Could my job be the cause of my Sarc?

zip2k26
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I am 32. I work in a small factory with 6 co-workers. We cut, assemble, and package picture frames. I have been employed at this company since Jan. 14, 2008. I went into one of the local hospitals on Aug 08 for what the doctors believed to be pneumonia. I thought it was an upper respiratory infection. DING. Wrong!

Countless tests were done; ranging from x-rays, CT scans, biopsys (the lovely one where they gag you and shove a tube down your throat), etc. Those along with countless amounts of pricking, poking, temp readings. Cannot stand hospitals. Well, after diagnosing me with everything including Pneumonia (Bacterial as well as Fungal), Lymphoma, and AIDS..the doctors finally came up with the diagnosis of Sarcoidosis.

Now, I am unemployed from where my employer has laid me off. This happened last Friday only 24 hours after I was told that they were needing me to go back to 40+ hours for the work week. However, that did not happen. Instead, I was handed a lay-off slip stating that there was a lack of work.

Seems to me that there is something fishy going on. This has got me to thinking that were I was breathing in all this dust from these wood, metal, painted, and stained molding may have caused my Sarcoidosis and this company knows this.

Does anyone know whether or not that dust from molding stated above could be a cause? Or at least a contributing factor in how I contracted this awful disease.

BTW, the doctors have me taking Advair. I can feel an improvement, on occasions, with my breathing. However, I know that the road ahead is going to be crappy. I have spiratic pains that shoot up my side and back when I move the wrong way or breath in a position not well loved by my lungs. Physical activities with my family are out of the question where as I get winded even by a mere trip to the tv to change the channel. (Remote got broke :-(

I find myself constantly taking in huge gasps for air as though I am having an anxiety attack. Yawning is almost how I breath normally now. Go figure on that? Cannot drive at night. Oh wait, that was there before. I have noticed a decline in my vision as well as memory containment. I am unsure if this is from Sarc. but it still is freaky non the less. Going to get an eye exam soon. I am almost looking forward to thicker contacts. Imagine trying to blink with a paper plate stuck to your eye. Lovely!

Anyways, thank you for allowing me to ramble. I will now gracefully fall from my soap box and allow those who will to please help me fill in some blanks.

zip

17 replies

alfvee2k8

Hey zip

It could be your company because i work in a chemical factory for yrs and my doc was ask me all these question and he ask me did i ever work in a factory around chemical or dust which i did so now he is doing some research with this company to see if this buliding dust particle can start respiratory problem.So i was diagnosis with Sarcoidosis in june of 2007 and I have been throught about all the test you have been throught and it tought but once i took the breathing test and the doc got all my result back he put me on Prednisone and i got better but it got some side effect but you will feel better .good luck

-A

micheleb

I think the answer is, no one knows for sure! I have been and still am exposed to lots of bad mold in my office building and although I feel that it is a contributing factor in my illness(es) the fact remains-no one knows what causes sarc.

Don't wait on that eye exam. You should be seen by an ophthalmologist as sarc can damage the eyes and this is more than a regular optometrist can treat. I happen to work for an optometrist and actually have an eye exam scheduled this Thursday to see an ophthalmologist for sarc related eye problems. As far as contacts go, not knowing anything about your prescription or eye history-ask about Oasys lenses. They are made by vistakon, the same manufacturer of Acuvue lenses. However, these newer Oasys lenses are a silicon based lens and they allow a lot more oxygen to your eye and our patients really love them. They came in both spherical and toric, toric lenses being what they use if you have astigmatism.

Gingerbeer

My first symptoms (upper respiratory distress) came on about a week after I opened up an office for my company that had been closed for over a year. This was in mid-summer, and of course I ran the small air conditioning unit. I stayed in this office for an entire day cleaning and interviewing prospective employees.

After my symptoms mutated into inflammed joints and shortness of breath, I joked with my employer about how the HVAC had given me Legionnaire's disease. It quickly became not so much of a joke; after my eventual diagnosis, I was also fired (laid off). I truly believe that some sort of pathogen or irritant was the genesis of my disease, but unfortunately there's no way to prove it, and no way to prevent it from happening to someone else. I fear you're probably in the same boat. No employer willingly admits to that kind of liability, especially if they've let you go because of the illness their negligence has caused. The damages would probably put them completely out of business.

mother-earth

I don't know about your job causing sarc, but it certainly wouldn't help your lungs.

Shhh don't tell your employer you have sarc, I was employed in the medical field, had been there three months ,I was told he was happy with my work, and put on full time, asked was I happy, I said yes and told him I had a bit of anxiety about being able to do my job because I had been sick with sarc, but all was good I was in good health.

I week later he sack me because of my hair, I had a curl on my face, just a little suspicious, could I have been sack because of my condition, next time I will keep quite...... good luck

shadowtoonces

Oh gosh, I can really relate to what you guys are saying. I wonder if being in the healthcare profession contributed to sarc, espcially going into people's homes now that I'm in home health, God only know what kind of houses I'm walking into to, some have not seen any form of clean for years. Not being mean, it's their choice, but just saying.
I can relate to you guys being shitcanned. I was called into work last week for a meeting. I am automatically fired if I call in at all, for any reason. They are seeing this as a huge attendance problem and I'm sure a liability. They said I can go to my drs appts as long as I make up the time by staying late. But I have to make sure I have back up cars if mine doesn't start and I can't have anyone close to me get sick or die, as I can't go to anyone's funeral, anyone. And, as we are figureing out with sarc, I have no idea if I will have one bout, if it will go into another organ or when or if I will be able to function without the prednisone. I know the economy is crap and I do feel grateful, but I can also tell they were wanting me to resign, as they set up this contract for one year. Then after that I'm protected my FMLA. I'm gonna give it the ol' college try and bust my butt to keep my job....besides the fact I really do like it, if I'm going down, it's gonna be fighting. I know when I was diagnosed with sarc that I had 2 choices, not treat it because I have such an intolerance to prednsione and lay down and die, or fight. And dammit, sometimes I have to tell myself many times that character is one of the main things in life and I've gotta live up to that. Rather die standing than live on my knees....it's scary, I'm not saying I'm not scared at all. But I've got God, family, friends, all you that I'm growing to know and what kind of legacy I want to be remembered for...and it's not for giving up. What's really comforting is that I the whole hospital, besides management, is rooting for me. You really find out who people are and how much strength YOU really do have just when you think you don't have any.....it's amazing.....okay, I'm done.....always praying and take care, Dawn

angelladycarol

Hello
I was a Home Health nurse for ten years,and thought I had the flu,tried to doctor it my self for several days,just got worse,,I went to the Dr and was admitted for the flu,Was finally diagnoised with sarcoidoisis,After a lung biopsy,,,But I am doing well now,following a diet and staying away from any sprays and chemicals,and also steriods..I have bad days ,but work through them..Just hang in there .I think all these Sarcoidosis are connected to our inviroment and the foods we consume,,.I stay away from anything I think would be harmful ,I hope this helps ...Carol

zip2k26

Hey everyone,

Thank you very much for your thoughts and replies. I ran across several articles and medical journals that state pine dust is linked to causing Sarcoidosis. Any thoughts on that? Has anyone else heard of this? I am trying my best to gather credible information so that I may file a claim for my health benefits to remain in motion. I cannot afford $500-$1000 monthly for doctors visits, consults, treatments, and medicines.

If anyone finds out something or has even a remotely similair situation as the one I have, please...do tell. ( note - dust exposure, not lay off. :-) I feel that there is a link somewhere. There has to be a common denominator somewhere in the make-up of this devilish disease.

Perhaps as a community, we can come together and figure this out where others have failed. I know it's overly optimistic. Seeing as how this has took a notch out of my belt of good health and vitality, what else do I have to do but be positive some good could come from this.

zip

priscurl

Hi zip,

No one can definitively answer that.

I do know that after diagnosis, my pulmonologist told me two work environments were definitely out of the question with sarc. Woodworking and working with textiles were best avoided.

However, he also told me I had the kind of sarc which would be cured within two years, and he was sure wrong about that.

Pris

jowi

I got sick after sanding some mahogany furniture without a mask. But I also had other suspicious exposures too, like smoke inhalation and mold exposure. So I can't pin it on anything really.

gonenatural

Hi Zip,

I didn't answer yesterday cause I wanted to see what others would write to you and now for my 2 cents, for what it is worth.

I live on a toxic dump site, nearly the whole city is toxic, highly toxic, the water, dirt and air, from the chemicals that where used in the factories for yrs.

But I started to get sick 1-2 yrs before I moved to the city. I was 8-9 yrs old. Could have been stress induced. Could have been I moved often and I lived in old homes dating back to the Revelutionary War or Civil War.

No one can say what is making us sick cause drs just do not know cause everyone is sick in a different way with different patterns. It isn't nearly as easy as saying ok, you have these symptoms sounds like you have the flu. Not everyone has lung involvment, etc.

I know someone who worked in the operating room for yrs and got lung cancer from the chemicals in the air ducts but she can't prove it.

You will have to figure something out but going after your employer is out.

I found it hard to read that you became ill aft less then 1 yr and another person, 1 day. Maybe this is possible. Maybe something was already in your bodies and the enviroment was the trigger. Maybe you all already had it and it just happened to break out at this moment.

I can go back 10 yrs for sure that I have had this ugly demon and going to the drs nearly wkly complaining of this and that and the proper blood work never done and I was left ill only to get better and then become sick again.

Good luck to you,
Gone Natural

stewarcl

This is an interesting discussion. My husband worked in his father's lumber yard (lots of sawdust) for years when he was young. We have often wondered about the correlation. Unfortunately, there are so many individuals who haven't had the sawdust overload.
The other thing to remember and think about is the fact that so many of the 9/11 (twin tower) workers have come down with Sarcoid.

For those of you who can't work start the paperwork for SocSecDisability right away - as it could take years.
Take care.

theGardener

I know my job is the root of all evil in the world... then I was diagnosed with Sarc! A - HA!

...then again, I did spend time in an automobile JUST BEFORE I WAS DIAGNOSED! A - HA!

... and so on...

micheleb

I don't believe I have ever had a lot of saw dust exposure. I did live in an old house amongst a LOT of pine tree's with a wood burning stove for heat when I was in junior high and early high school.

I also remember reading some info on pine dust and a possible connection to sarc. But I have come across many "possible" connections but it all boils down to they just do not know. I would love to be able to go after the land lord of our office building for making me sit here day in and day out breathing the toxic mold but there just isn't any solid evidence.

NanM

This is the strangest disease - and nobody knows what causes it.

However, many of us, me included, have been diagnosed because we got sick with some kind of chest infection. With me, it was a bad case of bronchitis - easily as sick as I have ever been - with a cough which would not stop.

Now, the other common thing is many of us can say we had "weird" symptoms for a long time before the diagnostic event. So, the question becomes very complex. Was this something that was "cooking" for years? Was it in response to some exposure? Was it our body overreacting to some infection?

I will say that since I have been battling sarc, I am VERY sensitive to smells like perfumes or mold or dust of any kind. Any of those can kick off the coughing.

So - the short answer is - nobody knows. However, it makes sense to me to take care of your lungs and be careful as you can with what you breathe in - with or without sarc.

exultant

Three years before my health took a dive, I lived (for almost six months) in an apartment in the SF Bay Area that unbeknown to me was growing a pretty large mold "farm". I lived with a friend for a few weeks to escape the polluted environment and got better instantly. The second time I lived in an old apartment complex where work on the pool (which I lived above) had stopped and green stuff was growing nastily in the water that was. Three of us, myself and two neighbors all suffered serious health problems - one had an infection from a blister that resulted in the loss of part of his foot; the other had renal failure -- and I got DM then sarc. Even now barely tolerate mold, dust and have issues will a lot of chemical cleaners.

I truly believe that environments with mold, dust and other pollutants can trigger sarc and other illnesses. Proving it will be a real challenge and is almost impossible without a documented time line and exclusion of all other causes.

digitalpaper

I was diagnosed in 1999 with this awful disease. At the time of my diagnosis, I was employed as a Fire Equipment Technician. My main job was the recharging of portable fire extinguishers (dry chemical). "I feel" that job was a significant part of my contracting this disease. Of course the insurance company doesn't think so.

Marlene1

I was a hairdresser for 22 years right before my DX. I know I inhaled cases of aerosol hairspray and perm solution etc.......I still think it was the root of the problem.

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