This is a horrible story that does not seem to end. Every time I think I am safe from chemical residue exposures, another one happens. Organizations and institutions need to take note of this problem and make the necessary changes. Exposing people to harmful chemicals should be avoided. People in maintenance and construction, who use these kinds of chemicals, need to become aware of this problem. This is for their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. The individual should not have to hover over maintenance personnel and make sure they don't expose people to chemicals. Maintenance people should not expose people to chemicals on their own volition. When I walk down the street do I need to put up a sign for cars that says "Don't hit me?"
I recently broke my hip. I fell on some ice on the sidewalk near the building that I live in. The sidewalk had not be cleared and was unusually icy. It was like walking onto an ice skating rink out of the blue. I think part of the reason I broke my hip is because my body has been damaged by chemical exposures for over five years now.
I was in the hospital for about five days and my leg had not healed. I then stayed at a nursing home on the west side of town for about 2.5 weeks. At the end of the stay I was given a walker to use for awhile. Right before I left one of the people from maintenance thought the walker was the property of the building and cleaned it with some kind of industrial cleaning solution. I saw this and told him to stop. He had already made a mess. The damage was done. This cleaning solution is another one of theses chemical exposures that is impossible to remove and spreads by touch. The massive burden and damage caused in situations like this cannot be underestimated. Who wants to be poisoned everyday?
I told building staff that this was a problem and that I wanted another walker that had not been screwed up. They had the maintenance guy and his supervisor talk to me. They said the chemical could be removed with water and soap. This was not true. They also lied and said the walker was cleaned with the solution before the guy from maintenance wiped it down. I don't think this was true either. There is too much of this attitude that, "Experts know what is best for you." If that is true then why is my home covered in chemicals? The experts have really failed on this issue.
The maintenance supervisor then took the walker into the shower and washed it off with soap and water. This did not remove the chemical residue or make much of a dent in the problem. I had just gotten out of the hospital and was in quite a bit of pain. It was very difficult to deal with these two people by myself. They would not give me another walker and I was stuck with the one that they had contaminated. I could not leave the site without any walker at all.
I then went home and this of course got all over my apartment and everything in it. That is disgusting and horrible. It is despicable that this keeps happening over and over again. I would rather someone come into my apartment and take a shit on the floor. At least I could clean that up.
All people are sensitive to chemicals on some level. Only some people have multiple chemical sensitivities. I think that these kinds of chemical exposures would affect any person. People do not know everything. Many people have not heard of this problem. Simply because people have not heard of something does not mean that it does not exist in the world. This problem is not new. I cannot describe how horrible and disgraceful it is to go through things like this. To be disabled and deeply exhausted and then have maintenance people contaminate my home and property, then run away and leave me with the burden. This has got to be stopped 100%. I think if society were not so fast paced there would be fewer problems like this. People need to have more time to collect themselves and rest.
Throughout history I don't know how many societies have managed to make their citizens sick. That is a horrible burden to leave any person with. People with chronic health problems are certainly not going to be some kind of active citizenry. The people are not the ones causing chemical exposures, the problem is caused by organizations. Organizations have wealth and resources that could be used to resolve this problem. People do not have those kinds of resources. Some people have fulfilling lives, go out on the weekends and have relationships with other people. Some people are burdened by the many problems of society and do not lead fulfilling lives at all.
I think every time one of these chemical exposures happens there should be 100% restoration of the damage caused to a person's body and property. This is a burden that should be handled by organizations and not by individual people. Individual people should not have to be harmed by the mistakes of government or corporations. Such organizations must have accountability. If someone makes a mess, I think they should clean it up. Suffering is often caused by ignorance. No one wants to suffer due to the ignorance of other people.
In situations like this I think the amount of suffering caused by things like this is underestimated, unheard and unrecognized. Nobody ever says, "I want to be repeatedly chemically injured and have it drive me into poverty and destitution. Then I want to spend much of my life attempting to clean up chemicals that cannot be removed." I am Ryan's liver. I do not want to be harmed by chemicals it keeps me from growing as a person.
Of all the burdens a person could take on for a society I think these chemical exposures are over the line because they make people sick. I could dig a ditch or do some other kind of work. I don't think I should have to do this. I did not cause this problem. If I were not tied down in this horrible way I could use my energy and resources in a more fulfilling way.
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