Being a 9/11 Responder...15 years later (Part I)

I'm trying my best to provide original content here (original steem!), so I should probably write from life experience, right? Recently, someone asked what it's like to be a 9/11 responder that is still struggling with serious illnesses 15 years after the attacks. Ok, here goes: Everyday I wake up is a great day! So thankful for another day. It's like being on a rollercoaster that never ends --- and I don't want it to end. Dying is not on my agenda or my bucket list! Haha.

So what's it like?
I was sent to see a GI specialist who was certified by the World Trade Center Health Program. He ended up having to perform a biopsy. He also agreed with my other doc and said I probably had diverticulitis, but for some reason and I can't remember why he needed to do a biopsy on my esophagus instead. Was my throat bleeding? Or probably because the WTC Health Program pays for that but not lower abdominal? Who knows? I don't. The responder health program is a limited benefit federal program created because responders and rescue workers were becoming sick and dying from illnesses caused by toxins at the World Trade Center site. You had a group of people in the same place most of whom were all contracting the same diseases. It was a no brainer. Making us all wait for treatment year after year while we were tested like lab rats was a sin, in my humble opinion. It should not have taken 10 years to get help. In case you didn't know, we fought for ten years while our brothers and sisters died or became disabled. The attacks were horrible enough. You also might remember, last December, comedian, Jon Stewart came out and fought for us.


Lemme Back Up A Minute
The first biopsy showed I had cancer caused by chemical exposure. But that biopsy did not require anesthesia, and I still have a nice black hole where the cancer was eventually chopped out of me. This upcoming biopsy would require anesthesia. Uh oh, I thought. More on that later.

And for some reason I thought I was going to be able to watch the whole procedure on the TV monitors in the operating room. Heh.

Me: Wow. Am I going to be able to watch all this?
Nurse: Sure, of course.

I believed her. Haha.

Anesthesiologist: Now, start counting backwards from 100...
Me: 100, 99, 98, snnnnnnnizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I was out like a light. Best sleep ever.


I Survived

While I was waiting around in recovery (after the procedure from hell) I was in soooo much pain. My stomach was killing me. I thought I had internal bleeding. My GI surgeon felt awful. He also became slightly annoyed after I said "Great job!"
"What do you mean 'great job'?", he asked, "Look at you, you're in pain right now."

"I mean, because I am still alive. I SURVIVED!"

Months before that, I was told by one of my other doctors that I could not have anesthesia, because my "Ground Zero" lungs were functioning poorly, and another doc was concerned about PTSD medication and anesthesia being a problem. It seemed every doctor I saw was against the idea. So I was really happy that I survived. The hospital had a great staff on board and they made sure I survived, and that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Still, I was worried about the cost. I had to stand there like an idiot at the hospital waiting for the program to approve the procedure which had already been approved, but the doctors' visit (an actual surgeon) was not approved.

Anyway, a routine 20 minute biopsy turned into an hour and a half, or close to two hours (I forget?) and more bad news I don't like to even think about. He also said there were some complications. How bad was it? Let's not even go there.
Unfortunately, I would come to find out that I had pre-cancer of the esophagus (Barret's Esophagus). The United States federal agency, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the WTC Health Program quickly approved my coverage for treatment. NIOSH also certified my condition as being caused by exposure at Ground Zero. That's ten serious certified illnesses, so far. Barret's doesn't always become cancer unless you have a serious case of GERD like many responders, such as myself do. I only know of one responder who has survived esophageal cancer. Next up...

Ground Zero Lung Damage is permanent and irreversible.




From Bad To Worse
Sources cited in this section: Scientific American, "What Was in the World Trade Center Plume?"
Reuters, AP, CBS New York, "Scientist Who Studied Link Between 9/11 Dust, Illnesses Dies"

Then my next stop would be for more pulmonary (lung function) tests. I was sinking like a rock. First I find out my GI surgeon couldn't remove any of the pre-cancerous cells because I was packed with lesions. Keep in mind, according to scientists like the late, Dr Paul Lioy, the dust at Ground Zero was like eating Drano. But now I'm supposed to take more lung tests? Yeesh. I was going twice a year usually and my lungs just kept getting worse and worse. I had already been diagnosed with COPD and asthma, previously.

Lung Transplants ordered
Sadly, my lungs tested far below 50% and showed a lung age of 94 years old! So it was not that much of a surprise to find out my lung surgeon wanted me to get lung transplants. He also explained that I had a rare terminal lung disease. I honestly thought he was kidding. Whatever you do, do not google your lung transplant surgery!

Whew. I have to take a break for now. Too much. But I promise this rollercoaster ride gets better. Maybe.



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