White Rose Adventures

Veterans at risk for mesothelioma cancer, among other illnesses

America is proud of those who have had the courage and made the sacrifices to serve in the United States Military. Unfortunately, as we know all too well, many veterans today still deal with mental and physical disorders as a result of their military service. These diseases range from mild to extreme and some are better known than others. One example of a lesser-known ailment that veterans encounter is related to toxic exposures. During the course of all United States conflict, and even in peacetime, military servicemen and women have often been exposed to harmful substances. One of the more common toxins that still affect veterans even today is asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with a stringy consistency. Even ancient civilizations found that asbestos possessed an exceptional capability to prevent temperature transfer and the capability to insulate. By the time WWII and the Vietnam War came around, asbestos was being used in thousands of manufacturing compounds. Among the more mainstream uses of asbestos was within military infrastructure. Asbestos was used in thousands of different products encountered every day by military servicemen and women. Asbestos could be found in naval ships and shipyards, aircraft constructions, and nearly any compound that required a resistance to heat and fire. Products such as attic and piping insulation, drywall compound, floor and ceiling tiles, air cell pipe covering, caulking, plastics, joint compound and even some brands of glue contained asbestos.

In the late 1970s, certified scientific evidence began to surface regarding the health hazards of asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers are microscopic, but extremely resilient. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they “cling” to internal tissue [known as the mesothelium] which surrounds the lungs and abdominal cavity. Over time, these fibers irritate the mesothelium, sometimes causing plaques to form on the surface of this tissue, which often causes respiratory and other problems. Even more harmful is that these plaques can eventually become malignant. It is at this point that an individual may receive a diagnosis of the rare and aggressive cancer mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, it was not until after many naval and other military personnel were exposed to asbestos that the truth of its potential danger surfaced. Symptoms of asbestos-related illness may not manifest for 20-50 years following exposure, making the symptoms difficult to relate to asbestos exposure, which likely occurred many years before.

If you or a loved one knowingly worked with asbestos, you should closely monitor your respiratory wellbeing and consult a medical doctor that is familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related diseases. Early detection of asbestos health disorders can help doctors in identifying the best possible mesothelioma treatment options for you.

In terms of mesothelioma cancer and the military, the rates of mesothelioma navy cases remain the highest, but veterans from all branches are at risk.

For more information, please contact Doug Karr, Veteran Advocate & Outreach Coordinator, at dkarr [at] maacenter [dot] org.

Random Thoughts

I have a little time between classes and just can not seem to get something off my mind. I know that it has been a while since I have been in the academic life and I forget some common court icies because of it, but when that happens, I correct myself and do not do it again. Yesterday it seemed that my program advisor and I stepped off on the wrong foot when I tried to set up a meeting to get acquainted, due to my thinking like a truck driver and not a student attending college. I made my apologies, informed him that there was no disrespect intended & corrected myself. Through about 3 or 4 emails this professor continued to inform me of how wrong I was. My hope was that with my profound apology that this would end the topic and he would see that I GOT IT! But no, he didn’t. He had to mention it one more time in his next email. He also just had to end the email with, “Rocky start so far.” I emailed back that there was no rocky start on my end and that I appreciated his instruction to a non-traditional student getting re-aquainted with academic life. Once again, he didn’t let it go. He gave me an appointment time and made another comment about it. I decided that I needed to be a better person. I my email back to him I simply said, “Thank you, sir. I will see you then.” I have had no response since then.

Now tell me, I know that I have been out of the “real world” for a long time, but when I made my apologies and corrected myself, shouldn’t that have been enough?

CSI: Miami – Promoting the Good in Iraq

Many of us have seen the MSM misrepresent or not even report the good things that our military is doing in Iraq. We see TV shows and movies on the big and small screen that stand on either side of the issue. Some are very elaborate and in your face while others are more subtle. The latter was the case in last nights episode of CSI: Miami.

I don’t always watch the show, sometimes I watch “Castle“, so I didn’t know that Cain’s son had enlisted in the Army and been sent to Iraq. At the end of the episode they showed Cain signing into a video conference on his computer. The picture we see on the computer screen is Cain’s son, in battle fatigues and in Iraq. There are the usual parent/child pleasantries and concerns passed from one to another. They could have ended the scene with that, but they didn’t. They go on to have Cain’s son talk about rebuilding the schools and how happy the kids are to have them.

It was a short statement, but for me, very emotional. (I actually had a tear well up in my eyes.) The eloquence  and simplicity in which it was done was a thundering message to those that have been there and done that. Even if the rest of the world misses the message, and I don’t think they can, at least those standing the line know that someone knows of the good they are doing and is making an effort to show it.

