We often go down this drug road trying to prove our HCV was caused by the jetguns. VA is often just as adamant that it is drug-related. The decision here at least puts both risk factors on an equal footing and encourages benefit of the doubt-as it should. If everyone who lost their HCV claim used drugs/alcohol to the extent VA claims, we’d have had a grossly impaired fighting force-something I certainly never witnessed.
http://www.va.gov/vetapp16/Files3/1623406.txt
asknod
brewerkelli
cspencer02
jamesaurora
kcraveiro
Laura
Veterans Claims Help 
Sherry , my husband had liver cancer and they didn’t diagnose it even though it showed on the first CT scan. They denied transplant and I called my Congresswoman because their reason for denial wasn’t right. They were ordered to do tests again because all of the tests have to be 3 months current. It had already spread to 3 tumors in a month. The tumors have to be less than 5cm and no more than 3. They attempted to shrink them but couldn’t find them and he got transplanted quickly. The liver cancer puts them at 22 on the list for transplant. Get him seen again immediately and call your Congressional person and the head of the hospital. Call the news if you have to but get him immediate treatment. They told us he only had 3-6 months to live without one. mdames@yrless.net if I can help further
Thank you for sharing this valuable information and your experience Dottie. It sure sounds like I may need to get to Phoenix soon. I will be back and let all know what is happening. I can’t get through to my brother and am waiting for my dad to call me back tonight as he has a friend going over to check on him.
I can be your long lost cousin. I’m in CA shprice326@yahoo.com
I have looked for direct cases of nasal transmission of have via snorting and have found known yet on pubmed..but hcv is in nasal fluids and the potential of lesions could be the reason this needs more study. So it’s biologically plausible. However there is direct proof that invasive jet injectors have transmitted have in CDC reports. And in unpublished reports.
So sharing nasal straws is a lower transmission risk than jet injectors but not zero.
Soldiers, who used drugs, in say Vietnam, whether they shared implements or not, unknowingly put their brothers at risk for blood-borne pathogens. example–A is a hcv host and chronic snorter. his nasal tissues have lesions. He passes his contaminated straw to B. and the virus enter B. Weeks later, B is shot; his buddies give him first aid, and his blood penetrates scratches on his buddies hands. And so it goes. Some soldiers’ immune systems cleared the virus; others became chronic carriers.
I think I read something on a cracked glass pipe transmitting HCV, not a straw.
Kiedove, here’s a few links…
“Hepatitis C virus transmission among oral crack users: viral detection on crack paraphernalia.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18090987
“Shared Crack Pipes May Spread Hepatitis C Virus”
http://phys.org/news/2007-12-pipes-hepatitis-virus.html
“Smoking pipes my transmit HCV”
http://www.hepatitiscentral.com/news/smoking_pipes_m/
“Crack pipe sharing increases Hep C spread: study”
http://www.ctvnews.ca/crack-pipe-sharing-increases-hep-c-spread-study-1.267375
I think there’s more risk of bleeding than we imgined. Check out what this story says….
“TORONTO – Jesse knows a thing or two about the perils of cheap crack pipes.
They break apart when they get hot, he says, leaving jagged edges that slice open the lips and skin of the drug addicts who survive on the mean streets of Canada’s most impoverished neighbourhoods.
An addict himself, Jesse works for the Vancouver Network of Drug Users on the city’s impoverished lower east side, handing out heat-resistant crack pipes to drug addicts in an effort to reduce their risk of spreading HIV or hepatitis C.
“People cut their lips, cut their hands — everything,” and yet persist in sharing their pipes with other users, said Jesse, who refused to give his last name.”
http://www.ctvnews.ca/free-crack-pipes-could-go-up-in-smoke-1.249300
I just received a call from my Dad today telling me my brother was diagnosed with Hep C a couple months back through his local VA medical center in Phoenix AZ. A month ago after additional blood work they told him he has liver cancer. My brother was a boiler tech on a ship in the Navy. He has no other doctor appointments as my Dad said they just sent him home. I am so worried that somewhere along the line they dropped the ball, shouldn’t they be doing further tests to find out what stage he’s at and receive treatment based on that? And, shouldn’t this be done like pronto? I have a million more questions but wanted to start here. Thank you.
