Meeting with his Slidell Oncologist on June 1st, where we'll learn about his Chemotherapy schedule.
After radiation this morning, we dropped off the oncologist's letter stating that his cancer had returned to our local Veterans Services Officer. She's a doll...the same gal that took care of us in '08. She felt confident that he'll receive 100% disability from the VA. They'll be in touch to set up an appointment with one of their doctors. I just hope that it happens AFTER we get more information on June 1st.
So- Things are happening very quickly. Our patient looks and feels great, although the radiation is starting to bother his hip. (nerves have become effected from the radiation)
Thank you for your continued prayers!
We're meeting with a gal at the Slidell Cancer Center on Monday to discuss medications and insurance.
His last radiation treatment will be next Tuesday, then we have an entire, much needed, week off.
Meeting with his Slidell Oncologist on June 1st, where we'll learn about his Chemotherapy schedule.
After radiation this morning, we dropped off the oncologist's letter stating that his cancer had returned to our local Veterans Services Officer. She's a doll...the same gal that took care of us in '08. She felt confident that he'll receive 100% disability from the VA. They'll be in touch to set up an appointment with one of their doctors. I just hope that it happens AFTER we get more information on June 1st.
So- Things are happening very quickly. Our patient looks and feels great, although the radiation is starting to bother his hip. (nerves have become effected from the radiation)
Thank you for your continued prayers!
Friday, February 10, 2017
VA Faces Tough Decisions About Agent Orange Benefits for Vietnam Veterans
Northville, MI (Law Firm Newswire) February 7, 2017 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must tackle a long list of decisions about the effects of Agent Orange and veterans’ eligibility for benefits. A key issue is whether the department will add new conditions to its list of diseases and health problems presumed to be linked to the pesticide.
Agent Orange was sprayed to destroy vegetation used as cover by Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War. ProPublica and The Virginian-Pilot have joined forces to investigate the toxic chemical’s effects on Vietnam veterans and their families, as well as their struggles to obtain VA benefits.
“Rather than waiting for the problem to simply disappear, the VA should pay close attention to the vast research that has been conducted about the devastating effects of Agent Orange,” said Jim Fausone, a Michigan veterans attorney. “It is likely that the exposure could have also impacted the descendants of service members. Seeking benefits from the VA should not be this difficult for affected veterans and their families.”
Many Vietnam veterans are fighting the VA for compensation for medical conditions believed to be linked to Agent Orange exposure. However, proving exposure and harm has been challenging for veterans and their widows. Many widows do not have access to their husbands’ full service histories or experience dealing with the VA.
Currently, a veteran can gain eligibility for VA disability payments by proving their service in Vietnam and showing they have one of the 14 ailments linked to Agent Orange exposure, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease. In March 2016, a panel of federal researchers claimed there is enough evidence to connect Agent Orange exposure to several conditions not on the VA’s list. These include hypothyroidism, stroke, bladder cancer, hypertension and other Parkinson’s Disease-like neurological diseases.
However, the VA may be reluctant to include the additional illnesses to its list of Agent Orange exposure-related medical conditions due to the potential expenses involved. For example, the chances of hypertension increase with age, and anyone with the ailment who entered Vietnam could become eligible for VA benefits.
LEARN MORE:
http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC
41700 West Six Mile Road, Suite 101
Northville, MI 48168
Toll Free Phone: 800.693.4800
Friday, January 27, 2017
New data suggest Agent Orange causing horrific third generation birth defects Vietnam vets are passing to their grandkids
What’s the “Agent Orange curse?”
True story: As veterans of the Vietnam war die off from cancer and other diseases and disorders they got from the incredibly toxic defoliant Agent Orange, the nightmare is not over, because research is revealing their children and grandchildren, who were never exposed to the pesticide, have birth defects that were passed on through their parents and grandparent’s affected genes. That’s the Agent Orange curse, and it can cause much more detriment than cancer, as if that weren’t enough, including heart disease, fibromyalgia, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, spinal problems, autism, and birth defects like missing limbs, extra limbs, malformed limbs, speech difficulties, cleft lip palate, crooked fingers and webbed toes. Sadly, the US government is trying to cover it all up, waiting for the vets to die off, thinking the whole chronic nightmare will fade away, but it’s not fading at all.
Vietnam vets believe billions of dollars lie at the heart of why their claims have gone unexamined by the US government and Veterans Affairs
First of all, compensating veterans for all their health problems inflicted by the haphazard spreading of and treading through toxic pesticides in Vietnam costs tens of billions of dollars a year, but now we’re talking about compensating the vets’ kids and grandkids, who are grown up or growing up with horrific medical conditions that aren’t going away or getting any better. If the link between Agent Orange and their children’s conditions is proven by science, we’re talking billions more.
How does the VA ignore all these legitimate claims? Answer: the nefarious “Dr. Orange”
For decades now, the VA and the military have relied on one chemical-industry shill’s assessment of whether Agent Orange caused health detriment to our veterans. A man by the name of Alvin L. Young headed up a government sanctioned plan to destroy evidence of any connection between aircrafts that spread agent orange and veteran’s sicknesses, and to ward off journalists that ask questions through their investigations.
Young functions as a “consultant” and an “expert” on herbicides who guides the stance of the military and U.S. Department of Veterans in their mass denial of benefits and compensation to the thousands of suffering soldiers, and now their children and grandchildren too. Agent Orange herbicides were so destructive they could burn down brush and foliage where the enemy was hiding, and the U.S. even dumped the poison into rivers, streams, and waterways to infect the food and drinking water, knowing good and well the toxic effects of the orange nightmare that contains the lethal chemical dioxin. Young, nicknamed by Vietnam veterans as “Dr. Orange,” even developed a plan to destroy Agent Orange a decade later.
