What is “AL Amyloidosis and how does it effect Veterans

“AL Amyloidosis”

Many questions have come in on just what is “AL Amyloidosis” that VA has now approved as presumptive to herbicide exposures.

Also which I have already commented on is the denial of “Hypertension” as associated by VA’s Dr. Peake and Dr. Brown who apparently do not understand what presumptive means, along with the IOM which both said that IOM could not find an association.  I believe at least I pointed out some data that clearly defines an association at: http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/hypertension1.htm

Let me comment on this hypertension issue before we discuss the amyloid protein issues by calling Dr. Peake, Dr. Brown, and the IOM totally biased against Veterans.  And no it is doubtful they have Divine intervention even though they act like they do. 

In the interest of full disclosure this paper is not about me or any claim I have. My blood pressure is OK as of now and seems to be that of a 30 year old so far.

These are games these folks are playing, nothing but word games.  Hypertension or hypertensive disorders are a resultant action and symptom of many issues that can be created by dioxin association.  So in the definition of the word “IS” as we have seen before; hypertension, as a stand-alone disorder scientifically speaking is not caused the by direct contact of anything, including dioxin.  It is however created by the underlying dioxin created condition.

In fact, the Mayo Clinic unquestionably not considered some fly by night research facility and recognized worldwide, has clearly stated that in 90% of the hypertensive cases the cause of hypertension will never be known.  Unless the cause falls into the doctors lap.  In many cases the patient may have something normally associated to hypertension such as a diabetic condition and then the default is that is what is causing the hypertension or issues related to diabetes.  That may or may not be factual. Medicine then treats the symptom by the only means they have available to them, no matter if the real cause is established or not.  If that does not work then something else is tried.   There is no real diagnosis of what is creating the hypertension and treating only the symptom of hypertension.

Yet, Dr. Peak, Dr. Brown, and the IOM think we have to prove a direct hypertension link when the finest hospitals in the world cannot in 90% of the cases.   Even with the study data that shows an increased risk of incidence for the Veteran from whatever the underlying causation from dioxin causation, as you can see we are denied.    

Hypertension is a generic name for a result of a number of causes of blood pressure issues and can be involved with blood fats (*triglycerides); lipid metabolism; diabetes; amyloidosis; pulmonary hypertension; vasculopathy; increased enzymes and hormones such at TSH at the wrong time or the switch is stuck open; (causes of heart beating faster and constricting blood vessels involving smooth muscle control; which certainly can be from dysfunction in the Automatic Nervous System; heart disease itself, also “study demonstrated” as an increased risk of incidence, such as aortic valve disease, left heart failure, mitral valve disease; etc.  And we have studies that show that not only is ischemic heart disease associated but also valvular disorders are significantly higher.

·        Increased triglycerides are a stand-alone indicator of heart and vascular issues, and transient ischemic attacks (TIA’s) regardless of lipids (cholesterol).  Higher triglycerides normally go hand and hand with high blood pressure as well as increased insulin resistance.  

Even Insulin Resistance and Impaired Glucose Tolerance without reaching the arbitrary ADA definition of diabetes can be associated with increased blood pressure.  Yet, VA still denies this association including insulin resistance and IGT that you can have peripheral neuropathy, micro-vascular changes, as well as kidney damages.

There are many issues above such as triglycerides, increased levels of TSH, and about all the rest that have been either identified as significant increases or some even identified to levels of dioxin exposure, even in the governments own redacted studies.  I would be glad to provide data on any of this to the IOM, Dr. Peake, and Dr. Brown or an open debate.

For the combat Veteran as he goes through stressor after stressor and the stressor is over then your blood pressure returns to normal.  However, according to the Cleveland Clinic even these temporary spikes over time can damage your blood vessels, heart and kidneys in a way very similar to persistent high blood pressure.   So whom do you believe?  Those with a vested interest in denying about everything such as Dr. Peake, Dr. Brown, and the IOM; or those in medicine that has no bias against Veterans Compensations in Service Connection or related health care where valid science wins, not politics by a denying government.

Some other causes are as follows:

Liver diseases, rheumatic disorders, lung conditions. Pulmonary hypertension also can occur as a result of other medical conditions, such as chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis; rheumatic disorders such as scleroderma or systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus); and lung conditions including tumors, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis.

