Subject: I think Hammond is a popular name when it comes to Agent Orange research.
I am very sure that the Autoimmune disease connection is the launching point of all diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure especially with Sgt Ralph Stanton and I. I was looking for the one disease that connects us all as far as diseases and that is MIXED CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE MCTD AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE. It is recognized as a staging disease to LUPUS, MS, CANCERS, HEART DISEASE, AKLYLOSING SPONDIOLITIS, ATHRITIS, PARKINSON'S, DIMENTIA, ADHD ADD IN CHILDREN, MLS, HODGKINS, diabetes II, ETC, ETC ETC.......IF YOU LOOK AT THE ONE DISEASE IN THE WORLD YOU WILL SEE THE GENETIC DNA LINKS antigen U1RNP THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THIS DISEASE PASSED ON TO OUR CHILDREN IN THE FORM OF BIRTH DEFECTS, IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS MUTATED GENE THAT CAUSES OUR OWN BODY TO ATTACK ITSELF AND THE RESIDENT ORGANS.
The presence of this specific antibody — called U1-RNP — can confirm your doctor's suspicions. A simple blood test at the time of flare up of this disease will confirm your suspicions. Just have your doctor leave an open ended order for this blood test and go to your nearest blood testing station first thing. Do this right away as a national register should be started by THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE, THE VA, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, ETC. The downside to all of this is it is irreversible and it is progressive and degenerative. It may slow in it's progression with diet and with medications but the inflammation is the key to these diseases and to their speed in which they attack the body in those exposed to AO and to the children they manifest in attacking the growth hormones, the nervous system, the respiratory system, the cardiovasular system, and mental system in children .ie. ADHD, ADD, ETC.
Subj: ANKYLOSIS (IMMOBILITY) as you read below you can see the stages of MCTD
a 1979 General Accounting Office report wherein they instructed the Veterans Administration to pay particular attention for damage to the immune system of those exposed to "Agent Orange".
Next, I found a 1981 American Medical Association report that showed damage to the thymus (part of the immune system) in animals exposed to Dioxin (a contaminant in Agent Orange).
SO ANKLYLOSING SPONDIOLITIS is immobilizing spondiolitis arthritis that attacks the joints of the spine cervical to lumbar, the hips, the knees, the ankles, the elbows, the wrists, etc..every joint in the human body
This disease secondary to AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE MCTD MIXEC CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE looks is if it starts attacking the body soon after exposure just like sterility and chloracne.
I would recommend to the VA and to the National Institute of Medicine, Dr. Paxton that they should notify all Vietnam Veterans of the onset symptoms of AO exposure, denied claims which list these diseases on those denied claims to go into the nearest VA to be tested with a simple blood test to identify the antigen in the blood that was acquired from AO exposure.
When the antigen was subsequently characterized as polypeptides on the U1 ribonuclear protein component of the splicesosome (U1RNP), MCTD became the first rheumatic disease syndrome to be defined by a serologic test.
MCTD to evolve into SLE or systemic sclerosis and highlighted pulmonary hypertension and scleroderma renal crisis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a rare autoimmune disorder that causes signs and symptoms of several other connective tissue diseases. People with mixed connective tissue disease experience features of three other diseases — lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis. For this reason, mixed connective tissue disease is sometimes referred to as an overlap dis
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Mixed connective tissue disease doesn't have a unique set of signs and symptoms. Instead, people with mixed connective tissue disease usually have signs and symptoms of lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis, including:
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Joint pain
Joint swelling
Swollen fingers
Mild fever
Raynaud's phenomenon — blood vessel spasms that interrupt blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears and nose ease.
The presence of this specific antibody — called U1-RNP — can confirm your doctor's suspicions. +
Doctors suspect mixed connective tissue disease when some symptoms from lupus, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis, or rheumatoid arthritis overlap
Sgt Stanton told me that a veteran must go in at the time of flareup with swollen hands, feet, ankles etc which are also signals of a flare up with sausage like fingers which I get very often.
Sgt Stanton also believes that he and I have not yet been diagnosed with cancer because our immune systems are still fighting the inflammation but we have developed through the latter stages of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE, DIABETES II AND LUPUS.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Understanding Systemic Arthritis
Jun 11, 2006 Elaine Moore
Ankylosing spondylitis is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting the joints, heart, lungs, bowels and eyes.
Ankyklosing spondylitis (AS), which is also called rheumatic spondylitis and anklosing spondylitis, is a systemic autoimmune arthritic disorder affecting the joints between the verterbrae of the spine, especially those found in the lower back. Inflammation in AS occurs in the areas where tendons and ligaments attach to bone. This inflammation causes the vertebrae to merge together. The term ankylosing refers to the fusing of two bones into one, which is characteristic of this condition. The word spondylitis refers to inflammation of the spine. Thus, AS (along with psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis) belongs to a class of diseases known as spondyloarthropathies. In most cases, the sacroiliac joints of the lower back and pelvis are the first to be affected. Over time, the disease moves up, affecting joints throughout the spine. If the spine becomes rigid or the joints of the ribcage are affected, the normal movement of the chest cavity can become impaired and interfere with breathing. A systemic disease, AS can also affect other organs, particularly the eyes.