Liver cancer is not diagnosed by blood tests so he must have had either an ultrasound or an MRI or both. Liver cancer spreads quickly so you have to move quickly. He needs to see an oncologist. If it’s only one tumor maybe they can remove it. If he has multiple tumors then he needs a liver transplant. If the tumors are over a certain size they won’t do the transplant. If one is large they may be able to shrink it then have the transplant. So what the VA is doing is making him wait so by the time he is seen by an oncologist it’s already too late. So you have to be a squeeky wheel and move fast. I’ll ask a lady who’s husband had liver cancer and a transplant to come talk to you so she can tell you what worked for them. If I can answer any questions for you, please let me know. It would also be a good idea to get a copy of whatever tests they did to get an idea f what you’re dealing with. They can usually get their results online.
Thank you Alex, I so appreciate your help. I passed along what you said and sure hope my brother gets on this. He is so discouraged in the VA and his life has been on a downhill spiral this past year so keeping my fingers crossed he has it in him to fight to save his life. I feel so thankful to have someone like you to reach out to and again, Thank you so, so much.
Oh, did I mention VA did carpal tunnel on both his wrists a year ago and he hasn’t been able to lift more then 5 lbs. since? They told him he needs additional surgery on both wrists (I think that means it was done incorrectly) but now they demand he quit smoking before they’ll fix them. He lost his job over this too!
Sherry,
They put me in the VA hospital April 23rd, 2009 for a simple small bowel obstruction surgery and anastamosis. They screwed up. It leaked for 10 days. VA watched and said nothing as I turned into Octomom. After a total of 4 surgeries and a year, I escaped on May 19th, 2010 alive. I have never gone back and am miraculously alive. I’m a member of the AED defib. club with two oak leave clusters. And you think they “might have” screwed up the CT surgerys? Imagine Doogie Houser at 6 years old performing medicine and that is the level of the VA in my mind. Live dummies to practice on. You’re lawsuit-proof if you’re the VA and doing it for free.
The doctor/ employees can’t be sued as individuals but the VA does have malpractice suits they have to defend against. Some of the awards to vets are substantial.
Oh my Gosh, that sure sounds like a higher up was looking out for you for sure. Makes me sick to think the VA does this and GETS AWAY WITH IT. You know, I was just reflecting back on my and my husbands experience dealing with the VA this past two years and I know, I know for a fact, had I not quit my job and taken over in the care of my hubby with the VA he would not be here. I guess when you are going through it all you think you are in good hands with experienced professionals but just the way they spoke to him pissed me off enough to tell them. After a few more months and no progress I decided I couldn’t be gone ten hours a day and do this full time job too so I resigned and thank goodness I did. He received surgery through the Choice program (outside doctor) as VA Doctor would not do the surgery because he has COPD. The surgery went well and he has been able to put that ailment aside and live so much better. Now, we go next month to take a look at that darn abdominal aneurysm and praying it hasn’t grown. Thanks again my friend, I will keep you posted.
You have Nurse Silvia Price to thank for the information, not me. She can even write nexus letters for VA. WE AIM TO SERVE.
Sherry….I lost my brother a couple of years ago. He died of Aids and not a day goes by that I don’t regret not doing more, done it better, faster, pushed harder, whatever it took to keep him alive. But now he’s gone and he’s never coming back. My brother was only 44 and he was a nurse like me but he couldn’t hep himself. You need to understand that when they are so sick, sometimes they can’t help themselves. He needs someone to fight for him.
Thanks Silvia for this concise info. for Sherry and the rest of us.
HIV is another infection that spread among military due to unsafe injections and prior to antivirals, many are dead. My sister and I both lost good friends to AIDS before 50 years old. Talented kind people and we are very sad it was too late to save them.
Thank you dear. Please accept my condolences for you loss. I hear you regarding the fight required and tonight I am hoping I hear more regarding my brother’s situation. I may have to fly him out here with me as I am also fighting the battle for my husband. Awe, there is my phone now, be back.
The Phoenix AZ VA clinic has been on the news lately for making people wait for appointments so long that many of them died. You’re not dealing with caring people.
Great Info, A!
Justice will prevail….eventually.
♥ This part:
The criteria for service connection for hepatitis C have been met. 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 1110, 1131, 5107 (West 2014); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.102, 3.303, 3.304 (2015).