Hey Guys,

From me to you, an alert involving prostate cancer, the VA, and Us. As most of you know, I was diagnosed a little over a year ago with a rapid growing type of prostate cancer. The urologist that provided the diagnoses is in private practice but also works one day a week at the VA hospital in Denver. He told me to file with the VA immediately because prostate cancer is associated with agent orange and Vietnam vets have a rate eight to ten times greater when compared to the same-age group in the rest of society. I never really considered the possibility that we aboard the Mispillion may have been exposed to agent orange until I got a call sometime in the '80s from a guy I served with who has two children with permanent disabilities from the herbicide. Anyway, I did what the doc suggested but went on to get treatment via the private sector, which was a good thing because the VA never got hold of me about it until about a month ago when someone called to ask if I wanted to come in for evaluation and treatment. All my docs agree that because of the fast growing nature of the cancer I had, it would have by now spread to my bones and I'd be a goner had I waited for the VA.

Waging the paper-war with the VA can be frustrating and seem like an endless battle, but the good news is that prostate cancer is now automatically considered service connected. The hoops you have to jump through seem ridiculous at the time, but last week I received notice that I have been granted 100% compensation with an additional amount for special monthly compensation based on certain housebound criteria being met. The main condition was that I had to prove I had actually set foot on Vietnamese soil; the government attitude such as if to say the herbicide was well behaved and never left land to drift among ships anchored in a harbor or tied to a pier. Being near the hillsides of defoliation right down to the waterline that I photographed in the harbor at An Thoi did not count.

What finally worked for me then was I found a copy of my transit orders which had me birthed in Danang for three days when flying home in 1970. I must also tell you that this 100% is probably a temporary thing, and they will probably reduce it as my health improves, but the decision is a life saver and well worth the effort as the insurance company left me owing the hospital quite a large sum of money that the VA compensation will now cover.

So, my advice to you, my old friends, keep up the yearly PSA check, catch it early, and if you have any questions on what I did and what I had to go through, please feel free to contact me.

Best Regards,
Loner
303-926-0378