A Different Perspective in Class

Being 44 and going to college with kids that are around the same age as my boys had me feeling a bit nervous about my participation in certain classes. Last week, after class, I had a talk with my Philosophy professor, Dr Morgan Rempel, about this very subject. We were reading Epicurus writings on Hedonism. We had a class discussion on the topic and I was concerned that, even though I got some of what the rest of the class got out of the reading, I also got some things they didn’t and I didn’t agree with everything in his assessment of it. I was concerned about making sure I was learning from the class as well as passing it. In many classes if you don’t agree with the professor’s interpretation then you don’t pass. Dr Rempel assured me that I didn’t have to agree with him and that he liked having older students in his class because they have live a bit of life and can impart that wisdom or challenge the other younger students to think differently. Today, I put that to the test.

We were again talking about Epicurus and having a class discussion. Dr Rempel had asked us if we had talked about this with someone not in our class and if we had any other questions or comments. I listened to the other students talk about Epicurus views on God or the gods, death, and weather there is an afterlife. The fact that he taught that God or the gods were not concerned with us has been a hot topic in class as well as his views to not be concerned with death.

I raised my hand and when he called on me I said that I had a problems with Epicurus saying that the Gods were not concerned with us. To say that God/the gods are not concerned with us I have a problem with.” I told the class that to many times I have had what I believe is a Guardian Angle watching out for me. “Many time when I was in Iraq my convoy would either push out or be delayed. Many times the convoy that rolled in our place we hit hard. I can not believe that was just chance.” That is when Dr Rempel related our discussion from the week before and reiterated that he was happy I was in the class. That I have had experiences that they have not and that I bring a different perspective to the discussion.

Then he asked someone to argue the other side with me. The comment made was that I was “lucky” and “where was the other guys God if they were the ones hit?” My comment was, ”When it is your turn to go, it is your turn. There is nothing you can do about it.” Dr Rempel pointed out that he has heard that saying many times before and mostly in war movies or from people that have been in combat. I wasn’t really sure how I felt about that, but I did get some comfort in the fact that he valued my opinion, even if it was different from the rest of the class.

After class I met him at the front of the class. As I handed him a copy of my book, I told him that I wsa going to donate it to the college library, but he could take a look at it before I did. He looked through the pictures in the middle and said that he would skim over it and then check it out of the library later this semester when he wasn’t so busy. He added that he didn’t want to keep it from making it to the library so someone else that had the time could read it now.

I feel a lot better after todays class and discussion. I have had no problem in participating in the class discussions, but I have held back at times. I know that my views on some topics are greatly different from the rest of the class at time and i do not know how they will react to them. I have learned, since coming home from Iraq, that it is not safe for me to talk to any and everyone that will listen about my experiences and views of being over there.  But at least I know now that I can express my opinion, share my experiences, and have a healthy debate without the worry of being attacked by my classmates and/or professor.

Study: Fast morphine treatment may prevent PTSD

By LINDA A. JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer

Quickly giving morphine to wounded troops cuts in half the chance they will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a provocative study that suggests a new strategy for preventing the psychological fallout of war.

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Health Research Center led the study of about 700 troops injured in Iraq from 2004 through 2006.

“It was surprising how strong the effect of the morphine was,” said study leader Troy Lisa Holbrook, an epidemiologist at the naval center. The findings were published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine.

Whether the Pentagon will adopt the practice on the battlefield remains to be seen. Dr. Jack Smith, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for clinical and program policy, said in an e-mail that the “very interesting findings” are “likely to stimulate further research.”

About 53,000 troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated for PTSD, a disorder in which someone who has endured a traumatic event keeps re-experiencing it and the fear it caused. Patients often have trouble with work, relationships, substance abuse and physical ailments.

Researchers have been testing ways to treat it, and the new study looked at whether fast and strong pain relief can help prevent it.

It was unclear whether it was the fast pain treatment or something specific to morphine that made the difference.

But researchers theorize that simply easing pain might reduce the severity of the psychological trauma, or that prompt relief might alter the way the brain remembers the attack or injury – in essence, causing the mind to file away the episode as less traumatic.

Troops in the study initially were treated at military medical facilities in Iraq, mainly for wounds caused by roadside bombs, bullets, grenades or mortar fire. A few dozen had burns or were hurt in crashes or falls. The decision on whether to give morphine was up to the individual doctor, based on the patient’s condition.

