I am currently in a GW Study for irritable bowl. Hopefully some good will come of it.

For the first time ever, someone at the VA admitted there was a problem with GW Vet's.

i am also a gw veteran that have an upcoming gi exam to R/O irritable bowel syndrome. is this the first step. keep me posted.

I have also written to my Senator telling him about the ridiculous game that is being played on deserving veterans with their claims. Good luck to all veterans.

Pamelab, Yes its the first step. You will be going back many times to come. Start your claim after you request your med records from the clinic or hospital you went to. Also send off for your military med records. I myself have not started a claim, but will be doing so in the next week. I have an AFO, hadicap parking and a cane. When I got back to the states in May 91' I had been disharged before the division got back and the hospital was closed so got my physical through VA. 0% for cyctitis and 0% for hearing. I do get free aids and batteries.

Have you had the regestry exam? Mine was the biggest sham there was. A PA gave it. NO blood work ad never got the follow up letter you are suppose to receive.

Now that it has been recognized I will be going forth.

Pamelab,

R/O? Do you mean Rule Out?

I do not have a claim for irritable bowl. I have so many symptoms/problems the ibs symptoms didn't stand out to me.

I will say that a significant portion of GW Vets are afflicted and it is bacterial, thus treatable. The study I am in is for the treatment as a previous study has determined the cause. In the future it seems GW related ibs will have a 0% rating as it is likely a cureable infection. It is not Gulf War Illness. It is a presumtive illness though and can be SC as such.

A breath test was needed to diagnose it for the study. Eccessive amounts of hydrogen, produced by the bacteria, are exhaled through the lungs.

thanks for the feedback on ibs. I must admit that it seemed odd for me to be having an exam to rule out ibs. but that is what i was told by the clerk that answered the phone when i called to move up my appointment from Feb 4th to Jan 28th. I didn't question the clerk, because i knew they weren't the one that was going to examine me. and maybe that is what the dr. will try to do, but i know the symptoms i am having. and when i went for my second gulf war registry exam two weeks ago and told the dr. of the symptoms i was having, he scheduled for me to have an exam done. and also told me that along with fibromyalgia, which i also have benn diagnosed with by him according to the exam that he did on me in his office, is also classified as a disease that is s/c. I have another exam to see an arthritis dr. on Jan. 28th and i am going to mention the gulf war registry notes. I get a copy of everything from medical records just in case something gets screwed up, i cover my own butt.

What you need to be wary of are the actuall diagnoses. I believe you can be SC with a fibro diagnoses however I think joint pain must be undiagnosed in order to be presumptive. What I mean is, a diagnoses of arthritus can kill a presumptive claim because it is a clear diagnoses of a disease that is natrally occuring. Many GW vets have lost ratings once a doctor 'diagnosed' them even though symptoms are the same, they are now 'diagnosed'.

The presumtive illnesses are very touchy subjects at the VA still. They try very hard to find something to diagnose and GWI is not a diagnoses yet.

thank you for that info. i completely understand what u r saying. although my primay care has ordered blood tests recently tht came back negative for arthritis. I sincerely believe something is going on with this pain. i constantly hurt and i don't consider myself to be elderly, i'm only 46 yr old. well i will get back with u all when i find out more. wish me luck again thank u. signing off desert storm veteran, pamelab

Here is some more on this subject. Do write your Congressman and urge them to vote yes on the appropriations. We had been screwed before in 1991 when they didn't appropriqate funds for training GW vets.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPo...yMedicine/11814