posted
I'm cooking up a story where a woman either becomes deathly ill or degradingly so because of lead poisoning. It's either going to be lead or Asbestos. She has been living in the house with suspect conditions concerning the Lead/Asbestos for 12 years. What needs to happen?
What kind of difficulties is she going to go through? Don't spend too much time thinking about it. I'll end up reading up on both to see which one fits better, but if you are medically inclined, or have some experience with an adult with health complications from lead or asbestos, feel free to write a few words.
I'm thinking about putting the lead in the ground, having her grow and eat her own vegtables without getting the soil tested, and go from there. But I'm open. This mother needs to get sick somehow related to the house, but in a way that doesn't effect the kids or the husband as severely.
Posts: 5600 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I think it's somewhat unlikely that she'd be eating enough more of the veggies to be the only one severely affected, particularly if she's cooking for the family. Something else you may consider -- my college boyfriend got lead poisoning because he always kept a glass of water beside his bed at night, and drank from it when he woke up in the night. The paint on the ceiling was peeling, just a little, and tiny flakes of paint fell into his water glass and he drank them. His was a relatively minor case, but it certainly could have been more serious, and would fit your criteria.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I think to get asbestos or lead out of the paint you have to disturb it somehow so it becomes airborne. Sanding, stripping paint, removing insulation, tearing down walls ect. You normally don't get it just from their being lead paint on your walls, or having asbestos insulation. I do know,they won't pull up really old vinyl flooring because of asbestos. When they replaced my floor they put down a new sub flooring and then new vinyl on top of it.
Sorry don't know anything about the medical effects.
Posts: 555 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
I typed "I had lead poisoning" into Google, and came up with links to several personal stories of people who said they had, and some included symptoms, etc. You might try that to see if it helps.
Most of the literature I've seen about lead exposure is specific to children and pregnant women. The biggest symptom of lead exposure is brain damage, but high levels of lead can cause problems in every symptom of the body (just remembering off the top of my head - I work more with communicable diseases, not chronic problems like this.)
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
I'm not sure how plausible it'd be for the mom to suffer greater ill effects than the kids/husband if the source of the lead/asbestos is tied to the house. Unless perhaps she'd lived there for *much* longer than the others?
My dad has asbestosis, which he got from working around asbestos constantly before they figured out that is is a Bad Thing - he's been pursuing a lawsuit against (I believe) an asbestos company for the past several years as a result. He also has a lot of other health problems, including emphysema, which is probably because he used to be a 2.5-pack-a-day smoker for 40+ years.
I don't really know the extreme details of all my dad's symptoms and what specific problems they're tied to, but he's had to be on oxygen constantly for the past few years. He's also used an albuterol inhaler for a Really Long Time (I can't recall exactly, but probably upwards of 15 years), which I think is a common asthma medication, but he only uses it morning and night, rather than according to his breathing patterns as I understand asthmatics do. I'm not sure if these are more because of the asbestosis or the emphysema, or maybe even both.
From what I know of asbestosis, it takes a lot of direct exposure to asbestos, and then it takes a really long time for symptoms to arise*. My dad is 83, and as far as I know, his health didn't start *really* going downhill until less than 10 years ago. Of course, it's also quite likely that my parents decided to keep me ignorant of the severity of his problems while I was younger.
Anyway, that's about the extent of my knowledge on asbestos. I know nothing about lead except that it's Bad and To Be Avoided.
* "A lot" and "a really long time" are, of course, the official medical terminology. Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote: The effects of lead are the same whether it enters the body through breathing or swallowing. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body. The main target for lead toxicity is the nervous system, both in adults and children. Long-term exposure of adults can result in decreased performance in some tests that measure functions of the nervous system. It may also cause weakness in fingers, wrists, or ankles. Lead exposure also causes small increases in blood pressure, particularly in middle-aged and older people and can cause anemia. Exposure to high lead levels can severely damage the brain and kidneys in adults or children and ultimately cause death. In pregnant women, high levels of exposure to lead may cause miscarriage. High-level exposure in men can damage the organs responsible for sperm production
From one of the fact sheets linked from CDC website above.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
For there to be asbestosis, there has to be airborn asbestosis particles small enough to be trapped in the avioli of the lungs. In other words, you can spend your whole life in an all asbestos house with no ill effects, unless it is disturbed. (sanded, sawed, torn, scraped, etc.) Also adverse effects are almost non-existant unless the lungs have been otherwise damaged. Smoking tobacco is usually the "smoking gun". In a normal healthy lung, the combination of mucus and the action of the cillia will eliminate the asbestos before it can cause harm.
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Nell Gwyn: I'm not sure how plausible it'd be for the mom to suffer greater ill effects than the kids/husband if the source of the lead/asbestos is tied to the house. Unless perhaps she'd lived there for *much* longer than the others?