In America, more than 400,000 people are reported to have AS. Men are affected 5-10 times more often than women, and women may have milder, less progressive forms of the disease. Although AS is seen in all age groups, young people between the ages of 16 and 35 are most likely to be affected. AS that develops in children younger than 16 is called juvenile ankylosing spondylitis. About 5 percent of all cases of AS occur in children, usually males older than 11. Ankylosing spondylitis that occurs in childhood causes greater functional impairment than that seen in adults. Delays in diagnosis and treatment may be responsible for the increased disease progression seen in children.
A characteristic feature of AS is morning stiffness and joint pain that improves with activity. In the early course of AS, pain may be limited to the region of the hips and buttocks although the shoulders, knees, hips, feet, heels, and ankles may also be affected. Besides the joints, the bowels, lungs, heart, and eyes may also be affected. Over time, the heart becomes enlarged. Up to 40 percent of patients, especially those who test positive for HLA B27, experience eye symptoms that can lead to a progressive vision loss. Eye symptoms, including reduced vision, light sensitivity, pain, and redness, develop suddenly and typically only affect one eye.
Systemic symptoms include fatigue, fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Patients with AS may also develop an inflammatory form of arthritis affecting the peripheral (outer limbs) joints asymmetrically (only one side of the body affected). Joints in the hips, ankles, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands and feet may be affected. Similar to other autoimmune diseases, symptoms in AS can vary over time, and periods of variable symptoms can alternate with periods of remission. In advanced disease, patients may experience difficulty walking.
In women with AS, the upper spine and neck are typically affected more than the lower back. Women also tend to experience pain resembling the pain seen in fibromyalgia and early arthritis. Because they have a lower risk for AS and their symptoms differ from those seen in men, women can have greater difficulty receiving a proper diagnosis. Women with AS do not experience a worsening a symptoms during pregnancy, and they do not have impaired fertility. In pregnancy, the disease-modifying agent sulfasalazine can be used.
Surely, you must all see that the autoimmune disease MCTD stand out like a sore thumb on this presentation. I have all of the symptoms to include sausage like fingers, edema of the hands, feet and ankles, ankylosing Spondylitis, ischemic heart disease, ruptured arteries and veins, liver dysfunction, even the eye disease Elaine Moore mentioned in her laboratory studies. It is not a coincidence that Sgt Ralph Stanton and I both share many, many illnesses associated with this autoimmune disease. PLEASE FOR THE SAKE OF GOD PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. I MUST TELL YOU THAT I WILL UNDERGO ANY TESTS YOU DESIRE TO SATISFY YOUR CUROSITY WITH THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE. PLEASE LET SGT STANTON AND MYSELF COME TO YOU AND SHOW YOU FIRST HAND THE TERRIBLE DISEASE WE HAVE LIVED WITH FOR THE LAST FORTY YEARS. PLEASE. WE HAVE STRUGGLED SO TERRIBLE HARD AND EVEN BEEN HOMELESS BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS DISEASE HAS DONE TO US. PLEASE HELP US. PLEASE. I WENT TO THE CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE IN 1988 AND WAS TOLD i WASN"T DISABLED
AO and MS (is an autoimmune disease, so is lupus): Autoimmune Dysfunction in Vietnam Veterans
More recently increasing incidence rates for multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease, have been reported in Vietnam, a country that was sprayed with a great deal of dioxin contaminated herbicides. (49)
Additional evidence of significant excesses of multiple sclerosis was reported by Linda Schwartz, during a presentation on Women Vietnam Veterans, before the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam
Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C. on June 19, 1997. (50) Linda Schwartz said those American nurses in Vietnam with the greatest exposure to herbicides had
the highest rates of multiple sclerosis.
(49) Claxton, George, Sutton, Paul L., Weber, Peter G., (April 1995) Searching for information in-country, The Vietnam Veterans of America Veteran, 9. (50) Schwartz, Linda (June 17, 1997) Women Vietnam Veterans, Presentation before the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, Institute of Medicine, Public Meeting, Washington, D.C. (For a more complete update on Autoimmune Dysfunction in Vietnam Veterans: see the article with this same title and our Institute of Medicine presentation from 1997.) Several studies have shown that Vietnam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange (43-44) or workers exposed to dioxin in the herbicide manufacturing process (45) have an excess of autoimmunity.
(43) Anonymous (January 26, 1980) Agent Orange: A problem of exposure, Science News, 117:55 and 59.
(44) Phan, P.P., Do, H.B., Tran, T.T., et al. (1993) Late effects of TCDD on cell-mediated immunity in Veterans who had lived in exposed areas of South Vietnam, Herbicides in War: The long-term effects on man
and nature, 2nd International Symposium, Hanoi, Vietnam, 15-18 November, Abstract Book, 201-204.
(45) Jennings, A,M., Wild, G., and Ward, A.M. (1988) "Immunological abnormalities 17 years after accidental exposure to
1/15/2009 :: 08:44:53 PM
Charles Bailey Says:
PBS has presented an excellent report and Susan Hammond's comments add important information.
