my editorial printed today on new generation of Gulf War Illness vets

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2011/01/06/opinion/doc4d25f89fc22a4544901957.txt

As we enter our second decade of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we need to remind ourselves of the toll our troops endure. Veterans of Gulf War One and veterans of Operation Iraqi freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom share one commonality — the presence of Gulf War Illness.

Gulf War Illness was first recognized as a disease through extensive research performed in the early 1990s at our own UTSW. It took almost 17 years, but the Veterans Administration has finally begun reimbursing Gulf War One veterans for service-related illnesses. This is an improvement when compared to our treatment of the Agent Orange-exposed veterans of the Vietnam War (almost 40 years).

OIF/OEF veterans are now showing the same symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome — (per the VA)

1. Chronic fatigue syndrome

2. Fibromyalgia

3. Irritable bowel syndrome

4. Undiagnosed illnesses with symptoms that may include but are not limited to: abnormal weight loss, cardiovascular symptoms, fatigues, gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, joint pain, menstrual disorders, muscle pain, neurologic symptoms, neuropsychological symptoms, skin conditions, upper and lower respiratory system symptoms and sleep disturbances.

For many veterans, these diseases are debilitating and affect their daily activities to the point they can no longer hold jobs.

Fortunately, since Secretary Shinseki assumed responsibility for the VA, reimbursements for service-related illnesses have become easier for veterans to qualify for. Deployment “in country” is now sufficient to qualify for VA service-related assistance.

I strongly recommend all veterans of Gulf War One and OIF/OEF who served in Kuwait, Iraq and/or Afghanistan to register with the VA.

The website is:

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/veterans_public.asp

The toll-free helpline phone number is:

1-800-749-8387 press “2”

If you were previously denied service-related treatment, please reapply. Progress is being made daily by veterans organizations to get the services you earned as a war veteran.

We’ve got your back.

I have CFS or CFIDS/FM, and my insurer, Empire Blue, has stopped paying my doctor, who treats over a thousand CFS patients, because, they say, it isn't a real disease.

I now owe him many thousands of dollars and can no longer go to see him. No good medical care for me, even though I have supposedly good insurance. And just because the company says so.

The story of Gulf War Illness is pretty horrifying. At one point, vets who were diagnosed with mycoplasma infections and given prescriptions for antibiotics were told by the VA that if they filled those prescriptions they would lose their benefits.

It's a long horrible story.

Many thousands of vets with GFI had died due to lack of decent healthcare.