Soldier has suffered seizures, headaches since anthrax shots

[Guest guest]

http://www.baxterbulletin.com/news/stories/20040505/localnews/358960.html

Soldier has suffered seizures, headaches since anthrax shots

By SHARON MILLER

Bulletin Staff Writer; sharonm@...

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For the past six years, Spc. Young has served her country.

Now, she feels problems she has had since taking mandatory anthrax

vaccinations are being " swept under the carpet. "

Young grew up in Mountain Home, and her parents Jack and Bertha

Benton, and brother, Walter Poe, still live here. Young left Mountain Home

in 1992 and joined the U.S. Army in 1993. After her four-year term -- one

year in Korea and three at Fort Sill, Okla. -- she began civilian life,

ending up in Nashville, Tenn.

" I realized how much I missed the discipline and family that military

troops have, " Young said. " In February 2001, I decided to join the Tennessee

National Guard. "

The rest of her unit has gotten to return to Nashville, and an

official homecoming ceremony was held Sunday to welcome them back. Although

Young took part in the ceremony, she is still waiting for her homecoming.

Shortly after 9-11, she volunteered for a peacekeeping mission in

Bosnia and spent 6 1/2 months there doing supply missions and guard duty.

" After my tour, I chose to go inactive National Guard, " she said.

On Feb. 9, 2003, her unit, the 173rd Personnel Services Detachment,

was activated. " At the time of our activation, every military post was

overwhelmed with troops, so my unit was sent to Fort Rucker, Ala., " she

said, adding that Fort Rucker is not a mobilization station.

There, the troops were ordered to take anthrax and smallpox shots.

After her first anthrax shot, Young asked that she not be required to take

the remaining shots. " I was then given a direct order to take the next five

shots, " she said. " On May 5, I received my smallpox shot, and on May 6, I

received my second anthrax shot. "

She immediately began suffering severe headaches that sent her to

Lyster Army Hospital several times. Only then was she given medical

exemption from the remaining shots.

She had a CT scan and several blood tests. On April 20, 2003, still

under medical care, she was deployed with her unit to Kuwait. She had been

given Loritab at a 10 mg. dosage to keep her headaches under control.

" While deployed to Kuwait, I went, on several occasions, to the field

hospital for my headaches because my medication quit working, " Young said.

When she found no relief at the hospital, she self-increased her Loritab

dosage.

Over the next five months, she increased to 30 or 40 mg. at a time.

When she finally got to see Col. Holly Dayne, Dayne asked her how many

milligrams of Loritab she was taking at a time. When Young told her, Dayne

immediately processed paperwork to send her back to the United States.

She was sent to Fort Gordon, Ga., for testing, and had an MRI test

there. At first, they told her the overall view was fine and sent her to

Fort Rucker, Ala., for follow-up tests. But the same day she left Fort

Gordon, she was called back to the hospital there because they thought she

might have a brain aneurysm.

" Because I didn't belong to a unit yet, I had to find my own way back

to Fort Gordon, " Young said. " After more tests, they felt I had a blocked or

collapsing vein in my forehead. I was sent back to Fort Rucker. "

After a two-month wait, Young finally saw a neurologist in December.

He put her on medication and sent her home.

" Since then, I have had two seizures, and my headaches have

intensified, " Young said. " By Alabama law, Fort Rucker had to pull my

driving privileges. "

Not being able to drive has increased her depression and stress, Young

said. " I now have to depend on others to go to and from work, PX, even

recreational activities, " she said.

Repeated requests to be home stationed have been denied. Young said

she wants to return to Nashville where she owns a home and would be closer

to her family, friends and other members of her unit.

During Sunday's ceremony, each soldier in the unit was awarded medals

for their service while they were deployed. Young said her unit spent 10 1/2

months in Kuwait after being home only 9 1/2 months from Bosnia.

" Our jobs were personnel duties, but we performed military police

duties, " Young said. " We pulled guard duty and 'shooter' missions to Baghdad

International Airport. "

She doesn't believe the military has done all it can to get to the

root of her problem, and, she said, there are others who have suffered

adverse effects since their vaccinations. She now takes 3,000 mg. of Keppra

for her seizures and Imitrex shots for headaches.