Most Americans recall the Vietnam war or know about it and associate Agent Orange with it. Although rooted in that earlier war, dioxin still continues to ruin the health and destroy the life prospects of large numbers of Vietnamese as well as US Vietnam veterans. It is a current problem, part of the larger issue that Americans are beginning to recognize as their responsibility for people and the environment after a conflict in which the US has been engaged.
Since 2006 a number of American NGOs and private foundations have been working on this issue with the Vietnamese and some solutions are beginning to appear. Much more needs to be done, as the PBS report so graphically shows. This is a matter not only for the Vietnamese but an opportunity for America to restore its integrity and reputation in the world.
Thank you for covering the impacts of Agent Orange on Vietnam during your visit to Vietnam. This is an issue I have been working on for more than a decade so it is nice to see World Focus cover the topic. A few minor editorial comments. Dioxin was not a 'key ingredient' in Agent Orange but was a contaminant from the manufacturing process of one of the two herbicides that made up Agent Orange, it was not needed for the purpose of killing vegetation in Vietnam. The manufacturers could have chosen to limit or remove the dioxin. Second, it is important to point out that dioxin is a fat soluble substance, so it enters humans through the food chain by eating the fat of animals and fish that have been feeding on dioxin hot-spots. It does not entry the food chain through rice or other plants which the footage that goes with the reporting may imply. Fortunately for Vietnam these hot-spots are limited, as the reporter notes, to the areas around former military bases where the herbicides were stored, so cleanup and containment will greatly reduce the risk of further human exposure to dioxin. So on this front, I am hopeful much progress can be made, particularly now that the US is starting to get involved in the effort after more than 30 years since the end of the war. However, there are tens of thousands of families in Vietnam who live in extreme poverty who are carrying the best they can for severely disabled children. The handful of centers such as those you profiled are only able to help a small number of those in need. Much more needs to be done to provide financial assistance, rehabilitation services, education and medical care for those impacted by Agent Orange. While the US in my opinion needs to do more, it will take a concerted effort to convince them it is the right thing to do for humanitarian reasons, even if they never acknowledge responsibility. In the meantime the families like those I work with in Vietnam can not wait and can use the support of your viewers. I also want to point out that many PBS stations have in their library of documentaries for broadcast a film called the The Last Ghost of War, which focuses on the impacts of Agent Orange on US veterans and in Vietnam. The film also focuses on the lawsuit Vietnamese citizens have filed against the chemical companies that produced the herbicides. In November, WNET and other stations began to show the film, particularly on PBS-World. I hope more stations pick it up and show it. Lastly, for more information about Agent Orange viewers can also visit http://www.warlegacies.org/AgentOrange.htm where there are links to scientific research, court documents, ways to help those impacted, news and other information about the long term impacts of Agent Orange on human health and the environment. Again Thank you for covering this topic.
09/21/2009 :: 08:28:09 AM
MSgt Ed Jackson, USAF (RET) Says:
In 1972 and 1973 I transported AO drums to/from the Navy Base and Andersen AFB and Northwest Field on Guam. Some of these drums leaked, and the USN would take those with "minor" leaks out to sea for disposal. Those drums with "major" leaks we threw off a small cliff on Northwest Field onto what appeared to be a dump with years of junk, drums airplane parts, broken wood, ect. there.
In 2007, I was diagonosed with Hodgkin's disease, which I firmly believe was caused by AO exposure from Guam. While on Guam, I lived in the Marbo Barracks complex, and showered and drank water supplied to Marbo and Andersen.
I have been fighting with the VA Waco, TX office since then. I was "approved" for a "non-service connected disability" for my Hodgkins, which does nothing for me, or many other vets. I need to receive a "service connected disability" from the VA, as I can no longer work due to effects from Hodgkins and other health problems. I currently have an appeal of their decision with the VA DRO in Waco. There is a lot of help I have gotten help from Allen who was also in Guam, but apparently was not exposed to AO. I have also sent FOIA requests (sent in August 2009) to Andersen for AO storage, use, and disposal information, to the USAF MPC for info on other vets on Andersen when I was there, and the US EPA for additional reports on AO on Guam. I have not received any of the requests for my FOIA requests. yet. I may still need additional help from any former or retired US Military member in Guam during that period, who can help substanciate my claim.
Thank you,
Ed Jackson
01/16/2009 :: 12:49:05 AM
kdobbie Says:
Actually the link between Agent Orange and genetic damage was PROVEN by Dr. Al Rowland and his team at the Institute of Molecular BioScience at Massey University in New Zealand. His report is published at our website the Agent Orange Association of Canada at http://www.agentorangecanada.com
War Legacies Project
Programs that support American Veterans
News from the VA
Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans - VA Press Release November 19, 2009. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching a comprehensive study of women Veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam War to explore the effects of their military service upon their mental and physical health. More...
Secretary Shinseki adds Parkinson's Disease, B Cell Leukemia and Ischemic Heart Disease to the list of diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange. VA Press Release October 13, 2009.
