**disturbing! What I Found When Working For The Va Hospital.

[newbe]

Hello all~!

I thought someone might benefit from my story. I’m not sure where to begin, but I do feel that sharing this information with others is important.

It wasn’t long ago that I worked in the laboratory at the VA hospital. The hospital will remain nameless; however, I have an extensive science background in the cellular biological sciences. I was asked to perform review lab data directly for the directing Physician. In particular this information came to me when medical students who were taking notes on the floor had to have their work reviewed prior to being entered into the medical charts.

The VA is always backlogged as you all know so processing this stuff became mundane. I noticed after about the 50th doc, that almost every veteran had the same symptom and condition. I was worried but didn’t tell anyone what I thought I’d found, nor spoke to anyone but family until now. I thought nothing of it but coincidence. The next day I processed about forty five more docs and by the end of week found one hundred and ninety one cases of this problem. This is when I began to worry. But who and what would I do about it. Go tell all VETS in the hospital? No way!!!

Even though I’m aware of how to read medical docs, I truly wouldn’t have found this disorder, but was lucky enough to inquire about the sudden emergence of this problem during my last hospital visit a week earlier. The first Physician couldn’t even tell me what it was. The second knew but referred me back to my nurse who said they were lipomas. It’s a small to large fat sac that will suddenly appear out of no where on the trunk, forearms, thighs, ribs, legs and back.

I was told by the primary care nurse who visits many patients day in and out that this was nothing to worry about. I beg to differ; after seeing the medical notations my self I do believe this is related to either the Persian Gulf War or to Vacinaciations given to soldiers. According to clear medical documentation I’ve read in JAMA and on the net lipomas are a primary in older patients over the age of 65 with a history alcohol use and or parents with severe alcohol use. In some cases this may be hereditary, but they are rarely and I mean rarely found in anyone under the age of 65. A genetic predisposition to such ailment is rare and for me to find this many documented cased at a VA hospital in patients under 65yo remains a mystery still.

I bring this small issue to the table first, because there are so many other manifested side effects in VA patients. Side effects that are a constant in all VA medical records, I believe this and other small health things we take for granted or maybe ignore sometimes have been a common problem across state lines.

What’s bothers me about this is that it wouldn’t surprise me if the VA is banking on the fact that we never figure out that there are commonalities in abundance within medical records. I hope this helps. I had approximately 3 lipomas in 1996 and then a gradual increase with a period of spurious growth in 2000 to 35. I’ve had one removed because it became so large; another biopsied (neg for cancer) because they weren’t sure why so many showed up and rapidly.

I’m way under the age of 65 and way too young to see anything like this ruin my life. I hadn’t thought there was anything to this whole thing until I found my 36th lipoma in 2001 fully invading my testicle sac. The VA said it would go away, I have no children – so I’ve been praying and hope this sh%t goes away.

-Thanks

:P

[Guest VetWife Advocate]

Hello all~!

I thought someone might benefit from my story. I’m not sure where to begin, but I do feel that sharing this information with others is important.

It wasn’t long ago that I worked in the laboratory at the VA hospital. The hospital will remain nameless; however, I have an extensive science background in the cellular biological sciences. I was asked to perform review lab data directly for the directing Physician. In particular this information came to me when medical students who were taking notes on the floor had to have their work reviewed prior to being entered into the medical charts.

The VA is always backlogged as you all know so processing this stuff became mundane. I noticed after about the 50th doc, that almost every veteran had the same symptom and condition. I was worried but didn’t tell anyone what I thought I’d found, nor spoke to anyone but family until now. I thought nothing of it but coincidence. The next day I processed about forty five more docs and by the end of week found one hundred and ninety one cases of this problem. This is when I began to worry. But who and what would I do about it. Go tell all VETS in the hospital? No way!!!

Even though I’m aware of how to read medical docs, I truly wouldn’t have found this disorder, but was lucky enough to inquire about the sudden emergence of this problem during my last hospital visit a week earlier. The first Physician couldn’t even tell me what it was. The second knew but referred me back to my nurse who said they were lipomas. It’s a small to large fat sac that will suddenly appear out of no where on the trunk, forearms, thighs, ribs, legs and back.

I was told by the primary care nurse who visits many patients day in and out that this was nothing to worry about. I beg to differ; after seeing the medical notations my self I do believe this is related to either the Persian Gulf War or to Vacinaciations given to soldiers. According to clear medical documentation I’ve read in JAMA and on the net lipomas are a primary in older patients over the age of 65 with a history alcohol use and or parents with severe alcohol use. In some cases this may be hereditary, but they are rarely and I mean rarely found in anyone under the age of 65. A genetic predisposition to such ailment is rare and for me to find this many documented cased at a VA hospital in patients under 65yo remains a mystery still.

I bring this small issue to the table first, because there are so many other manifested side effects in VA patients. Side effects that are a constant in all VA medical records, I believe this and other small health things we take for granted or maybe ignore sometimes have been a common problem across state lines.

What’s bothers me about this is that it wouldn’t surprise me if the VA is banking on the fact that we never figure out that there are commonalities in abundance within medical records. I hope this helps. I had approximately 3 lipomas in 1996 and then a gradual increase with a period of spurious growth in 2000 to 35. I’ve had one removed because it became so large; another biopsied (neg for cancer) because they weren’t sure why so many showed up and rapidly.

I’m way under the age of 65 and way too young to see anything like this ruin my life. I hadn’t thought there was anything to this whole thing until I found my 36th lipoma in 2001 fully invading my testicle sac. The VA said it would go away, I have no children – so I’ve been praying and hope this sh%t goes away.

-Thanks

:P

Newbe,

Thanks for your service and Thank you for sharing your Truth about your experience.

Yes, I also wonder how things are getting ON the presumptive list. Joe has certain things showing up on his records that I am watching. One has to do with his white count; and EOS; he does not have allergies. He also has been diaznosed in the past --on the outside--with a N/A fatty liver. His PSA fluatuate. I insisted he get an outside GTT because the VA said, "they don't give that test anymore"!!! Well he is Glucose intolerant?hypoglycemic, outside Med community accepts that as DM11!! Not the VA!!!

Thanks for the heads up on those lymphomas. Another website on a vet who has written about herbecides contaminating our vets is www.sp5Kelley2nd94.com

Check his website out and its archives as well, he just published a book of his finding on the TRUTH around how our govt knows about these affects and denys our Vets!!! So many sad Truths!! Continue to let the Vet world know your truth. We need more people like you;

Thanks,

Brenda

[Pete53]

Thanks for the explanation. I have long felt that the VA with its millions of patients could ne mich more proative and actualy give Veterans a chance to live longer and better lives. The large numbers of Veterans with diabetes has always troubled me.

GERD is another one. They wait for Veterans to get really sick before they treat.

[Guest VetWife Advocate]

Hello all~!

I thought someone might benefit from my story. I’m not sure where to begin, but I do feel that sharing this information with others is important.

It wasn’t long ago that I worked in the laboratory at the VA hospital. The hospital will remain nameless; however, I have an extensive science background in the cellular biological sciences. I was asked to perform review lab data directly for the directing Physician. In particular this information came to me when medical students who were taking notes on the floor had to have their work reviewed prior to being entered into the medical charts.

The VA is always backlogged as you all know so processing this stuff became mundane. I noticed after about the 50th doc, that almost every veteran had the same symptom and condition. I was worried but didn’t tell anyone what I thought I’d found, nor spoke to anyone but family until now. I thought nothing of it but coincidence. The next day I processed about forty five more docs and by the end of week found one hundred and ninety one cases of this problem. This is when I began to worry. But who and what would I do about it. Go tell all VETS in the hospital? No way!!!

Even though I’m aware of how to read medical docs, I truly wouldn’t have found this disorder, but was lucky enough to inquire about the sudden emergence of this problem during my last hospital visit a week earlier. The first Physician couldn’t even tell me what it was. The second knew but referred me back to my nurse who said they were lipomas. It’s a small to large fat sac that will suddenly appear out of no where on the trunk, forearms, thighs, ribs, legs and back.

I was told by the primary care nurse who visits many patients day in and out that this was nothing to worry about. I beg to differ; after seeing the medical notations my self I do believe this is related to either the Persian Gulf War or to Vacinaciations given to soldiers. According to clear medical documentation I’ve read in JAMA and on the net lipomas are a primary in older patients over the age of 65 with a history alcohol use and or parents with severe alcohol use. In some cases this may be hereditary, but they are rarely and I mean rarely found in anyone under the age of 65. A genetic predisposition to such ailment is rare and for me to find this many documented cased at a VA hospital in patients under 65yo remains a mystery still.