" I have been stateside for seven months, " she said, " and still have no

idea when I'll be done. "

Email this story

Originally published Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Randi Airola

517-819-5926

[Guest guest]

As a migraine sufferer, it always puzzles me why people don't seek out

CIVILIAN doctors and quit monkeying around with military doctors (no

offense, )! Call me cynical, but I don't have much faith in

military doctors, especially when it comes to MY treatment! I hope

this woman seeks competent civilian doctors!

Soldier has suffered seizures, headaches since

anthrax shots

http://www.baxterbulletin.com/news/stories/20040505/localnews/358960.htm

l

Soldier has suffered seizures, headaches since anthrax shots

By SHARON MILLER

Bulletin Staff Writer; sharonm@...

For the past six years, Spc. Young has served her country.

Now,

she feels problems she has had since taking mandatory anthrax

vaccinations

are being " swept under the carpet. "

Young grew up in Mountain Home, and her parents Jack and Bertha Benton,

and

brother, Walter Poe, still live here. Young left Mountain Home in 1992

and

joined the U.S. Army in 1993. After her four-year term -- one year in

Korea

and three at Fort Sill, Okla. -- she began civilian life, ending up in

Nashville, Tenn.

" I realized how much I missed the discipline and family that military

troops

have, " Young said. " In February 2001, I decided to join the Tennessee

National Guard. "

The rest of her unit has gotten to return to Nashville, and an official

homecoming ceremony was held Sunday to welcome them back. Although Young

took part in the ceremony, she is still waiting for her homecoming.

Shortly after 9-11, she volunteered for a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia

and

spent 6 1/2 months there doing supply missions and guard duty. " After my

tour, I chose to go inactive National Guard, " she said.

On Feb. 9, 2003, her unit, the 173rd Personnel Services Detachment, was

activated. " At the time of our activation, every military post was

overwhelmed with troops, so my unit was sent to Fort Rucker, Ala., " she

said, adding that Fort Rucker is not a mobilization station.

There, the troops were ordered to take anthrax and smallpox shots. After

her

first anthrax shot, Young asked that she not be required to take the

remaining shots. " I was then given a direct order to take the next five

shots, " she said. " On May 5, I received my smallpox shot, and on May 6,

I

received my second anthrax shot. "

She immediately began suffering severe headaches that sent her to Lyster

Army Hospital several times. Only then was she given medical exemption

from

the remaining shots.

She had a CT scan and several blood tests. On April 20, 2003, still

under

medical care, she was deployed with her unit to Kuwait. She had been

given

Loritab at a 10 mg. dosage to keep her headaches under control.

" While deployed to Kuwait, I went, on several occasions, to the field

hospital for my headaches because my medication quit working, " Young

said.

When she found no relief at the hospital, she self-increased her Loritab

dosage.

Over the next five months, she increased to 30 or 40 mg. at a time. When

she

finally got to see Col. Holly Dayne, Dayne asked her how many milligrams

of

Loritab she was taking at a time. When Young told her, Dayne immediately

processed paperwork to send her back to the United States.

She was sent to Fort Gordon, Ga., for testing, and had an MRI test

there. At

first, they told her the overall view was fine and sent her to Fort

Rucker,

Ala., for follow-up tests. But the same day she left Fort Gordon, she

was

called back to the hospital there because they thought she might have a

brain aneurysm.

" Because I didn't belong to a unit yet, I had to find my own way back to

Fort Gordon, " Young said. " After more tests, they felt I had a blocked

or

collapsing vein in my forehead. I was sent back to Fort Rucker. "

After a two-month wait, Young finally saw a neurologist in December. He

put

her on medication and sent her home.

" Since then, I have had two seizures, and my headaches have

intensified, "

Young said. " By Alabama law, Fort Rucker had to pull my driving

privileges. "

Not being able to drive has increased her depression and stress, Young

said.

" I now have to depend on others to go to and from work, PX, even

recreational activities, " she said.