Young’s claim for decades? Few veterans were exposed and the doses were too small to harm them. He has said on record that some vets are just “freeloaders” who are making up ailments to “cash in” on the VA’s compensation program. The VA repeatedly cites Young’s work as if it is the “be-all end-all” scientific conclusion to every case brought to them, saving the government millions, if not billions of dollars, while all these soldiers, their kids, and their grandkids suffer and go broke trying to pay their medical care bills.
Now, frustrated veterans, top government officials and respected scientists contend that Young’s self-labeled “investigations” are without merit, omit key facts, and worse yet, were funded by none other than Monsanto Co. and Dow Chemical Co.–the actual manufacturers of agent orange. Alvin Young is nothing more than a huckster and a shill who’s regurgitating research lies to save corporations from getting sued. Even prominent experts on dioxin from NIH say his talk about dioxin is “in no way accurate.” Young is not even qualified to make conclusions about human health effects.
An emeritus professor at Columbia University and an Agent Orange researcher says Young and the VA repeatedly clash with any concerted effort to study health effects from agent orange exposure and they even try to keep studies from being conducted, and have been doing so ever since the sick and dying soldiers returned from the Vietnam War. The “color orange” runs through the veins of Vietnam Vets like poison. Veterans now believe that the birth defects can even skip a generation, passing over their children but then affecting their grandchildren.
Now, here comes the rub: What pesticide ingredients do you think are in conventional food today?
GMO food delivers a small amount of Agent Orange ingredients into your blood and mutates your cells over time. How long that mutation of cells takes to overwhelm one of your vital organs, or strangulate your lungs or your brain is just a matter of how much of it you eat, how often, and for how long. Glyphosate is now regularly sprayed on conventional crops like wheat and sugar cane as a drying agent. Glyphosate, which makes up about 50% of the Roundup herbicide, has been proven through vigorous laboratory research to cause horrific tumors and other cancers in laboratory animals.
Most genetically engineered foods like corn, soy, and canola contain some of the same herbicide ingredients as agent orange, namely glyphosate and dioxin. Do you and your children eat “agent orange” corn and soy? These popular GM foods are made and sprayed by Monsanto and Dow Chemical, don’t you know?
Plenty of LINKS here
True story: As veterans of the Vietnam war die off from cancer and other diseases and disorders they got from the incredibly toxic defoliant Agent Orange, the nightmare is not over, because research is revealing their children and grandchildren, who were never exposed to the pesticide, have birth defects that were passed on through their parents and grandparent’s affected genes. That’s the Agent Orange curse, and it can cause much more detriment than cancer, as if that weren’t enough, including heart disease, fibromyalgia, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, spinal problems, autism, and birth defects like missing limbs, extra limbs, malformed limbs, speech difficulties, cleft lip palate, crooked fingers and webbed toes. Sadly, the US government is trying to cover it all up, waiting for the vets to die off, thinking the whole chronic nightmare will fade away, but it’s not fading at all.
Vietnam vets believe billions of dollars lie at the heart of why their claims have gone unexamined by the US government and Veterans Affairs
First of all, compensating veterans for all their health problems inflicted by the haphazard spreading of and treading through toxic pesticides in Vietnam costs tens of billions of dollars a year, but now we’re talking about compensating the vets’ kids and grandkids, who are grown up or growing up with horrific medical conditions that aren’t going away or getting any better. If the link between Agent Orange and their children’s conditions is proven by science, we’re talking billions more.
How does the VA ignore all these legitimate claims? Answer: the nefarious “Dr. Orange”
For decades now, the VA and the military have relied on one chemical-industry shill’s assessment of whether Agent Orange caused health detriment to our veterans. A man by the name of Alvin L. Young headed up a government sanctioned plan to destroy evidence of any connection between aircrafts that spread agent orange and veteran’s sicknesses, and to ward off journalists that ask questions through their investigations.
Young functions as a “consultant” and an “expert” on herbicides who guides the stance of the military and U.S. Department of Veterans in their mass denial of benefits and compensation to the thousands of suffering soldiers, and now their children and grandchildren too. Agent Orange herbicides were so destructive they could burn down brush and foliage where the enemy was hiding, and the U.S. even dumped the poison into rivers, streams, and waterways to infect the food and drinking water, knowing good and well the toxic effects of the orange nightmare that contains the lethal chemical dioxin. Young, nicknamed by Vietnam veterans as “Dr. Orange,” even developed a plan to destroy Agent Orange a decade later.
Young’s claim for decades? Few veterans were exposed and the doses were too small to harm them. He has said on record that some vets are just “freeloaders” who are making up ailments to “cash in” on the VA’s compensation program. The VA repeatedly cites Young’s work as if it is the “be-all end-all” scientific conclusion to every case brought to them, saving the government millions, if not billions of dollars, while all these soldiers, their kids, and their grandkids suffer and go broke trying to pay their medical care bills.
Now, frustrated veterans, top government officials and respected scientists contend that Young’s self-labeled “investigations” are without merit, omit key facts, and worse yet, were funded by none other than Monsanto Co. and Dow Chemical Co.–the actual manufacturers of agent orange. Alvin Young is nothing more than a huckster and a shill who’s regurgitating research lies to save corporations from getting sued. Even prominent experts on dioxin from NIH say his talk about dioxin is “in no way accurate.” Young is not even qualified to make conclusions about human health effects.
An emeritus professor at Columbia University and an Agent Orange researcher says Young and the VA repeatedly clash with any concerted effort to study health effects from agent orange exposure and they even try to keep studies from being conducted, and have been doing so ever since the sick and dying soldiers returned from the Vietnam War. The “color orange” runs through the veins of Vietnam Vets like poison. Veterans now believe that the birth defects can even skip a generation, passing over their children but then affecting their grandchildren.
Now, here comes the rub: What pesticide ingredients do you think are in conventional food today?
GMO food delivers a small amount of Agent Orange ingredients into your blood and mutates your cells over time. How long that mutation of cells takes to overwhelm one of your vital organs, or strangulate your lungs or your brain is just a matter of how much of it you eat, how often, and for how long. Glyphosate is now regularly sprayed on conventional crops like wheat and sugar cane as a drying agent. Glyphosate, which makes up about 50% of the Roundup herbicide, has been proven through vigorous laboratory research to cause horrific tumors and other cancers in laboratory animals.
