Re: A lot of employees are getting sick, the caller said. Theyre scared to talk

[Guest guest]

I worked in the main bldg of the Phoenix VA for 12 yrs-- was the first and only

persistent employee to complain frequently about being ill, and after all those

years the employee health dr. told me my illness is MCS. Off and on for years

they were renovating, don't open windows-- asbestos removal, new drywall,

painting, gluing linoleum, and the usual assortment of cleaners; whatever they

used to clean the linoleum in the halls made me very ill, too.

Several of the doctors made the comment that I was the only one complaining--

just about all the employees in my dept were young. I was one of the few old

(ies but goodies) employees --I did not get ill from every little thing when I

was young, either.

When I found an article on MCS symptoms, irritability and foggy brain being

among them, I taped it to my office door in the hall. Most of the time I worked

with a surgical mask on or one of those non-cartridge 3M masks-- working on the

computer all day.

When they were replumbing my office wing, going up through the ceilings right

outside my office door, I got so ill & used up most of my leave time. I later

put in for retirement, but wonder if the MCS would have progressed if I had

retired months earlier.

After I left they removed a section of the wall behind my work station-- MOLD,

water pipes doing a leak, and that's not the first time they found mold behind

other walls in the building..

There will always be maintenance problems and renovations are necessary. What I

resented was the lack of compassion and being treated like it was `all in my

head' -- especially from M.D.s. When I worked for the State of Arizona before

the VA, they were KIND to the handicapped.

When they do take care of the mold, the employees may still get ill from the new

drywall and paint.

As an MCSr, I have to wonder if there are very many buildings, new or old, that

are really safe/non-toxic to work in these days.

---------------------------------

> Bibo: Mold in VA clinic shuts facility for repairs

>

> ____________________________________

> PEORIA †"

>

> Starting Monday, the Veterans Affairs Clinic in Downtown Peoria will be

> shut for two weeks.

>

>