Even sleep apnea can be associated with increased blood pressure.  How many vets have this disorder with their dioxin created cytokine immune system damages.

And yes it can be genetic but not genetic to hypertension but genetic to the underlying cause of hypertension.  Certainly we know dioxin can create genetic changes in a family that had no history of hypertension.  Even in families that do, there is nothing saying that dioxin at some point in time did not trigger the genetic switch that may have been in safe mode for that individual.

As I said before with my dealings with the disability commission and what was going on there; and what was talked about doing against the Veterans.  I can tell you in my opinion there will be no more associated issues such as diabetes where long term care and disability is a concern that equals multiple factors of cost.  Therefore, we get the denial of hypertension.  

Only mortality disorders will be approved slowly, as presumptive, as they wait for more and more to die off, about every two and half years; and then only very reluctantly.   Even on the approved disorders the VA processes themselves will add to the length of time waiting, while hoping for death of the Veteran before the associated mortality claim is approved or even looked at.  This is the way of the Veterans Affairs in this nation working on behalf of the Executive Branch and our Congress does little if anything to stop it.

This hypertension denial is no different from the Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) denial by VA/IOM that has so much incriminating evidence it really should be criminal to even deny such associations but as we know it is done on a daily basis at VA and IOM.   Here again Harvard Medical, I am sure considered as a bunch of quacks by VA and IOM clearly states that in 35% of the cases the cause of PN will never be known.  However, if they admitted PN as associated then once again you have the years of follow on care of this crippling disorder which neither VA or IOM are going to approve.  It would also impeach the nervous system itself since it would be almost impossible to have this much association to PN and then deny upper neuron damages and/or central nervous system damages itself.

Maybe a few more mortality disorders will be approved but disorders that require years of financial support are off limits for approval.  In fact if you look at our infamous list you will not find one autoimmune disorder, which is also criminal.  Criminal considering the level of biological damage being done, that all cancers should be associated, and that those Veterans whose damages took an alternate genetic pathway or the cancer cell maturation pauses or stops for whatever reason are not compensated for disability created or death that follows without reaching a cancerous state.

“Hypertensive disorders” should be approved regardless of the primary underlying herbicide caused condition.  In many of these issues such as diabetes you will find statements such “as associated with” not caused by such as diabetes and hypertension.   No one can tell how just the diabetes can create hypertension but we do know that it travels in synch with whatever does cause diabetes as well as many other dioxin disorders such as the new Amyloidosis addition.  In fact one of the primary concerns should be that the Amyloidosis has damaged the nerves that control blood pressure and other functions in their role of the adrenergic and muscarinic involuntary nervous system that controls blood flow to the renal; large and small coronary artery; arteries to the skin, brain, erectile tissues; hepatic and skeletal system.

Amyloidosis actually being the first disorder admitted associated that can be classified as autoimmune.

Now as we go into amyloidosis I want those that have been with me for a while to remember what I said about six years ago for this very reason.  That was that every year an Herbicide Veteran should have an immunoglobulins test, a Serum Electrophoreses Protein test (SPE), and a 24-hour urine test.   I think you will understand.  By the way in their so-called AO screen VA does none of this.

Now here is the one that I believe has caused many Veterans pain, disabling, and death without anyone at the VA or the IOM indicating this disastrous autoimmune condition can be caused by dioxin damages.  May even be the reason why so many Veterans are losing kidneys. 

Amyloidosis.  Amyloidosis – is a monoclonal disorder closely related to multiple myeloma.  Most patients have a monoclonal protein in the serum or a monoclonal light chain in the urine.  Once again, we are talking about deranged antibodies, IgG and/or IgA this time, and again high proteins.  Closely related to myeloma but cannot and will not be caused by toxic chemical exposure in Vietnam Veterans, according to the VA and the IOM; up until now at least.

