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Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Parkinson’s Disease and Military Veterans

By Michael Church · June 11, 2018



PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY

With Memorial Day recently passing, I would be remiss if I did not address recent scientific discovery of exposure to manufactured toxins linked to Parkinson’s disease (PD) among our military service members. Within the last decade or so, there has been scientific evidence that directly or indirectly connects exposure to certain chemicals as a correlation to the onset of PD. Although there are ongoing studies into the conclusive cause and effect of the suspected toxins found in various chemicals in question, there have been few definitive answers. Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs have however extended the presumption of disability to military and civilians associated with the exposure. It goes without saying that some of our bravest men and women served our country faithfully and honorably. As a grateful nation we have an obligation to take care of those who served and who gave their lives in her defense. There are many exposure cases pending decisions and scientific evidence being compiled but I will defer my comments to two of the most common studies that have been decided.

Agent Orange

Typically associated because of its orange label on its container, agent orange is one of a number of herbicides used during the Vietnam War to kill the overgrowth of the jungle in Vietnam that provided cover and concealment for the enemy. The aerial spraying campaign was done using various aircraft including helicopters which would lay down a thick blanket of the chemical that would stick to everything it came in contact with including military uniforms and equipment. The main toxic chemical Dioxin, which is known to be associated with various cancers and birth defects, is also linked to other diseases as well. U.S. military bases where these chemical agents were stored remain contaminated today. The U.S. Government stopped spraying agent orange in 1970, but it still contaminates soil today. Decades later, after intense advocacy by the former Parkinson’s Action Network, in 2010 Congress passed legislation that directed the VA to treat those linked to exposure during the Vietnam Era who later were diagnosed with PD. The VA created a criteria and protocol for assisting veterans who feel that they were exposed and later developed PD treatment and monetary settlements.

PCE/TCE/DCE and Benzene


U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina was established in 1942. In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the drinking water provided by two of the eight water treatment plants on base. Among those were the chemicals perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), 1-2 dichloroethylene (DCE), and Benzene. These compounds are known to have cancer-causing properties and birth defects as well as other conditions and neurological diseases. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) determined that the high concentration of cases was a direct result of the disposal practices of a specific dry cleaner and industrial spills in the area. A report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) claimed toxic levels existed from 1957 to 1987. In 2017, again advocates from the former Parkinson’s Action Network took to Capitol Hill and advocated for including PD as a presumptive disability and a treatable condition by the VA due to the water contamination at Camp Lejeune. This issue affects me personally because I served there as a veteran of the Marines. I urge any member of the military or if you were a civilian working at Camp Lejeune to file a claim if you experienced any illness.

Others

Not to be all doom and gloom. This is a serious issue that affects a lot of people with PD and other diseases including myself. Personally I feel that science is closing in on certain causes for developing PD and the acknowledgement by our government agencies. I encourage you to be your own advocate. Stand up for your rights to a healthy environment and ask questions of those that include positions of influence and demand answers. Although these are two examples of recognized links to PD, I realize there are other case studies of intentional or unintentional toxic contamination of our environment. 

If we take action today, we can make the future better for our children and grandchildren.

https://parkinsonsdisease.net/living/military-veterans/

3 comments:

  1. After was running around from doctor to doctor before we finally get rid of her PD ,at age 74 my mother noticed that her handwriting was getting smaller and I was writing faster as well. She also noticed a small tremor in her left hand. The doctor went over her different symptoms and he suspected she either had a small stroke or the beginnings of Parkinson 's disease. After finding a neurologist and some testing she was diagnosed with the beginning stages of Parkinson’s disease. That was 3 years ago. She take Sinimet four times a day to control the symptoms, which include falling, imbalance, gait problems, swallowing difficulties, and slurring of speech,This year, our family doctor started her on totalcureherbalfoundation.blogspot.com PD Herbal mixture, over 3 months into treatment she improved me dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of dementia, hallucination, weakness, muscle pain or tremors.PD or any other disease natural organic remedies are always work on acidity treatment, if we maintain diet plan and use total cure herbs foundation then we get fast relief from this problem.

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  2. After was running around from doctor to doctor before we finally get rid of her PD ,at age 74 my mother noticed that her handwriting was getting smaller and I was writing faster as well. She also noticed a small tremor in her left hand. The doctor went over her different symptoms and he suspected she either had a small stroke or the beginnings of Parkinson 's disease. After finding a neurologist and some testing she was diagnosed with the beginning stages of Parkinson’s disease. That was 3 years ago. She take Sinimet four times a day to control the symptoms, which include falling, imbalance, gait problems, swallowing difficulties, and slurring of speech,This year, our family doctor started her on multivitamincare. org PD Herbal mixture, 15 weeks into treatment she improved dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of dementia, hallucination, weakness, muscle pain or tremors.

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  3. My husband was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease .his symptoms were shuffling of feet,slurred speech, low volume speech, degradation of hand writing, horrible driving skills, right arm held at 45 degree angle, things were tough for me, but now he finally free from the disease with the help of total cure from ULTIMATE LIFE CLINIC, he now walks properly and all symptoms has reversed, he had trouble with balance especially at night, getting into the shower and exiting it is difficult,getting into bed is also another thing he finds impossible.we had to find a better solution for his condition which has really helped him a lot,the biggest helped we had was ultimate life clinic they walked us through the proper steps,their website is www.ultimatelifeclinic.com

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