[kgtuck]

I have just now joined marrowforums and have read the reports RE: water contamination at Camp LeJeune. I have had MDS since June '09; began treatment of Dacogen; after 3 rounds of treatments, my blood counts have been stable since! I lived at Camp LeJeune from 1961-62, my family was one of the first occupants in the new housing development and attended the brand new High School across the street. I was 14 years old at that time and attended that HS as a freshman.

I have been perfectly healthy for 63 years; have never smoked; no familial history of any type of cancer and no chromosome abnormalities. The doctors say that MDS is caused mainly from smoking or exposure to benzene (which was found to be a major component in the water contamination study). They do say that this type of disease can occur many, many years after being exposed.

I have read many reports and have joined the website for individuals who may have been affected by the water contamination. Every now and then I'll see a news report on cases against the govt. regarding this issue. My understanding is that the property mentioned above previously was the site of dry cleaning factories, and that the problem years were 1957-1982!