Secretary Shinseki Announces New Efforts to Explore Health Consequences – VA Press Release - September 14, 2009. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today plans to begin additional research by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand the health consequences of service in Vietnam. "The National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study (NVVLS) will allow VA to pursue another valuable research tool," Secretary Shinseki said. "The insight we gain from this study will help give us an understanding of how to better serve America's Veterans." More...
There are several groups in the US who have been working to raise awareness and to provide support for US Veterans who are suffering from the affects of exposure to Agent Orange. Please contact Susan Hammond at shammond@warlegacies.org if you know about others.
Vietnam Veterans of America Provides information to Veterans about the benefits they may qualify for if they have been exposed to Agent Orange. Advocates for Veterans health issues in Congress.
VVA's Self-Help Guide to Service Connected Disability Compensation for Exposure to Agent Orange (pdf)
American Legion Provides information for Veterans and collaborates with Columbia University on epidemiological research of Veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
Order of the Silver Rose Mission is "to recognize the courage, heroism, and contributions of American service personnel found to have been exposed to Agent Orange in a combat zone ... whose lethal exposure to Agent Orange resulted in internal, invisible wounds, which are revealed only by the passage of time."
Quilt of Tears: The Vietnam Agent Orange Memorial Quilt, Agent Orange Victims and Widows Support Network is promoting the crafting of quilts to draw widespread national attention to the plight of the Vietnam Veterans affected by Agent Orange sprayed on them in Vietnam.
Memorial Plaque Project. On November 10, 2004 the project dedicated a commemorative plaque on the grounds of the Vietnam Memorial Wall on the Mall in Washington, DC in honor of Vietnam veterans whose premature death was due to their service in the war but who were not eligible for recognition by having their names inscribed on the Wall. The plaque honors those who died of Agent Orange related illnesses as well as other causes of premature death.
Agent Orange Legacy: Children of Vietnam Veterans - Agent Orange Legacy is a grassroots movement dedicated to uniting the children of Vietnam veterans who are ill or not and adversely affected by their parent(s) service in Vietnam and exposure to agent orange and other toxins in order to lobby Congress to create or change public policy regarding the plight of the children of Vietnam veterans and their children.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release
June 2, 2009
No. 09-13
Contact:
Mokie Porter
301-996-0901
Vietnam Veterans of America: Crying Need to Deal with Agent Orange Problems Here in America
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – "Vietnam Veterans of America applauds the conclusions and recommendations of a Ford Foundation-funded report issued today by the National Organization on Disabilities on the effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam," said John Rowan, VVA National President. "While VVA feels compassion for the many adults and children injured and made ill by exposure to Agent Orange and the many other toxins used in Vietnam during the war there, it is now time to fully deal with the same effects on Americans who served in Vietnam and other areas that were also contaminated. The effects of these toxins on the children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren must similarly be addressed."
The U.S. government currently is not studying the possible intergenerational effects of exposure to Agent Orange, nor are they doing any morbidity studies at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or anywhere else.
Rowan called for "the immediate de-classification of all Department of Defense information that pertains to exposure of U.S. military servicemembers to any toxin at any time, to include the Vietnam Era" and to take immediate steps to begin epidemiological studies, birth defects registries, and outreach necessary to scientifically document the problems suffered by our veterans and their offspring.
"Dow Chemical is not going to fund these studies," Rowan said. "Only the U.S. government can reasonably be expected to fund this vital research, and they have not been doing their job. In fact, it would appear that for the last decade that our government has been doing everything possible to prevent such studies from being done.
"That the Administration is adding another $3 million to the $3 million already pledged from the Ford Foundation for work to help those suffering in Vietnam is fine and good," Rowan said. "However, there needs to be at least a commensurate commitment by the U.S. government and the Ford Foundation to American veterans and their families. Under a new President, now is the time for a dramatic change of direction for our country. Similarly, now is the time for a new direction from the Ford Foundation."
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation's only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their families. VVA's founding principle is "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another."
LerRoy G. Foster, MSgt, USAF, Ret
Life Member of the DAV of New York State
Member of the American Legion Post 777, Celeron, NY
Member of the Vietnam Veterans of America
70% Service Connected 100% Unemployable
Totally and Permanently Disabled from Agent Orange on Guam
Question
allan
From: retairforceman@aol.com [mailto:retairforceman@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 4:49 AM
To: AHammond@rand.wnyric.org; bhammond@observertoday.com; rstanton@stjoelive.com; shammond@warlegacies.org; agentorange6768@yahoo.com; agordon@legion.org; srobertson@legion.org
Cc: MPaxton@nas.edu; colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net; Jim.davis@veterans-for-change.com
Subject: I think Hammond is a popular name when it comes to Agent Orange research.
I am very sure that the Autoimmune disease connection is the launching point of all diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure especially with Sgt Ralph Stanton and I. I was looking for the one disease that connects us all as far as diseases and that is MIXED CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE MCTD AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE. It is recognized as a staging disease to LUPUS, MS, CANCERS, HEART DISEASE, AKLYLOSING SPONDIOLITIS, ATHRITIS, PARKINSON'S, DIMENTIA, ADHD ADD IN CHILDREN, MLS, HODGKINS, diabetes II, ETC, ETC ETC.......IF YOU LOOK AT THE ONE DISEASE IN THE WORLD YOU WILL SEE THE GENETIC DNA LINKS antigen U1RNP THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THIS DISEASE PASSED ON TO OUR CHILDREN IN THE FORM OF BIRTH DEFECTS, IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS MUTATED GENE THAT CAUSES OUR OWN BODY TO ATTACK ITSELF AND THE RESIDENT ORGANS.