Of the 696 troops in the study, 493 – about 70 percent – were given morphine, most within an hour of injury. Two years later, 147 of them had developed PTSD. Of the 203 not given morphine early on, 96 developed PTSD.

That worked out to a 53 percent lower risk of developing PTSD for those treated early with morphine. No other factor, such as the nature or severity of injuries, had much effect on the chances of developing PTSD, Holbrook said.

“These are provocative and thought-provoking findings that should lead scientists to investigate the underlying mechanisms” in future studies, said JoAnn Difede, a PTSD researcher at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Difede and Barbara Rothbaum, who heads the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program at Emory University School of Medicine, said that until more research backs up the findings, the study probably won’t lead to many more patients in civilian emergency rooms getting morphine.

“At this point, I don’t see it having a huge impact” for civilians, Rothbaum said.

A second study in the journal found that Army wives were more likely to develop depression or sleep problems the longer, or the more times, their spouses were sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

That study, by researchers at the University of North Carolina and elsewhere, examined medical records for outpatient care of about 250,000 wives of active-duty soldiers from 2003 through 2006.

Compared with wives whose husbands stayed home, those whose husbands were deployed for up to 11 months were 18 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression and at least 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with sleep disorders, anxiety and acute stress.

For wives whose husbands were deployed for more than 11 months, problems were even more common: They were at least 24 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety, and about 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with acute stress or sleep problems.

The researchers didn’t have data showing whether husbands were deployed or at home when the wives were being treated for mental health problems.

That meant the scientists couldn’t conclude whether those problems were caused by worries about the spouse’s safety and the difficulties of being a single parent, or by stress caused by the returning spouse’s psychological problems or other behavior changes.

“I suspect that if you look at the Reserve and National Guard wives, the toll might be even worse,” because they have less social support than families living in a military community, Rothbaum said.

She said the effects of deployment on children also need to be studied so the military can figure out how to provide more help to families.

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On the Net: http://www.nejm.org

College: Week One

I have completed my first week of college at USM! It has been an interesting week. Dealing with financial aid is driving me nuts! I had to have them do a re-evaluation which meant I had to bring in more paperwork. I have been to the office about 4 times now because one person will tell me I need this and that and when I take that in, the next person will tell me I need something else as well. But I do believe that I have finally got it all in to them and should receive my student loans soon.

The classes are far from boring and the instructors are likable. I have been asked to talk later in the semester about my book and how we received news while I was in Iraq in my Survey of Mass Communications class. In my Into to Film Studies, I have been asked to talk about the process of getting a screenplay written. Even though Eva Gardos is the one that wrote the script for the movie based on my book, I have been involved with it. I have made notes and spent many hours talking about what I did, how I felt and how things should look with her. I will be giving a small presentation next Wednesday night in the class. My Beginning acting class has not been to challenging yet, I am sure that before long it will become so. The 2 classes that are going to strain my baron are my Philosophy: Ethic’s and Good Living and the Media Writing Skills classes.

In the Philosophy class we are reading the philosophers and I am sure that you can understand why that would strain the brain. I don’t know if it is that I have lived more of life than my class mates, but I am not always getting out of the text what they are getting. Yea, some of what I get is similar, but than at times, I get something totally different or I don’t get what they get. I had a talk with the instructor about this Tuesday. He told me that I didn’t have to agree with his opinion, I just needed to get something out of what I was reading. He did say that he liked having me in the class because of how I see different things that the younger students. I told him my concern was not only getting something out of the class, but passing the class because I was not getting what the rest of the calls got. He said to not worry, it would be OK. So I will trudge along and hope that as time goes along and I get use to doing academic reading again, that it will get a little easier for me.

The Media writing Skills class is one that is a MUST to pass. We will be taking a test February 5th. If I pass that test with at least a 60%, then I will get a passing grade and not have to attend the class that rest of the semester. If I fail the test, then I have to go to the class the rest of the semester and take the test again at the end. If I pass then, then I am good to go, but if I fail again, I will get an incomplete and have to take the class again. This is a test that I HAVE to pass if I want to stay a major in Mass Communications. I can take the class 3 times, if I never pass the test, then I will be asked to change my major. The class is spelling, grammar, and punctuation the AP media way. So I guess we will see what happens on February 5th!

For now, I am still excited and nervous about being back in college. It has been a long time since I have had to study and do this kind of reading. I hope that as the semester progresses along, I will become more relaxed and settle into a routine of reading, studying, and play!