Or, you know, if he used my suggestion. Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Whoops, sorry ElJay, I guess I was thinking more in terms of asbestos exposure than lead. I don't really know a lot about either. Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
People can also get lead poisoning from old plumbing. Perhaps if most of the plumbing in the house has been updated, but she still drinks water (perhaps at bedtime) from an unretrofitted bathroom sink that no one else uses.
Maybe you could have her suffer from pica, a tendency or craving to eat substances other than normal foodstuffs, like dirt or chalk, seen chiefly during childhood or pregnancy or as a symptom of dietary deficiency. This is actually quite common among people who are anemic and it could create a kind of positive feed back loop. The soil in the garden is contaminated with lead. The mother eats a bit of it while she is gardening which causes he to become more anemic. As a result she begins to crave eating the dirt and becomes increasingly more anemic.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
*grin* Nothing to apologize for, Nell. I agree with you that that is the most unlikely part, for one person living in the house to be the only one really affected.
Rabbit's solution works, too, but requires a lot more explaination.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
If I were writing the story, I'd have a special place that only the mother goes, maybe an attic where she keeps her old wedding dress, and the insulation is asbestos.
5% of royalties seems about right for that idea Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
The mother could strip the paint as part of a redecorating project. She could use a bernzomatic torch with a flame spreader to soften the paint on the woodwork, and inhale the lead fumes.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
You could have her take up a hobby that could involve lead. Jewelry makers occassionally get lead poisoning from using the wrong kind of solder, for example. Other hobbies listed as potential dangers for lead exposure:
* Using and making/melting fishing sinkers
* Making bullets or shooting in indoor firing ranges
* Welding, auto or boat repair
* Making of ceramics, stained glass, or jewelry
* Furniture refinishing, home remodeling or painting
posted
You could have her take up a hobby that could involve lead. Jewelry makers occassionally get lead poisoning from using the wrong kind of solder, for example. Other hobbies listed as potential dangers for lead exposure:
* Using and making/melting fishing sinkers
* Making bullets or shooting in indoor firing ranges
* Welding, auto or boat repair
* Making of ceramics, stained glass, or jewelry
* Furniture refinishing, home remodeling or painting
posted
This probably won't help with the story, but when I moved into my current apartment, I had to sign all sorts of waivers about possible exposure to lead and asbestos since those materials were used when it was constructed. The leasing agent was very apologetic, telling me that there was very little danger for me, obviously hoping I wouldn't freak out and run away in fear. The guy was kind of disturbed that I was unphased by this because, as I told him, I grew up in a house with some lead pipes and asbestos tiles. I figure if I haven't had any problems yet, another year or two of exposure won't kill me.
Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I spent some time in Rome and I just couldn't get enough of the water out of the public water fountains. Then...it occurred to me that I saw very few people drinking out of them.
Then...it occurred to me that Rome is filled with lead pipes.
And the water tasted sweet.
And then, I just drank enough of it until I couldn't reason this connection out any longer, and I enjoyed the rest of my trip immensely.
posted
Bob, there is actually quite a bit of evidence that the ancient Romans actually suffered from lead poisoning due to what they drank. Not water; sapa.
A not-uncommon cause of lead poisoning is dishes made with colorful glazes. While they cannot be sold legally in this country, they are common in Mexico, and Central and South America.
Maybe the mom has a mug that only she uses?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
First off, thanks hatrack. I get crotchety, but it's nice to know you all are here in a pinch.
quote:People can also get lead poisoning from old plumbing. Perhaps if most of the plumbing in the house has been updated, but she still drinks water (perhaps at bedtime) from an unretrofitted bathroom sink that no one else uses.
I originally got the idea from an ex who was studying public policy and doing some work on lead pipes still being used in poorer neighborhoods in older homes in Northern California. The houses never got refitted.
I guess I'm just trying to figure out how I can spare the rest of the family. Some variant of your idea may work. Thanks again, everyone.
Posts: 5600 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
My mom worries about lead poisoning even now, as she makes stained glass. She is careful because of the amount of lead she is exposed to working on it.
You could have the lead pipes be a contributing factor....not enough to damage the whole family, but in conjunction with her hobby/eating habits (or something else completely) it raises her overall exposure to a dangerous point.
I could see a lot of things you could do with that, actually.....have her one activity, her one escape for her responsibilities, be the straw that broke the camels back.
posted
That'll work!!! Thanks Kwea. I can give her multiple causes!! *whipes brow* A few inauspicious hobbies in addition to the lead in the pipes with work perfectly.
Posts: 5600 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Either hobbies, or circumstances beyond her control, like having a favorite mug her mom gave her (or someone else who really, really matters to her) that was brought back from the one vacation they ever took....to Mexico.
The one vacation part could be in keeping with her family being very poor, and also explain WHY the mug/dish/glass means so much to her, and why she would use it so frequently.
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