What is disturbing to me is that according to their own numbers, only 102,068 GW exams have been performed between 1990 and May 2006. In my recolletion and estimation of over a half-million GW veterans, less than 20% have received GW evaluations. And only 559 veterans have receive DU examinations since 1991 (and that number is not distinguishable from the Agent Orange veterans in their report). How can any kind of reliable research be established and reported when only a small fraction of veterans have even been evaluated for anything?
6 Gulf War Health Registry Statistics Initial Examinations 2003 2,195 2004 3,385 2005 3,560 January 2006-May 2006 1,010 1990-May 2006 96,592 Followup Examinations 1990-May 2006 5,476 Total (Initial & Followup) 1990-May 2006 102,068 Total (Initial & Followup) Agent Orange Registry Examinations 1978-May 2006 453,581 Depleted Uranium (DU) Examinations* 1991-May 2006 559 *There are no DU followup examinations.
[ April 19, 2007, 05:11 AM: Message edited by: Gale ]
-------------------- HONOR OUR VETERANS WITH BETTER CARE AND BENEFITS Posts: 3482 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Gale, You know I keep asking about this at the VA - getting in the registry and nobody seems to know what I am talking about. (Mind you I have heard that my VA even has several Docs who specialize in the GW vets and our issues . . . but still there is no GWI - and I still haven't heard about the registry!) Is this thing underground? Did the person coordinating the thing retire? It seems like a "project" that just feel in a black hole. Who exactly makes the appointment for the exam. Who do I need to pursue this with? The Benefits folks? the Hospital folks? my primary care, who happens to be a nurse? - or the Doc my service rep really likes? Anybody know the protocol? Also I have recently been put in touch with another vet from my former unit who is very severely ill. He had never heard about DU. We did work with a weapons system thats primary function was to deliver DU rounds. I was not/did not work on the Air Craft, this other (more seriously ill individual) was on the flight line. (Or he got sick sooner and is now more ill - who knows how this is going to end up for me)
Anyway sorry for the ramble . . . but my original questions remains: HOW DO WE GET IN/ON THIS REGISTRY????
Posts: 484 | From: FLA | Registered: Feb 2007
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I applied to have my Gulf War physical over a year ago. I never heard back. When I recently contacted the VA to find out about it...they could find no record of my request. So I filled out the request again. It has now been 3 weeks and I cannot get anyone to take my calls and tell me where I am in the process. Is this happening to anyone else? Are we being stonewalled?
-------------------- Phil Posts: 50 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Mar 2007
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I can't begin to express how frustrated I get when I hear that GW Vets are getting the run-around when they ask to be evaluated for GW conditions or be registered on the GW Registry and the VA folks behind the counter or on the other end of the phone act as if they've never heard of such a thing. The best thing I can suggest is to print out a copy of the VA's own policies on this (listed below) and take it to the Patient Advocate's office so that they can show them what the VA SHOULD be doing for them.
If you served in the theatre of operations, you need to register in the Gulf War Registry Program through your local VA. Persian Gulf Registry: This program is now referred to as Gulf War Registry Program (to include Operation Iraqi Freedom as of March 7, 2005: http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1232
Other VA policies regarding Gulf War Veterans include:
The Registry and testing for GW Illnesses is done through the Environmental Agents Service/Coordinator, so please don't expect your primary care physician to do the evaluating for you. Ask to be referred to the EAS Coordinator. I can tell you right off the bat that many VA PCPs (primary care physicians) don't even know the VA has an EAS, so be ready to take your request to the Patient Advocate's Office because each and every VA facility is mandated to have one.
Although I've already been through the system and rated for GW conditions, I do what I can in my own region to open our VA's doors and inform the VA's own staff of the policies already established and in place to help GW Veterans get the testing they need for adequate treatment and medical documentation they need in filing for claims. You would think that after 16 years of this the VA would know how about the policies and protocols in place for GW Vets and how to implement them... But, alas, not all of them do.
Good luck and please let us know how you both make out in persuing help in your areas!
-------------------- HONOR OUR VETERANS WITH BETTER CARE AND BENEFITS Posts: 3482 | Registered: Jul 2005
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My V.A. doctor made me cough and banged my knee with a small rubber hammer. He said "You got insurance?" "I would suggest getting your own personal doctor." That was MY visit!
They are not taking the time to evaluate these patients the right way. I did get my own doctor. We discussed the G.W.I. thing and she has done some testing. Routine stuff like blood work and pee in a cup. Only high blood pressure so far....
Posts: 17 | From: Orlando, Fla. | Registered: Oct 2005
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I finally got the second set of paper work to get on the registry. It is not the same paperwork I filled out last year. This time it is a much shorter form. Now we will see if they will "loose" it again. My question is "will this automatically put me on the list to get a Gulf War physical or do I need to do something else?" I am not even sure we have an Environmental Agents Service/Coordinator at the Little Rock VA. I asked my PCP at the VA to do the test for mycroplasm....he said that would be something to ask for as part of the Gulf War exam. He did not seem to want to discuss it.
-------------------- Phil Posts: 50 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Here's the contact info for the Environmental Agents Service in Arkansas:
VA CENTRAL ARKANSAS VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: 4300 West 7th LITTLE ROCK, AR COM: (501) 257-5651 Anthony Hatchett 72205 e-mail: Anthony.Hatchett@va.gov (11C) FAX: (501)257-5071
If you have any problems getting answers from that info, I suggest you call the D.C. Environmental Agents office:
The VA will only do a general mycoplasma test, which is not the test I believe you are referring to. The one for mycoplasma fermentans incognitus is a specialized test that the VA cannot do. See this link for more info as to where and how to be tested:
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