The presence of this specific antibody — called U1-RNP — can confirm your doctor's suspicions. A simple blood test at the time of flare up of this disease will confirm your suspicions. Just have your doctor leave an open ended order for this blood test and go to your nearest blood testing station first thing. Do this right away as a national register should be started by THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE, THE VA, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, ETC. The downside to all of this is it is irreversible and it is progressive and degenerative. It may slow in it's progression with diet and with medications but the inflammation is the key to these diseases and to their speed in which they attack the body in those exposed to AO and to the children they manifest in attacking the growth hormones, the nervous system, the respiratory system, the cardiovasular system, and mental system in children .ie. ADHD, ADD, ETC.
Sleep Apnea as a Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes
<http://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(09)00679-2/fulltext> Obstructive Sleep Apnea as a Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes In a study conducted in the Veteran
Subj: ANKYLOSIS (IMMOBILITY) as you read below you can see the stages of MCTD
a 1979 General Accounting Office report wherein they instructed the Veterans Administration to pay particular attention for damage to the immune system of those exposed to "Agent Orange".
Next, I found a 1981 American Medical Association report that showed damage to the thymus (part of the immune system) in animals exposed to Dioxin (a contaminant in Agent Orange).
SO ANKLYLOSING SPONDIOLITIS is immobilizing spondiolitis arthritis that attacks the joints of the spine cervical to lumbar, the hips, the knees, the ankles, the elbows, the wrists, etc..every joint in the human body
This disease secondary to AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE MCTD MIXEC CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE looks is if it starts attacking the body soon after exposure just like sterility and chloracne.
I would recommend to the VA and to the National Institute of Medicine, Dr. Paxton that they should notify all Vietnam Veterans of the onset symptoms of AO exposure, denied claims which list these diseases on those denied claims to go into the nearest VA to be tested with a simple blood test to identify the antigen in the blood that was acquired from AO exposure.
Mixed connective tissue disease.
Venables PJ.
Kennedy Institute, Imperial College, London, UK. p.venables@imperial.ac.uk
When the antigen was subsequently characterized as polypeptides on the U1 ribonuclear protein component of the splicesosome (U1RNP), MCTD became the first rheumatic disease syndrome to be defined by a serologic test.
MCTD to evolve into SLE or systemic sclerosis and highlighted pulmonary hypertension and scleroderma renal crisis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a rare autoimmune disorder that causes signs and symptoms of several other connective tissue diseases. People with mixed connective tissue disease experience features of three other diseases — lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis. For this reason, mixed connective tissue disease is sometimes referred to as an overlap dis
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Mixed connective tissue disease doesn't have a unique set of signs and symptoms. Instead, people with mixed connective tissue disease usually have signs and symptoms of lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis, including:
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Joint pain
Joint swelling
Swollen fingers
Mild fever
Raynaud's phenomenon — blood vessel spasms that interrupt blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears and nose ease.
The presence of this specific antibody — called U1-RNP — can confirm your doctor's suspicions. +
Doctors suspect mixed connective tissue disease when some symptoms from lupus, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis, or rheumatoid arthritis overlap
Sgt Stanton told me that a veteran must go in at the time of flareup with swollen hands, feet, ankles etc which are also signals of a flare up with sausage like fingers which I get very often.
Sgt Stanton also believes that he and I have not yet been diagnosed with cancer because our immune systems are still fighting the inflammation but we have developed through the latter stages of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE, DIABETES II AND LUPUS.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Understanding Systemic Arthritis
Jun 11, 2006 Elaine Moore
Ankylosing spondylitis is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting the joints, heart, lungs, bowels and eyes.
Ankyklosing spondylitis (AS), which is also called rheumatic spondylitis and anklosing spondylitis, is a systemic autoimmune arthritic disorder affecting the joints between the verterbrae of the spine, especially those found in the lower back. Inflammation in AS occurs in the areas where tendons and ligaments attach to bone. This inflammation causes the vertebrae to merge together. The term ankylosing refers to the fusing of two bones into one, which is characteristic of this condition. The word spondylitis refers to inflammation of the spine. Thus, AS (along with psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis) belongs to a class of diseases known as spondyloarthropathies. In most cases, the sacroiliac joints of the lower back and pelvis are the first to be affected. Over time, the disease moves up, affecting joints throughout the spine. If the spine becomes rigid or the joints of the ribcage are affected, the normal movement of the chest cavity can become impaired and interfere with breathing. A systemic disease, AS can also affect other organs, particularly the eyes.
In America, more than 400,000 people are reported to have AS. Men are affected 5-10 times more often than women, and women may have milder, less progressive forms of the disease. Although AS is seen in all age groups, young people between the ages of 16 and 35 are most likely to be affected. AS that develops in children younger than 16 is called juvenile ankylosing spondylitis. About 5 percent of all cases of AS occur in children, usually males older than 11. Ankylosing spondylitis that occurs in childhood causes greater functional impairment than that seen in adults. Delays in diagnosis and treatment may be responsible for the increased disease progression seen in children.
