College Athlete's health and future altered by exposure to Malathion

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I was poisoned by Malathion while working wheat harvest in central Washington State in 1982.  I used for one day, 100 pounds of 2% powder Malathion in 90 degree plus weather.  I was twenty years old, I had just completed my sophomore year of college where I was a three sport starting Varsity athlete.

I had just finished the National Collegiate Tennis Tournament one month before I was admitted into the emergency room.  I also had carried 18 academic credits at a highly respected private liberal arts college.  Life was over as I knew it.  It took ten years for proper diagnosis and treatment.

My dream of being able to run again can be sustained for about three minutes before my airways close and my cardiac function goes nuts.  Fortunately for me, I was able to go to an unbelievably good doctor in Philadelphia who had contacts with the Army Chemical Warfare Dept. and Various other military chemical divisions.  They used me as a guniea pig and my health was stabilized.  I am one of the very lucky ones because I was in exceptional shape I wasn't killed by the ER doctor or the future misdiagnoses. I have good days and bad weeks, but overall I function.  I see an environmental specialist in Dallas to keep control of my health issues, but like all of us it is a scary thing to be "normally sick" and have to deal with the flu.

So, if there is anything I can do...or  If you would like more information let me know I would love to share and encourage.

Ann Thomas; thesportsmind@aol.com

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