Most genetically engineered foods like corn, soy, and canola contain some of the same herbicide ingredients as agent orange, namely glyphosate and dioxin. Do you and your children eat “agent orange” corn and soy? These popular GM foods are made and sprayed by Monsanto and Dow Chemical, don’t you know?
Plenty of LINKS here
Friday, November 18, 2016
New study could pressure VA to expand Agent Orange benefits
 | ||
| Four-ship formation on a defoliation spray run. | U.S. Air Force photo |
The study, published last week by VA researchers in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found a higher rate of hypertension among members of the Army Chemical Corps who handled Agent Orange during the war compared to those who didn’t. Corps members who served in Vietnam but did not spray the chemicals also had a higher rate of hypertension than their peers who served outside Vietnam.
Both results were statistically significant and add to a body of evidence linking Agent Orange exposure and hypertension.
The findings come 41 years after the close of the Vietnam War and decades since the last supplies of Agent Orange were incinerated. Since then, veterans have become increasingly distrustful of the VA. They maintain that their exposure to Agent Orange, which contained the toxic chemical dioxin, has harmed their health and has been passed on to their children.
A VA working group has been studying the latest scientific literature since March to determine whether any illnesses should be added to the agency’s list of diseases for which vets are automatically entitled to compensation if they served in Vietnam. Specifically, the group has been looking at new evidence linking bladder cancer, underactive thyroid, Parkinson’s-like symptoms and hypertension to Agent Orange exposure.
The VA had been expected to announce its decision this year, but officials now say that will be left to the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
“For this administration, the deadline for proposing new rules for potential new presumptions [of service connection to herbicide] has passed, and this will become work for the new administration to take to completion,” VA officials said in a written statement first reported last week in Stars and Stripes.
Hypertension is the most common ailment among veterans seeking health care at the VA. It is one of the most common ailments among older adults generally.
The study released last week found the prevalence of hypertension among members of the Army Chemical Corps to be higher than among other aging veterans. Although most of the Agent Orange used in Vietnam was sprayed from Air Force planes, the Army Chemical Corps also sprayed the herbicide from hand sprayers and helicopters.
LINK
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Three Agent Orange diseases under review for presumptive status
The Veterans Affairs Department is weighing whether to add several diseases to the list of health conditions presumed in Vietnam veterans to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange.
A VA working group is studying a report issued in March by the Institute of Medicine to determine whether bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinson's-like symptoms illnesses the IOM said may be more strongly linked to exposure than previously thought should automatically make a Vietnam veteran eligible for VA disability benefits and health care.
According to Dr. Ralph Erickson, VA's chief consultant for post-deployment health services, the group will make recommendations to VA Secretary Robert McDonald on whether the diseases should be added to a list of 15 already in place.
"We are in the midst of a deliberative process, carefully looking at all the IOM committee put in the report and additional information that has come out since," Erickson said. "We will be putting tougher a VA response that will be brought before senior leaders and ultimately brought before the secretary." The process could take up to two years, a VA spokeswoman added.
Roughly one million Vietnam veterans are enrolled in the VA health system, according to the department. Based on a review of data for one year, 5,484 of these veterans have been diagnosed with bladder cancer, 15,983 suffer from hypothyroidism and an estimated 1,833 have Parkinson's-like symptoms. The working group also is looking into the role, if any, Agent Orange exposure has played in the development of hypertension in Vietnam veterans. According to VA, 307,324 Vietnam veterans in the Veterans Health Administration have high blood pressure. "Hypertension has been a question that has been asked," Erickson said. "The cohort of men and women who heroically served their country in uniform and went to Vietnam are in their 60s, 70s and 80s, and these individuals, merely because of their age, are starting to accrue chronic diseases that come with aging. It's a delicate matter to tease out whether someone has hypertension because of their age or whether it would be related to an exposure to Agent Orange."
VA began recognizing diseases associated with herbicide exposure in Vietnam beginning in 1991, naming 15 diseases as presumed to be related, including Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, early-onset peripheral neuropathy, porphyria cutanea tarda, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, soft-tissue sarcoma, chloracne, type-two diabetes mellitus, light chain amyloidosis, ischemic heart disease, chronic B-cell leukemias, Parkinson's disease and spina bifida in offspring of veterans. The most recent IOM report actually downgraded spina bifida in the children of Vietnam veterans, saying research does not support a previously held belief that the disease occurred in offspring of exposed veterans at higher rates. But the change of spina bifida from "limited or suggestive evidence" it is related to exposure to "inadequate or insufficient" evidence should not affect disability payments to the 1,153 descendants of Vietnam veterans who receive them, Veterans Benefits Administration senior adviser for compensation services Brad Flohr said.
VA recommends that veterans who have an illness they believe is related to Agent Orange exposure file a claim; they are considered on a case-by-case basis if the illness is not on the presumptive condition list. Should new diseases be added to the list, the regulation would go into effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. If a veteran dies of a condition determined to be a presumptive condition after the veteran's death, VA will provide dependency and indemnity compensation benefits to eligible spouses, children and parents of that veteran. [Military Times, Patricia Kime — April 8, 2016]
LINK
A VA working group is studying a report issued in March by the Institute of Medicine to determine whether bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinson's-like symptoms illnesses the IOM said may be more strongly linked to exposure than previously thought should automatically make a Vietnam veteran eligible for VA disability benefits and health care.
According to Dr. Ralph Erickson, VA's chief consultant for post-deployment health services, the group will make recommendations to VA Secretary Robert McDonald on whether the diseases should be added to a list of 15 already in place.
"We are in the midst of a deliberative process, carefully looking at all the IOM committee put in the report and additional information that has come out since," Erickson said. "We will be putting tougher a VA response that will be brought before senior leaders and ultimately brought before the secretary." The process could take up to two years, a VA spokeswoman added.
