Question for Veterans:

[Stamos]

My Father is currently in the ICU for heart/blood pressure issues. He is a Viet Nam Vet having done 4 tours with the Navy on a PT boat and LSMR. While there, he was exposed to Agent Orange as well as asbestos numerous times.

He has had issues in the past with only sweating on one side of his body as well as bad night terrors. My Mom now sleeps in a seperate bedroom at times for fear of him hitting her during an episode. He is not one to complain about anything and has never sought out treatment/help for these issues. His current medical condition has caused him to have two minor strokes that doctors have been unable to diagnose.

I have urged him to go to the VA for treatment from doctors who have possibly seen these issues with Vets that have been exposed to Agent Orange but he drags his feet in doing so.

Is there anything that I can do (as a son) to kick start the process for him?

I wouldn't typically air my personal issues on the net, but I have done some research on various government sites with no answers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[brianhoberg]

as the husband of a nurse practitioner, it's all about the diagnosis. Take him to the military medical center and see if he can be re-diagnosed with his conditions. Treatment is always based on the condition they have been diagnosed with. Sorry I cant be of much more help.

 

[DonC]

I wish I could tell you have to get ahold of someone there but make sure you have him go. My father has it bad from his 2 tours there in Nam and also has to sleep in a seperate room. Not for the nightmares but due to some skin issues that causes him to have sores on his legs from exposure to agent orange while flying Hueys. The VA is currently looking at upping his disability to 60% due to all this issues he is having from the exposure.
Remember he is from a different generation and they keep their thoughts to themselves about this. My father only recently starting talking about what he has seen over there. My father-in-law was in the South Vietnam Air Force there flying Chinooks. You never hear him talk or complain about anything associated from the war. Well other then when his AF buddies share war stories.

Edit:forgot to add my father is also having heart/blood pressure issues. He is on his second pacemaker which the VA is paying for. The VA did say this as associated with the exposure.

 

[chris snell]

It sounds like the first problem you need to solve is for him to realize that he has a problem. Your mom is sleeping in a separate bedroom? Sounds like it's time for a family sit-down.

I'm not a doctor but those symptoms sound an awful lot like PTSD, which wouldn't be surprising given what he did in the war. He might want to discuss that with his doctor at the VA. There are lots of treatment options for PTSD these days. The VA can definitely help with that.

 

[brianhoberg]

It sounds like the first problem you need to solve is for him to realize that he has a problem. Your mom is sleeping in a separate bedroom? Sounds like it's time for a family sit-down.

I'm not a doctor but those symptoms sound an awful lot like PTSD, which wouldn't be surprising given what he did in the war. He might want to discuss that with his doctor at the VA. There are lots of treatment options for PTSD these days. The VA can definitely help with that.

Chris, one of the issues my wife has run into is that she was offered a job as a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (she's an FMHNP) with BAMC over here. She went in for the interview, but knowing the chief of the unit there (he was a former professor of hers also did the initial dianosis on the Fort Hood shooter idiot) he indicated that the military makes it very difficult for veterans to be diagnosed with PTSD due to the level of care given, it's a cost issue. She didn't agree with that and instead believes that if it's PTSD it should be diagnosed as PTSD, but she said instead they push for them to diagnose it as an adjustment disorder or depression which costs less to treat. Sad but true.

 

[jhmover]

Chris, one of the issues my wife has run into is that she was offered a job as a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (she's an FMHNP) with BAMC over here. She went in for the interview, but knowing the chief of the unit there (he was a former professor of hers also did the initial dianosis on the Fort Hood shooter idiot) he indicated that the military makes it very difficult for veterans to be diagnosed with PTSD due to the level of care given, it's a cost issue. She didn't agree with that and instead believes that if it's PTSD it should be diagnosed as PTSD, but she said instead they push for them to diagnose it as an adjustment disorder or depression which costs less to treat. Sad but true.

Yet we give billions to foreign countries that hate our guts...disgusting.

 

[AMCM Disco]

If he has a claim already with the VA he can always submit for a review based on 'new' conditions and reference to being service related. There are a TON of guys out there with A.O. syndromes/conditions, and recently (somewhere in the last decade) they've acknowledged that Uncle Sam sprayed them and owes them. That would cover a huge portion of the conditions, but he needs to be medically reviewed and diagnosed as such.

PTSD has come a long way, but is still getting the shaft (as previously stated - funding of care). It is actually recognized now and with night terrors (and I'm sure several other issues) he would need a psychiactric evaluation regarding such. My brother's recently out of the Army with PTSD and is going through this treatment process. The biggest part outside of it is if you wait for the government, you'll get screwed. Spend some time and get outside references/evaluations and submit to the VA regarding a case review.

Check with your local Disabled American Vets group, etc.. and they can help a TON.

Good Luck!
atriot:

 

[msggunny]

Check with your local Disabled American Vets group, etc.. and they can help a TON.

Good Luck!
atriot:

X100000

Them or the VFW, or one of the other vet groups. They have people on their staff who's job is to be an advocate for vets and get them help.

Now if your dad is being a stubborn old man and doesnt want the help, thats another story.

 

[Stamos]

Now if your dad is being a stubborn old man and doesnt want the help, thats another story.

A little of this in the beginning. He is a bit of an anti-social......

I just visited him this morning on my way into work and he is now dead set on getting to the VA for treatment.

I am going to do some leg work for him while he is still in the hospital with the local Veterans organizations to help expedite the paperwork etc.

Thanks for the replies. atriot:

 

[1920SF]

Tapping into this late so my apologies but in addition to the Vet organizations, consider utilizing his congressman's military rep too...nothing like the ass pain of a CONGRINT to at least make people take some notice.
r-
Ray

 

[Stamos]

Just a follow up to this:

My Dad is currently set up at the VA for treatment of PTSD from 'Nam. Hopefully they will have answers for the issues he's having with his heart/BP as well. I've got a feeling they've seen the affects of Agent Orange more so than civilian docs. (obvious sarcasm)

Thanks to all who offered advice because I used it to get this going for him. atriot:

 

[ptschram]

Good luck. My dad has no teeth nor hair from radiation/chemical agent exposure in the 40s and 50s. The VA recently gave him disability 50 years after he was discharged-they bought him hearing aids.

Again, good luck.

 

[Tugela]

Stamos, sorry to hear about your dad's health issues but it's encouraging that he's taking some action. I don't know what kind of treatment plan the VA has lined up, but something you should personally look into is a treatment called EMDR, eye movemet desensitization and reprocessing. It's a simple, painless, non-invasive, effective treatment for trauma. From the emdrnetwork.org site:

<center>EMDR is an Effective Form of Therapy for Trauma.</center> EMDR is a therapy that is listed in the new Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense Practice Guidelines "A" category as "highly recommended" for the treatment of trauma.

See http://www.oqp.med.va.gov/cpg/PTSD/PTSD_cpg/frameset.htm for more information.
​

My wife is a therapist and is trained in the use of this treatment. She applies it to a wide range of situations, anything from adults with a family history of abuse to people who are bouncing back from car accidents to folks who just lost their jobs to people who suffered major physical or psychological trauma. She is continually amazed by the immediate and lasting effects it has on her clients.

EMDR will probably not have an effect on your dad's neurological issues. It will, however, be valuable for treating any emotional or psychological trauma he experienced- either from the war or as a result of his recent medical problems. Check out EMDR.