Open Letter to - Hematologists -Endocrinologists - Nephrologists - Oncologists - Urologists - Neurologists - Help to Diagnose Hemolytic Anemia from 2-butoxyethanol Poisoning

Open Letter to - Hematologists - Endocrinologists - Nephrologists - Oncologists - Urologists - Neurologists

I have been learning about what appears to be the chemical poisoning of approx 1,000 bioremediation workers of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill cleanup (plus many more who were nearby doing other jobs) and am concerned that the hemolytic anemia they all would have had at that time, Aug/Sept, 1989 has not since been detected by doctors (of most workers I've spoken with). Since it doesn't go away, it must still be there & underlie any future complications that come along. Are they only getting computer results of blood counts & no one is looking at the red blood cells under a microscope? Or do they have too many juvenile red blood cells ... or just don't have enough blood in the first place? Has the normal range of blood counts changed in the past 15 years? Or does hemolytic anemia caused from solvents 'look-like' borderline normal blood (until you take a closer look)?

Are there any cures for hemolytic anemia? I have not heard of any. When blood counts are given, does a juvenile blood cell count as much as a mature blood cell? What should be the ratio of each? What is the normal 'volume' of blood (MCV) ?

I believe that since it goes undetected today, many who collapse & are thought to have a stroke or heart attack, may actually be collapsing from lack of blood in their bodies.

Do you know how many workers of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill cleanup you have seen? It would be a good question to ask about. The most damaging chemical they encountered was 2-butoxyethanol. The information about it says that it causes damage to the blood (hemolytic anemia caused from solvents), the bone marrow & all blood forming organs; also it defats the skin, causes severe central nervous system damage (short term memory loss, difficulty concentrating, depression, suicidal tendencies) and targets the kidneys and liver with multiple cancers possible. Reproductive damage also. Pretty much the same symptoms as that of Gulf War Syndrome, which could also have been caused from the same chemical at that war's end. www.valdezlink.com/wondering.htm

I have talked to workers (or relatives of those deceased) who have multiple symptoms such as:

Exhaustion - first and foremost! (blood damage) women - men
Damaged eyes,
Enlarged, swollen: spleen, pancreas, gall bladder, liver, testicles; even heart?
Odd lumps all over their body
Cancers some have are melanoma, stomach, colon, lymphomas, CLL (maybe MCL, too?)
Kidney failure, (There's a special diet for these? No lentils; no cheese)
Diabetes (may be endocrine disruption)
Liver problems
Defatted skin & horrible rashes
Dizzy, blacking out spells
Rheumatoid arthritis from weakened immune system including a child of a worker diagnosed with this at age 9
Depression, severe and constant
'fly-off-the-handle' extreme irritability Workers feel
Bones don't heal (a broken little finger hasn't healed in 10+ months)
Joint Pain
Massive nose bleeds - throwing up blood
Very high blood pressure started after this work (severe renal problems?) Check kidney function! - Rule of thumb
Low iron anemia (counts of 6 & 10 reported by lady workers - one did housekeeping on a barge, the other did 1990 wiping off rocks with absorbent pads and digging up deep down oil on beaches and bagging it) Could it be that red blood cells must be mature, not juvenile red blood cells to work with either the hemoglobin or hematocrit in this function? More Blood info

Many other exposures to this chemical are possible, it can affect workers in the car painting business, plastics and dry cleaning business, and multiple other products used by mechanics, home hobby crafts and cleaning agents at home and commercially. www.valdezlink.com/opinion.htm

May I send you more information? Or if you could look at the information I have gathered so far to help workers and their doctors:

www.valdezlink.com/men.htm & www.valdezlink.com/no_fear.htm

(the links are the extra info workers should share with their doctors as to their exposure ramifications)

Dr. Rea of Dallas, TX is a good help for what testing to do for chemicals that could be residual in one's system. www.valdezlink.com/inipol/pages/consultants.htm

A NASA research article commented, "Those whose DNA has been chemically altered are in danger of cancers."
The AMA says cancers for 2-butoxyethanol exposure has not been tested for.
The world health organization knows more than the USA does. They also state that children of these are 20% higher risk from tumor of the brain and leukemias.

Recently a native man who is in contact with one of the attorneys for the fishermen told me that "as of 1995 there have been 890 natives who had claims & were deceased." Altogether there were approx 11,000 workers on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill cleanup.

Since solvents are to some degree 'thrown off' thru the respiratory system, I wonder whether a spouse could be exposed -secondarily - or a chiropractor who had seen multiple workers immediately after 1989 - also exposed 'second hand?'

Did you know that Gulf War Syndrome Vets are puzzled about spouses coming down with the same symptoms they have? Did you know that Walter Reid Medical Hospital for vets finds no more hemolytic anemia in that population than in the general population? If they were specifically looking for hemolytic anemia, I believe they would find it. Exxon was specifically looking for hemolytic anemia, it appears, and they did find it in 1989.

Sincerely,

M. Diann Hursh

Diann Hursh, PO Box 233, Valdez, Alaska 99686 1-888-853-5333

Do you know what these workers & their doctors want more than anything? An accurate diagnosis... and an effective treatment. Don't we owe them that much? Can't we help the next worker force not to be health damaged like this? Do you know how much 2-butoxyethanol is in Exxon's Corexit now? Look it up.

Some folks think 2-butoxyethanol is thrown off & no harm done; what a fallacy!

Wouldn't it be nice if long term effects of exposure never 'kicked-in?'

I've heard of the studies on rats -

humans have already been over-exposed - see what happened to them!

Does a rat live long enough to see what the cumulative effects really are?

May the truth about this chemical C₆H₁₄O₂/CH₃(CH₂)₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH come out ...

& people will be more careful with it. . . treat it like the poison that it is.

Is it true -that if extremely high blood pressure started right after strong exposure to 2-butoxyethanol - it could be an indication of renal dysfunction or kidney problems?

... instead of other more common causes?

If so would the regular blood pressure medication be harmful?

These are supposed to avoid chemicals, including medication drugs,

as much as possible for the rest of their lives.

(An axiom of chemical overexposure/poisoning)

Mayo Clinic noted a toxic overload of medication for one woman who washed the gear during EVOS