A characteristic feature of AS is morning stiffness and joint pain that improves with activity. In the early course of AS, pain may be limited to the region of the hips and buttocks although the shoulders, knees, hips, feet, heels, and ankles may also be affected. Besides the joints, the bowels, lungs, heart, and eyes may also be affected. Over time, the heart becomes enlarged. Up to 40 percent of patients, especially those who test positive for HLA B27, experience eye symptoms that can lead to a progressive vision loss. Eye symptoms, including reduced vision, light sensitivity, pain, and redness, develop suddenly and typically only affect one eye.
Systemic symptoms include fatigue, fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Patients with AS may also develop an inflammatory form of arthritis affecting the peripheral (outer limbs) joints asymmetrically (only one side of the body affected). Joints in the hips, ankles, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands and feet may be affected. Similar to other autoimmune diseases, symptoms in AS can vary over time, and periods of variable symptoms can alternate with periods of remission. In advanced disease, patients may experience difficulty walking.
In women with AS, the upper spine and neck are typically affected more than the lower back. Women also tend to experience pain resembling the pain seen in fibromyalgia and early arthritis. Because they have a lower risk for AS and their symptoms differ from those seen in men, women can have greater difficulty receiving a proper diagnosis. Women with AS do not experience a worsening a symptoms during pregnancy, and they do not have impaired fertility. In pregnancy, the disease-modifying agent sulfasalazine can be used.
Read more at Suite101: Ankylosing Spondylitis: Understanding Systemic Arthritis | Suite101.com http://autoimmunedisease.suite101.com/arti...s#ixzz0ZuAYpWKO
Surely, you must all see that the autoimmune disease MCTD stand out like a sore thumb on this presentation. I have all of the symptoms to include sausage like fingers, edema of the hands, feet and ankles, ankylosing Spondylitis, ischemic heart disease, ruptured arteries and veins, liver dysfunction, even the eye disease Elaine Moore mentioned in her laboratory studies. It is not a coincidence that Sgt Ralph Stanton and I both share many, many illnesses associated with this autoimmune disease. PLEASE FOR THE SAKE OF GOD PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. I MUST TELL YOU THAT I WILL UNDERGO ANY TESTS YOU DESIRE TO SATISFY YOUR CUROSITY WITH THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE. PLEASE LET SGT STANTON AND MYSELF COME TO YOU AND SHOW YOU FIRST HAND THE TERRIBLE DISEASE WE HAVE LIVED WITH FOR THE LAST FORTY YEARS. PLEASE. WE HAVE STRUGGLED SO TERRIBLE HARD AND EVEN BEEN HOMELESS BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS DISEASE HAS DONE TO US. PLEASE HELP US. PLEASE. I WENT TO THE CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE IN 1988 AND WAS TOLD i WASN"T DISABLED
Posted - Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:23 pm
From: "Mike Sovick" <agentorange6768@yahoo.com...>
AO and MS (is an autoimmune disease, so is lupus): Autoimmune Dysfunction in Vietnam Veterans
More recently increasing incidence rates for multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease, have been reported in Vietnam, a country that was sprayed with a great deal of dioxin contaminated herbicides. (49)
Additional evidence of significant excesses of multiple sclerosis was reported by Linda Schwartz, during a presentation on Women Vietnam Veterans, before the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam
Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C. on June 19, 1997. (50) Linda Schwartz said those American nurses in Vietnam with the greatest exposure to herbicides had
the highest rates of multiple sclerosis.
(49) Claxton, George, Sutton, Paul L., Weber, Peter G., (April 1995) Searching for information in-country, The Vietnam Veterans of America Veteran, 9. (50) Schwartz, Linda (June 17, 1997) Women Vietnam Veterans, Presentation before the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, Institute of Medicine, Public Meeting, Washington, D.C. (For a more complete update on Autoimmune Dysfunction in Vietnam Veterans: see the article with this same title and our Institute of Medicine presentation from 1997.) Several studies have shown that Vietnam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange (43-44) or workers exposed to dioxin in the herbicide manufacturing process (45) have an excess of autoimmunity.
(43) Anonymous (January 26, 1980) Agent Orange: A problem of exposure, Science News, 117:55 and 59.
(44) Phan, P.P., Do, H.B., Tran, T.T., et al. (1993) Late effects of TCDD on cell-mediated immunity in Veterans who had lived in exposed areas of South Vietnam, Herbicides in War: The long-term effects on man
and nature, 2nd International Symposium, Hanoi, Vietnam, 15-18 November, Abstract Book, 201-204.
(45) Jennings, A,M., Wild, G., and Ward, A.M. (1988) "Immunological abnormalities 17 years after accidental exposure to
1/15/2009 :: 08:44:53 PM
Charles Bailey Says:
PBS has presented an excellent report and Susan Hammond's comments add important information.
