Lymphedema and Agent Orange

[BobNY]

Hi-My name is Bob, and I have severe Stage 3 lymphedema, and am also a Viet Nam vet. Has anyone been able to find a connection between Agent Orange, and lymphedema?
I do see posts here and there on the web about this, and would like to hear from ALL Viet Nam vets who have lymphedema, to see if there might be enough of us to get the gov't to recognize it.


Thanks so much:)

Bob

[KatieBelle0527]

Hi Bob! My father was in the Navy and is also a Vietnam Vet. He also suffers from lymphedema. He has it in his leg, abdomen and apart of his backside. After much research I have found several more men like yourself and my father who also suffer with lymphedema who are ALSO Vietnam Vets. I know this is NOT a coincidence...there is definitely a relation. Now, its just making the VA see that there is a link so all of you brave men can get the care you NEED. My father was told there were two types of Lymphedema....1) the kind you get that is inherited and 2) the kind you get from cancer treatments. My dad has NOT had either of those. After what I've discovered so far it is obvious to me that there is a link between lymphatic filariasis or filarial lymphedema and the veterans of the VIETNAM war. If you'd like to contact me further I'd love to chat with you. God Bless...hope to hear from you soon!

[patoco]

It should be easy enough to determine if the lymphedema is actually from lymphatic filariasis. A blood test should show this.

However, I too have known other vets and/or heard from others that they have lymphedema after being exposed to agent orange. A number of the other vets were tested for lymphatic filariasis and did NOT have it. So the commonality points towards agent organe.

That was a wicked deadly poison and I am not at all surprised that it should have or could have caused lymphedema.

There are indeed two so-called types of lymphedema. One is the hereditary form. This has been in my family since the 1800's.

The other type is commonly referred to as secondary lymphedema, meaning the lymphedema (LE) was triggered through another incident, agent, injury etc.

Both however are treated and managed the same. It burns me to the core that the military doesn't stand behind our vets when they come back with an illness or condition that came about as a result of their service to our country.

Pat