Amyloidosis occurs when abnormal antibody proteins or other protein fragments build up in an organ.  Again, we are discussing the same issue of deranged antibodies.  As the protein accumulates, organ function begins to decline.  In fact, one theory is; if excessive proteins are deposited in the pancreas, type 2 diabetes may result due to an impaired production of insulin.  Is this now a coincidence that many many Veterans have type 2 diabetes and that this disease is now covered while the very process of amyloidosis that may have created the disease was not?

You see, here is where our own Congress is out to lunch in even thinking the state of current science is able to determine any of this to some p = 0.05 or less that is in turn used against us.  However, you do not make the proof requirements so validly impossible as to not allow the .05 percent that would have gotten these disorders on their own and at the same time denying the other 95% of Veterans death and disability that was actually caused by government/DoD stupidity and lack of decision-making responsibility (Feres Doctrine).  This becomes both civil and criminal issues.

Now as I found this association to type 2 and the inference that it may be the protein deposits clinical or sub-clinical causing the issues; I then researched the published clinical treatments of patients, pathology, and the outcomes of multiply myeloma.  This was of course before the admittance of amyloidosis, a close if not very similar or associated disorder to the already approved multiple myeloma with the common factor of deranged antibody protein issues.

Here is what I found in some cases:

“Multiple myeloma associated with sclerotic (1) bone lesions and polyneuropathy represents a distinct subset of the plasma cell dyscrasias (an unspecified disorder of the blood).  We describe a case of biclonal gammopathy (the second case reported), insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus, and no evidence for anti-insulin receptor antibodies. After treatment with chemotherapy and irradiation, the diabetes resolved, the polyneuropathy lessened greatly, and the patient is alive without evidence of progression five years later. The reports of 95 other cases are reviewed. This syndrome is frequently associated with organomegaly (organ enlargement), endocrinopathies (a medical term for a hormone problem) and skin changes. Irradiation to the sclerotic bone lesions frequently lessens the neuropathy and endocrinopathies and may result in long-term remission. The mechanism of action leading to the systemic effects seen in this syndrome is unknown but is likely related to proteins secreted by the abnormal plasma cells.”

Looking at the above treatment and scenario can any doctor ferret out which came first?  The diabetes, the neuropathy, or the abnormal antibody proteins?  I seriously doubt it.  Yet, when the antibody proteins are treated the rest of the diagnosis either arrest or lesson in severity; that would at least in overview point to the corrupted cellular activity as the result causations of both.  Now where did it start in root cause failure?  That we are a long way away from being able to point fingers at the level dioxin creates these damages at chromosome, cell receptor levels, and cellular DNA. 

The cause of primary amyloidosis is unknown, but the condition is related to abnormal production of immunoglobulins (antibodies) by a type of immune cell called plasma cells.   About every toxicologist in the world, except Dr. Brown of the VA, has concluded that dioxin is a potent immune system dysregulator.  Amyloidosis is related to the malignant plasma cell disorder multiple myeloma.  Both have abnormal antibody production while one seems to have gone into the malignant stage.  Yet, it took what 30 years for the VACEH/VA/IOM to even come close to pronouncing this non-malignant form but yet still a disabler and killer as presumptive to herbicides.  Not a good track record.

Remember if you have excess of anything in cellular activity it only takes one to maturate to cancer and bingo all of them become cancer cells.  In other words for the herbicide Veteran your odds go up!  The question has always been what odds?  Two to one, three to one, in the case like COPD almost four to one; or in some issues in skin disorders even six to one.  Certainly identifying an increased risk of incidence is a reasonable hypothesis, many of which are still denied by VA/IOM.

Definitions:

·        The word sclerotic has two meanings. It is defined as something, which is related to sclerosis and is also used to refer to a person who is suffering from sclerosis. Sclerotic is another word for hardened. It also means of or relating to the sclera or sclerotic tissue, which is a tissue of the eyeball.

The word sclerosis is defined as a condition in which the organs, which are within the nervous system of the human body, particularly the brain and the spinal cord, harden. Sclerosis is the name of the condition, which results from the degeneration of such elements of the nervous system as the myelin sheath.

