Everything about the installation of a Spinal Cord Stimulator went as planned. At present, I am off the big bang pain meds and am only taking Tylenol, and that infrequently. Still have a ways to go on antibiotics and muscle relaxants, however. For those of you who shared my pain, I am grateful.
Keep in mind, please, how I got to the place I’m currently in. In brief, I served two tours off the coast of North Vietnam at 19 North on the USS Long Beach CG(N) – 9. After a cut-short tour in Long Beach Shipyard, I served In-Country Vietnam, traveling extensively in III and IV Corps, doing my job as ordnance advisor in the Brown Water Navy. The last tour was where I was really exposed to Agent Orange, big time.
I progressed from being diagnosed as a Type II diabetic, to having skin cancer extensively around my head area, to chronic kidney failure, to where I am now, a 100%++ disabled vet having lasted through a triple bypass, and am on dialysis with a numbness in my legs caused by diabetes that is being treated by the installation of an SCS. I am, indeed, turning into a bionic man.
Not enough is known about the why and how Agent Orange was used in Vietnam in the first place by the general public. Below is a short blurb about it, followed by a Wiki link where you can read in depth about it. It’s past time that the US Govt took the ramifications of such deployment seriously and stepped up to offer aid and comfort to the victims. Almost 50 years after my exposure, such support is somewhat begrudgingly being offered to those persistent enough to trudge through the red tape. And those of us who have been there, know that no other entity comes close to the US Govt when red tape is involved.
Summary: Operation Ranch Hand was a U.S. military program during the Vietnam War aimed at defoliating forests and crops to reduce enemy cover. Here are key points about the operation:
The program was officially terminated in 1971, but its effects are still felt today.
Initiated in 1962, it primarily used herbicides like Agent Orange.
The goal was to eliminate vegetation that provided concealment for Viet Cong forces.
Over 20 million gallons of herbicides were sprayed across Vietnam.
The operation had significant environmental and health impacts, affecting both soldiers and civilians.
It contributed to long-term ecological damage and health issues, including cancer and birth defects.
Here’s the Wiki link to much more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ranch_Hand
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