'Scenario'

What Would Happen when Someone Has too much exposure to 

2-butoxyethanol?

Gulf War Syndrome Symptoms  -  Reasonable Theory  Compare

• Immediately - Black urine if you are seriously exposed  (Passing Blood in one's urine - an indication of kidney damage possible)

• Evident by looking at red blood cells under a microscope - they will appear 'ragged and beat up' from your body's killing off its own red blood cells - acquired hemolytic anemia from solvents is then apparent.  Later, doctors may have to check the Ratio of immature to mature red blood cells (?)                                                                                                 
• Chart your own blood history - Are your red blood counts down compared to what is 'normal' for you?  ... even though they may still be 'borderline normal' compared to others?

• You will feel an exhaustion hit 4 months later that does not go away.  (It takes 4 months for the body to fully replace it's source of blood.)  Will sleep 16-18 hours a day -  won't be able to show up for work regularly, even though that is your work ethic, or stay awake on the job.  But you will also feel an exhaustion hit the very next morning after too much exposure.  You can hope that is only a 'wake up' call & that you haven't yet had more exposure than your body can handle... that it's just a short term, not a long term effect.

• Instantly - High Blood Pressure - Can lead to kidney damage

• Abnormal blood sugar - high or low

• Abnormal thyroid levels

• Respiratory Problems 

• Swollen glands is common - gall bladder, spleen, pancreas, liver, heart chambers, testes, thyroid

• 'Burning sensation in eyes' Eyesight damage - if vapors got in your eyes -  Are your eye's watering & burning - like when vapors from onions get in your eyes?  Wear Goggles if you must continue OR STAY AWAY - URGENT!  also See a specialist (Holes in retina causes serious loss of eyesight which may show up over time.)

• Difficulty Sleeping (a function of the nervous system)

• Aching Joints and Muscles - Rheumatoid Arthritis was described by one doctor as arthritis of the blood - a young woman (EVOS worker on 1990 beaches) & a child - born to such a worker  - later was so diagnosed as an immune disorder.  There is also such a thing as sarcoma - a rare cancer of the joints is what Robert Urich had. .  . don't know if that would be true for these workers, though. (4/05 Yes, I think so.  Maybe soft tissue sarcomas are not all that rare with this chemical exposure)

• Consider an autoimmune immune system

• Dry Skin - ears might crack when in the sun, nose bleeds - 2-butoxyethanol is good at 'getting rid of grease/oil' does it also remove or damage the 'lipid layer of skin' in the humans who work with it?  Skin like 'leather' -  Will crack and bleed

• Rashes - "leathery" skin that doesn't go away (same problem?)

• Problems with sinuses 

• Headaches - right away & they are of a different kind - will have them also as time goes on several times a week for years  *

• Difficulty Concentrating - Depression - Extreme Irritability - Short term memory loss - Suicidal Tendencies  (Central Nervous System Damage)  Such as

• Lymph nodes swollen throughout body

• Odd bumps all over your body or anywhere - could be lymphoma?

• Weakened Immune system - medical operations become dangerous; don't have 'resistance' to bacteria, etc

• Dizzy - Fainting Spells?  check volume of blood  - MCV  (Mean Cell Volume) COMA? Check your liver first -Be sure you don't have a chemical overload from too much medications  Or just don't have enough oxygen in your system. (May be an expression of the hemolytic anemia) *

• Iron Count becomes very low (over time?) You need iron to make red blood cells. (count was 6, 10 for housekeeper & woman with rheumatoid arthritis)

• Broken Bones don't heal - damaged bone marrow?

• Endocrine Disruption? How is the pituitary, thyroid, reproductive organs, pancreas, kidneys, etc.?

• Back Pain - Deep pain in the middle of your back at the end of your ribs (This is the area where your kidneys are.)

• Less and less urination - getting 'puffy' from fluid retention - check kidney function - this could be a precursor to needing dialysis  A dialysis nurse says it is usually needed 3 times a week for a time period of 3 hours at a time - when dialysis becomes necessary.

• Difficulty having children - or Birth Defects?

• Cancer possible - take care of yourself - Please share your medical information & help the next worker

Ask for prayer - Suggested prayer

info on 2-butoxyethanol   also pdf

Note per one experiment:  Exposure is 4 times greater when 2-butoxyethanol is mixed in water; testing of urine & blood is the way to first determine exposure levels.

Do some homework -

Check and chart your own blood history,   *

Check symptoms in general,  *

and request an 'in depth' search for possible hemolytic anemia;   *   Just?

if you have had exposure to multiple chemicals, and oil, get the specialty tests for those, while they are doing a blood draw anyway.    *

In the meantime, avoid all chemicals whatever the source (you would be maxed out)  *

and eat whole foods and exercise to help your body the best that you can.   *

www.valdezlink.com/contents.htm

IF you know what chemical you were exposed to, take that information to your doctor, too - Help your doctor  *

Ask your doctors for more information

Share your medical information with others  *  & similarities will be obvious - not elusive   You will medically 'look like' the worker you worked next to  *

EPA approved this 'experiment' But did they get the health results?  Not likely 

After all, Exxon was testing their own product - Whom were they accountable to?

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE VIA INTERNET COMMUNICATION IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.