More War Illnesses?

I have been doing a bit of research about some of the illnesses encoutered by our soldiers since the Gulf War. Reactions to Anthrax. Lupus like symtoms. Cancers. Strange and unexplainable illnesses. The government's denial of any danger that our soldiers are in when exposed to various vaccinations and substances such as DU.You can brush it off until it hits in your own home and you remember Agent Orange and wonder what will be discovered 10 years from now.

My daughter is 22. Since her return to the US from Iraq she has had nothing but a slew of medical problems. Blood tests and symtoms that mimic lupus or other auto immune disorders. Kidney stones. Unexplainable stomach malfunction and vicious vomitting with blood. Blood counts that make doctors think one moment she has internal bleeding, then the next day are fine. Pre cancerous tumors that are there one month and gone the next. It is documented that her spine and hips are deteriorating. She is in periodic severe pain. She is disabled enough that she had to quit her job with UPS and get a desk job, and the Reserves have given her an honorable discharge (oh WOW and Yahoo) because she physically can no longer make it through PT. She has POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

I am angry at the government, angry at this outrageous war, angry at the doctors and the hospital that just discharged her. They told her to come back if she starts vomitting again. They can't find anything wrong. She has called the VA hospital in hopes that they can figure some of this out. I would like to have high hopes, but I don't.

In the meantime she suffers. Her job did not pay her while in the hospital. She does not have enough money to make her rent on a job that pays 8.50 an hour. She has a 2 year old courtesy of the US government=====birth control shots left out in the sun in Iraq and a married NCO. Perhaps her baby saved her life and I love my granddaughter with all my heart and soul, but I wonder if her mother will live or be healthy enough to give her the life she deserves.

The artwork was made while she was 19 and in Iraq. The background is a Mosque and she was superimposed over it. It was the first Photoshop digital collage I did. It comes with a poem. I will save that for tomorrow night. I had the piece and the poem in a show. It bought people to tears.

Election time is near, but sadly I don't hold high hopes for any changes. We are a corrupt nation....but somehow I hold onto the vision of peace and have and will try and bring it to others. If only the suits in Washington could do the same.

IN PEACE patti