Posted: 3/2/2007 5:10:08 PM EDT
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Since I returned from Iraq, I have noticed an increasing degree of memory loss, both long term and short term memory. I forget entire words, my spelling is terrible now, and I forget conversations that I hadI have talked to several of the guys that I was deployed with and they report the same issue. Anyone else having a problem with this? |
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Thats uncanny-I've noticed the very same thing! I used to have one helluva vocabulary, I was really good at working three dollar words into conversations but now I have a hard enough time searching for my next word-sometimes I feel like I'm telling the worst lie ever but I'm actually just trying to have a conversation... I was a decent student in high school-was able to get by with little work. I was pretty smart and I knew it... Now, back in college I struggle to get by. I can't retain info like I used to. I figured it was because I hadn't been in an academic setting for five years-but maybe there's more to it, who knows? |
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When I used to travel internationally extensively, I often wouldn't talk to anyone for days to weeks. When I would return I would stumble over words and have a hard time. No memory loss though. Did you have regular, daily conversations or did you go silent for long periods? |
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I usually talked everyday-sometimes it wasn't much "yeah...no...got a light" kind of stuff. I guess there were a couple of times I would go silent for a few days...maybe that has something to do with it-although I've been home for over a year; you'd think it would have worked itself out by now... I chalk it up to a quadruple whammy-getting back from a war zone, getting out of the Army, not having a full time job, and being a college student. Which all happened at once. I reckon I'm still getting used to 'real' life. |
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I feel more scattered brain now I think it has something to with the intensity of life over there than it is here. When I was there I could focus completely on the mission because the lives of the men I worked with depended on it, but now even if I want to focus on something or try to be organized it realy never feels like it. In Iraq I had moments of clarity that I can close my eyes and remember like it was yesterday now if I don't wright down what I have to get done the next day I won't remember it at all. Individual results may vary |
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I teach ROTC now and find myself drawing blanks in the middle of a discussion in class. I've noticed it. Maybe it's that part of the brain that blocks out bad shit. Funny, I've had more sleepless nights in the last 4 months than all of the last 2 years since I got back from Iraq. |
It hadn't occured to me I think yo're right about the vocabulary thing. Oddly enough I ran Chinook maintenance so I talked all day. But I have trouble with the word being on the tip of my tongue but just being able to get it out. |
Same problem here. At 41 years old I often forget the names of people or places that I've known for years. Talking to my wife I'll often draw a blank, she'll jump in after a minute of my stammering and find my lost words for me. I never related it though to my time in the Gulf. Is this pretty common with other D Storm vets? I also find my self mispronouncing words more often than normal. |
Think so? We had all the shots posible at the time, I think something like three were given related to bio or chem weapons, along with the taking of PB tablets and the weekly malaria pill as well. |
I didn't get any of that, but I did get the Anthrax as I think most of us have. |
| I started getting the anthrax vaccine in 98 and went to EOD school in 99 If anything was ever to test your ability to remember and be organized it was there. I got the smallpox vaccine and started taking antibiotics and some other job related medication when I crossed the berm in MAR 2003. To be honest Sir I am not realy sure but it is comforting to know that I am not the only one wh feels like they have brain damage because of this crap. |
Well It can cause short term memory loss, Look it up on the net(if you havnt yet)there is some pretty scary shit on the anthrax vaccine. |
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What what i going to post again? jsut ask coworkers or my gf. My memory has gone downhill. Had anthrax before they stopped doing it. Been to the sandbox a few times. Anyone have any additional information on the memory loss/anthrax issue? I did a google search, but didn't really come up with much. At least, nothing that i remember. 