·        Plasma cells (also called plasma B cells or plasmocytes) are cells of the immune system that secrete large amounts of antibodies. They differentiate from B cells upon stimulation by CD4+ lymphocytes. The B cell acts as an antigen presenting cell (APC), consuming an offending pathogen. That pathogen gets taken up by the B cell by receptor mediated endocytosis, and broken down within these endosomes after fusion with lysosomes releasing proteolytic enzymes onto the pathogen. Once the enzymes break down the pathogen, pieces of the pathogen (which are now known as antigenic peptides) are loaded onto MHC II molecules, and presented on its extracellular surface. Once on the extracellular surface, the CD4+ T-helper lymphocyte will bind to the MHC II/Antigen molecule and cause activation of the B cell, which includes differentiation into a plasma cell, and subsequent generation of antibody against the consumed pathogen. After dividing for around five days, mature B cells differentiate into either plasma B cells or memory B cells. Plasma B cells originate in the bone marrow, then travel to the spleen or lymph nodes to secrete antibodies (approximately 10,000 per second). During the initial stages of an immune response the lifespan of plasma cells is very short, typically only a few days to weeks. However, following the process of affinity maturation, plasma cells can survive for months to years and continue to secrete high levels of antibodies. Memory B cells tend to be longer-lived and can therefore respond quickly upon second exposure to an antigen.  The class of antibody that a plasma cell produces depends on signals, called cytokines, from other immune system cells, such as macrophages and T helper cells. This process is called isotype-switching. For example, plasma cells will likely secrete IgG3 antibodies if they matured in the presence of the cytokine interferon-gamma. Since B cell maturation also involves somatic hypermutation, these antibodies have a very high affinity for their antigen.

Now remember how many times we have discussed studies that show the involvment of confusion between th 1 and th 2 immune responses and the impact of dioxin impacted cytokines and machrophages and monocytes on the creation of confused and run amok antibodies found from the dioxin distrubance in the homastatis of B and T cell activity. 

This amyloidosis condition results from the extra cellular tissue deposition of an insoluble fibrillar protein, which eventually interferes with organ function.  There are several types of amyloidosis.  About 70% of all cases of amyloid are due to deposition of immunoglobulins light chains (primary amyloid and amyloid associated with myeloma).

The bone marrow does not show an excess of plasma cells and other features of myeloma.  A simple aspirate of the abdominal subcutaneous fat pad, when stained for amyloid, can provide a diagnosis in more than 80% of affected patients.  Primary amyloidosis can also lead to a bleeding diathesis, due to adsorption of clotting factor X by the abnormal protein.  Amyloid can also be caused by deposition of a portion of an acute-phase reactant protein present in serum, amyloid AA protein.  Conditions predisposing to this type of amyloidosis include chronic inflammation and infections. 

Amyloid infiltration can occur in any organ; the major sites of deposition are the kidney, the heart, the gastrointestinal tract, the liver, and the autonomic nervous system.  The kidney is the most common site of involvement.  The primary manifestation is proteinuria, which occurs in 90% of affected patients, with progression to the nephrotic syndrome and ultimately to renal failure.  Cardiac involvement is the most ominous site of involvement; it occurs in 60% and usually results in death within 6 months.  The major manifestations are refractory congestive heart failure, cardiac dysrhythmias, and coronary artery disease due to vascular infiltration.

Again, the cause of primary amyloidosis is unknown, but the condition is related to abnormal production of immunoglobulins (antibodies) by a type of immune cell called plasma cells.  It is related to the malignant plasma cell disorder multiple myeloma.

In every study that was looked at immunoglobulins the same thing was found in both our studies as well as international studies.   For at least that moment in test time increased levels of IgA antibodies were found as well as proliferation and differentiation IgG1 and IgE synthesis involving excess Interlukin 4.

As you go through the section of what just some of the symptoms and some of the disorders this dioxin caused disruption of homeostasis of IgG, IgG1, IgE, and IgA can manifest, bear in mind what Vietnam Veterans are actually experiencing and dying from for over four decades now.

Also, bear in mind the disorders this dioxin caused disturbance or shift in the immune system can bring to the Veteran.

Such as:

High values

·        IgA.  High levels of IgA may indicate IgA multiple myeloma.  Levels of IgA also increase in some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and in liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and long-term (chronic) hepatitis.

