CNN iReport

I believe I contracted the equivalent of Gulf War illness, except I got it 10 years earlier when I participated in the Iran Hostage Rescue attempt with 1st SOW out of Hurlburt Field, FL. We shared the same vaccines before we left, and the same pesticides in Egypt where we staged, as the Gulf War vets were exposed to.

I don't know if the VA or the commission has considered earlier exposures to the same chemicals and vaccines, but I would bet the same 1 out of 4 affliction rate exists within the spec ops community that frequented the mideast before the gulf war.

BTW, I am also a Gulf War vet, but I did not serve in theater. I have all of the Gulf War illness symptoms, and have for the last 25 or so years. It has gotten so bad I can no longer do housework, yardwork, or work for a living. I am fortunate to not be destitute, and as a volunteer military member I accepted all outcomes of my service, but I never expected to be treated so badly by doctors who accused me of malingering, or said it was all in my head. That hurt almost as much as the pain I had that went untreated for so many years, until I finally lucked out and found a VA doctor at the local clinic who took pity on me and began aggressive pain management (God bless him).

We vets need to stick together. I lost a family over this, and many other vets have also, so the cost has been far greater than we can ever be compensated for. If anyone knows of an online community or forum where we can talk about our health issues (besides here), please post it in a comment to share with others.