Dear Maggie

So very sorry for your loss.

I have been suspecting the exposure to butyl ethers as the cause of gulf war syndrome: such as 2-butoxyethanol or ethylene glycol monobutyl ether This chemical and its complex version are exposures for Gulf War troops and Alaska US Senator, Lisa Murkowski, is inquiring of the Dept of Defense why these were on the list of exposures. What are known sources?

I believe the fatigue that has generally been undiagnosed (even prior to gulf war ... such as CFS) is the same fatigue.

This chemical is a teratogen and has been found to cause birth defects in animals. Too much exposure and there is zero sperm and no children at all.

I believe the test for whether or not this chemical has harmed you can be done with a couple of add on blood tests. You could ask a doctor who has seen you to order the blood tests at the lab nearest to where you live and rule this chemical exposure in or out fairly easily. That is my theory and I would appreciate hearing back from you if you do get these tests:

Reticulocyte Count or 'Retic ratio'
What is the ratio of the mature to immature red blood cells?

What are the size and shape of the red blood cells?

Complete Blood Counts with differentials - will be abnormal readings, also, if this chemical exposure is a concern.

If you do have an abnormal reading here, redo the White Blood Count by microscope to get an accurate reading. An absolute cell count can be part of a routine blood test, and since leukemias and lymphomas can occur with this chemical, it would be a good idea to check that as well.

While you're at it, getting the kidney and liver function tests are a good idea as this chemical directly targets these organs, also weakens the immune system and causes central nervous system damage and endocrine disruption. (Liver may have a reading of OK and not be OK, because the loss of red blood cells, counters the regular tests for liver function as they are elevated, and counteract the actual liver test)

Many times you can go to an exact day when this exposure occurred, so do you have a memory of a time when your eyes were burning and hurting and your urine turned dark, and the very next morning a horrible fatigue, that just didn't go away? Many times, flu-like symptoms, too, but this is not the flu.

What work did you do?

Second hand exposure is pretty easy to get from this chemical family, too; don't breathe into the eyes of another, for instance. Entry through the eye membranes is the strongest exposure to this chemical (& also at the cuticle area)