Roughly one million Vietnam veterans are enrolled in the VA health system, according to the department. Based on a review of data for one year, 5,484 of these veterans have been diagnosed with bladder cancer, 15,983 suffer from hypothyroidism and an estimated 1,833 have Parkinson's-like symptoms. The working group also is looking into the role, if any, Agent Orange exposure has played in the development of hypertension in Vietnam veterans. According to VA, 307,324 Vietnam veterans in the Veterans Health Administration have high blood pressure. "Hypertension has been a question that has been asked," Erickson said. "The cohort of men and women who heroically served their country in uniform and went to Vietnam are in their 60s, 70s and 80s, and these individuals, merely because of their age, are starting to accrue chronic diseases that come with aging. It's a delicate matter to tease out whether someone has hypertension because of their age or whether it would be related to an exposure to Agent Orange."
VA began recognizing diseases associated with herbicide exposure in Vietnam beginning in 1991, naming 15 diseases as presumed to be related, including Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, early-onset peripheral neuropathy, porphyria cutanea tarda, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, soft-tissue sarcoma, chloracne, type-two diabetes mellitus, light chain amyloidosis, ischemic heart disease, chronic B-cell leukemias, Parkinson's disease and spina bifida in offspring of veterans. The most recent IOM report actually downgraded spina bifida in the children of Vietnam veterans, saying research does not support a previously held belief that the disease occurred in offspring of exposed veterans at higher rates. But the change of spina bifida from "limited or suggestive evidence" it is related to exposure to "inadequate or insufficient" evidence should not affect disability payments to the 1,153 descendants of Vietnam veterans who receive them, Veterans Benefits Administration senior adviser for compensation services Brad Flohr said.
VA recommends that veterans who have an illness they believe is related to Agent Orange exposure file a claim; they are considered on a case-by-case basis if the illness is not on the presumptive condition list. Should new diseases be added to the list, the regulation would go into effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. If a veteran dies of a condition determined to be a presumptive condition after the veteran's death, VA will provide dependency and indemnity compensation benefits to eligible spouses, children and parents of that veteran. [Military Times, Patricia Kime — April 8, 2016]
LINK
Friday, January 22, 2016
Agent Orange impacting descendants of Vietnam veterans?
The United States in 1991 established that Agent Orange was responsible for a number of medical conditions found in Vietnam veterans. These veterans now want the government to fund research on how their children and grandchildren have been affected.
Chairing a Vietnam veterans national Agent Orange committee is 68-year-old Montgomery, Minnesota, resident Maynard Kaderlik. His exposure to Agent Orange while stationed in the Mekong Delta led to him getting prostate cancer years later.
But Kaderlik also wants to tell the story of his son Josh, 37, who was born with a dislocated hip and has a severe learning disability, and his 10-year-old granddaughter, Jada, who was diagnosed with autism seven years ago.
Jump
Chairing a Vietnam veterans national Agent Orange committee is 68-year-old Montgomery, Minnesota, resident Maynard Kaderlik. His exposure to Agent Orange while stationed in the Mekong Delta led to him getting prostate cancer years later.
But Kaderlik also wants to tell the story of his son Josh, 37, who was born with a dislocated hip and has a severe learning disability, and his 10-year-old granddaughter, Jada, who was diagnosed with autism seven years ago.
Jump
Thursday, November 20, 2014
What did VA, DoD Cover Up with incomplete Thailand Agent Orange Report?
CAUGHT ‘EM – VA.gov linked to a declassified DoD report on use of Agent Orange in Thailand. Upon closer examination, we learned that 25% of the report was deleted. Luckily, we just found those pages and explain what it may mean here.
The original turned up on a DoD website after a lot of digging, and I think I have a theory as to why they did it. This MMQB covers what I found and why it could impact your disability claim.
Hi and welcome to another edition of the Monday Morning Quarterback for Veterans. I am your host, Benjamin Krause.
This week, I am writing about my research into the USAF’s use of herbicides in Thailand and what it could mean for veterans fighting with VA to prove exposure.
From what I can tell, there may be a coverup regarding the documentation VA has provided to veterans. The information was supposedly given to help prove disability claims. Meanwhile, the documentation is incomplete and leads any casual reader away from potentially better resources to prove their claim.
Here is what I’ll cover today:
*Fed admits to Agent Orange use in Thailand
*VA’s Thailand fails the smell test
*Index of missing files
*Where to find records about Agent Orange usage
*What it could mean for your disability claim
JUMP for Much More
Monday, November 17, 2014
Veterans' Diseases Associated with Agent Orange
VA assumes that certain diseases can be related to a Veteran’s qualifying military service. We call these "presumptive diseases."
VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for benefits for these diseases.
AL Amyloidosis
A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs
Chronic B-cell Leukemias
A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin
Hodgkin’s Disease
A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia
Ischemic Heart Disease
A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain
Multiple Myeloma
A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue
Parkinson’s Disease
A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement
Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset
A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men
Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)
Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues
LIVE HEALTHY
There are steps Veterans can take to help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other common diseases of aging. Get the recommended health screenings, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and don't smoke. Learn more about healthy living.
Children with birth defects
VA presumes certain birth defects in children of Vietnam and Korea Veterans are associated with Veterans' qualifying military service.
Veterans with Lou Gehrig's Disease
VA presumes Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service, although ALS is not related to Agent Orange exposure.
LINKS HERE
VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for benefits for these diseases.
AL Amyloidosis
A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs
Chronic B-cell Leukemias
A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin
Hodgkin’s Disease
A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia
Ischemic Heart Disease
A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain
Multiple Myeloma
A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue
Parkinson’s Disease
A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement
Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset
A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men
Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)
Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues
LIVE HEALTHY
There are steps Veterans can take to help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other common diseases of aging. Get the recommended health screenings, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and don't smoke. Learn more about healthy living.
Children with birth defects
VA presumes certain birth defects in children of Vietnam and Korea Veterans are associated with Veterans' qualifying military service.
