Andrew
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Andrew was in the Marine Corps in Okinawa and served as a driver for non-combat vehicles in the Gulf War. While deployed, he was in “a sonic boom” incident that knocked him down and says there was fine yellow dust everywhere which he thinks may have been a possible chemical attack. He describes being exposed to chemical attacks, ammunitions, and burning oil fields. He says they were given a lot of immunization shots and medications to fight disease.
Andrew noticed problems soon after getting home from the Gulf War. “I knew I was having problems in like 92 or 93. Where I was really, really sharp, as I said before…And I forget where I put my keys…I have to write everything down, or I forget to do it.” He uses an iPad and iPhone to help him remember things. In addition to memory problems, Andrew has chronic migraines and headaches, fibromyalgia, and he had stroke with blisters all over body, despite no family history of stroke at that age. He has tried many treatments for his headaches and fibromyalgia and has found some relief with topiramate.
He believes he has Gulf War Illness, but he cannot get accurate diagnosis from the VA. He had a frustrating experience with the VA and physicians not taking him seriously when asking about Gulf War Illness. “Half the doctors don’t even know what Persian Gulf war Syndrome is or what the symptoms are. You know, they just don’t.” Andrew relies on nutritional changes and describes himself as a “meditation junkie.” He has gone to a rheumatologist, geneticist, and counselors outside the VA for help. He uses a lot of alternative therapies to help with condition – infrared lights, meditation, supplements.
Andrew has found help with the Veteran community and his VA counselor. He enjoys connecting and working with Veterans. “Persian Gulf War Vets are having some real problems; I think it’s time to listen and do something about it.”
Andrew hired another Marine on the spot, largely due to the unspoken bond.
Andrew hired another Marine on the spot, largely due to the unspoken bond.
He was down and out on his luck and he walked into my office. He was in a suit, he was a former marine. I hired him on the spot just because of that, I was like “hey you’re on time, you’re in a suit, you’re a marine right?” he’s like “yep”, I was like “you’re hired”; he’s like “for real?” I was like “yep”. And he’s worked for me for 10 years. So we have this brotherly love, you know. Marines can criticize each other. There is a bond there.
Andrew’s symptoms have been getting steadily worse.
Andrew’s symptoms have been getting steadily worse.
Andrew: Headaches, like crazy. Can’t sleep. Skin lesions like crazy. I’ve had stuff break out on me that, like something popped out of me in my armpits all over my body. I walked into an ER with a lesion on my stomach and the doc didn’t even want to touch me looked at me like I had 4 eyes. I went blind by 1996, I had to have corrective surgery. I was lucky I was a good candidate so they put Imtax in my eyes. So I was legally blind by 96. I shot expert in marine corp. almost my entire career. Then I’m legally blind and can barely see three years later. So that was a little bit of a shocker. Pain, everywhere, always in pain. They just diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. They ran test after test to make sure it wasn’t anything else. I’ve had DNA tests. Geeze what test haven’t I had and had to pay for. I’ve paid thousands, probably upwards of 40 thousand dollars out of my own pocket. Trying to have all these tests done on myself, trying to figure it out. I’ve taken vitamins, minerals. I’ve been on vitamin D at a pretty good dose, for years and years and years. Because of the tests that I had done. So I had a nutritionist come up with a personalized vitamin regiment to try to help keep me, you know, that also meant making sure I maintained a good nutrition plan. Means I didn’t get to party, party, party like everybody else. I had to maintain my weight because I would feel it. I would really, really feel it. So.. just hurts everywhere. Body aches all the time. Joints hurt like crazy.
Interviewer: When you have body aches, you said all over, are there particular places that you tend to feel more pain?
Andrew: Major joints, like in your hips. God it hurts to sleep sometimes, maybe that’s why I can’t sleep. You know, you lay on your side and your hips just hurt so bad you have to keep twisting around. Knees, joints, it just seems like inflammation is everywhere. I tested real high on inflammation on some of my blood tests, its like its running ramped through my body.
Interviewer: Are there any other symptoms that you have?
Andrew: that’s all I can think of off the top of my head, you know. Mentally it screwed with me. For all the dedication that I have put into my health, I should be in elite shape. I mean I’ve dieted and disciplined and stayed in the gym like some kind of elite triathlete almost. But I don’t have the body to show for it. I feel like I’m an 80 year old man.
Andrew relies heavily on calendars, planners, and checklists due to his memory difficulties.
Andrew relies heavily on calendars, planners, and checklists due to his memory difficulties.
I knew I was having problems in like 92 or 93, where I was really, really sharp, as I said before. As a first year in college, I completed calculus, chemistry and advanced comp as my first classes after the matriculation test; basically they tested where I should enter into college, and that is where I started. And I forget where I put my keys. I started carrying a day planner, I’ve carried a Franklin Day planner since 1993. I have to write everything down, or I forget to do it. So, my whole life is, write it down the moment someone tells me to do something. iPhones have been a Godsend to me because I can tell Siri to remind me on a certain day to do stuff. And I live off of my calendars, checklists, and stuff like that. Otherwise I would be a bloody mess. Before that it was a list, list, list, day planner, day planner, day planner, I’m a Franklin planner addict. Otherwise I would have been probably a bum on the street because I can’t remember squat. I just really struggled. And the test confirmed it that I took. And they are standardized tests they aren’t like some joke test, they are still medically accepted even from 2010. They still are using the same tests, I have copies of them. It was pathetic how bad I did on them. And I didn’t used to be that way.
Andrew gets skin lesions so bad that they even scare doctors.
Andrew gets skin lesions so bad that they even scare doctors.
Skin lesions like crazy. I’ve had stuff break out on me that, like something popped out of me in my armpits all over my body. I walked into an ER with a lesion on my stomach and the doc didn’t even want to touch me looked at me like I had 4 eyes.
