VAMC Lebanon has a 600 Persian Gulf war patient population yet physicians are being cut. This additionally limits access to care and diagnosis. include spouses and family in the care adn diagnosis of Persian Gulf illness since this is a family encompassing illness. You might ask what it is like to be a Persian Gulf war veteran after almost 6 years. Each day starts with uncertainty. When you eat you are constantly sick and have intermittent diarrhea.
Mobility is difficult due to swollen joints and muscle aches.
Severe headaches are intermittent. Sometimes you forget what you are doing and what you were going to do. Pain and fatigue are constant companions. These statements confuse medical providers who then doubt your credibility. What is needed is recognition that, though not coded by the CDC, Persian Gulf war illness is a combination of unique symptoms and outcomes.