·        IgG.  High levels of IgG may indicate a long-term (chronic) infection, such as AIDS.  Levels of IgG also increase in IgG multiple myeloma, long-term hepatitis, multiple sclerosis (MS), and some autoimmune diseases.  In multiple myeloma, tumor cells produce only one type of IgG antibody (monoclonal); the other conditions cause an increase in many types of IgG antibodies (polyclonal).

·        IgM.  High levels of IgM can indicate macroglobulinemia, early viral hepatitis, mononucleosis, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney damage (nephrotic syndrome), or a parasite infection.  Because IgM antibodies are the type that form when an infection occurs for the first time, high levels of IgM can indicate a new infection is present.  High levels of IgM in a newborn usually indicate that the baby has an infection that started in the uterus before delivery.

·        IgD.  The role of IgD in the immune system is not well understood.  A high level may indicate IgD multiple myeloma.  IgD multiple myeloma is much less common than IgA or IgG multiple myeloma.

·        IgE.  A high level of IgE can indicate a parasite infection.  In addition, high levels of IgE are found in people who have allergic reactions, asthma, atopic dermatitis, some types of cancer, and certain autoimmune diseases.  In rare cases, a high level of IgE may indicate IgE multiple myeloma.

Low values

·        IgA.  Low levels of IgA occur in some types of leukemia, kidney damage (nephrotic syndrome), a problem with the intestines (enteropathy), and a rare inherited disease that affects muscle coordination (ataxia-telangiectasia).  Some people are born with low or absent levels of IgA antibodies, which increases their chances of developing an autoimmune disease.

·        IgG.  Low levels of IgG occur in macroglobulinemia.  In this disease, the high levels of IgM antibodies suppress the growth of cells that produce IgG.  Other conditions that can result in low levels of IgG include some types of leukemia and a type of kidney damage (nephrotic syndrome).  On rare occasions, some people are born with a deficiency of IgG antibodies.  These people are more susceptible to infections.

·        IgM.  Low levels of IgM occur in multiple myeloma, some types of leukemia, and in some inherited types of immune diseases.

·         IgE.  Low levels of IgE can occur in a rare inherited disease that affects muscle coordination (ataxia-telangiectasia).

In addition, bear in mind the Veteran can have both high and low values.

Most of these issues associated to dioxin were also found in other studies such as the dioxin incidents in Seveso, Italy and others, including cancer of the pleural lining of the lungs.

As you can see this testing does not give a direct answer.  But in matrix or nomagraph form certainly can identify what direction the doctor may want to further evaluate.  Given the fact the doctor is actually told that the Herbicide Veteran is a victim of a persistent toxic chemical and requires such evaluations in several areas.

The symptoms depend on the organs affected by the deposits, which can include the tongue, intestines, skeletal and smooth muscles, nerves, skin, ligaments, heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys.  But the testing will show the trend in which way to go forward.  Although at this point probably a cytokine test panel should be done to see how low the damage levels go.

AmyloidosisA Primary or Secondary Disorder Occurring in Other Conditions

© Elaine Moore

Aug 5, 2007

Amyloidosis is characterized by deposits of amyloid protein within one or more organs. Amyloidosis can occur as an autoimmune disorder or it can accompany other disorders.

Amyloidosis is a disorder in which deposits of an abnormal protein known as amyloid protein accumulate in one or more organs. These deposits interfere with the normal functioning of affected organs. Amyloidosis may occur as a primary autoimmune disorder or it may occur as a secondary condition accompanying rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, ankylosing spondylitis (You really should look at this one), Behcet syndrome, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, infections such as tuberculosis, inflammatory diseases, some cancers, and Mediterranean fever. In autoimmune amyloidosis, plasma cells in the bone marrow produce abnormal antibodies made from amyloid protein.

In addition to autoimmune amyloidosis, may occur as a manifestation of beta 2 micro globulin disorders, which can occur in people undergoing dialysis, and it can occur in Alzheimer’s disease as amyloid deposits lodge within brain cells.

Who is Affected?

While the condition known as amyloidosis has been reported for more than 300 years, it’s only been in the last 20 years that researchers discovered the protein abnormalities that characterize amyloidosis. People with autoimmune disorders are at risk for amyloidosis.

What is Amyloid Protein?

