(no subject)

[camwyn]

That cold I had in mid-July, the one that drove me to Buckley's, is still with me. At least, it's with me in the form of a persistent post-nasal drip that results in some really vile-sounding coughs, some of which sound more bronchial than others. Normally I'd say this is part of the natural pattern with me, as I've always been prone to croupy sicknesses since I was a baby and I've always taken a while to shake coughs, but...

Well, in the past few years I've had two diagnosed cases of pneumonia, and I've had several cases of the HORKA HORKA COUGH type of cold. One of my long distance friends who calls me every few months pointed out that I always seem to have a horrific cough when she calls. The other day I noticed that a few of the coughs I got in the morning were wheezier than usual- in that I could feel them in the upper part of my chest, not just hear them sounding nasty.

And the reports out of the NYC Health Registry said that as of 2006 and 2007 they were diagnosing more cases of asthma and PTSD in 9/11 survivors.

I was exposed for two days. The first day I was stationed at West Broadway and Duane Street, starting around noon. That's about a third of a mile away from the Towers. I was at the site for about five minutes around 11 PM. We left the city to go back to NJ for a few hours' sleep and then drove in the next morning around eight or nine, and I was stationed at ... either Cedar or Thames, I think, one or two streets south of the site. That was, again, until quite late in the day. The mask I was issued my first day was a standard 'don't worry, I won't cough on you' mask that wasn't rated against concrete dust, let alone asbestos. I was told by my co-driver not to wear it at first on the grounds that we didn't want to scare anyone. Put it on eventually. Wound up giving the mask away when the cops and firefighters kept coming to us to ask for whatever we had to help- all of us did. Someone in scrubs gave me a NIOSH particulate respirator when I visited the actual site, and I wore that the rest of my time in the city. I was sore-throat and wheezy for a week afterwards. Mostly I took slippery elm drops to help with that.

I have never in my life wanted to claim victim status for anything. It still grates badly to even think of it. But I'd like to be sure that I know what I'm dealing with.

One of my co-workers has a brother who was a fire captain that day. He's given me the name of the 9/11 pulmonologist his brother's been seeing and told me to call him. I'll be doing that by the end of the week.

Dammit.

Comments

[daniidebrabant.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, hon. I understand the feeling icky about that. If you need anything, just let me know.

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

Better to know, even if you don't identify yourself as a "victim". Because if you know, you can take possibly more effective steps to clear your lungs out and go onwards. Also, having had a long history as a child of crappy lung sickness, it ain't no fun, no matter what's causing it.

[argonautilus.livejournal.com]

Hey..Just a note here. There's nothing to be ashamed about here. Your lungs are your lungs. If they have a problem, there is nothing wrong in seeing what if anything is the matter. And as you know, environmental factors are important. No shame in that.

[badninja.livejournal.com]

There's no shame here. I wasn't there, but I know so many people that were, an were glad for the volunteers who did so much to try to make things right. I don't think anyone would object to you needing medical assistance now.

If you need to talk during the process or get advice, I recently went through being diagnosed with asthma myself. Different cause, but... maybe I can help?

[maps-or-guitars.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of them there. Take care of yourself.

[mmexlibris]

What everyone else has already said. There's no shame at all, and if you do have a problem related to concrete dust/asbestos, best to get on top of it sooner rather than later.

Let us know how it turns out.

[feonixrift.livejournal.com]

Ok, you don't have inhuman super powers of built-in lifetime HEPA filtration in your bronchial passages, complete with perfect waste disposal. Bummer.

No matter how many haven't gotten diagnosed afterward, I've got to say, EVERYONE exposed to that stuff was harmed. Do what you gotta do, get better, roar at them, whatever works.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

Take care of you, otherwise how will you fight the Decipticons?

In all seriousness though, it could be something completely different. Better to know now than suffer.

[mm_madb]

Best to take care and get checked out. While victim status sucks, death by refusing to get treatment if there is something you could do sucks far, far worse.

[the_croupier]

Ugh. I really, really, really hope it turns out to have nothing at all to do with that day, but I agree, best to get it checked out and be sure.