An unwelcome reminder

[torquill]

It has occurred to me that the last several chemical exposures I've had, over the last year or so, have all been to propylene glycol monobutyl ether, a lesser member of the group of ethers that gives me trouble. I'd forgotten what it was like to get hit with Big Daddy EGMBE.

It's not as bad as it could be, but it's being distressingly persistent. I'm doing what I can to lessen the effect, but vitamins seem to do much less than usual, even to try to clear my mind a little and get rid of the tremors. I've resorted to inactivity, essentially, not doing more than typing on the computer; I'm glad I have a laptop as I can lie down while I do so, and immediately stop to rest when I take a bad turn.

I've cancelled everything tomorrow that takes me out of the house (including Gaskells, which breaks my heart as much as missing mikz's party). I'll be weak for a while. I was brushing off my mom's suggestion that I take a respirator mask to lab on Tuesday, but now I think I will -- this stuff is not to be toyed with, even if I don't want to look like I'm working too hard to drive home the point. The stakes are too high for me to not protect myself, regardless of appearances.

I need to start writing that email to my profs. I argued with my mom for a while last night about the political structure of college -- she was all for taking it to the head of the department with Disability in tow, and I told her that would tread on far too many toes. I have to go through what amounts to the chain of command, even if it takes longer; if it were anywhere else I might not worry so much, but I have to apply to these people for grad school in a year or two. I really don't want to piss off anybody important.

I need to make up kits of stuff to take as soon as an exposure happens -- not taking any pills after I escaped lab yesterday was dumb. I need something that doesn't take any thought, just the reflex to reach for a vial.

Comments

[unseelie23.livejournal.com]

Sorry you're still feeling ill. Building an emergency exposure kit's probably a good idea. What's involved with that, out of curiosity? I have a friend from college that has several life threatening allergies and he has a little belt pouch filled with stuff in case it's ever a problem.

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

At the moment, all I can think of is individual packs with 3 grams of C (to clear brainfog and help protect against further oxidative damage), a B-50 (for tremors and paralysis from the nerve damage that the exposure flares up), and a couple of charcoal tabs to try to keep a particularly nasty metabolite from shredding my small intestine. None of it solves the problem, but it can help cushion the blow a bit. I've come up with that list by many years of trial and error, trying to figure out how to bolster my particular broken systems.

I had the C and B's with me, but it would have taken digging in my pack for them, and I didn't have two brain cells to rub together to figure out how to go about that. The same goes for the fact I probably should have showered as soon as I got home.

[amanda-nye.livejournal.com]

Bringing your respirator definitely sounds like a good idea, as does the exposure vial. Good luck with getting your prof and the depertment to cooperate. I hope it doesn't take as much bashing as it sounds like it might.

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

I hope so too. I get the feeling that Bob might pick up the torch; he seems to like me rather better than Rick does.