Agent Orange

A good friend of mine from North Carolina called me this morning with some very interesting information (Thanks Mel!).  She first asked if my dad was in Vietnam during the war and I said yes.  She then called to tell me about a conversation she had with a friend and was telling her about me and my recent diagnosis.  She then sent me a link on facebook http://www.nhlcyberfamily.org/veterans.htm  So after I checked it out I sent my dad the link to look into it and he knew about it but is not sure if there is any genetic corralation.  In the meantime, you all know that I am easily intrigued and will do more research.  So far this is one interesting article through Wikpidia that I found:

Effects on U.S. veterans

This section requires expansion.

Studies of veterans who served in the South during the war have increased rates of cancer, nerve, digestive, skin and respiratory disorders. Among the cancers veterans from the south had higher rates of throat cancer, acute/chronic leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, soft tissue sarcoma and liver cancer. Other than liver cancer, these are the same conditions that the US Veteran’s Administration has found to be associated with exposure to Agent Orange/dioxin and are on the list of conditions eligible for compensation and treatment.^[36]
Military personnel who loaded airplanes and helicopters used in Ranch Hand probably sustained some of the heaviest exposures. Members of the Army Chemical Corps, who stored and mixed herbicides and defoliated the perimeters of military bases, are also thought to have had some of the heaviest exposures. Others with potentially heavy exposures included members of U.S. Army Special Forces units who defoliated remote campsites, and members of U.S. Navy river units who cleared base perimeters.^[41]
While in Vietnam, the veterans were told not to worry, and were persuaded that the chemical was harmless.^[42] However, after returning home, Vietnam Veterans began to suspect that their ill health or the instances of their wives having miscarriages or children born with birth defects may be related to Agent Orange and the other toxic herbicides they were exposed to in Vietnam. Veterans began to file claims in 1977 to the Department of Veterans Affairs for disability payments or health care for conditions that they believed were associated with exposure Agent Orange, or more specifically dioxin, but their claims were denied unless they could prove that the condition began when they were in the service or within one year of their discharge.
By April 1993, the Department of Veterans Affairs had only compensated 486 victims, although it had received disability claims from 39,419 soldiers who had been exposed to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.<sup>[43]


If anyone has any info they would like to share please share!  In the meantime I guess I should get to work.  But before I do I would like to end my daily blogs with a rant and a praise! 

Rant: Last night had to make a trip to Walmart aka Wally World for a tri fold because Maricela has a Social Studies project due Friday (yes Friday, the procastination gene has been successfully passed down) and she had to pick someone or something famous for the 60's.  Of course everyone picked the good ones already.... The Beatles, The Flintsones, etc. so she picked the Rolling Stones which I think is a good choice.  Anyway, no tri-folds so off to Wally World in Wheeling I go! The trip last night wasn't a waste because I was out of laundry detergent but here's my rant.... I had just one item  so I automatically went looking for either the shortest line or the express check out.  Well not only did the person in front of me was well over the 15-20 item limit but has Christmas decorations that need to be wrapped individually AND has multiple orders?????  Why can't they read the sign that says express check out????  Why didn't I get out of the line you asked?  Well because the next register was way down yonder and the ones were long there too so I stayed there, in bondage, angry and annoyed.  You know I gave them the **side eyes** look as Suzy would say when I left.   Hey don't judge!  You know you would too especially if you had a long day and it was after 8 PM and you hadn't been home yet!  Ahhh, I feel better thanks!

Praise: On my way to work yesterday my heart just felt SO SO heavy.  Normally I start my day off by listening to Moody Radio or KLOVE and will worship in song all the way to work.  But yesterday was different.  I poured my heart out to God in prayer, what a great conversation we had.  I will share another day about some of the things besides my cancer that have been weighing on my heart.  Sometimes when we think we don't know what to pray or how to pray, the Holy Spirit takes over in full force.  I prayed about things that I didn't I wouldn't have thought of and I don't know how else to describe it but it felt great.  Some of you reading this might not fully understand or may think I am just crazy but I am!  I am crazy for Jesus!  The bible speaks a lot on praying but here is one verse that fits perfectly:</sup>

Romans 8:26- Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

I think I am going to love this blogging thing!  ;-)