Oxygen and Toxins

Today I just can't breathe. Well, I can breathe, but it feels like I'm not getting enough oxygen. Even last night I had a dream where I was frozen - couldn't move - and there was something slightly covering my face limiting my oxygen intake. Of course I was trying to wake up and move so I could get out from under the blankets, which I don't think were even covering my face, but was frozena and couldn't move and felt like I was suffocating. It was not good.

So, it's continued. I remember feeling this way with each of the previous pregnancies. In fact there were many a late night when I'd wake up in the middle of winter and go sit out on the deck with my blanket just trying to get enough oxygen.

My breathing is fine and clear - but it feels like not enough oxygen is getting to my lungs. Hopefully this will end soon - maybe if I drink more water.

As for toxins, and I don't know if I wrote about this last week, but we had a toxic issue at work last week.

Monday my co-worker complained about an awful smell in the front office - especially where she was working. She came and borrowed a scented candle from me. Later I went up to make copies and immediately started coughing from the toxic smell. It was paint thinner that had apparently spilled on the carpet in her office when an adjacent storage room was cleared out over the weekend.

I told her to put out the candle and get out of the office. She felt she had to stay and do her work. Apparently she'd already told her boss about it and he essentially said to make do. I said absolutely not, in fact she should go home - that she was breathing poison and could become seriously ill from this. She was reluctant to go to her boss again because he was meeting with his boss in a closed conference room. I pushed her though.

When she did, I overheard them tell her to open a window! It was 5 degrees out. So she should freeze and die of asphyxiation??? She already had a headache so that is a clue that she was already being poisoned. She was dizzy. I sent her outside to get fresh oxygen and told the bosses that this solution would not do. She could not work in that office and further that ventilation wouldn't do it. I told them that they should call service master to come clean the carpet and get rid of the smell. They agreed and did it.

Shortly after this exchange my co-worker was too ill to continue working - not surprisingly. What we didn't know until she returned to work is that she'd been hallucinating on her way home, at home, slurring her speech, and when trying to pour water into a cup she poured it onto her counter. She was seriously affected.

She ended up being sick and out of work for the rest of the week. The Dr. told her not to return to work before today. But can you believe that her co-workers and supervisor tried to say that she must have had the flu at the same time??? No fever - but all these other symptoms and it was the flu?? I don't think so.

If I hadn't pushed for her to get out of there she honestly could have died or suffered permanent brain damage. I just can't believe this.

Employers are so selfish.