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.
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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
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