Repeated requests to be home stationed have been denied. Young said she

wants to return to Nashville where she owns a home and would be closer

to

her family, friends and other members of her unit.

During Sunday's ceremony, each soldier in the unit was awarded medals

for

their service while they were deployed. Young said her unit spent 10 1/2

months in Kuwait after being home only 9 1/2 months from Bosnia.

" Our jobs were personnel duties, but we performed military police

duties, "

Young said. " We pulled guard duty and 'shooter' missions to Baghdad

International Airport. "

She doesn't believe the military has done all it can to get to the root

of

her problem, and, she said, there are others who have suffered adverse

effects since their vaccinations. She now takes 3,000 mg. of Keppra for

her

seizures and Imitrex shots for headaches.

" I have been stateside for seven months, " she said, " and still have no

idea

when I'll be done. "

Originally published Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Our Anthrax information web site:

http://www.dallasnw.quik.com/cyberella/

/files/VAERS.pdf

DESTROY QUARANTINED VACCINE:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?robi2662 & amp;amp;amp;a

mp;1

PETITION TO OVERTURN/REPEAL FERES DOCTRINE

http://www.petitiononline.com/fd1950/petition.html

To visit Dr. Meryl Nass's web site, go to: http://www.anthraxvaccine.org

Also visit: Anthrax Vaccine Benefit vs Risk: http://www.avip2001.net AND

http://www.MajorBates.com/

Anthrax Vaccine Network http://www.ngwrc.org/anthrax/default.asp

Military Vaccine Education Center link, http://www.milvacs.org

Sgt. Larson's story:

http://www.ngwrc.org/anthrax/heroes/sandralarson.htm

http://www.avip2001.net/CongressionalTestimony.htm

Tom Heemstra's new book -

http://www.anthraxadeadlyshotinthedark.com/index.html

Contact list owner: Gretchen at: anna_nim@...

[Guest guest]

..> (no offense, )!

None taken! I always considered myself a civilian physician, something

that did not always endear me to those who themselves did not, most

particularly the RAMs (Residents in Aerospace Medicine and " graduates "

thereof), aka Really Awful Medics by the rest of us.

..> Call me cynical, but I don't have much faith in

..> military doctors, especially when it comes to MY treatment! I hope

..> this woman seeks competent civilian doctors!

Makes two of us! Be wary of (1) graduates of USUHS; (2) graduates of

the RAM program and similar such residencies in other services (if any

others exist); (3) any Medical Officers with rank higher than O-5.

There are some very good medical corps O-6's, but it really takes effort

to find 'em. (The really good ones all have specialty and subspecialty

Board Certifications in Internal Medicine or Surgery, and most are

specifically NOT RAMs and other such.) The reason is that most

physicians come in as mid-level O-3's to (as was I) senior O-4's. By

the time their minimal time elapses and they're ready to re-enter the

civilian world, they are at best senior O-5's (as I was) and have had

enough of the military. By the time most medical officers have become

O-6's, they've gone over to The Dark Side and resemble physicians in

name only. I had (and have) such a low opinion of medical officer O-6's

that when I was offered the opportunity to submit my own recommendation

for my promotion to the AFRES O-6 Board (by which time I had separated),

I decided to never respond. So I'm happily retiring as a perpetual O-5!

Fisher, MD

LTC USAFR MC FS (Ret)

Service-Connected 100% Disabled Veteran (Anthrax-Immunization

Complications)

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If Iraq is free, why is it still costing $155,000,000 per day?

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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/25/2004 3:08:17 AM Eastern Standard Time,

starstrider@... writes:

There are some very good medical corps O-6's

Concur. Dr. / Col. Engler is one of them. Her reputation, and care for the

troops at Walter , is an exemplary case. People that are ill from the

anthrax inoculations should contact her clinic. The links are on

www.milvacs.org.

Or, contact Walter 's (WR) Vaccine Healthcare Center (VHC):

askvhc@.... Or you can call: 202-782-0411; DSN: 662-0411.

Major Tom " Buzz " Rempfer