The body produces nearly 25 different types of amyloid protein. Amyloid protein production is caused by the aggregation of misfolded, normally soluble proteins. Amyloid protein forms fibers or fibrils that lodge in organs and tissues.

Symptoms of Amyloidosis

Symptoms depend on the affected organs. The organs most often affected include the kidneys, liver, spleen, heart, tongue, intestines, skeletal and smooth muscles, nerves, skin, and ligaments.

Common symptoms include enlarged tongue, fatigue, irregular heart rhythm, numbness of hands and feet, shortness of breath, skin changes, difficulty swallowing, weak hand grip, weight loss, hoarseness or voice changes, other tongue problems, weakness, diarrhea, and decreased urine output. When there is systemic involvement, amyloidosis can be fatal.

Conditions that can occur as a result of amyloidosis include:

·                     Malabsorption of nutrients

·                     Kidney failure

·                     Respiratory failure

·                     Gastrointestinal reflux disease

·                     Carpal tunnel syndrome

·                     Cardiomyopathy, heart failure

·                     Endocrine failure

·                     Death

Diagnosis

Diagnosis depends on the organ or organs affected. An abdominal ultrasound may reveal an enlarged liver or spleen. Biopsy of tissue or organs will be positive for amyloid deposits. A bone marrow showing the presence of abnormal plasma cells can also confirm the diagnosis. Nerve conduction velocity tests can show a conduction block. Kidney function tests show abnormalities when the kidneys are affected.

Treatment

Some patients respond to chemotherapeutic agents such as methotrexate directed at the abnormal plasma cells. In amyloidosis that accompanies another inflammatory disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis, treatment aimed at reducing inflammation can improve symptoms or slow disease progression.

Now from above lets look at just some of those issues such as malabsorption of nutrients, kidney failure, and most especially gastrointestinal reflux disease.   Certainly many Veterans have had kidney failures, studies have shown the dioxin interference in the absorption of prime nutrients and minerals, and we have a host of esophageal cancers that are not allowed by VA/IOM but are approved once in a great while by the BVA; another government Veterans’ farce.  How can one BVA approve an association and the next two for the same thing, for the same fellows that served together in the same timeframe and the same area then deny the dying Veteran?  Is this logical?

This is one of the things I presented to Congressman Filner that all such cases at the BVA level that are approved and similar cases at the VA come forward the VA should automatically approve such cases based on an already litigated similar case and stop all this stalling and case backlog.  

However, we know that many of us came home with gastrointestinal issues we did not have before going for a year that were back then just diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which means they had no idea what was wrong but could not deny the symptoms that something was wrong.  Later it was then decided we had GRD or gastrointestinal reflux disease, which leads to Barrett’s Esophagus, and then if not treated early develops to Esophageal Cancer.

Now most of you know you have to dig this stuff out if you are concerned about it like I was as I wanted to get better and go back to my lucrative job and I wanted to find out why I had developed an autoimmune disorder called urticaria which involves the immune system and histamine production and usage.  Even from 1982 to about 1996 I was in so much pain just sitting or standing or walking it would bring tears.  But I did not give up.   In fact this disorder closely resembled chronic inflammatory neuropathy and trust me it hurt.  You could feel the heat being generated by these places without even touching them and when they say inflammatory they described it correctly.  It does not resolve it just maturates into something else and that is when I developed this sensory form of neuropathy, which is painful, but deep pain not the touch pain with the other.  So as I dug out this stuff and discussed with my doctor the issues I was finding with the tests that I wanted to run.   Now I already knew I had the high triglycerides since 1982 with the specialist indicating it made no sense to him since everything else was normal or close. Nothing correlated and now we know why.   I also had my doctor do the immunoglobulins testing and found out it matched the exact same thing that both national and international studies had found in IgE and IgA and IgG1 and actually IgG2 antibodies.

Now from above under diagnosis you can see that enlarged spleen and liver is a symptom of amyloidosis.  When I got my VA medical records using my lawyer from the VA guess what I found that no one at VA bothered to tell me.  Enlarged liver and spleen!!!!!!!

Then as I kept reading I found enlarged lymph nodes on the right side where also found.  No one told me.

