Hello! Thank you for taking a moment to learn about Lead Poisoning. Charlie (Charlotte) was born in March of 2008, a few days before my own birthday - with 10 perfect fingers, 10 perfect toes, and a face you wanted to keep on kissing. She was perfect and healthy. All of her initial health checks were great, she smiled, she started to crawl, she loved her big brother. Everyone who met her fell in love with her, her smile was infectious, she was a good baby.
In January of 2009, we moved into a row house in Whitinsville, Mass a 4 bedroom 3 floor 1700 sqft apartment built in 1892, one of the OLDEST houses in the area. We fell in love with the charm of the house, when we were talking to the Landlord, we were told it had a Lead Certificate. We were naive and thought that meant the house had been "Lead Abated" or had all of the lead paint removed. It did not.We found out later - they had used a plasticized paint, called a "Encapsulant" to cover over the lead paint. When this method is chosen, you have to touch up any chips that happen, and the Encapsulant requires maintenance. Our first shock came at Charlie's one year appointment in March of 2009, where we had a standard Lead Level test. At that time her blood lead level came back "Elevated" with a result of 9. We were told to check the house, check her toys, for any lead exposure, eliminate it, and have her re tested.
 |
| Un- encapsulated exposed Lead Paint and lead Dust |
We were not happy with what we found - every piece of woodwork in our house, from entry way to window sills, base boards, and even the spindles on the railing up to the second floor, were all LEAD PAINT. Every kit we got, tested red (for Lead) where ever we touched the painted woodwork, and worst - it was chipping, pealing, and there was a TON of the white dust - that I had just been sweeping and dusting away - everywhere. That dust, that I had been recirculating in the air by sweeping and dry dusting, was lead dust. We immediately called the Landlord who - of course - denied all knowledge, and give her a couple of days - she'd find out about it and let us know. We didn't hear back from her for a week. Then she said her husband would come out soon, and paint over the peeling chipping paint. I did some basic research and thought we were going to be OK. I put tape over the peeling area's, contact paper where the gates touched the doorways, and I went about life, completely un aware of what lurked in the bathroom - under the tub and new damage was occurring. It was June before the Landlord's husband finally came out and touched up the paint, we had been expected to retest the same week he came out - so we waited to retest on the doctors orders unitl the end of August. We retested, expecting a good result. The next day - our nightmare came true- our ARNP at the Pediatricians office called, said the blood work had returned abnormal, and that we needed to Run, not walk, and don't get a speeding ticket, to Children's Hospital Boston where we would be expected, and would meet a doctor named Woolf who would explain what would happen next. Charlie's Lead Level was 44, and considered Acute Lead Toxicity.
Added to everything her body was normally trying to do. Charlie was a champ, she took her IV pole for walks, she played in the playroom of 7w, she charmed the nurses, and Dr Woolf. We were told we wouldn't know what was going to happen to her, what her reactions to the lead would be, until she was about 6, then we would start to see complications. She could go blind, she could go deaf, there was no way to tell, it was a waiting game. We were under the care and supervision of Dr Wolfe from 9/2/2009 until 9/6/2009 in Children’s Hospital Boston, where Charlotte received chelating therapy. When we left the hospital her Lead Level was down to 17. Charlie's Blood Lead Level had remained between 21 and 19; in Mid November we were informed we would begin her on Chelating Therapy with Penicilamine (Cuprimine), which we began immediately. The treatment was to be for 30-60 days, unfortunately as with any medication, there are risks of reaction to the medication. Charlotte reacted to the penicilamine, with rashes, diarrhea, and a complete 180 of her attitude/mood. With Dr. Woolf’s Blessing we stopped the medication.
When we were admitted to the hospital we also made phone calls to the local and state Health Inspectors, Massachusetts State Lead Inspector, has been involved in the case since 9/3/09 when he made his first inspection of our house. With his equipment we were able to find out that every baseboard, every window, and most of the doorways (except the ones with doors in them) are leaded at the highest level his gun could read at (9.9) although most were covered with encapsulates. We were lead to believe the baseboard behind the bathtub was not painted with encapsulates. We now know for certain that it is this area (the base board behind the bathtub) that caused my daughter’s lead poisoning, either due to dust particles in the air and on the floor, or due to mouthing toys that had fallen on the floor.
Mr. Mass Lead Inspector ordered the remediation of many areas in the house that had chipping lead (or encapsulated) paint including the area behind the bathtub. That repair was completed 10/15/2009. The repair that was agreed on by the land lord, and the contractor was to build a box around the baseboard behind the bathtub to prevent any further dust or chips from coming outside of the box.
I did not tell the horror of dealing with the Landlord, suffice it to say, that this landlord did not like the law, and the law did not like his methods. Eventually through Lawyers, the house remediation was completed, and we moved out of the house.
Charlie's Lead Treatments ended in May of 2010 when her level reached 9, we followed up with her pediatrician from that point forward having semi annual Blood Lead tests, where her numbers steadily decreased, until this year (2012) when her level was 4. We have since moved to Florida, to avoid having any more exposure to lead paints, and Charlie has grown to be quite the little princess.
I did not tell the horror of dealing with the Landlord, suffice it to say, that this landlord did not like the law, and the law did not like his methods. Eventually through Lawyers, the house remediation was completed, and we moved out of the house.
Charlie's Lead Treatments ended in May of 2010 when her level reached 9, we followed up with her pediatrician from that point forward having semi annual Blood Lead tests, where her numbers steadily decreased, until this year (2012) when her level was 4. We have since moved to Florida, to avoid having any more exposure to lead paints, and Charlie has grown to be quite the little princess.
Charlie started preschool in 2012 - she was tested for an IEP, (her doctors recomended) because of the lead poisoning, she had significant minor and large motor control issues, she has problems with regression in stressful times, she has anxiety problems, she has impulse control troubles. She has developed allergies to Soy, Milk, and Eggs, (there are only 2 food allergies in our immediate family, none are these items) as well as environmental allergies, she carries with her an epi pen. We are in the process of having a Neuro-Psychology exam done on her to find any diagnosable learning disabilities, so we can compensate for them appropriately starting with her Kindergarten year, and head off future problems.
I never mourned the loss of Charlie - because she has always been right beside me - she is not perfect - and it isn't her fault, it has taken me a long time to stop blaming myself as well. This is a path that was laid before us, and we will persevere.
Please, if your house was built before 1978, take a few moments, and test your painted woodwork, you can avoid lead poisoning, as easy as going to the hardware store, and picking up a few test kits. If your house has lead paint, there are ways to minimize risks, to remove, or encapsulate the leaded paint.
Helpful Links
Tamara Rubin : My children have Lead Poisoning
Please, if your house was built before 1978, take a few moments, and test your painted woodwork, you can avoid lead poisoning, as easy as going to the hardware store, and picking up a few test kits. If your house has lead paint, there are ways to minimize risks, to remove, or encapsulate the leaded paint.
Helpful Links
Tamara Rubin : My children have Lead Poisoning
No comments:
Post a Comment