Veterans with Lou Gehrig's Disease
VA presumes Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service, although ALS is not related to Agent Orange exposure.
LINKS HERE
Thursday, November 13, 2014
The 40-year war AGENT ORANGE CASUALTIES KEEP MOUNTING
'They can't cure it'
Eleven years ago, at a routine physical, Terry Singer's doctor ordered him to see an oncologist. The elevated protein he found in his blood pointed to multiple myeloma, a rare and deadly cancer of the plasma cells and one of the presumptive diseases the government recognizes as associated with Agent Orange exposure.
"I didn't have any connection in my mind between the disease and my service in Vietnam," Singer said. "I didn't know there was any connection."
Singer was told he may have two to three years to live.
"The diagnosis was pretty shocking," he said.
Eleven years later, Singer continues to buck his doctor's expectations. The Hummelstown resident darts from one doctor's visit to the next, tending to quarterly medical screenings. Every four months or so, Singer undergoes blood work, MRIs and CAT scans to monitor his disease. So far, he has staved off treatment, which comes with its own adverse side effects and limitations.
"Sooner or later, it'll stop working," Singer said. "You run through the gamut, and then you have nothing left. They can't cure it."
Singer is playing the odds that he won't need chemotherapy for a long time.
A self-proclaimed news junkie, he worries that the government and VA have not adequately informed veterans of Agent Orange compensation.
"My gut tells me there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, [of Vietnam] veterans across the country ... who have been diagnosed with a disease, who are not aware that they might be eligible for disability benefits," he said.
Singer knows firsthand that, even under the best of circumstances, much less a crisis, the VA puts veterans through an exhaustive undertaking to process claims and secure benefits.
Singer waited close to a year for his claim for a presumptive disease to be settled.
He has never come across publicity or outreach on the part of the VA to inform Vietnam veterans about Agent Orange benefits. The federal agency, for the record, maintains a comprehensive website filled with information related to Agent Orange. Singer worries that thousands of veterans, even those who, like him, find out about the benefits by accident, are falling through the cracks.
"Part of not forgetting the sacrifice of that era, in particular because of the harsh way they were received by their countrymen, part of the commitment that needs to be sustained until that generation no longer exists is to be committed to doing as much as possible to make sure these veterans are aware they are entitled to compensation for these diseases," Singer said.
Singer counts himself lucky. Now retired, he has his own insurance and Medicare, and his 100 percent disability covers the medical care for his blood cancer.
"I feel fortunate that I'm still here and fortunate that I haven't suffered a lot," he said. "I know there are thousands of veterans who have suffered more greatly ... not that any benefit will make up for that. It won't. But it can make navigating things a little easier."
MORE Agent Orange Stories HERE
Eleven years ago, at a routine physical, Terry Singer's doctor ordered him to see an oncologist. The elevated protein he found in his blood pointed to multiple myeloma, a rare and deadly cancer of the plasma cells and one of the presumptive diseases the government recognizes as associated with Agent Orange exposure.
"I didn't have any connection in my mind between the disease and my service in Vietnam," Singer said. "I didn't know there was any connection."
Singer was told he may have two to three years to live.
"The diagnosis was pretty shocking," he said.
Eleven years later, Singer continues to buck his doctor's expectations. The Hummelstown resident darts from one doctor's visit to the next, tending to quarterly medical screenings. Every four months or so, Singer undergoes blood work, MRIs and CAT scans to monitor his disease. So far, he has staved off treatment, which comes with its own adverse side effects and limitations.
"Sooner or later, it'll stop working," Singer said. "You run through the gamut, and then you have nothing left. They can't cure it."
Singer is playing the odds that he won't need chemotherapy for a long time.
A self-proclaimed news junkie, he worries that the government and VA have not adequately informed veterans of Agent Orange compensation.
"My gut tells me there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, [of Vietnam] veterans across the country ... who have been diagnosed with a disease, who are not aware that they might be eligible for disability benefits," he said.
Singer knows firsthand that, even under the best of circumstances, much less a crisis, the VA puts veterans through an exhaustive undertaking to process claims and secure benefits.
Singer waited close to a year for his claim for a presumptive disease to be settled.
He has never come across publicity or outreach on the part of the VA to inform Vietnam veterans about Agent Orange benefits. The federal agency, for the record, maintains a comprehensive website filled with information related to Agent Orange. Singer worries that thousands of veterans, even those who, like him, find out about the benefits by accident, are falling through the cracks.
"Part of not forgetting the sacrifice of that era, in particular because of the harsh way they were received by their countrymen, part of the commitment that needs to be sustained until that generation no longer exists is to be committed to doing as much as possible to make sure these veterans are aware they are entitled to compensation for these diseases," Singer said.
Singer counts himself lucky. Now retired, he has his own insurance and Medicare, and his 100 percent disability covers the medical care for his blood cancer.
"I feel fortunate that I'm still here and fortunate that I haven't suffered a lot," he said. "I know there are thousands of veterans who have suffered more greatly ... not that any benefit will make up for that. It won't. But it can make navigating things a little easier."
MORE Agent Orange Stories HERE
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Agent Orange Bill Legislation Set To Run Out October 1, 2014
Everyone knows Agent Orange is bad, and exposed veterans know that it causes certain cancers and other diseases after exposure. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes this, and for all of these cancers and diseases, disability compensation is practically automatic. These are called “presumptive” conditions that are presumed to be caused by the military purely because of time and date in service.
Veterans’ children have long been recognized to have birth defects and diseases resulting from their parents’ exposure to Agent Orange. Currently, the VA recognizes many such conditions in the children of women veterans, but the list for male veterans’ children is significantly shorter. It includes only spina bifida (with the exception of spina bifida occulta).
