Hi; My name is Jon and I have been diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. I served in the Army for three years active and four years on reserves. I have also spent two years in R.O.T.C. I was a Sergeant when I was honorably discharged from the army. When I left I had been to Panama and the Persian Gulf. I thought my time with the military was over and I could go on as a civilian... not so.
Some time back (1995) I had been having problems with swallowing solid foods. It got to the point that my Christmas dinner that year was Ensure. My family physician said that they needed to do an Endoscopy. Which they did... At this time two physicians, including my family doctor said that I had full blown AIDS. Not so... They had not even done an AIDS test. They finally did do one which came back negative. Then they did two more to be sure. At that time I had to inform my family and friends that I had AIDS. I thought that they should know. Least to say I did not spend Christmas with family or friends. Just my mother and wife. I was treated like a leper by most people who didn't understand.
So I started researching it. In time the other test came back negative. I went to my local V.A. Hospital where I was told I had a sore throat and not to worry about it. Now I should do some explaining... you see they found yeast in my throat... not like in thrush.. but in extremely large amounts, I ran fevers.. all of my lymph glands had swollen to the point they were almost bulging out... I lost weight and got to the point I could hardly get out of bed anymore.
I was then referred to Wake Forest University Infectious Disease Clinic, where they did the usual. They said I probably had AIDS and not much longer to live. Then they did their test. Negative!!!! Again negative!!! So they did large amounts of bloodwork and came to the conclusion that I had Chroni Mucotanious Candidiasis. This after six months of telling me I had AIDS and cancer. So they started a treatment of Diflucan 200mg. a day, along with liquid lidocaine for the pain in my throat and Fiorinal with codeine for the severe migraines I was having. This had little or no effect on my symptoms.
So at this point I am going to the university twice a week which was an hours drive for my wife. I could not drive that far. Would the same tests and the same conclusions never end? I would go in get an AIDS test every six weeks. And there were other trips to the hospital. They would bring in various doctors to examine me. This was very humiliating. Rather like being a freak on display.
I got tired of this runaround and went back to the V.A. At this point I enquired about G.W.S. They told me that my military files had been sent to the archives and no one had access. Pretty convenient? I think so!!!! Also strange... they had no reason for this.. or did they? So my life went on, what there was of it. I could not work anymore and I had to get all the assistance I could from the government until it went into remission. It was fine for a little over a year. I had a good job as a supervisor over a loading dock for a fairly large trucking company.
Then problem two... at work one night a colleague of mine was helping load a truck. He slipped and fell from over six feet in the air, he landed on me and in the process ruptured my spleen. No problem. Get your spleen out and you're fine right? Wrong. I was in the hospital for 14 days as they tried to let it heal. It would not. They said that once the spleen was gone and considering how low my immune system was already that I would have no immune system at all. They took out my spleen and now I cannot take antibiotics unless under the strictest medical supervision because of the yeast flaring up in my throat. They make it grow. I cannot take any drugs with steroids for the same reasons. These were my lifelines before, so where to now???
I started my own business a little later on after losing my wife in a divorce. I think it was a little to much for her, but I do have joint custody of my three children. I own a small car lot which was going very well until about a month ago when this flared up again and worse than ever.
I have two very close friends who helped me.... actually.... this time they saved my life as I had been told by a doctor that the next time my problems reoccured I would likely not survive. . My friends gave me a name and number of a doctor who specialises in G.W.S. I called him and sent the blood he needed to perform a test called Genetic Tracking. After five long years, finally, an answer!!! I had Gulf War Sydrome and it could be treated and I could live a normal life if they hurried. They did hurry, and I am now on the road to recovery.
But one small piece of info you may need to know. If you or anyone you know has this illness,it is contageious. My mother and my ex-wife may have it. My children do have it! They were born after the Gulf War but they carry the virus. It does not affect them at all, thank God. I would never have forgiven myself if it had. I am still dealing with that as I write this. There is help for those people out there that are infected with this disease.
Another piece of info. for you. Did you know that over 60,000 American soldiers were given experimental shots prior to going to the Gulf? One of these shots was Anthrax and the other was Botulisim. These shots were never tested at all... so here is the question I give to you.... why out of all these soldiers that had the experimental shots did 65% not ever having gone to the Gulf, have Gulf War Syndrome??????
Yours truly
Just Jon |