Registration For USM

For the last 14 months I have been recovering from my fall, I have thought about what I was going to do if my wrists did not heal well enough for me to continue being a truck driver. When the doctor finally told me that my worst fear was reality, I was devastated! With the limitations I have on my wrists, I did not know how I was going to be able to support myself. If I did find a job I could physically do, would I enjoy it. Then I talked to the Mississippi Vocational Rehabilitation people and found that they would pay for me to go to college.

I has been over 25 years since I have attended any school, well, I did go to truck driving school in 1990, but that doesn’t count. At the age of 44, going back to school is a scary thing to do. Deciding what I wanted to study was not an easy task. Doing all the stuff I have been privileged to do in conjunction with my book, I found that the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has a Mass Communication department and offers a BA in Radio & Television Broadcasting. I have sat in the studio with Chris and Meredith, host of Sirius’ Road Dog Trucking channel’s show “Freewheelin” as well as Carl P. Mayfield & The P Team on several occasions. I found it very interesting, fun and something I though I might enjoy. So this is what I have decided to study.

Today was what the calls Preview. Basically it is an orientation and registration day. They tell you a little about the school, get your student ID, talk to finical aid,  meet an academic advisor, register for classes and deal with any other issues you need to for attendance. I tried to get all of that done today, but was not successful. I didn’t have time to get my student ID, talk to finical aid or talk to the Office of Disability Assessment (OSD). Those were not a big deal and didn’t have to be done today. I can do that next Wednesday when I start classes. Since my tuition and books are paid by the Mississippi Vocational Rehab Department, I really don’t have to worry about the finical aid, but if there is any thing out there that can help with any other cost, it would be nice to know.

USM campus is a small campus of 1 square mile, so it does not  long to get from one building to another. The day went smooth till I got to the Mass Communication building and started to sign up for classes. Starting college at the spring term can be a bit frustrating because all the students that attended the fall semester have already singed up for the classes they want. So you are kind of reduced to their left-overs.

Mississippi Vocational Rehab requires me to take a minimum of 12 hours. Going in as an adult non-traditional student, the school restricts me to only being able to take 12 hours. I have looked at the open classes on-line and researched which ones I wanted to take over the last month. I thought I had a good idea of what I could and could not get. I was wrong. Out of the classes that I had on my list, I got one of them, PHI 171 – Ethics & Good Living. Three other classes that I need for my major and that I wanted, were closed when I looked at them last night. They were still closed today, but the advisors opened them for a few of us today, MCJ 101 – Survey of Mass Communication, MCJ 103 – Literacy Skills, and FLM 170 – Intro Film Studies. Those classes gave me 10 credit hours, I needed two more. With the restrictions that USM had on me because I am a probationary student and what MS Voc Rehab for them to pay for it, I needed two more hours. I could not find a two hour class that was open on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I needed all my classes to be on those days so I would not have to make the hour long drive 5 times a week. So I tried to find any class that I thought I would like, even if it the credit hours would not count toward my degree. I found THE 110 – Non Theater Majors Beginning Acting, a 3 credit hour class. When I tried to add it to my class list, it was kicked. I was restricted to 12 hours, not 13. So my advisors said they would take care of it. They went into the system and changed how many hours I could take. Now I have the Acting class.

I am very happy with the classes I got with the exception that Wednesdays are going to be very long days. The Intro Film Studies class is a 3 hours night class. But I will deal with it since it keeps me from having to make that drive on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All in all, I think that I should be able to handle these classes even though I have had such a long break since I was in school.

So now I  am officially a college student and will start classes next Wednesday. I am nervous and excited at the same time, I am sure that it will be another great adventure in my life!

Former Arrow driver now officially ‘missing’

This is from Land Line magazine. Please take a look, keep an eye out for this driver and pass it along to others you know are traveling the roads. There is a phone number at the end of the article if you have any information on Mr Eischens.

SPECIAL REPORT: Former Arrow driver now officially ‘missing’

Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010 – A missing persons report was filed last night by the family of John M. Eischens Jr. of Mabank, TX, a former Arrow driver.

The family reportedly has not heard from the trucker since before Christmas, when the Tulsa-based motor carrier suddenly shut down operations and stranded nearly a thousand drivers on the road.

As volunteers were trying to locate those drivers and get them home or to a safe place, the driver of truck number 6325 emerged “unaccounted for.” After two weeks, he remains missing.

According to Iowa driver Eric Mende, a volunteer working to help stranded drivers, Qualcomm reported no activity on the truck that Eischens was driving for Arrow. Mende said the “last ping was to a tower in the Butte, MT, area.” Mende began calling truck stops in the area and that’s how he found truck number 6325 abandoned at the Pilot in Butte, with keys in it.

