If You Served In Desert Storm, Iraq (OIF-OEF) Or Afghanistan Read This!

I ran upon an article this morning detailing how the Veteran Affairs is streamlining the disability compensation for veterans. I have discovered after reading the article that the VA is finally recognizing certain illnesses and diseases for disabilities. The majority of these diseases relate to military veterans who served in the areas of Saudi Arabia/Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have been experiencing things that I have been summing up as merely part of getting "older". I have been waking up with severe joint pain in my back. I have been accepting the joint pain with the ideology that my boyfriend and I need a new mattress. It does not matter what surface I sleep upon because I wake up with the same joint pain.

The pain comes and goes and is most prevalent in the mornings. I always feel stiff when I wake up. After reading the list from the VA, a lot of people who have served in these arenas suffer from what is called Fibromyalgia. This could explain my joint pain.

I have also discovered that women who served in these arenas suffer from severe menstrual cramps and menstrual disorders. I recently had to have surgery to stop excessive menstrual bleeding and cramps. Women who served in the desert also suffer from severe reproductive disorders. This proves common sense to me because I had ectopic pregnancies and I lost a Fallopian Tube with currently only have one.

Most Desert Storm vets have red blotches on their skin. Some blotches are small, some are huge, and some Dermatologists have asked if I have been exposed to chemicals.

It proves sad that people who serve their country have to deal with the consequences of their service with serious health problems. Veterans with serious health problems face an organization which fights them tooth and nail to grant them disability. I gained a chronic skin disorder called Hydrianitis while serving in the military. This disease is not contagious yet never goes away. It's a severe skin problem to deal with. This is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life, and the VA only pays me 10% for it.

I would urge all veterans to keep an eye on their titles for disability. I discovered not long ago that they changed the name of my skin condition to something else which is illegal. What does it mean when they do this? This means that if your disability or illness gets worse, they do not have to pay you for it. Keep an eye on the way the VA labels your disability illnesses or diseases.

I have included a link for all war veterans who served in these arenas. Please read it. If you recognize any of the signs and symptoms happening to you, I urge you make an appointment with the VA and get it documented. I also want to tell veterans who are disabled to the point where they cannot work, please review your options with social security disability. The Social Security Administration accepts illnesses and diseases caused by military service as grounds for disability.