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I've already sent this question to the VA and am awaiting an answer but I also wanted to aske it here. Does anyone know if the VA has a program for testing former sailors for lead exposure from the lead paint used on the ships? From what I read so far, it seems that if you have lead in the body as an adult it can result in memory loss and pain in the joints, something I'm beginning to feel at 40 years old and am not sure if it's age or my exposure to lead. I also read that you have to be treated to have the lead removed. At the time I was in we didn't use respirators to chip the old paint off the bulkheads and this was a ship built in the 60s. We used a primer that scared me. If you left the can open too long it would dry into a solid rubbery green block. We were told the primer and the paint at the time was lead based. Should I get tested by my family doctor and send the results to the VA or see if they'll do the testing first?
Sorry to tell you, but there is no cure for lead poisoning. From what I have learned it settles into the bones in your body and does damage to parts of the brain. Once in the bones it can not be removed.
Sorry to tell you, but there is no cure for lead poisoning. From what I have learned it settles into the bones in your body and does damage to parts of the brain. Once in the bones it can not be removed.
You are partially incorrect. Lead poisoning can be treated, but any damage caused cannot be reversed.
I was wondering about "red lead". I was on the USS Columbus during her decommissioning in 1974. It was a mess decommissioning was worse than just painting. I was in areas of the ship that hasn't been there since commissioning, picked me because I was very thin and and 5'10". Miserable 8 months. I was wondering about any skin issues
You can have a simple blood test for lead and any other heavy metals. If you are enrolled in the VA system, have your provider order the tests. Otherwise, have your civilian provider order the tests. There are many other chemicals and heavy metals that can cause neurologic symptoms as well as some forms of cancer are linked as well.
I served on the USS Bennington in the mid 60s and have similar questions concerning Westpac cruises. Some to include paint locker TDY. Exposure to lead paints, dope thinner asbestos and agent orange. While assigned to the paint locker. duties included repainting enclosed compartments while at sea ventilation to said compartments was discontinued during the painting process. Due to poor ventilation myself and another seaman where are required to relieve the other every 15 minutes. On one occasion my relief failed to relieve me in a timely fashion resulting in my inability to determine the time elapsed with an on set in hallucinating subsequently losing consciousness for an undetermined time frame. I regained consciousness in some manner which was never disclosed to me after being removed from the compartmented . This was only one of two occasions when I was overcome by harmful paint and dope thinner fumes. The second occurred while unloading a shipment of red lead paint from the doc by crane. Myself and other seamen were working in the hole about eight (8) decks down. In the process of lowering one of the palettes loaded with paint the insecure load spilled above us. Several cans broke open and dissipated the paint in our work area. While working to clean up another pallet fell with the same results. While working to clean up I again became disoriented to the point of hallucinating at which time I was then removed from the worksite. To my knowledge no medical assistant was ever rendered. However I feel certain that some health issues that I suffer from now results from these incidents. If anyone seeing this has knowledge of these accounts please contact me. No documentation has been found through my inquiry. Thanks for any help provided.
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I served on the USS Bennington in the mid 60s and have similar questions concerning Westpac cruises. Some to include paint locker TDY. Exposure to lead paints, dope thinner asbestos and agent orange. While assigned to the paint locker. duties included repainting enclosed compartments while at sea ventilation to said compartments was discontinued during the painting process. Due to poor ventilation myself and another seaman where are required to relieve the other every 15 minutes. On one occasion my relief failed to relieve me in a timely fashion resulting in my inability to determine the time elapsed with an on set in hallucinating subsequently losing consciousness for an undetermined time frame. I regained consciousness in some manner which was never disclosed to me after being removed from the compartmented . This was only one of two occasions when I was overcome by harmful paint and dope thinner fumes. The second occurred while unloading a shipment of red lead paint from the doc by crane. Myself and other seamen were working in the hole about eight (8) decks down. In the process of lowering one of the palettes loaded with paint the insecure load spilled above us. Several cans broke open and dissipated the paint in our work area. While working to clean up another pallet fell with the same results. While working to clean up I again became disoriented to the point of hallucinating at which time I was then removed from the worksite. To my knowledge no medical assistant was ever rendered. However I feel certain that some health issues that I suffer from now results from these incidents. If anyone seeing this has knowledge of these accounts please contact me. No documentation has been found through my inquiry. Thanks for any help provided.
There's a difference between the real science and the politically motivated govt science. The actual research on Agent Orange says there's minimal toxic effects of exposure (it's a plant enzyme inhibitor, not animal enzyme inhibitor). But Congress found it easier to ignore the science than the veteran voters, so they awarded compensation for everything from cancer to hangnails.....Asbestosis (lung scarring)requires long & heavy exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma occurs almost exclusively in smokers who were exposed heavily. Doing one brake job doesn't cut it.