What a lot of veterans don’t know, though, is that Agent Orange exposure has also caused numerous, serious birth defects in exposed male veterans’ children, besides spina bifida. These can include:
- Crohn’s disease
- Lupus
- thyroid disease
- chronic kidney disease
- missing parts of limbs
- webbed toes
The list is much, much larger than this. For a complete list of diseases and birth defects known to have occurred in children of vets exposed to Agent Orange, please visit the Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA).
The Agent Orange Act of 1991 went into effect for the purpose of researching the diseases and birth defects found in exposed veterans’ children, to find out what they were, and to add them to the list of VA covered conditions.
The Act began a review of conditions in 1994 which was originally scheduled to run until 2001, but later was extended till October 1, 2014. Every few years, more conditions were added to the VA’s list. On October 1, 2014, the last review will take place, so any conditions not included in this last report will probably be left out of the VA’s list for good, unless more legislation comes into play.
It is likely we will see this last report, which covers the data from 2012, 2013, and 2014 sometime in 2015.
If you are a child of an exposed veteran, COVVHA encourages you to file a claim with the VA so that your voices can start being heard.
The instructions for doing so are found at the COVVHA website and are reproduced below:
JUMP
Veterans’ children have long been recognized to have birth defects and diseases resulting from their parents’ exposure to Agent Orange. Currently, the VA recognizes many such conditions in the children of women veterans, but the list for male veterans’ children is significantly shorter. It includes only spina bifida (with the exception of spina bifida occulta).
What a lot of veterans don’t know, though, is that Agent Orange exposure has also caused numerous, serious birth defects in exposed male veterans’ children, besides spina bifida. These can include:
- Crohn’s disease
- Lupus
- thyroid disease
- chronic kidney disease
- missing parts of limbs
- webbed toes
The list is much, much larger than this. For a complete list of diseases and birth defects known to have occurred in children of vets exposed to Agent Orange, please visit the Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA).
The Agent Orange Act of 1991 went into effect for the purpose of researching the diseases and birth defects found in exposed veterans’ children, to find out what they were, and to add them to the list of VA covered conditions.
The Act began a review of conditions in 1994 which was originally scheduled to run until 2001, but later was extended till October 1, 2014. Every few years, more conditions were added to the VA’s list. On October 1, 2014, the last review will take place, so any conditions not included in this last report will probably be left out of the VA’s list for good, unless more legislation comes into play.
It is likely we will see this last report, which covers the data from 2012, 2013, and 2014 sometime in 2015.
If you are a child of an exposed veteran, COVVHA encourages you to file a claim with the VA so that your voices can start being heard.
The instructions for doing so are found at the COVVHA website and are reproduced below:
JUMP
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Agent Orange and VA battles
Wife recounts years of struggles for late husband to finally receive benefits
Francesca Cesare sat behind a stack of her husband's medical records at her spotless town house and told how wounds from the Vietnam War ate away at the man she loved for nearly 50 years.
The Malta woman met Robert Cesare on his birthday in a Troy nightclub in 1965, the year he graduated from Colonie's Shaker High School and enlisted in the Army to fight in Vietnam. After 13 months in the war zone, he came home a changed man on St. Patrick's Day in 1967.
Over the following decades, he suffered from cysts and boils on his body and post traumatic-combat stress that nearly tore his family apart. He sought disability benefits for exposure to Agent Orange — a blend of chemicals used by U.S. armed forces in Vietnam to eliminate foliage that provided cover for the enemy — but the Department of Veterans Affairs repeatedly rejected his claims until days before he died, according to records.
"He was denied so many years until he was on his deathbed," Francesca Cesare said from her home in the Luther Forest development. "What good is that? At the end of his life, they finally admit it."
It's a time of recognition for some Vietnam veterans in the Capital Region, but not for all. On Friday, a group gathered in Saratoga Springs to kick off a series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the war in which 2.7 million Americans served from 1964 through 1973. In Albany, the Tri-County Council of Vietnam Era Veterans, who have worked to restore the Albany County Vietnam Veterans Memorial near the state Capitol, will rededicate the site at a Sept. 20 ceremony. But the legacy of Agent Orange still haunts many who served in the war, and their families.
The United States sprayed 20 million gallons of herbicides in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971. Many veterans experience health problems that they attribute Agent Orange, and the VA recognizes dozens of diseases linked to the chemical defoliant.
"That's been a struggle for us forever, and we're still battling," said 65-year-old Ned Foote of Queensbury who lost his leg in combat and is president of the New York State Council Vietnam Veterans of America.
Francesca Cesare, who is 67, said she wanted to recount her family's nearly half-century struggle because she feels other veterans aren't receiving compensation from the VA for wounds they suffered like her husband's. "I have to be his voice because it needs to be heard," said the widow, who in 1958 immigrated from southern Italy and settled in Watervliet.
Growing up in Latham, Bob Cesare liked music and "cars were his passion," his wife recalled. He was one of the first Shaker graduates to volunteer for Vietnam. Cesare was an infantryman with the 2nd Battalion, 79th Field Artillery near An Khe and then Pleiku. Francesca Cesare wrote to Bob every day.
"I wanted him to know he had something to come back to," she said. The soldier asked her to marry him in a letter from Vietnam. He mailed her a coffeepot with hundreds of dollars for his father to buy her an engagement ring.
In Vietnam, Cesare and others in his unit complained about neck and skin irritations that worsened when they shaved, Francesca said. "He knew he was sprayed with Agent Orange," she said. When Cesare returned, his family picked him up at the Albany airport where he kissed the asphalt, but Francesca Cesare said they were shocked at his physical condition. He was gaunt and there was a distant look in his eyes.
"His mother said, 'Oh, my God, that's not my son,'" Francesca Cesare recalled.
Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are eligible for disability compensation. Under a "presumptive policy" instituted by Congress in 1991, vets who served in Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, need not prove a direct service connection to their illness, as they must with other wounds. The policy was designed to simplify the process of applying for compensation for diseases the VA links to Agent Orange exposure, including Parkinson's disease, respiratory cancer and the skin condition chloracne, which can afflict people who come into contact with chemicals.
Foote said care at the Albany VA has vastly improved in the past 10 years, but the disability claims approval process is separate from care provided at VA hospitals and veterans suffering from ailments need to ask county or state service officers for assistance in submitting claims.
Bob and Francesca Cesare married Oct. 14, 1967. He took a job as a truck driver. The couple had two daughters, Michele Campbell and Angela Cesare. His skin problems intensified in 1970. Doctors at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center diagnosed him with chloracne.
Cesare came down with foot fungus and his teeth started to break, his wife said. VA staff removed the boils, tested his blood and took body scans. His skin breakouts always returned, his wife said. The couple moved to New Jersey and then Texas. Cesare sank deep into post-combat depression. The couple separated for a time before reuniting and buying a house in Clifton Park in 1991.
Over the years, Cesare complained that his skin problems stemmed from Agent Orange exposure. But the VA turned him down for Agent Orange benefits at least five times, his wife said. She keeps written records going back more than 30 years. "He was always denied for chloracne and post-traumatic stress disorder, yet he was being treated for them at the VA," Francesca Cesare said. She said the VA lost her husband's medical records and occasionally neglected to respond to claims he filed.
Fed up, in October 2012 she wrote a letter about her husband's plight and sent it to the White House. About six months later, the VA granted Cesare 40 percent disability for PTSD and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. He received nothing for exposure to Agent Orange. A year later, Cesare discovered a mass on his back. This past February, doctors at the Albany VA found terminal cancer in his lungs, kidney and pancreas. That shocked his wife because previous blood tests at the VA did not indicate any problems, she said.
On Feb. 12, an Albany VA doctor acknowledged Cesare was exposed to Agent Orange and deserved to be compensated. On Feb. 27, the VA rated Cesare 100 percent disabled and ruled he was eligible for $3,332 a month in support. Cesare died four days later at the Albany VA. He was 66.
His death certificate states he died from respiratory failure due to cancer in both lungs, "which was also due to a consequence of Agent Orange and cigarette smoking." Cesare smoked cigarettes for about 20 years until 1991, his wife said.
As the widow of a veteran exposed to Agent Orange, Francesca Cesare receives $1,235 a month from the government. She works part time to stay busy and to keep her mind off her husband's plight. She hopes others will learn from her story, and the VA will do better.
LINK
Francesca Cesare sat behind a stack of her husband's medical records at her spotless town house and told how wounds from the Vietnam War ate away at the man she loved for nearly 50 years.
The Malta woman met Robert Cesare on his birthday in a Troy nightclub in 1965, the year he graduated from Colonie's Shaker High School and enlisted in the Army to fight in Vietnam. After 13 months in the war zone, he came home a changed man on St. Patrick's Day in 1967.
Over the following decades, he suffered from cysts and boils on his body and post traumatic-combat stress that nearly tore his family apart. He sought disability benefits for exposure to Agent Orange — a blend of chemicals used by U.S. armed forces in Vietnam to eliminate foliage that provided cover for the enemy — but the Department of Veterans Affairs repeatedly rejected his claims until days before he died, according to records.
"He was denied so many years until he was on his deathbed," Francesca Cesare said from her home in the Luther Forest development. "What good is that? At the end of his life, they finally admit it."
It's a time of recognition for some Vietnam veterans in the Capital Region, but not for all. On Friday, a group gathered in Saratoga Springs to kick off a series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the war in which 2.7 million Americans served from 1964 through 1973. In Albany, the Tri-County Council of Vietnam Era Veterans, who have worked to restore the Albany County Vietnam Veterans Memorial near the state Capitol, will rededicate the site at a Sept. 20 ceremony. But the legacy of Agent Orange still haunts many who served in the war, and their families.
The United States sprayed 20 million gallons of herbicides in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971. Many veterans experience health problems that they attribute Agent Orange, and the VA recognizes dozens of diseases linked to the chemical defoliant.
"That's been a struggle for us forever, and we're still battling," said 65-year-old Ned Foote of Queensbury who lost his leg in combat and is president of the New York State Council Vietnam Veterans of America.
Francesca Cesare, who is 67, said she wanted to recount her family's nearly half-century struggle because she feels other veterans aren't receiving compensation from the VA for wounds they suffered like her husband's. "I have to be his voice because it needs to be heard," said the widow, who in 1958 immigrated from southern Italy and settled in Watervliet.
Growing up in Latham, Bob Cesare liked music and "cars were his passion," his wife recalled. He was one of the first Shaker graduates to volunteer for Vietnam. Cesare was an infantryman with the 2nd Battalion, 79th Field Artillery near An Khe and then Pleiku. Francesca Cesare wrote to Bob every day.
"I wanted him to know he had something to come back to," she said. The soldier asked her to marry him in a letter from Vietnam. He mailed her a coffeepot with hundreds of dollars for his father to buy her an engagement ring.
In Vietnam, Cesare and others in his unit complained about neck and skin irritations that worsened when they shaved, Francesca said. "He knew he was sprayed with Agent Orange," she said. When Cesare returned, his family picked him up at the Albany airport where he kissed the asphalt, but Francesca Cesare said they were shocked at his physical condition. He was gaunt and there was a distant look in his eyes.
"His mother said, 'Oh, my God, that's not my son,'" Francesca Cesare recalled.
Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are eligible for disability compensation. Under a "presumptive policy" instituted by Congress in 1991, vets who served in Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, need not prove a direct service connection to their illness, as they must with other wounds. The policy was designed to simplify the process of applying for compensation for diseases the VA links to Agent Orange exposure, including Parkinson's disease, respiratory cancer and the skin condition chloracne, which can afflict people who come into contact with chemicals.
Foote said care at the Albany VA has vastly improved in the past 10 years, but the disability claims approval process is separate from care provided at VA hospitals and veterans suffering from ailments need to ask county or state service officers for assistance in submitting claims.
Bob and Francesca Cesare married Oct. 14, 1967. He took a job as a truck driver. The couple had two daughters, Michele Campbell and Angela Cesare. His skin problems intensified in 1970. Doctors at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center diagnosed him with chloracne.
