Of all that was revealed by a government watchdog this year about how the Department of Veterans Affairs treats Persian Gulf War veterans, the most shocking discovery was that most doctors aren’t trained about illnesses specific to veterans of that era.
Thousands of the 700,000 service members who deployed for Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield suffer from an amalgam of chronic, unexplained illnesses including fibromyalgia, fatigue and gastrointestinal disorders. The VA dedicated a research team to Gulf War illness, and it has initiated dozens of clinical trials, the agency has spent millions of dollars to fund studies, and officials at VA headquarters in Washington are involved in biweekly calls and quarterly meetings on the issue. Dr. Peter Rumm, director of the VA’s pre-9/11 environmental health program, described some of their research as “cutting edge.” But the information gathered by researchers and VA officials isn’t always translated to health care providers who work with veterans.
I know you are getting tired of me sayinbg this but, we need to let your representatives know our thoughts. Those who served in the Gulf War need to recogtnized and care for.