Volatile organic chemicals (paint thinner etc) have an immediate effect on you when stuck in a confined space due to asphyxiation- they squeeze the oxygen out of the air, so to speak. The exposure can also lead to acute toxicity (kinda like a buzz from alcohol) that will correct itself shortly afterwards. But also like alcohol, repeated &/or excessive exposures can cause permanent neurological damage.
Lead poisoning requires really high exposures to manifest itself-- you probably can't get sick from just breathing old paint dust-- you gotta eat it-and a lot. Removing Pb from paint & gasoline has reduced ambient Pb levels to virtually zero, yet the desired improvement in the state of some parameters of certain groups has not changed at all these last 40 yrs. More politics.
There's essentially no way a physician can tell you anything going wrong with you yrs after the fact is or is not due to that exposure-- only that it could be or maybe couldn't be.
I served on the USS Bennington in the mid 60s and have similar questions concerning Westpac cruises. Some to include paint locker TDY. Exposure to lead paints, dope thinner asbestos and agent orange. While assigned to the paint locker. duties included repainting enclosed compartments while at sea ventilation to said compartments was discontinued during the painting process. Due to poor ventilation myself and another seaman where are required to relieve the other every 15 minutes. On one occasion my relief failed to relieve me in a timely fashion resulting in my inability to determine the time elapsed with an on set in hallucinating subsequently losing consciousness for an undetermined time frame. I regained consciousness in some manner which was never disclosed to me after being removed from the compartmented . This was only one of two occasions when I was overcome by harmful paint and dope thinner fumes. The second occurred while unloading a shipment of red lead paint from the doc by crane. Myself and other seamen were working in the hole about eight (8) decks down. In the process of lowering one of the palettes loaded with paint the insecure load spilled above us. Several cans broke open and dissipated the paint in our work area. While working to clean up another pallet fell with the same results. While working to clean up I again became disoriented to the point of hallucinating at which time I was then removed from the worksite. To my knowledge no medical assistant was ever rendered. However I feel certain that some health issues that I suffer from now results from these incidents. If anyone seeing this has knowledge of these accounts please contact me. No documentation has been found through my inquiry. Thanks for any help provided.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto
There's a difference between the real science and the politically motivated govt science. The actual research on Agent Orange says there's minimal toxic effects of exposure (it's a plant enzyme inhibitor, not animal enzyme inhibitor).
But Congress found it easier to ignore the science than the veteran voters, so they awarded compensation for everything from cancer to hangnails.....Asbestosis (lung scarring)requires long & heavy exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma occurs almost exclusively in smokers who were exposed heavily. Doing one brake job doesn't cut it.
Volatile organic chemicals (paint thinner etc) have an immediate effect on you when stuck in a confined space due to asphyxiation- they squeeze the oxygen out of the air, so to speak. The exposure can also lead to acute toxicity (kinda like a buzz from alcohol) that will correct itself shortly afterwards. But also like alcohol, repeated &/or excessive exposures can cause permanent neurological damage.
Lead poisoning requires really high exposures to manifest itself-- you probably can't get sick from just breathing old paint dust-- you gotta eat it-and a lot. Removing Pb from paint & gasoline has reduced ambient Pb levels to virtually zero, yet the desired improvement in the state of some parameters of certain groups has not changed at all these last 40 yrs. More politics.
There's essentially no way a physician can tell you anything going wrong with you yrs after the fact is or is not due to that exposure-- only that it could be or maybe couldn't be.
What do you know guidoLaMoto?
Have you ever been in the U.S. Military? Have you worked aboard a Navy Ship?
What part of "Exposure to lead paints, dope thinner asbestos" did you not understand?
The poster said "subsequently losing consciousness for an undetermined time frame"... Do you think it is a joke or do you not care?
What medical experience do you have that makes you think you are capable of diagnosing this situation.
Instead you make a joke of the situation.
Truly an ignorant, useless comment to the poster. You were no help at all...
I served in the CG from 1/74 to 4/80 and was on the USCG cutters Storis, Bramble, and Mesquite. I used Blue Death primer and Red Lead paint the entire time. I now have serious COPD but the VA has denied my case since no one can find the material safety data sheets. If anyone has this information, please contact me.
I went on active duty as a 3rd class Engineman and was never on paint detail. Everything around us was painted. I never saw anyone with a dust mask. Paint chipping was done with chipping hammers. It is 60 years since I got out and most of my problems are simple old age. Arthritis and mild hearing loss.
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Navy lead paint. Questions