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Yep. Same here. I noticed the memory issues Shortly after returning from DS. But immediately after arriving in the Gulf I had other issues including sneezing fits that have diminished, but never gone completely away. In 1993 the VA examined all of us who were withing 2 miles of the Khamisiyah chemical weapons facility when it was destroyed. The nurse said I had a noticable memory loss, but the final verdict was there was nothing wrong. They blamed the sneezing on allergies or my deviated septum  ETA: Khamisiyah was an ammo depot that stored chemical weapons, not a factory. |
I received a letter from the government I believe around the 1993-94 time frame, informing me that my unit at the time (1-1 CAV 1st AD) was in the area downwind of Khamisiyah. Then a short while later I received another letter telling me that we were NOT in the affected area, so I don't know which letter to believe. I have since returning from the Gulf had much more problems with my sinuses and increased problems with allergies. |
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I had the anthrax series started on me at least three times- I don't know if I ever got all of it (unsure if it is just the same shot over 18 months, or a bunch of different shots) I think I've had just about all the shots you can get-anthrax, smallpox, yellow fever-a whole bunch of vaccines that you only get when you go to korea. I never made the antrhax connection. Sure is nice to know I'm not the only one.... |
Kinda how I am. There was so much stuff we had to remember and do, then combined with days blurring together because of late nights and early mornings....I can hardly remember what I did last week. I have excellent longterm memory but my shortterm was already kinda lacking before it. |
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I noticed definite short and long term memory loss after I got home. I have large blanks from long term memory for things that happened before Iraq. Long term for new things since I returned seem okay. Short term causes problems also; I take a lot of notes. As to anthrax, read Vaccine A. It's a pretty good read about the development of the vaccine and squalene, which is the probable cause of the issues people have. I've had about 6 or 7 of the shots by now, and they get progressively worse for me. Larger lumps, more severe systemic reactions, and a bruise that covered by entire bicep and tricep the last time around. |
We had maybe 10% of our Company take the Anthrax shots. The rest of us were like, "You guys are fuckin retarded.  "I didnt even take a flu shot from the Army. We had to get Smallpox and even then I didnt want it. |
I wish I'd had a choice, but I got my shots between 2000 and 2004. No choice at that time. Hell no I wouldn't have taken them. |
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Yea, like I said, I’m still uncertain about whether we were affected by the whole Khamisiyah incident. But, what I also wonder about were the piles of buried munitions that the Iraqis had scattered across the desert. We were in an area shortly after the cease fire, surrounded by these piles of munitions covered with sand. The engineers spend a significant amount of time blowing up these stockpiles. Some unexploded shells even landed within meters of our TOC. I wonder if any of those stock piles contained chemical weapons? This picture was snapped seconds after the first two piles were detonated. Needless to say, our pucker factor was pretty high at that moment because we had no idea what was going on. It wasn’t till after the engineers started their demo work that they decided to stop by and inform us as to what was going on. 
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I have not been to D-storm but my memory is also pretty bad, I have a hard time with pronouncing some words. My spelling has improved in the past couple of years but my math skills went downhill. At work all of my co-workers know that I can not remember fine details of an event past last week. I know something happened, but don't ask me the details. I wonder if I still have my shot records somewhere. on a positive note, I "feel" like i can figure things out better in an "engineering" sense. since I bought my first house I am able to figure out how to fix electrical and plumbing stuff without the help of a "pro" |
I’m that way too. I think it’s just because my mind is running faster than my fingers can type. |
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hin I was deployed out-of-theater for another mission at the time my squadron was innoculated with un-named vaccines (vaccine A and vaccine B?), but I was on several different meds, including the nerve agent pre-treatment (PB?). On top of that, we flew a major number of missions that took us through the clouds of smoke from the oil field fires, and well as missions that took us downwind of the Khamisiyah area. Originally, the dates and dispersal patterns from the Khamisiyah detonations matched with these flights. After data was "revised", they did not. After I retired in 2000, I was evaluated by the VA. "Nothing to worry about. Not related to the Gulf War." Based on the number of Vets and Retirees that are having these problems, there has to be some connection. What it is, I don't know. My family, friends and co-workers have mentioned how bad it is at times. I have problems with names of people, places and things. I stop sentences in mid-stream as I completely lose my train of thought. There are times I cannot form the words to accurately express myself. I literally walk 20 feet to a co-worker's cubicle and turn around and go back to my desk because I forgot why I went there. Very aggravating. |
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gah same problem here. I used to be able to throw out big words into a convo etc.. I cant do the words anymore. Get this.. I can give the definition of what im trying to think of (the word) but cant remember the word... anyone else like that? Now meh... its going downhill fast... I have the same problem remembering like television actor's names anymore. I can in my mind, Visually see like (bruce willis's) face, (and think of his movies) , but completely not remember his name. I blame it on the internet, too much typing, not enough vocalizing. |
| Noticed my memory loss post Asscrackistan, it was terrible I'd snap to halfway through the day with no recollection of the morning. Got better but still had trouble finding the right word and remebering where stuff was and what I was doing. It continued to get better until I went to Iraq now it's just struggling for the right word and remembering what I'm doing. I've gotten up to get a beer and when I got into the kitchen forgotten what I was there for. Anyways I had a anthrax shot before Iraq and took Malaria pills in asscrack, if anything it's the pills for me cuz I hadn't even had anthrax prior to Iraq. I teach BNCOC right now and I'd say over half my students have the same symptoms. |