Cesare came down with foot fungus and his teeth started to break, his wife said. VA staff removed the boils, tested his blood and took body scans. His skin breakouts always returned, his wife said. The couple moved to New Jersey and then Texas. Cesare sank deep into post-combat depression. The couple separated for a time before reuniting and buying a house in Clifton Park in 1991.
Over the years, Cesare complained that his skin problems stemmed from Agent Orange exposure. But the VA turned him down for Agent Orange benefits at least five times, his wife said. She keeps written records going back more than 30 years. "He was always denied for chloracne and post-traumatic stress disorder, yet he was being treated for them at the VA," Francesca Cesare said. She said the VA lost her husband's medical records and occasionally neglected to respond to claims he filed.
Fed up, in October 2012 she wrote a letter about her husband's plight and sent it to the White House. About six months later, the VA granted Cesare 40 percent disability for PTSD and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. He received nothing for exposure to Agent Orange. A year later, Cesare discovered a mass on his back. This past February, doctors at the Albany VA found terminal cancer in his lungs, kidney and pancreas. That shocked his wife because previous blood tests at the VA did not indicate any problems, she said.
On Feb. 12, an Albany VA doctor acknowledged Cesare was exposed to Agent Orange and deserved to be compensated. On Feb. 27, the VA rated Cesare 100 percent disabled and ruled he was eligible for $3,332 a month in support. Cesare died four days later at the Albany VA. He was 66.
His death certificate states he died from respiratory failure due to cancer in both lungs, "which was also due to a consequence of Agent Orange and cigarette smoking." Cesare smoked cigarettes for about 20 years until 1991, his wife said.
As the widow of a veteran exposed to Agent Orange, Francesca Cesare receives $1,235 a month from the government. She works part time to stay busy and to keep her mind off her husband's plight. She hopes others will learn from her story, and the VA will do better.
LINK
Friday, March 7, 2014
Dark Legacy: Long After The End Of The Vietnam War, New Questions Raised About Agent Orange Exposure -- Including For Soldiers And Civilians In The U.S. And Abroad
When Army veteran Steve House tells people he was exposed to Agent Orange, the toxic defoliant the Department of Defense (DOD) sprayed on trees, vegetation and rice fields during the Vietnam War, the first thing he’s typically asked is where he was stationed in that country. But House has never been to Vietnam. He didn’t join the military until three years after the last American troops evacuated Saigon.
In 1978, House, now 56, was an E-4 specialist and bulldozer operator with D Company 802nd engineers at Camp Carroll, a U.S. Army base in South Korea, where House said he and four fellow soldiers were ordered to dig an enormous trench on the base, then bury 250 barrels of Agent Orange.
In separate, exclusive interviews, former soldiers House, Bob Travis and Richard Kramer each told IBTimes how their postwar exposure to the harmful agent has had a profoundly negative effect on their lives and that the DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continue to call them liars.
JUMP
In 1978, House, now 56, was an E-4 specialist and bulldozer operator with D Company 802nd engineers at Camp Carroll, a U.S. Army base in South Korea, where House said he and four fellow soldiers were ordered to dig an enormous trench on the base, then bury 250 barrels of Agent Orange.
In separate, exclusive interviews, former soldiers House, Bob Travis and Richard Kramer each told IBTimes how their postwar exposure to the harmful agent has had a profoundly negative effect on their lives and that the DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continue to call them liars.
JUMP
Friday, August 2, 2013
Obamacare and Agent Orange
There is no way to avoid seeing, hearing or reading news about the Affordable Health Care Act, better known as Obamacare these days, but understanding the content of this information is nearly impossible for those of us lacking law degrees and 20 years of political experience. Even some of those elected members of Congress just shook their heads and signed their approval, because of peer pressure, to a program they did not understand.
Remember Nancy Pelosi’s famous, “We have to sign it into law so that we can see what is in it” statement? Well, it is here now, and we still don’t know what’s in it.
One thing that has become clear now: If you do not have some kind of acceptable insurance coverage in the very near future, you will be charged a special tax by the IRS.
So where does that leave the veterans and their families? I can give the official answer, thanks to Fred Daniels, one of our VSOs at Trinka Davis Clinic.
If you are enrolled in one of the following VA health care programs, you have coverage under the standards of the health care law: Veterans health care program, Civilian Health and Medical program (CHAMPVA), Spina Bifida Health Care Program. If you are enrolled in VA health care, you don’t need to take additional steps to meet the health care law coverage standard. The health care law does not change VA health benefits or veterans’ out-of-pocket costs.
If you are not enrolled in VA health care, you can apply at any time.
Bottom line is: If you are enrolled in one of these programs, you are already covered under the requirements of the law. If you are not covered under these programs and need insurance to be covered, get in gear and apply for your veteran benefits before the taxes hit you for non-compliance.
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Remember Nancy Pelosi’s famous, “We have to sign it into law so that we can see what is in it” statement? Well, it is here now, and we still don’t know what’s in it.
One thing that has become clear now: If you do not have some kind of acceptable insurance coverage in the very near future, you will be charged a special tax by the IRS.
So where does that leave the veterans and their families? I can give the official answer, thanks to Fred Daniels, one of our VSOs at Trinka Davis Clinic.
If you are enrolled in one of the following VA health care programs, you have coverage under the standards of the health care law: Veterans health care program, Civilian Health and Medical program (CHAMPVA), Spina Bifida Health Care Program. If you are enrolled in VA health care, you don’t need to take additional steps to meet the health care law coverage standard. The health care law does not change VA health benefits or veterans’ out-of-pocket costs.
If you are not enrolled in VA health care, you can apply at any time.
Bottom line is: If you are enrolled in one of these programs, you are already covered under the requirements of the law. If you are not covered under these programs and need insurance to be covered, get in gear and apply for your veteran benefits before the taxes hit you for non-compliance.
Jump for More
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