Mende told Land Line Magazine that he asked the Pilot security guard to check the lot. The guard found the Arrow truck and reported that the driver’s belongings were gone. The guard told Mende the truck had been there since Dec. 25. There was no sign of Eischens.

Volunteers who have talked to Eischens’ family in Texas report that his mother is worried that he’s not contacted them for several weeks and “it’s not like him to fail to call on Christmas.”

Det. Steve Williams of the Anna Police Department told Land Line that the report was filed last night and going “into the system” Wednesday morning. Williams said because it was a new investigation, details were not available.

If anyone has information on whereabouts of Eischens, please call Det. Williams of the Anna, TX, Police Department. The office phone is 972-924-2848; after 5 p.m. calls will be handled by dispatch at 972-547-5350.

Workman’s Comp insurer, AIG

I am an editor and have been writing over on “The People’s Journal” about the PGR, “Road Dogs on Hogs” and workman’s comp. Yesterday the site published a story from a good friend of mine, Walter Twohorses, about his dealings with Trimac’s workman’s comp insurer, AIG. I have to say that being friends with Walter over the last two years I have seen and heard of the difficulties he has gone through in trying to get non-invasive medical treatment and other benefits due him.

In July 2007 I started training where I learned how to run the pumps, measure the oil and several other required duties. After two weeks I was turned loose with my own truck. It was a ‘96 Freightliner FLD that was originally an OTR truck and had been converted to run the oil fields. It was probably the biggest piece of crap I have ever driven and should have been “retired” a long time ago. I suspect that instead of buying new equipment, they would purchase older, worn out trucks from other branches of the Trimac company to show a profit and saved the company some money.

I drove this worn out Freightliner for a year with the air-ride seat bottoming out an average of 3 to 4 times a day. The impact to my spine took it’s toll over that amount of time.

One day I got out of the truck to hook up my hose. When I stepped down it felt like someone had stuck a very sharp knife in my back and I went down. I could not move. Other drivers at the pumping station helped me get up because I could not do it on my own. I have never experienced pain like that before and it scared the hell out of me. It was about half an hour before I could move. The other drivers helped me get back into my truck and I drove myself the 35 miles back to the yard. Good thing I know how to float the gears because I could not push in the clutch due to the pain and weakness.

Sadly this is a common problem with some trucking companies. Trucks that are deemed “safe” by DOT standards are not always in the best shape when it comes to the drivers body. Truck drivers spend hours upon hours sitting behind the wheel bouncing down the roads of this great Country. These are not always the best roads and can give a very rough ride. These roads take a toll on the trucks. the suspension gets weak and any air-ride equipment no longer works as it should. I don’t know what regulations are for running in the oil fields as Walter did, but I know that any road truck, even if it is new, is NOT set up to be running off-road. They need a much heavier suspension as well as many other beefed up parts to keep the truck from falling apart.

Whereas I have had a rather easy time in dealing with AIG, my injury was a very obvious one, Walter’s is not. The damage to his spine was incurred over the course of a year. I realize that can make a case harder to settle, but if he has the documents to prove that this damage was done while driving for Trimac, why are they not taking care of him? Is AIG to fault for this or Trimac? I know that any time I had a problem with AIG I could call my company and they would get in touch with my adjuster and get things straight. Trimac has not done this for Walter. They have left him swinging in the wind, fending for himself.

You can read Walter’s full story, “Difficulties with Trimac’s Workman’s Comp insurer, AIG” on “The People’s Journal”.

Warning from ALDOT!!!

Howard McGhee Transportation Technologist Sr. Alabama Department of Transportation Third Division Pre-Construction 1020 Bankhead Highway West Birmingham, Alabama   35202-2745 Phone: (205)581-5641   Fax: (205)581-5624 Email: mcgheeh@dot.state.al.us

IF YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND EGGS ARE THROWN AT YOUR WINDSHIELD.

DO NOT OPERATE THE WIPER AND SPRAY ANY WATER BECAUSE EGGS MIXED WITHWATER BECOME MILKY AND BLOCK YOUR VISION UP TO 92.5% SO YOU ARE FORCED TO STOP AT THE ROADSIDE AND BECOME A VICTIM OF ROBBERS.   THIS IS A NEW TECHNIQUE USED BY ROBBERS.

PLEASE INFORM YOUR FRIENDS AND
RELATIVES.