I bring this small issue to the table first, because there are so many other manifested side effects in VA patients. Side effects that are a constant in all VA medical records, I believe this and other small health things we take for granted or maybe ignore sometimes have been a common problem across state lines.

What’s bothers me about this is that it wouldn’t surprise me if the VA is banking on the fact that we never figure out that there are commonalities in abundance within medical records. I hope this helps. I had approximately 3 lipomas in 1996 and then a gradual increase with a period of spurious growth in 2000 to 35. I’ve had one removed because it became so large; another biopsied (neg for cancer) because they weren’t sure why so many showed up and rapidly.

I’m way under the age of 65 and way too young to see anything like this ruin my life. I hadn’t thought there was anything to this whole thing until I found my 36th lipoma in 2001 fully invading my testicle sac. The VA said it would go away, I have no children – so I’ve been praying and hope this sh%t goes away.

-Thanks

:P

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEwbie, Take a look at what AOppie found!! Could this be what you had/saw? Check his website that he gave!!! Myopathies!! WOW!! GOOD POST ALLAN!! pictures also!! Brenda

Sarcocystis (Sarcosporidiosis)44

From USDA

Sarcocystis in muscle

Epidemiology

Organisms: Sarcocystis

Heteroxenous parasite

Beef ingestion: Sarcocystis hominis

Pork ingestion: Sarcocystis suihominis

Geography: Infections common in Malaysia

20% of Autopsies

20% with serologic evidence of infection

Most cases asymptomatic

Definitive hosts

Malaysia: Python which preys on various monkey species

Other regions: Wild fowl, Cats, Dogs, Cattle

Animal disease: Macaca monkeys

Other countries with symptomatic cases: Thailand; Egypt

North American hosts: Paddle ducks & Grackles

Symptomatic cases: < 100 reported

Most have skeletal muscle involvement

Some have cardiomyopathy

Transmission: Predator-prey lifecycle

Foodbourne zoonosis

Definitive host: ? Python in Malaysia

Humans are often accidental intermediate hosts

Intestinal disease: Ingestion of raw meat; Diarrhea

Muscle disease: Ingestion of sporocysts

Organism forms

Metrocytes: Characteristic of acute infections

Bradyzoite: Differentiated forms

Clinical

Systemic

Fever

Weight loss

Pulmonary

Bronchospasm

Cough

Skin

Nodules: Subcutaneous

Rash: Transient, Pruritic

Lymphadenopathy

Cardiomyopathy

Enteritis: Segmental

Muscle

Pain: Myalgias; Tenderness

Wasting

Course: Monophasic or Recurrent Symptoms over years

Laboratory

Eosinophilia

Sed rate: High

Serum CK: 300 to 2200

Muscle biopsy

Sarcocysts within muscle

Diagnosis: Serology; Biopsy

Treatment

Albendazole (400 mg bid): May ameliorate symptoms

[timetowinarace]

WOW! I haven't looked for new ones lately, but I have at least 13 lipomas. I'm 38 years old. Oops, yep, found a new one! I started noticing them around '93. I'll have to look at my records to see for sure.

So it would be rare to have four or so of these at 24 years old? I new older people had one or two but I always that I had too many and was too young, but noboby has ever been concerned about them.

I wonder how to get this researched?

I'm still searching but so far most of what I've read says lipomas commonaly start to develop in early adulthood.

Time

Edited January 20, 2006 by timetowinarace

[Guest jstacy]

I had one removed in service and another one 2 years after service. They just called it Fatty Tumors and not to worry about them. I have several more. Makes me wonder???

[newbe]

I had one removed in service and another one 2 years after service. They just called it Fatty Tumors and not to worry about them. I have several more. Makes me wonder???

jstacy

Yes fatty tumors. Me personally, I do not want any tumors! Fatty or not - invading my tissue. Try a Google search for "Lipoma" and click the "Image" tab. You'll see just how invasive the can become.

They also said don't worry about it, year after year - and now, I have a big fatty invading my Testicle SAC.

Put it this way, they grow anywhere anytime. Some docs will fend you off by saying they only grow over muscle and under fat tissue. The heart is a muscle and many other organs are considered mixed tissue.

Well I don't know, I have some other concerns regarding things I've seen.

Sorry for the delayed response.