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Just Coincidental?
Hello,
I am a 34 year old female. First I want to say
that I have never had any skin or respiratory, or allergy problems before
03/2002.
I was employed in a Nursing facility in a town
nearby where I lived. When it would rain, the toilets, and the basement
would flood. The toilet water would run out into the floors, and go into the
hall.
Approximately 1 month after being employed, I
would come into work, and after being there for about 45 min, I would develop
this terrible rash, that was very large itchy raised welts. I would have it
on my arms, face, neck, and the back of my neck. Approximately 45 min after
leaving the building for the day, it would start going away, and repeat every
time I would go back in the building. It became so routine, that I would go to
the charge nurse, or the DON, and show them I was fine when I would come in,
then once the rash started, I would go back to show them that it had flared
again. I knew there was something in that building that was doing this to me.
On April 30th, 2002 I was at work, another normal
itchy raised rash day, and around 1 pm, I was finishing my break, and getting
ready to help my co-workers with the afternoon duties. I was in the break
room, and all of a sudden, I had a very strange feeling come over me. My
whole body felt strange, then I felt a tingling in my hands, and then in my
throat, and it very quickly became hard to swallow, like I was swallowing over
a golf ball, that quickly grew larger. I went out to the nurses desk, and told
the charge nurse that something was wrong with me. She took one look at me,
and said "Oh my God" She yelled for the administrator, and she saw me, and
took me to the clinic just a few blocks away, where I was given epinephrine,
and benedryl, and monitored. I was ok after a bit, but still felt that
feeling in my throat for some time.
The next day, I did not go to work, and the
administrator called and made an appt with an allergy specialist. She called
and told me she made me an appt, and said they would cover it, since they knew
it was happening there, and that I would be reimbursed for my mileage, and
that I would get workmans' comp for my time off. So I agreed to go of
course, I was scared, and wanted to know what had happened. I went to the
specialist, and they did a series of allergy tests (under the skin
injections) I tested high for house dust, dogs, ragweed, I think it was, and
I tested high for ... you guessed it...MOLD! House dust, dogs, and MOLD were
4+. The allergy people told me that house dust nor dogs would cause the
anaphylactic shock. I still did not realize the mold issue at the time. The
allergy specialist prescribed me allegra, zyrtec, singular, serevent, and an
albutural inhaler as needed, as well as an epi pen. I was taking the meds
religiously, and was off work for almost 8 days if I remember right, and was
ok'ed to go back to work since I was on the meds. Well...the rash came
through the meds, so they added prednisone...it still came through! I was
promised the work comp payment, and mileage, and got nothing, but half the
bill paid for the testing that they sent me to!
I left that place of employment in July 2002,
after being so scared that I would go into respiratory distress again. I had
a permanent spot on my neck, that was from the rash that was very smooth to
the feel, and was very noticeable.
Even after leaving, any time I would get really
warm, or hot, or be in the sun too long, my neck would start itching, and I
would get the "rash" as I did at the nursing home. This always happened when
I would get warm and such.
Well last yr, I was helping my dad mow a
cemetery, and was in the sun about all day, early on, I felt the rash on my
neck, and it itched and itched, I continued with the day...By the time I left
that day, I had a horrible rash on my arms, and face, as well as the neck. I
got very scared. Thank goodness, no breathing problems that I noticed. Still
after that day, I would still get the "rash", when being too warm, hot, or
being in the sun. About 4-5 weeks ago, I was helping my husband mow, and I
was only in the sun for a couple of hours, and it was a nice day, not real
hot, and very breezy. I was using the riding mower, so it was rather nice
that day. After mowing for a couple of hours, I was headed home. I got
there, and my arms started itching, then my neck, then my nose, and under my
left eye. I showered, and looked myself over, to see what the problem
was...It looked like blisters, and I was NOT even close to being burned. The
blisters got pretty big, then they broke, even the one on my nose, and under
my left eye. They crusted over like nothing I had ever seen before, it was
not like a broken burned blisters, where the skin will peel back, this was
crusted, and scarred, and left the skin feeling very rough, and distinct. I
was scared!
I went to see the doctor that day at the nearby
clinic, and she had NO IDEA what it was. I forgot to mention also...I have,
and have had a rash on my back for the past 9 months, and when to the
doctor for it, and was treated for "stress". I received a shot, and the
itching stopped. (the "rash" remained. Anyway, the doctor told me to see a
dermatologist, and in the mean time to bathe with selson blue shampoo. ick!
But I did it.
I saw the dermatologist, and he looked over my
"spots" real good, and told me to use this cream for the itching, and to come
back in one week, and to use a sunscreen before even walking out to check the
mail, and he would make me an appt with A Dr of internal medicine, and said
that he believed I had lupus. OK...I was a sunscreen addict, and used the
cream to help with the itching. It did not help much at all. The sunscreen
SPF35 did not help much either. I was thinking I was going to be trapped in
the house. Which I am for the most part. For the past yr or so, I have had
terrible terrible pain in my ankles, wrists, fingers, elbows, knees, and my
back...thought it must have been one of those things mom blessed you with...
I went and seen the Internal Med Dr, and he looked
me over, and asked me a series of questions. He then told me he thought I had
lupus, and did some blood work. I left his office, and saw my derm the same
day, he did a biopsy. The derm called me 3 days later (weekend) on monday,
and said that it all points to lupus! He started me on plaquenil that day. I
went back 4 days later to see my internal med Dr. and he told me my blood
test, the important one was neg, but my RA levels were elevated, No wonder I
hurt so bad. He ordered an ANA, the rheumatologist will not see you here
unless you have an ANA profile done first, this was the mother of all blood
tests for Lupus (systemic). They called today, and the test was neg. Thank
God!
But here I am, waiting for my next appt, wondering
what in the hell happened to me in that nursing home. I am convinced, no
doubt in my mind after doing research, that that building did this to me...I
was fine before, never had rashes, NEVER went into anaphylactic shock, no
problems till working there!
The thing I wonder....Was there something there
in that building, that brought all this on, or is it just coincidental? I
think it happened there, and was the cause, but I do not know. Will I go into
respiratory distress again? This is very very aggravating. If you can shed
some light, and give me an opinion, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you.
Click here to contact this author via email ::: justcoincidental@moldacrossamerica.org |
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