St. Louis Va Dental Disease Exposure

[gdsnide]

OK I received a letter from the St.Louis VA saying " I may have been exposed to Hepatitis B,Hep C & HIV

Letter said to come in & get a blood test if one wants & "Don't worry" as its no big deal problem as someone wasn't cleaning Dental Tools correcttly & you may have been exposed to these diseases

I was at the VA Hospital today & my Daughter called me & told me about the certified letter I had received & what it said

I had a blood test & they said they would have the results in about 2 weeks

Everyone very reassuring that its very unlikely anyone has anything so stay calm

Find article about this below Not sure what is going on but sounds rather serious to me....Was told I could file a claim or a tort claim on this but guess that depends on the blood tests

Also, we're to be retested in 6 months

Does anyone know if it's possible this stuff won't show up in a blood test & one still has it?.....GARY

Veterans receiving dental care may have been exposed to ...

Jun 29, 2010 ... (KMOV)-- More than 1800 veterans in the St. Louis area may have been exposed to potentially life threatening diseases at the John Cochran VA Hospital. ... The veterans administration is contacting veterans from Missouri ...

www.kmov.com/.../Veterans-receiving-dental-care-may-have-been-exposed-to-potentially-deadly-diseases-97431474.html - 2 hours ago

[Tbird]

Yes you are right I do. I was just posting my thoughts not really meant to ask the forums. I should have been clearer. I always recommend getting a doctors answers on questions, I have a few folks I know who are completely self diagnosed and it is not working for them or others in their life. However, that's a story for another day.

Thanks for your concern retired. Hey are you a retired AT from the Navy? I was an AZ1 when I got out of the Navy.

you really need to ask doctors these questions..

IMHO

[retiredat44]

no...

I left the USAF after 5 years.. as I got sick on the job.. they screwed up, and sent me to another job that the doctors old them I was unable to do because I was sick, needless to say I got very sick all over again.. so I was discharged.. but they never gave me a medical disharge..

(This is the short version..)

[Commander Bob]

Based on what they told me, the test and retest are based on when you were "possibly" exposed. So it is 6 months out from that, I had my first July 6th (notified by VA July 10th negative) I go for my next test July 14. I believe they said my "possible" exposure was in Jan 2010. They took 5 or 6 tubes of blood.

Now, the questions

1. Do I ask to be tested again in a few months just to be on the safe side.

2. Do I go to a private lab and pay to get tested after the VA does the second test, just to be sure they did the testing correctly.

All things considered, Tbird, I am a bit relieved to hear that you are six months out from the possible exposure.

It's understood, your 2 questions are rhetorical. Sometimes it's good to think out loud. Your written thoughts will help other vets that may be wrestling with similar issues.

Now, my two cents... 8-)

1. yes & 2. yes... I would go to an outside lab to be tested again. "Just to be on the safe side."

If I may, I would also like to take this time to add my dissatisfaction for that institution, charged to care for our veterans.

Edited July 13, 2010 by Commander Bob

[gdsnide]

Yes you are right I do. I was just posting my thoughts not really meant to ask the forums. I should have been clearer. I always recommend getting a doctors answers on questions, I have a few folks I know who are completely self diagnosed and it is not working for them or others in their life. However, that's a story for another day.

Thanks for your concern retired. Hey are you a retired AT from the Navy? I was an AZ1 when I got out of the Navy.

T Bird

Today being Tuesday 13,2010 I'm happy to say 'The VA called me yesterday & told me I'm OK"

No infections

Was glad to hear that

[retiredat44]

I want to say upfront, that this is only my opinion from experiences for false postive test results..

First of all, it hits you hard if you are told you have soemthing like HIV, when you do not have it..

I understand you were told that your might have been exposed..

I was actually told I had HIV, and I have had several, at least 4 HIV tests over the last few years at the VA.

(They repeated the tests a few times and determined I was negative).

I also had other tests that were false postive, and others tests showed positive that were positive..

I also had tests for lung disease (positive) which turned out negative after months of testing.. (yes months of daily tests..). But still had to have water drained form the area around my lungs, but those spots in my lungs turned out the xray machine was wrong (after weeks of daily tests..)

What am I getting at..:

The procedure for cleaning may not have been as good as they should have been, but chances are low.. and since all these months have gone by,, it is highly unlikely you have contracted AIDs.

I vagely remember the doctors telling me that the testing would show it with a definte yes/no after a few weeks..

I have blood transfusions, I had several blood viruses and went through blood transfusions..

for several nights in a row I had the blood transfusions, I had to sign documents stating that I understood that the blood screening process tries to catch contaminated blood.

now that's scary especially when you are laying in a bed dying..

Again, you are probably in the clear, as all these months of testing. and the VA labs are as good as any.. in fact probably some of the best, with all these inspections and scrutiny, they are probably safer than than many other labs..

I don't know you are anything you have been through.. I can only relate through personal experiences..

One sign of HIV is having yellow skin and yellow eyes.. Hepatitis.

as long as you don't see that or start feeling ill.. you are ok..

btw, I had al my teeth removed 10 years ago, the intestinal disease melted my teeth away, and they were like shards of glass cutting through my mouth. They cut through my tongue, through my lips.. and had jagged sharp edges..

The VA refused to help. I had to go to a dental school and payu for them to removed the melted teeth..

They refused to even listen to my pleas..

The dental school (Loma Linda) took one look and said they all have to be removed..

MInd you , I had to drive at least 100 miles in each direction to go back and forth.. all the while taking methadone for pain..

IMHO

If you have any good days, feel good in any way, enjoy the good days... take advantage of any and all good days..

Edited July 13, 2010 by retiredat44

[Tbird]

Go for my second test today. I am beyond outraged and angry. I can not even begin to tell you how I feel, though I imagine many here know. Some veterans have tested positive, my first test was negative. I am hoping for a negative today. I am just exasperated by the whole situation. I have been doing the VA Hokey Pokey for so long, I am just sick of the whole damn mess.

Just venting sorry, I will let you all know when I get my second test results.