I have been trying to get help. When i went to the V.A
I had asked them if they took g.w.s seriously. They said they take every veteran seriously. I was not loking for sympathy from them, i was looking for an answer. I myself at the time did not really belive that what was going on was related to my service. I had been told by outside docs that gws was not real. I had been told that my sleep disorder ( i call it brain lightning) muscle failures ,anxiety, depression, suicidal feelings, incessant various ilnesses, liver problems, stomache problems, and shot nerves were a result of stress and its affects. after dealing with the va i have realized that they seem to have a policy of saying the same thing in not so many words. they ignore my pleas for help and drug me up on zoloft, lithium, zanex, halcion, give me this to sleep and that to regulate my mood. it got to the point that i was incapable of preforming the basic tasks in life.their answer is to treat one symptom and see how it works. when it doesn't work (they never do) they take you off it and say you're cured. i am mad now.who do you turn to? lawyers? specialists? God? your government? who?.........i would really like to know. anyone have an answer. who takes you seriously?

thanks for lettin me rant, Jay

Jay, I know exactly how you feel. I've been dealing with the VA for 11 years now. And have a Gulf War Claim in appeals for the last 5 years. My advice is to not give up and never quit fighting. If I don't get anywhere this time around I'm planning on going to a Senator in my state to get some answers. If you look at some of my comments under Force on this site you will see that I've been trying to get help myself. Unfortunately no one has really responded to my inquiries. The VA can be a real downer, but in my situation I can't afford to go anywhere else. So I try and put up with the incompetent doctors and the beauracracy. Still if you search hard maybe you can find that one dr who will listen and help you. Like I've said before, we GWV's have to stick together and share as much information as possible. One person can't fight the system, but perhaps thousands can!Hope what little advice i have helps you. I do understand you anger, I think most of us do. I look forward to hearing more from you.

thankyou for your response. I myself am just like you in the sense i cannot afford other docs, and can only go to va. its the frustrating part that the va's policy toward gulf vets is based on the Independent Institute of Medicine's findings of 1998 that says the problems of vets is caused by stress and that most vets only claim illness because they have been sent a letter saying that they might have been exposed to something.My question is what would happen if someday they acknowledge gws to be a reality. My answer is that va clinics might be overrun and it would be a nightmare for the department of defense. this is why they wont recognise gws.
thanks for your response and good luck with your congressmen. hope they are republican.
jay

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it was a Republican who bypassed our national trade laws so that American companies could freely sell biologicals and chemicals to Iraq.

His son has come back to chop off that hand that offended thee.