I then find even though I had already taken care of it myself by reading the Ranch Hand transcripts and other studies the immunoglobulins issues of IgA but were more to the fact of IgG this time.  No one told me.

As I took this information and then decided to proceed with more testing on my own with my doctors approval after I explained what I had found.  We did the endoscopes test.  I told the gastro doctor what I was looking for before he put me out and when I awoke he said I do not know how you knew but you were correct in every way including Barrett’s Esophagus.  Which of course he took biopsies and so far so good.  I now have this test and biopsies done every 18 months.   But not through VA – I have had quite enough of their so called gold treatment and silence.

By the way the support network below has been lobbying congress for years to associate amyloidosis for Herbicide Veterans.

Amyloidosis Support Network, Inc.
1490 Herndon Lane
Marietta, GA 30062

http://www.amyloidosis.org/. 

The fellow I talked with said he had enough to prove the association and was pursing that course of action with his congressman.  I wish him luck in that endeavor with any congressman or senator, as they seemed to cower like a whipped puppy in front of the omnipotent VA.  However, the more who register and the more evidence that can be presented, the less the VA and the NAS/IOM can use against the veterans and widows of veterans.

And there are more variants that are common with what is found in dioxin exposures that VA/IOM are still denying.

Such as:

Osteosclerotic myeloma.  Osteosclerotic myeloma is a variant of multiple myeloma.  A common symptom of osteosclerotic myeloma is neuropathy.  This variant and its form of neuropathy, which is sometimes associated with the POEMS syndrome.   According to the VA and the IOM, will not ever be associated with same toxic chemical damage of multiple myeloma development.

Below are some additional diseases associated with IgG and/or IgA antibodies:

Multiple Myeloma

Osteosclerotic myeloma

Light or heavy chain diseases

Heavy chain myeloma – g, m, or a

Light chain myeloma – k or l

Under that same scenario of deranged IgA and IgG antibodies, the following types of neuropathies are associated.

Neuropathy associated with osteosclerotic myeloma

POEMS syndrome

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)

Chronic axonal neuropathiesAmyloid neuropathy

Then we have:

Macroglobulinemia – This clonal malignancy has features intermediate between a low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.  The malignant cell appears to be arrested at a stage in its maturation sequence that corresponds to that of an “antigen-stimulated lymphocyte” that is transforming into a plasma cell.  In other words another plasma cell cancer.

Notice in the “key points” the cancer society directly categorizes this disorder as a type of slow growing non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.  Yet, the Widows of our Veterans as well as Veterans are denied this association at VA; as well as BVA.   How can this be?  Politics overrides sound science and common sense that is how!

Key Points

·                 Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia is a rare type of slow-growing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system). It causes overproduction of a protein called monoclonal immunoglobulins M (IgM or “macro globulin”) antibody (see Question 1).

·                 Symptoms include weakness, swollen lymph nodes, severe fatigue, nose bleeds, weight loss, and visual and neurological problems; some patients do not have symptoms (see Question 4).

·                 Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia is diagnosed using bone marrow biopsy and blood tests; other techniques may also be used (see Question 5).

·                 Treatments for Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia in patients with symptoms may include plasmapheresis, chemotherapy, and/or biological therapy (see Question 6).

·                 People with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia are encouraged to enroll in clinical trials (research studies) that explore new treatments (see Question 7).

Two identified cancers by the VA after from 22 to 30 years of stalling and denying, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.  Yet, Macroglobulinemia cannot be developed by the same toxic chemical process of mutating cells and a potent toxic chemical that is known for a damaged immune system.   I would like to know how that is; since no one can identify at root cause failure level how dioxin is doing what it is doing and how many places it is doing it; at the same time.

This issue is on many variants of plasma cell disorders/plasma cell cancers and yet dioxins are so specific in cellular damage and damaged cellular pathways as to only create the exact ones Dr. Peake, Dr. Brown, and the IOM agree on that they have somehow have accounted for all the genetic variants and unknown variants and conclude that dioxins will only associate to what they say it will associate. 

In order for this to happen in science, these folks must have divine like guidance or something; because failures do not work that way, especially in living, mutating, and maturating cells.