Statement of Kristie Ann DraperStenzel

before the Institute of Medicine,

National Academy of Sciences

December 15, 1999

Good Afternoon. My name is Kristie Ann DraperStenzel. I am a silent and often unrecognized victim of Gulf War Syndrome. I was married to a Gulf War Veteran, SGT. Jason Stenzel. He was given the anthrax vaccine before being deployed for the Gulf Region. He was in perfect health prior to this. Within hours of receiving the vaccine he started to go into convulsions and froth at the mouth. He vomited for days on end and lost approximately 20 lbs.

His job during the war was that of a tank loader. He was part of 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas and spent more than 9 months in the Gulf region. Shortly after he returned I began to pass out at work almost every day. A few months later I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. To treat the cancer I had 2 cyrocauteries and a conization done. I also began to have severe allergic reactions which doctors could not explain. I would be in a constant state of hives. I would have huge welts that covered my entire body. I would have blood filled blisters covering my body. My face and neck would swell. My lips would swell up and turn purple. My eyelids would be filled with fluid and be closed for days at a time. These symptoms persist even today, eight years later. Doctors have advised me that to even attempt to live a normal life I need to do more than 30 allergy shots a day and take more than 60 pills of supplements and medication. Because I am chemically sensitive to the materials used in most medicines, these pills must be compounded specially for me at great expense.

It was not until 1996 that I found a doctor who could even begin to untangle my medical problems. At that point I had endured years of allergic reactions so severe that I had experienced anaphylactic shock more than 25 times; I had been defibrillated on four separate occasions; I had had 5 surgeries to have endometriosis removed and finally I had had a total hysterectomy. Even that did not stop the constant pain I felt every day of my life.

While in the hospital after the hysterectomy, I noticed that when my husband would walk into the room I would have severe convulsions. When he would leave the room the convulsions would subside. Three times the convulsions were so extreme that they resulted in my incisions being ripped open. The link between my problems and my husband finally became unmistakable in 1997 when he was deployed back to the Gulf Region for training exercises. Upon his return, I would spend sleepless nights lying next to him in cold sweats and hot flashes. I would sweat so much that I would have to get up and take a shower and sometimes even change the sheets because they would be soaked through so much. My doctor told me about Gulf War Syndrome and the problems that veterans and their spouses were having. Eventually we reached the conclusion that I could no longer live with my husband if I wanted to live at all. I had no choice but to move into a separate apartment.

In the meantime, Jason’s faculties had deteriorated rapidly. Largely because of the expense of my medical treatments, we had to sell our house and placed a “for sale” sign outside. Each night Jason would come home he would see the sign and could not remember why it was for sale. He would call me - under the impression that he was calling me at work, because he would forget that we were living apart - and ask me why the house had a for sale sign in front of it.

Doctors told me that my problems were all psychological despite the fact that I have been diagnosed and gone through 3 bouts of cancer, lupus, multiple sclerosis, severe anaphylactic allergic reactions, suffered a stroke, have had bleeding ulcers in my stomach and mouth, and on my scalp, abnormal SPECT and CT scans showing neurotoxic exposure, positive ANA and thyroid antibodies, and hearing loss. Doctors repeatedly have refused to treat me, or would treat me with medicine intended for stress and other psychological problems without realizing that these medicines only made me worse. In 1998 I also had blood tests performed which showed that my blood contained mycoplasma fermentans incognitus.

My chemical sensitivity is so severe that I cannot go outside without wearing a mask and can only eat organically grown pesticide-free foods. I cannot hold down a job because the perfumes, cleaning materials, and other chemicals of everyday office life cause me to become lightheaded and pass out. The worst hangover you ever had would be a gloriously healthy day for me. I literally risked my life traveling on an airplane to be here today. The fumes from jet fuel or bus exhausts could cause a fatal reaction.

I have spent the last 2,673 days in a row in constant pain. (I continue to deal with the ravages of this illness every day) I have gotten no reprieve from my symptoms whatsoever. The mycoplasma and cancer are shortening my life. My health and quality of life has deteriorated. I am severely allergic to everything in our environment. I am unable to receive necessary treatments due to the nature of my bodies “allergic state”. Due to the intensity of pain that I am in on a daily basis, my activities are increasingly limited. The recurring medical bills have escalated to the point of where I cannot afford to live anymore. Consequently, I have had to deal with divorce proceedings because my body endures severe allergic reactions when coming into contact with my husband. This devastating and debilitating chronic illness has torn me apart from my husband as well as society.

I wish to thank Dr. Meryl Nass for her continued efforts and support for all of us who are sick with this debilitating illness. I wish to thank Dr. William Rea, Dr. Paula Davey and Dr. Robert Thoreson for all of the wonderful care that they have provided me. I also wish to thank all of my family and friends for their support and especially for believing in me. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Kristie Ann DraperStenzel

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