Think I made the wife very sick

[Ken Hill]

Thursday evening, she came into the shop and helped me sweep and clean up shavings. My air handler was on and we have done it many times together but she actually carried a tub out and dumped it, basically way more exposure to teh dust then normal for her. Friday mornings he woke up and thought she was having a panic attack, chest hurting and rapid heartbeat. She came home from work friday and went downhill fast. By Christmas day, she had 104 temp, coughing, vomit etc. I tried to get her to take a Benedryl just incase but she said it was more flu like. This morning she woke up much better, no fever since mid day yesterday and had an appetite.

I started working on another bowl and within 45 minutes, she was back to bad coughing and exclaimed that she could smell the wood and was back to the chest issue. She wont go to the doctor, I have all but forced her to go but she is stubborn. This marks teh 1st day in 16 years she has called in sick tow ork if that tells you anything.

She finally took a Benedryl and withing a few minutes started having relief in her chest.

No one else here as any issues, no one at her office has been sick.....am I correct in thinking she is or has had a bad reaction?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ken - everything you listed sure points to that as being a problem! Only safe thing to do is to go to the Doc and get checked out! I hope she feels better soon!

[Greg Just]

Were you turning an exotic wood or something new wood that you had not turned before? Sounds like a bad allergic reaction. Hope she if feeling better.

[Brian Kent]

Yes, I think that you are right that sawdust made it difficult to breathe - along with a respiratory flu-type illness. Sawdust doesn't give you a fever, but once there is respiratory distress, sawdust can really hurt you. It also can keep you clogged up and slow recovery.

My 2 cents - give her a break from sawdust for a couple of weeks or months until she is completely clear, and step up the precautions to keep the sawdust out of the house - better door seals, air filters, fans that take airborne dust outside.

[Ken Hill]

I turned mainly white oak and cherry thursday. I turned red oak and spalted maple saturday and sunday but she was already down at that point.

Its been about 40 minutes on the Benedryl and she wants me to go get her a pizza...good sign LOL

[steven carter]

I am certainly NOT a doctor, but sure sounds like an alergic reaction, I am glad she is better after the Benedryl! Keep her away from helping haul the shavings.

[Ken Hill]

Nomally she will walk out and tell me what she has to say and back inside, I reckon she was feeling helpful that evening. I feel bad for her, but everyone here is used to asking me about being in the shop due to chemicals being used or if I am powder coating etc.

I'm heading to get her a pizza before she gains 70 pounds....she is obviously turning a corner as there isnt a safe piece of food here right now LOL!

[Bill Wyko]

I had turned a wood called Tigrillo. The second the dust hit the air, it stopped me from breating almost instantly. I had to run outside. You've got to be very careful with exotic woods, or any wood for that matter. I also have an allergic reaction to Oak too. Be careful my friend and I hope she is better soon.

[Jim Burr]

Kinda my specialty! Most allergic reactions don't cause a fever, so the dust may have triggered an underling condition, bronchitis, pneumonia...several other goodies. The fever could be caused by a histamine response that the dust triggered too. Get her well and moving around to keep those lungs clear. Also vacuum the house real well and wash any clothes that may have dust on them. As we age, our sensitivity to allergens increases and resistance decreases. It sucks, but that's life! I know you had your Trend or other breathing protection on...right!?

[Peter Elliott]

Ken, most likely a allergic reaction by inhalation of wood.. A lot of people are! Also, she must have ingested some dust (fine particles) for the vomit to occur. Typical signs/symptoms of a inhalation reaction would be: tightness of chest, swollen tongue, difficult to breath and more. The fever/vomit suggest ingestion. The fever could be both.

She could have the flu and not know it (it doesn't matter if you see it in others) combine with allergic reaction to dust..

If she has problems breathing when your turning or making wood dust - keep a 3M Filter Mask around if she has to enter the shop.
Keep benedryl handy if she does have a reaction and monitor the tightness of chest. Anything severe needs ER attention ASAP.
She can pass a point where OTC drugs will not help. Remember your New Market Days...

Hope it was just a one off occurrence and not a condition..

Give her our best!
Peter

Note: I was hoping Jim Burr would chime in... My post should be before his... it's his specialty...

[Joe Vincent 63]

Good luck with her feeling better. I can relate that it is miserable - for the past 6 weeks I've had a virus, actute bronchitis, and now pneumonia. It is absolutely horrible, especially in the mornings.

Hopefully she'll be fully healed shortly!

Joe

[Ken Hill]

It could be complete coincedence, I hope so haha. It could be as Jim stated a mix or it was just a jumping off point for an underlying illness.

Yes, I wear a mask but think I am going to order a Trend just for peace of mind for myself.

Peter, I lost a good friend years ago due to anaphylactic shock that killed him before anyone knew what was happening, he was 14. Hard to believe a Benedryl could have saved his life.

[John Keeton]

Ken, Jim and others have far more experience with this thing, and I would defer to them on the medical issues. I just pray that your wife recovers quickly and completely. Obviously, for whatever reason, additional exposure to dust in your shop would be a mistake.

[Ron Bontz]

Just a thought. I have some issues with some domestic woods myself. Walnut, my favorite wood of course, for some reason gets to me often. I had not had any issues with woods for quite a few years. Started having what I thought was allergic reactions, tight chest, shortness of breath etc, a few years ago. Went to a specialist to find out they were more asthmatic reactions. Also it could be something on the wood. Mold, hay and dust if stored in a barn with animals, etc.
So lots of variables. I work in EMS as well, and I have been seeing more respiratory infections, myself included, lasting 2-3 weeks. Real kickers. Tis the season. Hope you find out what's doing it. Best of luck.

[Ken Hill]

Well she kept the pizza in her, says she is weak but feels alot better. Funny how the benedryl worked, if she listened to me earlier maybe it would have helped earlier LOL!

Her brother has always had a reaction to deer dander, the wife developed it 6 or 8 years ago after showing no signs previous. We tell her we are going to use her each year to help track deer, but so far she has managed to be really busy come hunting season haha! It never ceases to amaze me at how the human body can react to different things.