Comments on: Studies Strengthen Link Between Pesticides and Parkinson’s

By: Claire Heffernan

Claire Heffernan — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:31:25 +0000

We are in the process of trying to obtain a service related disability rating for my husband. He served as a chemical corps officer from 1966-1968 at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Denver, Colorado. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 46, retired on full disability at 53 and is now requiring full time care due to PD related dementia.

He was not exposed to Agent Orange, but rather to an array of other herbicides, pesticides, mustard gas and sarin gas among other toxins. The RMA has been ranked among the most polluted sites in the country and became a Superfund Cleanup site. One of the contaminants, dieldrin (a pesticide), has been linked to early onset Parkinson’s.

Does anyone know of any other evidence, anecdotal or otherwise of other cases from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal?

By: Elaine Hazlett-Boyd

Elaine Hazlett-Boyd — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:49:57 +0000

Please contact us at lavendergirl68@yahoo.com regarding the above comment.

By: Elaine Hazlett-Boyd

Elaine Hazlett-Boyd — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:44:03 +0000

Great study & way to go all you vets that have proceeded with the Parkinson & pesticide/herbiside studies!!! We are pioneers in this research gathering. I too have been at this for 3 years for my husband who has Parkinson’s; he is 79 yrs old. Was strayed with DDT while in the Philippines by Army jeeps that once a week for two years!!! This was about 50 yrs. ago but the Parkinson’s just showed up five years ago. My husband has a predisposition as his dad had a neurological disorder also. So we are trying to find other vets about 79 yrs. old that were sprayed with the DDT also.
Any suggestions? He applied for comensation but was denyed twice by the VA saying he had to prove he was sprayed.
Thank you for your work.
Elaine Boyd

By: Stev Fiscus

Stev Fiscus — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:11:17 +0000

1. I represent a group of Viet Nam veterans whole have been exposed to Agent Orange and have developed Parkinson. Right now we have information on over forty veterans with Parkinson.
We are not Iraq veterans, but Vietnam Veterans that are not getting any better service. We are a growing national interest group of Agent Orange/Parkinson’s Veterans that nothing is being done for. The VA just turns their head the other way. We have research that has been done at notable Centers across the USA the past 2 years that proves herbicides can cause Parkinson if you have the right genetic disposition. The IOM states they will not look at this research for another 2 years. This is men’s lives! The Parkinson’s Institute is going to report to the Collaborate Centers for Parkinson’s Disease Enviromental Research that pesticides are a potential risk factor for Parkinson’s Disease, a role suggested by both epidemiological statistics and laboratory evidence. Dr. Maraganore from the Mayo Clinic in Minn. states their studies confirm what has been found in previous studies; that exposure to herbicides, insecticides and other pesticides increases the risk for Parkinson’s. What we think may be happening is that the chemicals with other risk factors in men’s environment or genetic makeup, cause them to cross over the threshold into developing the disease. We have quite a few of these research studies saying this, but the VA does not acknowledge this. This is quite a knock to all our great research centers across the US. We are continuing to collect Agent Orange Parkinson Vets, getting Senators to help us, and will go for public publicity when we are ready. It is strange if this is not related to Agent Orange that all of these men got Parkinson’s in their 40’s and 50’s rather than typically at a older age.
Thank You for your time
TerryNickel@gomoorhead.com
for
Agent Orange /Parkinson’s Vets
Gary Nickel
Thank you
Steve Fiscus
swfiscus@msn.com
If you want more information about us email Terry or myself
Steve