Nasiriya?

[FDRrocks]

Sad stuff, guys.

My co-workers little boy (read: big boy!) returned from Iraq just short of a month ago. He was in Nasiriya for most of the time, from what she tells me.

I met him, he looked at me odd, I look like your run of the mill hippy, so I was not surprised at all.

Anyhow. I asked her today how her son is doing. She said he is back on base (forget where) but he is really sick. I asked her if it was a cold.

Well...

She said he was having problems with his muscles and also constant naseau. If I am not mistaken are these not the symptoms of radiation or injections or whatever that are commonly associated with Gulf War syndrome (whether it be medical testing on troops or radiation)?

I was freaked for a few minutes, but decided not to say anything to her at first, as it would sound pretentious.

What I am basically asking is: Have any of you guys heard any instances of this stuff occuring in any troops around Nasiriya? Do you think this is more than the flu? Do you think I should inform her on these points?

She is the kinda person who is rather gullible (went on about how the movie "The Mothman Prophecies" has to be true, and when she was sad her son was in Iraq, WHISPERED "sometimes I wish we weren't over there"). So I think something like this might anger her, or cause her to speculate to much.

I don't want to say anything, but her son is a nice guy. He didn't shoot anyone from what he told me, and I am deeply saddened by not only bombing people, but the stuff that tips our missiles and the injections given to our soldiers while they are serving.

[gratuitous]

1. Don't speculate

I presume you're not a doctor, and you haven't examined the son. Although it sounds like it could be radiation sickness, there's no point in scaring the poor woman to death. Offer her your sympathy and your kindness. If you're a spiritual person, tell her you'll pray for the son; if you're not spiritual, tell her you'll keep a good thought for him. And her.

As the days go by, hopefully the son will get better. Talk with your co-worker. Tell her that you hope Congress and the White House will restore full funding to take care of veterans (let her figure out how to change that if they don't -- she'll probably come to the right conclusion all on her own). Let her know that you're on her side.

[jbm]

2. I don't know anything about Nasiriya...

but the images in your story made me sad. The idea that these poor kids not only have to deal with Iraq,but the after effects of Iraq,is just..tragic.

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Sad to say, he will have a lot of company

Maybe the screwworm flies were lucky. Used for research at Iraq’s Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center, thousands were supposed to be sterilized with doses of radioactivity as part of a pest-control program...

DURING THE WAR, they just starved to death, or so the International Atomic Energy Agency has been told. As for the dangerous isotopes that were used on them? Those may well have been stolen and could be irradiating humans accidentally these days. Or worse.
There used to be a whole lot of radioactive material at Tuwaitha. United Nations inspectors identified it, stored it, sealed it. There were roughly 500 tons of uranium, of which about 1.8 tons was low-enriched stuff. There was also cobalt 60 and strontium 90. All in all, the inspectors found some 228 sources of radioactivity.
Then the United States came along. During the war, U.S. troops on the ground didn’t know quite what they were supposed to do at the facility and much of the radioactive material was looted. No one outside the United States government is sure how much...maybe the dead screwworm flies were lucky. They died quickly.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/914505.asp?0cl=c1

[seemslikeadream]

4. National Gulf War Resourse Center

www.ngwrc.org is a good source for information.

[lancemurdoch]

5. Nasiriyah

My brother was in Nasiriyah with the Marines. Bush called them up from the reserves and sent them over there. He hasn't mentioned this, and seems healthy. But I also think they had trouble at some point and went 2-3 weeks without a decent shower, I wonder what the effects of that would be, especially in an environment like that. Also, it may be something else in this person's case. My brother got there after the action died down (Jessica Lynch and all that).

[CarlosNH]

6. Link

You may want to check out this site:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~stgvisie/VISIE/ud_main.html

[newyawker99]

7. Hi CarlosNH!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: