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Thursday, March 24, 2005

Hangover Central

I was very hungover today. I am often hungover. This is not necessarily because I go out drinking every night (I don't), but because of a physical ailment. Allow me to tell you my sad story.

When I was a young, hardy lass, I could drink like a Greek sailor. Actually, I could drink with Greek sailors, as was the case one night in Tijuana. (Two Greek sailors, one Swedish-American masseuse, her nondescript friend, and a fellow freshman who played football, to be specific). All the drinks a freshman gourmand picks: cheap tequila, Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, Everclear, Kahlua and cream. I was tiny, and I could drink my weight in liquor, and don't think I didn't tell everyone (including my parents) about it.

The tolerance waned over the course of college, and stalled as I got my M.A. But then there was law school. Ah, the drinking we did. There wasn't one Irish bar that didn't know my name. Or, at least, vaguely recognized me. To this day, I think that law and liquor and inextricably linked (and the number of alcoholic lawyers may prove my point).

But then it happened. One day I couldn't get out of bed. I was really sleepy. Really, really sleepy. I couldn't wake up. I felt swollen. My lovely doctor friend Sanjay took me to the emergency room (Sanjay is an opthomologist, but for me he's a general practitioner, part-time shrink, and has been known to do a little backalley stitches removal). After the standard two-hour emergency room wait, the lovely doctors there told me the unfortunate truth--at the age of 23, I had contracted Mononucleosis (aka Glandular Fever). You know, the kissing disease that you're supposed to get when you're, um, twelve. Symptoms: sleep all day and all night, feel like crap.

Since it was, indeed, the kissing disease, I turned to "B," the man I was kissing during this period. "B.," I said in a friendly way, "have you given me mono?" B. looked shocked. "Me, no! Have YOU given ME mono?" He paused. "After all, you can get mono drinking out of a water bottle. Maybe you drank out of someone else's water bottle at Legal Aid." Well, that made me think. I was working at Legal Aid. It might actually be a germy place. I looked at him, and he looked at me winningly.

What can I say, I'm a sucker. I figured I drank out of a germy Legal Aid water bottle. Never mind that he was barely able to stay awake and his friends told me that he was running a fever. What did I know?*

Well, when you get mono at 23, your body takes a long time to recover. I tried to go back to drinking a couple weeks later, when I felt awake. I nearly passed out from the headaches, stomaches and general bodily rebellion. The doctor said I should take about six months off of drinking, which I did. (More or less. Don't judge me!) After that, I was at zero alcohol tolerance.

Now, friends and family, you know how hard I have worked to build that tolerance back up. And I like to think I have done a bang-up job. However, it has all come with a price, and that price is the Morning After Hangover Curse.

The Morning After Hangover Curse is this: regardless of how much or how little I drink, I get a hangover. The symptoms can be mild: dry mouth, dehydration, mild headache, fatigue, general malaise. On bad days, like today, it's serious headache, ugly queasiness, exhaustion, extreme grumpiness and a desire to do penance.

Allow me to say that mono does affect the liver, often permanently. People complain of getting too cold or too hot in situations where, before the mono, they were fine. My point is this: I am not a big baby. This is a physiological condition.

I have learned much about preventing a hangover. Here are my Thirteen Rules of Preventing a Hangover.

1. Drink clear liquor (vodka for me--Stoly, Grey Goose or Cirac)

2. Alternate with water towards the end of the night.

3. No matter how tired you are, stay up an extra half-hour before going to bed.

4. One or two slices raisin bread, buttered.

5. Lots more water before bed, along with...

6. Pedialyte (unflavored is the least obnoxious. Drink half a bottle) Gatorade will do in a pinch, but it's not the same.

7. One Advil. Two if you're a big person.

8. Get eight or so hours sleep. Use a girly sleepmask if necessary.

9. Morning: coffee is key. Have one cup upon waking. Maybe two. Chase it with some Cheerios for the fiber. Drink some water. Then go back to sleep.

10. Upon waking the second time, put on one of those cooling blue gel-masks over your eyes. Pray for forgiveness.

11. Soon after, have one or more of the following: cheesy omelet w/ onions, jalepeno, salsa; slice of pizza with garlic; quality mac & cheese with black pepper; nachos, anything from Taco Bell.

12. Keep active as to not give into the urge to curl up in ball and moan. But not too active.

13. No hair-of-the-dog bullshit. Stay sober for the rest of the day and night. Drink water consistently.

Now you know. You too will be able to drink excessively and manage your inevitable hangovers, as I do.

(*B. disappeared soon after, and I discovered that he had had mono-like symptoms before mine had manifested. We saw each other on the street five years later, and pretended not to recognize each other. Ah, New York dating).

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Anonymous Anonymous said...


Asbestos is made up of microscopic fibers that may become airborne
when asbestos containing materials and products are damaged or
disturbed.

Most asbestos fibers are invisible to the unaided human eye because
their size. When asbestos fibers get into the air they may be inhaled
into the lungs or swallowed into he digestive system where they can
cause significant health problems. The word "asbestos" is derived from
a Greek adjective meaning inextinguishable.

There are three most commonly used types of asbestos: white, brown,
and blue. Brown and blue asbestos are most commonly associated with
mesothelioma.

Six minerals are defined as "asbestos" including: chrysotile, amosite,
crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite.

Asbestos was used in many products that were made for protection from
heat and flame. This included clothing, such as gloves, to stuffing
asbestos insulation into electrical conduit, to using asbestos to make
fire proof cloth for use in power plants or petroleum refineries.

Asbestos also has excellent insulation and noise deadening qualities.
Asbestos was used in many construction products, including floor and
ceiling tiles and wall board. Any home built before 1978 probably
contains asbestos somewhere.

New Asbestos Cases

It has been well documented for many years that asbestos exposure can
result in the development of deadly cancers, particularly
Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first
exposure to asbestos. It is estimated that there will be about 250,000
cases of Mesothelioma before 2020.

There are currently about 3000 new cases of Mesothelioma diagnosed per
year, mostly in men over the age of 40. About 4,000 People die from
Mesothelioma every year, the rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
During the 20th century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in
industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings
in the U. S.

Through 2003, more than 700,000 People have filed claims against more
than 6,000 Asbestos companies. These same companies knew of the
dangers for many years before ever warning the public of those risks.
It is thought that around eight million people in the United States
have been exposed to asbestos over the past half a century, and many
more cases - are expected to be reported in the next 25 years.

The National Institute of Health in 1978 estimated that eight to
eleven million U.S. workers had been exposed to asbestos by that date.
In fact, by 1970, it is estimated that some 25 million tons of
asbestos were used in the U.S.

Asbestos And Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused by exposure to
asbestos. Mesothelioma cancer comes from inhaling or digesting
asbestos dust particles. Mesothelioma is a life-threatening disease
and should not be left untreated. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in
the pleura or peritoneum.
Mesothelioma cancer occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers
your internal organs (mesothelium). The mesothelium is a membrane that
covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is
composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the
organ; the other forms a sac around it.
The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between
these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and
the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent
structures.
Mesothelioma is most common in the pleura (outer lining of the lungs
and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining
of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the
heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they
inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust
and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family
member who worked with asbestos.
There are funds available for asbestos victims.

Asbestos Exposure

Millions of Americans and people all over the world have been poisoned
by toxic levels of asbestos, putting them at risk for mesothelioma,
asbestosis, lung cancer, and other deadly diseases that are directly
caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers.

Before the grave dangers of asbestos were known, and even for years
after the dangers were known, asbestos was used in literally thousands
of products that humans and animals encounter every day — particularly
in building components such as ceiling and floor tiles, walls, bricks
and stucco, and in automotive parts such as brakes and clutches.

People who worked in the asbestos industry or in fields in which
asbestos is used as a component of a product are most at risk for
mesothelioma.

Many individuals who have mesothelioma labored for years or even
decades in jobs that required frequent contact with asbestos. When
this mineral is mined, processed, woven, sprayed or otherwise
manipulated, its microscopic fibers can be released into the air,
where they may be inhaled, initiating the development of mesothelioma.

Asbestos exposure occurs when the asbestos that is in the products
becomes damaged. Once damaged, the asbestos fibers are released into
the air. The fibers are microscopic, smaller even than a grain of
pollen, and invisible to the naked eye. The asbestos fibers, if
inhaled or ingested, can become lodged into the body where it can
create severe medical problems.

Approximately 100,000 people in the United States have died, or will
die, from asbestos exposure related to ship building.

There were approximately 4.3 million shipyard workers in the United
States during WWII; for every thousand workers about 14 died of
mesothelioma and an unknown number died from asbestosis.

Occupations that have high rates of asbestos exposure include ship
builders, oil refinery workers, steel workers, power plant workers,
Navy shipyards, pipe fitters, auto workers, railroad workers and
construction workers.

Asbestos Symptoms

Asbestos symptoms include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion
(fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and
general symptoms such as weight loss.

Asbestos Signs and Symptoms:

abdominal pain
bowel function problems
chest wall pain
weight loss
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)
Asbestos Signs and Symptoms in Severe Cases:

blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe
bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
Asbestos and Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a scarring of lung tissue caused by the inhalation of
asbestos fibers. A portion of the fibers reach the alveoli (air sacs)
where oxygen is transferred into the blood. Asbestos activates the
lung's immune system and starts a reaction best described as an
inflammatory process.

Scavenger white blood cells (macrophages) try to break down the
asbestos (phagocytosis) but are not successful, causing other cells
(fibroblasts) to grow and form connective-tissue-based scars.

The formation of scar tissue or collagen in the lungs is known as
fibrosis. The scar tissue slowly builds up, often reducing the lung's
ability to deliver oxygen to the blood and remove carbon dioxide
(reduced diffusion capacity). The total lung capacity or TLC may also
be reduced. In severe cases, the impairment of lung function can
strain the heart, or even result in heart disease, such as right-sided
heart failure or "cor pulmonale."

The inflammatory process starts within hours or days after inhalation
of asbestos and injury at the cellular level begins shortly
thereafter. In people who develop asbestosis, the inflammatory process
continues to progress, fueled by indestructible asbestos fibers, even
after exposure to asbestos ceases.

This asbestosis inflammatory process may continue undetected for
decades causing no pain or respiratory symptoms. In many people, the
process eventually produces symptoms-breathing abnormalities and
radiographic changes. Usually, the first symptoms are shortness of
breath and a dry cough. These symptoms often precede abnormalities on
chest x-ray or pulmonary function tests. The period between exposure
and diagnosis is called "latency" and may range from 10 to 50 years.

Asbestosis is a chronic inflammation of the lungs. The inflammation is
a direct result of exposure to asbestos. Asbestosis is a progressive
disease with no cure. The inflammation causes shortness of breath,
which will get progressively worse as the disease progresses.
Physicians can treat some of the symptoms of asbestosis with auxiliary
oxygen, but it will not cure the disease. Death due to asbestosis
occurs by respiratory failure.

Asbestos and Smoking
Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and
asbestos cancer and smoking.
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma and
asbestos. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure
significantly increases a person’s risk of developing cancer of the
lungs.

The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the
first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of
mesothelioma and asbestos have resulted. Smoking modern cigarettes
does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma and asbestos.

The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly
increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the airways (lung
cancer, bronchial carcinoma).

If you do smoke, stop. In addition to mesothelioma and asbestosis,
there is research that indicates that those who suffer from asbestos
exposure and smoke are at a greatly increased risk of developing
mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer.

Asbestos Historical Usage

The name Asbestos was given to this mineral by the Ancient Greeks. The
word “Asbestos” literally means inextinguishable.
The Greeks termed asbestos the "miracle mineral" because of its soft
and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand heat.
The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder
noted that the material damaged lungs of slaves who wove it into
cloth.
Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders
in the late 19th century due to its resistance to heat, electricity
and chemical damage, its ability to absorb sound.
By the mid 20th century asbestos use included fire retardant coatings,
concrete, bricks, pipes and fireplace cement, heat, fire, and acid
resistant gaskets, pipe insulation, ceiling insulation, fireproof
drywall, flooring, roofing, lawn furniture, and drywall joint
compound.
Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. It
was used widely used during World War II.
Asbestos Facts:

By 1970, it is estimated that some 25 million tons of asbestos were
used in the U.S.
A history of asbestos exposure in the workplace is reported in about
80 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
Eight million people in the United States have been exposed to
asbestos over the past half a century.
Studies estimate that approximately 3,000 different types of
commercial products include asbestos.
The National Institute of Health in 1978 estimated that eight to
eleven million U.S. workers had been exposed to asbestos by that date.
Through 2003, more than 700,000 People had filed claims against more
than 6,000 Asbestos companies.
Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises
prior to the banning of asbestos may still contain asbestos.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) set
limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace.
In 2005, 2.2 million tons of asbestos were mined worldwide. Russia was
the largest producer with about 40% world share followed by China and
Kazakhstan.
The first documented death related to asbestos was in 1906. In the
early 1900s researchers began to notice a large number of early deaths
and lung problems in asbestos mining towns.
The term Mesothelioma was not used in medical literature until 1931,
and was not associated with asbestos until sometime in the 1940s.
Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of
asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long time period.
Asbestos was used in the first 40 floors of the World Trade Center
towers causing an airborne contamination among lower Manhattan after
the towers collapsed in the attacks on September 11th, 2001
Inhaled asbestos fibers remain in the body and cannot be expelled.
Because of this, the fibers can easily penetrate body tissues and may
deposit themselves in airways and in the lung tissue.
It is estimated that 27.5 million Americans were exposed to asbestos
between 1940 and 1979.
Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first
exposure to asbestos.
Many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships,
industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can
become airborne.
Mesothelioma from asbestos occurs more often in men than in women and
risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or
women at any age.
Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an
increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos
related diseases.
If you are a grieving family member or executor of the will of a
person who has died from asbestos-related disease or mesothelioma, you
may be eligible to file a claim as well.

2:31 PM  
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