Agent orange is bad stuff it damaged all parts if your body and there is no fighting it. the stuff just slowly eats away. Some die quickly others go slowly. fighting the damage it does but that's the way it goes.

Yes, in Vietnam much of the war zone areas were covered in lush growth. Defoliants were used to help find the caves and other hidden objects the enemy used.

In the cotton industry when they changed from human pickers to the mechanical pickers, they found that there was too much leaf and twig matter in the cotton. Clean white cotton was the desired product so it was discovered that if a defoliant was used, the leaves would all fall off and leave much cleaner cotton.

For years it was thought it was harmless, but then it was discovered that every time the cotton was harvested, people got really nasty flu-like respiratory problems. Those of us with weak lungs paid the price.

The military denied any problems with agent orange for years. And, I feel that other than our soldiers, no one realized AO was a poisoness herbicide. Also, I feel that here in the cotton growing areas few still realize that is causing major health problems. My doctors over the past 36 years have not known about it when I brought it to their attention. They felt it was solely a Vietnam illness.

Don't have an answer but Bless you for your years of service and I am so sorry our government was careless in issuing Agent Orange with out warnings to all our service men and women.

I have prostatectomy since my agent orange with my COPD. The result is my psa is rising (been on Lupron for 1 year) with COPD

Yep! Only instead of AO it was called by American product names Def or Folex, if I remember correctly. These products are used by crop dusting planes to spray the leaves on the cotton plants for cleaner cotton when it's picked. I taught at a school for 22 years that was surrounded by cotton fields in Central California. It's been a rough 35 years since I was diagnosed; but, thanks to steroids, inhalers, antibiotics and other meds, I made it to 75 this July and am still going.

My advice to get through the rough times today: Learn as much about your disease, find and listen to a knowledgable and caring doctor and follow your daily med routines faithfully. Exercise if you still can and if not, do what I do. Move something every time a commercial comes on your tv. Every movement that keeps your muscles working helps. My exercise goal is "one step more than yesterday."

Hugs and good wises for everyone living with COPD.