w 11A LIFESTYLES / The Charlotte Post Thursday, January 16,1997 HEALTHY BODY/ HEALTHY MIND Study shows gulf vets gassed THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ailing veterans of a Seabee unit from Alabama say a study on Desert Storm dis eases supports their claims that they were gassed in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. “I know we were exposed,” Jack Mitchell of Northport, a former master chief petty offi cer with the 24th Naval Reserve Construction Battalion, told The Birmingham News in story published Sunday. “It hap pened.” Mitchell’s Seabee battalion, headquartered in Huntsville with members throughout the Southeast, was the focus of a medical study that confirmed the existence of a gulf war syndrome. Study results released Wednesday in Washington showed that 179 of 249 Seabee veterans report ed they are now ill. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said many of the veterans were suffering from damage to their nervous systems caused by exposures to combinations of chemicals, including nerve agents, insecticides and anti nerve gas pills given to 250,000 U.S. troops. As a result, there are several forms of gulf war syndrome Eiffecting veterans. S3miptoms include rashes, diarrhea, achy joints, fatigue and memory loss. Three articles and an edi torial on the study are being published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “I agree with the study,” said John Gonzales, a Seabee vet eran who had to be evacuated by air ambulance from the gulf and has had health prob lems ever since. “I believe we got gassed.” Mitchell said many members of the battalion knew they were contaminated by chemi cal warfare agents shortly after the air war began on Jan. 17, 1991. Some veterans believe the gas was released by coalition bombing of Iraq's chemical arsenal, but others believe they were victims of an Iraqi attack. No matter, Mitchell said, the gas was there. “Animals were dropping dead,” Mitchell said. “That was the thing that convinced me. Mitchell said he saw black sheep choke to death for no apparent reason other than exposure to chemical or bio logical warfare agents. Mitchell, 51, suffers from asthma and other health prob lems he believes were caused by the gulf war. He applied for disability benefits through the federal Department of Veterans Affairs two years ago. “I haven’t heard from them yet,” he said. Mitchell' said he really doesn’t need the money, but there are plenty of sick veter ans who do. Congress has loosened stan dards for granting disability compensation to gulf war vet erans suffering from undiag nosed illnesses. But only a few hundred veterans have been granted the benefits, and the Clinton administration has vowed to break a bureaucratic bottleneck causing the prob lem. Pentagon officials have repeatedly said there was no coverup of exposures to chemi cal warfare agents. New hope for leukemia patients THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PORTLAND, Ore. - Blood from her infant brother’s umbilical cord could help save a 5-year-old girl suffering from leukemia. In the first procedure of its type in Oregon, Amanda Ayala received about a cup of cord blood cells from her 7- week-old brother, Juan, Friday at University Hospital. Umbilical cords, normally discarded after a baby is bom, are proving useful in treating life-threatening cancers, immune system disorders and anemia. “It’s neat they can do this,” said Laurie Vanover of Hood River, Amanda’s mother. “I think more women should be saving cords for kids.” Several years ago, medical research revealed that cord blood contains the same dis ease-fighting cells as bone marrow. Blood from the umbilical cord and placenta contains a rich population of stem cells - the cells that nor mally create several billion new red blood cells, white cells and platelets every hour. Several hundred cord blood transplants have been per formed worldwide, mainly in children. Dr. Ted B. Moore, a pediatric oncologist, said such trans plants usually are not avail able to adults because of the small volume of blood the cord yields. Amanda was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in October 1995 and was treated with chemotherapy. Although the cancer went into remission for a time, it returned and doctors deter mined her best chance was a bone marrow transplant. However, neither her parents Healthy Eating nor her two siblings were a compatible match. “It was great that at the end of November, she delivers, we have wonderful cooperation from her physician, and Amanda is fortunate that she has a sibling that match es,” Moore said. In prepara tion for Friday's transplant, Amanda had two days of chemothera py and three days of total body irradia tion to destroy her diseased bone meirrow. In Friday's 15-minute procedure. Amanda received her broth er's thawed cord blood cells, much as one would get a blood transfusion. “The nice thing about this is, it means we didn’t have to take the brother to the operat ing room,” Moore said. SPECIAL TO THE POST According to a recent nation wide survey, more Americans are resolving to take better care of themselves this year than last year. More than two-thirds (69 percent) are determined to eat more fiuits and vegetables next year, up finm 56 percent a year ago. For those people, there may be no better way to usher in the new year than with the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) recom mendation to eat "5 A Day." Eating five or more daily serv ings of fiuits and vegeta bles can better your overall health and may reduce the risk of cancer. Unlike many resolutions, 5 A Day is easy. NCI has developed 15 tips for eating 5 A Day this winter that can help Americans meet many of their resolutions because it is a great step toward maintain ing a healthy diet and feeling more energetic. With meals... • Add 1/4 cup chopped dried fi*uit to a bowl of hot cereal. To plump up and soften the fhiit, cook it with the cereal. • Cook sliced apples and pears and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm, at room tempera ture or chiUed. • Add frozen mixed vegetables when you heat canned or pack aged soup. • For a new sandwich twist, fill a pita or rolled tortilla with an assortment of chopped veg etables, along with sliced turkey, lean roast beef, tuna or cheese. • Serve a vegetable platter with dip as a way to start a meal. For snacks... • Keep a stash of dried finit in your briefcase, purse or locker. They make a great 5 A Day snack, and they don't spoil. • Serve hot cider after skating or sledding. • Make your own trail mix with dried chopped fruits, raisins, breakfast cereal and pretzels. • Have a glass of vegetable or tomato juice as a mid-moming snack • Bake a white or sweet potato in the microwave and eat as is or top with grated cheese, chopped broccoli, or emother favorite top ping. ABILITY TRANSPORT SERVICES,JNC. HANDICAPPED RAMP VEHICLES “To Assist In Maintaining Your Normal Way Of Life” Providing Trips To And From: Doctors - Shopping - Site Seeing and More Offering Affordable Rates and A Driver With Experience and Patience. Call For Cost & Information 'O f c/* t '3 o1997 Resolutions > A.r^nt survey shows moieAnericans ; totake better cafeofSieniseives ■.; in'97, With the bluest }uti^ among / 'z'- people vowing to eat more fmits and vegetables; The National Ganeef; I Instituta recommends eating five or ■ ftioreeawings of fruitsa'''* a day Ibr better health, i Source: National Cancer Institute CW Williams Health Center 3333 Wilkinson Blvd. • (704)393-7720 'We Provide Primary & Preventive MeiStiedliMre for the ENTIRE FAMILY" On Site Pharmaty, X-Ray & Laboratory Services Call For Appointment or Information Hours: Wed. & Fri, 8:30am - 5:30pm, OPEN THREE EVENINGS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Mon, Tue. & Thur. 8:30am - 8r30pm Medicare • Medicaid • Sliding Fee • Costwise/PCP • Private Ins. 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As part of this study a free research treatment program will be provided to qualified older adults. Participants will receive expert medical care and study medication at no cost. Carolina Neurological Clinic, PA ^ALhei iJisease imer s CALL THE CLINICAL STUDY HOTLINE 1 (800) 57-STUDY ext. 22

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