Most Americans recall the Vietnam war or know about it and associate Agent Orange with it. Although rooted in that earlier war, dioxin still continues to ruin the health and destroy the life prospects of large numbers of Vietnamese as well as US Vietnam veterans. It is a current problem, part of the larger issue that Americans are beginning to recognize as their responsibility for people and the environment after a conflict in which the US has been engaged.
Since 2006 a number of American NGOs and private foundations have been working on this issue with the Vietnamese and some solutions are beginning to appear. Much more needs to be done, as the PBS report so graphically shows. This is a matter not only for the Vietnamese but an opportunity for America to restore its integrity and reputation in the world.
For more on what citizens groups are doing, please see http://www.fordfound.org/programs/signatur...orange/overview.
01/15/2009 :: 07:54:27 PM
Susan Hammond Says:
Thank you for covering the impacts of Agent Orange on Vietnam during your visit to Vietnam. This is an issue I have been working on for more than a decade so it is nice to see World Focus cover the topic. A few minor editorial comments. Dioxin was not a 'key ingredient' in Agent Orange but was a contaminant from the manufacturing process of one of the two herbicides that made up Agent Orange, it was not needed for the purpose of killing vegetation in Vietnam. The manufacturers could have chosen to limit or remove the dioxin. Second, it is important to point out that dioxin is a fat soluble substance, so it enters humans through the food chain by eating the fat of animals and fish that have been feeding on dioxin hot-spots. It does not entry the food chain through rice or other plants which the footage that goes with the reporting may imply. Fortunately for Vietnam these hot-spots are limited, as the reporter notes, to the areas around former military bases where the herbicides were stored, so cleanup and containment will greatly reduce the risk of further human exposure to dioxin. So on this front, I am hopeful much progress can be made, particularly now that the US is starting to get involved in the effort after more than 30 years since the end of the war. However, there are tens of thousands of families in Vietnam who live in extreme poverty who are carrying the best they can for severely disabled children. The handful of centers such as those you profiled are only able to help a small number of those in need. Much more needs to be done to provide financial assistance, rehabilitation services, education and medical care for those impacted by Agent Orange. While the US in my opinion needs to do more, it will take a concerted effort to convince them it is the right thing to do for humanitarian reasons, even if they never acknowledge responsibility. In the meantime the families like those I work with in Vietnam can not wait and can use the support of your viewers. I also want to point out that many PBS stations have in their library of documentaries for broadcast a film called the The Last Ghost of War, which focuses on the impacts of Agent Orange on US veterans and in Vietnam. The film also focuses on the lawsuit Vietnamese citizens have filed against the chemical companies that produced the herbicides. In November, WNET and other stations began to show the film, particularly on PBS-World. I hope more stations pick it up and show it. Lastly, for more information about Agent Orange viewers can also visit http://www.warlegacies.org/AgentOrange.htm where there are links to scientific research, court documents, ways to help those impacted, news and other information about the long term impacts of Agent Orange on human health and the environment. Again Thank you for covering this topic.
09/21/2009 :: 08:28:09 AM
MSgt Ed Jackson, USAF (RET) Says:
In 1972 and 1973 I transported AO drums to/from the Navy Base and Andersen AFB and Northwest Field on Guam. Some of these drums leaked, and the USN would take those with "minor" leaks out to sea for disposal. Those drums with "major" leaks we threw off a small cliff on Northwest Field onto what appeared to be a dump with years of junk, drums airplane parts, broken wood, ect. there.
In 2007, I was diagonosed with Hodgkin's disease, which I firmly believe was caused by AO exposure from Guam. While on Guam, I lived in the Marbo Barracks complex, and showered and drank water supplied to Marbo and Andersen.
I have been fighting with the VA Waco, TX office since then. I was "approved" for a "non-service connected disability" for my Hodgkins, which does nothing for me, or many other vets. I need to receive a "service connected disability" from the VA, as I can no longer work due to effects from Hodgkins and other health problems. I currently have an appeal of their decision with the VA DRO in Waco. There is a lot of help I have gotten help from Allen who was also in Guam, but apparently was not exposed to AO. I have also sent FOIA requests (sent in August 2009) to Andersen for AO storage, use, and disposal information, to the USAF MPC for info on other vets on Andersen when I was there, and the US EPA for additional reports on AO on Guam. I have not received any of the requests for my FOIA requests. yet. I may still need additional help from any former or retired US Military member in Guam during that period, who can help substanciate my claim.
Thank you,
Ed Jackson
01/16/2009 :: 12:49:05 AM
kdobbie Says:
Actually the link between Agent Orange and genetic damage was PROVEN by Dr. Al Rowland and his team at the Institute of Molecular BioScience at Massey University in New Zealand. His report is published at our website the Agent Orange Association of Canada at http://www.agentorangecanada.com
War Legacies Project
Programs that support American Veterans
News from the VA
Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans - VA Press Release November 19, 2009. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching a comprehensive study of women Veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam War to explore the effects of their military service upon their mental and physical health. More...
Secretary Shinseki adds Parkinson's Disease, B Cell Leukemia and Ischemic Heart Disease to the list of diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange. VA Press Release October 13, 2009.
Secretary Shinseki Announces New Efforts to Explore Health Consequences – VA Press Release - September 14, 2009. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today plans to begin additional research by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand the health consequences of service in Vietnam. "The National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study (NVVLS) will allow VA to pursue another valuable research tool," Secretary Shinseki said. "The insight we gain from this study will help give us an understanding of how to better serve America's Veterans." More...
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Reports
National Organization for Disabled report US Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange: Understanding the Impact Forty Years Later June 2, 2009
VVA Press Release regarding NOD report - June 2, 2009
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Information on the use of Agent Orange
Summary of Available Information on Use, Testing and Storage of Dioxin Containing Herbicides. From Department of Defense to Representative Lane Evans
Additional DOD Information on use of herbicides outside of Vietnam
VA's website pages on Agent Orange: Herbicide Tests and Storage in the U.S.
VA's website pages on Agent Orange: Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside the U.S.
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Veteran Organizations and Programs
There are several groups in the US who have been working to raise awareness and to provide support for US Veterans who are suffering from the affects of exposure to Agent Orange. Please contact Susan Hammond at shammond@warlegacies.org if you know about others.
Vietnam Veterans of America Provides information to Veterans about the benefits they may qualify for if they have been exposed to Agent Orange. Advocates for Veterans health issues in Congress.
VVA's Self-Help Guide to Service Connected Disability Compensation for Exposure to Agent Orange (pdf)
American Legion Provides information for Veterans and collaborates with Columbia University on epidemiological research of Veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
Disabled American Veterans a non-profit 501©(4) charity dedicated to building better lives for America's disabled veterans and their families. The DAV's Voluntary Services Program operates a comprehensive network of volunteers who provide veterans free rides to and from VA medical facilities and improve care and morale for sick and disabled veterans.
Order of the Silver Rose Mission is "to recognize the courage, heroism, and contributions of American service personnel found to have been exposed to Agent Orange in a combat zone ... whose lethal exposure to Agent Orange resulted in internal, invisible wounds, which are revealed only by the passage of time."
Quilt of Tears: The Vietnam Agent Orange Memorial Quilt, Agent Orange Victims and Widows Support Network is promoting the crafting of quilts to draw widespread national attention to the plight of the Vietnam Veterans affected by Agent Orange sprayed on them in Vietnam.
Memorial Plaque Project. On November 10, 2004 the project dedicated a commemorative plaque on the grounds of the Vietnam Memorial Wall on the Mall in Washington, DC in honor of Vietnam veterans whose premature death was due to their service in the war but who were not eligible for recognition by having their names inscribed on the Wall. The plaque honors those who died of Agent Orange related illnesses as well as other causes of premature death.
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Children of Veterans
Agent Orange Legacy: Children of Vietnam Veterans - Agent Orange Legacy is a grassroots movement dedicated to uniting the children of Vietnam veterans who are ill or not and adversely affected by their parent(s) service in Vietnam and exposure to agent orange and other toxins in order to lobby Congress to create or change public policy regarding the plight of the children of Vietnam veterans and their children.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release
June 2, 2009
No. 09-13
Contact:
Mokie Porter
301-996-0901
Vietnam Veterans of America: Crying Need to Deal with Agent Orange Problems Here in America
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(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – "Vietnam Veterans of America applauds the conclusions and recommendations of a Ford Foundation-funded report issued today by the National Organization on Disabilities on the effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam," said John Rowan, VVA National President. "While VVA feels compassion for the many adults and children injured and made ill by exposure to Agent Orange and the many other toxins used in Vietnam during the war there, it is now time to fully deal with the same effects on Americans who served in Vietnam and other areas that were also contaminated. The effects of these toxins on the children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren must similarly be addressed."
The U.S. government currently is not studying the possible intergenerational effects of exposure to Agent Orange, nor are they doing any morbidity studies at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or anywhere else.
Rowan called for "the immediate de-classification of all Department of Defense information that pertains to exposure of U.S. military servicemembers to any toxin at any time, to include the Vietnam Era" and to take immediate steps to begin epidemiological studies, birth defects registries, and outreach necessary to scientifically document the problems suffered by our veterans and their offspring.
"Dow Chemical is not going to fund these studies," Rowan said. "Only the U.S. government can reasonably be expected to fund this vital research, and they have not been doing their job. In fact, it would appear that for the last decade that our government has been doing everything possible to prevent such studies from being done.
"That the Administration is adding another $3 million to the $3 million already pledged from the Ford Foundation for work to help those suffering in Vietnam is fine and good," Rowan said. "However, there needs to be at least a commensurate commitment by the U.S. government and the Ford Foundation to American veterans and their families. Under a new President, now is the time for a dramatic change of direction for our country. Similarly, now is the time for a new direction from the Ford Foundation."
-- 30 --
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/06/ag...ing-says-report
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation's only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their families. VVA's founding principle is "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another."
LerRoy G. Foster, MSgt, USAF, Ret
Life Member of the DAV of New York State
Member of the American Legion Post 777, Celeron, NY
Member of the Vietnam Veterans of America
70% Service Connected 100% Unemployable
Totally and Permanently Disabled from Agent Orange on Guam
"Keep on, Keepin' on"
Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"
See my web site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/
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