Andrew had an unexplained stroke.
Andrew had an unexplained stroke.
Then boom, I had a stroke. Don’t know why. Nobody can tell me why. So, it’s kind of a little crazy. I just woke up and couldn’t walk. I had to figure that out. I don’t smoke, I stay as healthy as I can. Still, nobody can tell me why, and that’s where I’m at. I’m here today, about a year later. But I figured out how to walk. So that’s kind of the overall on health. I don’t know what else to throw into it, other than I can talk to you about tests and everything else that I’ve gone through. I’ve been through every test known to man. VA tested everything thinking that it was my heart, it’s not my heart. They run test after test. I lost 30% in my cerebellum in the stroke, so and that seems to be where Persian Gulf War Vets seem to be affected, is in the cerebellum. I read up on a bunch of the studies, and that seems to be where we get hit. I guess that’s just, I guess we are more likely to have strokes. I went blind by 1996, I had to have corrective surgery. I was lucky I was a good candidate so they put imtax in my eyes. So I was legally blind by 96. I shot expert in The Marine Corp. almost my entire career. Then I’m legally blind and can barely see three years later. So that was a little bit of a shocker. Pain, everywhere, always in pain. They just diagnosed me with fibromyalgia.
Supplements like lithocholic acid and DHEA and meditation help Andrew.
Supplements like lithocholic acid and DHEA and meditation help Andrew.
You know, when that nutritionist gave me that regimen for vitamins, there were certain things that, you know, as I could afford it, it was expensive, it was expensive to maintain. You know, to actually buy good quality vitamins and stuff like that. But some of the ones actually, you could feel, significantly made a difference. The vitamin D actually was significant! I had to make sure I stayed on that. I have a list at home. Lithocholic acid was a big one for me. DHEA was important to me. I have to make sure that I can sleep. I have a real hard time sleeping. So, when melatonin first came out, I was really into that as fast as I could. The VA has had me on trazodone for quite some time, probably years. Meditation, big big big big big in meditation. You know I have a Silvan tape that I listen to religiously. It’s a deep relaxation. It’s like a… it’s hard to explain. I have a first gen iPad I won’t get rid of because it’s got a tape and then they stopped actually upgrading, so it won’t load on any other. So, I protect that little iPad like it’s a life breath to me because it’s got that Silvan meditation on it. And I can’t put it on anything else, I can’t get it to upload on anything else. Even though I just found it on YouTube so, I’m a little relieved, because I can actually put that on my library now. I found that certain Silva… because I’ve tried every other meditation, but that one just works for me. It does this body feedback. Where it starts at the top of your head, and talks you into relaxing your eyes and everything else like that. It just works for me. And I’ve tried them all. I have tried them all. I am a meditation junkie.
Carrying a day planner has helped Andrew immensely.
Carrying a day planner has helped Andrew immensely.
I had to start carrying a day planner, I’ve carried a Franklin day planner since 1993. I have to write everything down, or I forget to do it. So, my whole life is, write it down the moment someone tells me to do something. iPhones have been a Godsend to me because I can tell Siri to remind me on a certain day to do stuff. And I live off of my calendars, checklists, and stuff like that. Otherwise I would be a bloody mess. But before that it was a list, list, list, day planner, day planner, day planner, I’m a Franklin planner addict. Otherwise I would have been probably a bum on the street because I couldn’t remember squat. I just really struggled and the tests confirmed it.
Infrared sauna and lights, as well as nutrition and TENS units help Andrew.
Infrared sauna and lights, as well as nutrition and TENS units help Andrew.
Andrew: That’s my hobby, so I will stay up and read about the latest nutrition coming out. I have attended all kinds of conferences, I’ve gone to Vegas on stuff, so I’ve stayed on top of what’s cutting edge. You’re going to think I’m kinda nuts but I also stay on top of the vet. I’ve seen where veterinarian science will actually out pace human science. So I had an infrared light that I bought at a vet store, that had the full spectrum infrared, I spent $700 on one of those for the pain because it would deep. Now you can buy them for humans, but you could buy them from the vet store way before that. You know, and I had my own tens unit, I’ve had my… for the headaches, I’ve had the BioStim®. Where you put it on your head, I cant remember, but the low level electrical pulse, where you put it on different points and it helps with headaches and stuff like that? I’ve tried every known possible thing to try and get rid of headaches and body aches and pain in my body. I’m obsessed with it because it hurts so bad.
Interviewer: It does sound like it hurts at a very high level, very severe pain…
Andrew: I have my infrared sauna, I’ve had it for probably 10 or 15 years I’ve had one, that helps.
Andrew uses his sleep difficulties to his advantage, and prefers natural remedies to prescription sleep aids.
Andrew uses his sleep difficulties to his advantage, and prefers natural remedies to prescription sleep aids.
Andrew: So, if I can’t sleep, I’ll maybe put some time into the job. Well then it pays off cuz I worked harder than the next guy. So, I’ve gotten ahead a little bit because I can’t sleep. So, I work. Sometimes, not all the time.
Interviewer: Ok, it does sound like one of the things that’s been really helpful to you is that you’ve often…
Andrew: But it's catching up with me too. Yea, it’s catching up with me too. Lack of sleep is killing me now too. Can only do it so much, and then... A day or two, ok, three days, it’s killing me now.
Interviewer: Do you still take melatonin?
Andrew: Trazodone, kinda. Melatonin doesn’t do squat for me, really. Trazodone, and actually my counselor’s like “does the Trazodone do anything for you” and I’m like “mmm.” They are trying to put me on Ambien, and I don’t want to do it. I really resist something that strong. I just, I hate prescription stuff, it scares me to death. I try for anything I can naturally.