Thought Id give an update on health issues that deal with body repair. As I think its important for everyone to know what products they are using and the proper methods of protecting themselves.

Am a real private person I really don’t like to talk about whats bothering me or what am thinking or my feelings, but I feel like I need to say what am saying cause hopefully it will prevent someone from suffering what am suffering from. Plus am learning its not too health to bottle up your emotions and feelings.

Anyway to give a quick background, on Dec 23 of 1998 I was hospitalized 2 days for exposure to Zinc Oxide poisoning. This was caused from some very simple welding on galvanized steel on a core support. Because of that exposure 6 yrs ago I NOW suffer daily side affects like coughing, shortness of breathe and all round loss of breathing capacity.

Late last year sometime in November I decided to go in for a check up see if I could do anything or take anything to stop the coughing as that’s the most annoying. Anyway after two visits with the doctor, 3 chest x-rays, 1 cat scan and several visits to respiratory specialists its been found that I now have a lung disease.
This disease is a rare form of Emphysema which is a nonreversible disease that destructs the lung tissue. What my disease is, is that the liver produces a protective protein that lines the lungs. This layer protects the lungs from the white blood cells in your blood, without that layer the white cells eat away at the lungs much like an ulcer.

Because of my zinc exposure it weakened my lungs and liver to such a weak point that it no longer produces the proper level of protective protein. Now basically my lungs are aging at an increased rate or self destructing. Just like emphysema there is NO cure for this type of disease, you can only prolong it.

To give you an idea right now my lung capacity is 46% where someone my age and non smoker should be in the low 90% range. I have the lungs of 80 older smoker of 50 years, pretty sweet huh! Am taking Advair twice a day, an inhalant that helps open up the lung passages. Also taking a monthly infusion that is basically a lung steroid that is supposed to regain back some lost lung tissue. And of last week am taking Pulmonary rehab classes 3 times a day for 4hrs for the next 3 months. The class teaches you a new way to breathe and excise the living hell out of ya as healthy muscles make for less strain on the lungs.

After talking with several lung specialists am looking into a lung transplant within a few years. But after some research on the web I see that the success rate of making it through this procedure alive is around 22%. If you’re a lucky SOB that makes it through your life expediency afterwards is 5-6 yrs. It takes such a toll on your body that you are now at a high risk of other lung problems like Bronchitis and Asthma.
That’s always nice to know because each specialist Ive seen has said by the time I reach 30-35 I will need or have had a transplant. Am 26 yrs old now and it’s a wonderful feeling knowing you might be lucky to see 40 and if I do it sure will be a FUN ride.

So I guess the point of this is, is it worth it? Is saving that 100 bucks to paint your car in the garage vs. renting a booth for the day worth it? Is it worth it to think that paint mask and changing the filters is stupid? Or even think that 500 dollar fresh air unit is a total waste of money? You ever think of your family and wonder is what am doing safe for them?
I don’t know about you but no friggin car or amount of money is worth it.

Thank you for another wakeup call! With spring coming and us do it ourselfers getting ready to start projects it great time to remind folks of some of the hazards... I am listening and hopefully many others are too. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Holy crap Eric, this finds even MARTINSR speechless. :(

That sucks dude. I had a scare a few weeks ago.After doing some heavy priming with not much ventilation and only a charcoal mask i called it a night.I woke up about two hours later in a cold sweat,felling VERY sick and scared, looked in the mirror and i was white as a ghost. I felt like i was on the verge of passing out,and i felt like i just wanted to jump out of my skin,like real jittery.Then it just went away.Iso sensitization at its finest.I no longer paint at all, or do body work on the side.Just 9-5 collision work. No more Iso's for this boy. I'm surprised i'm not dead after hearing your story and thinking about all the stupid stuff i've done. graemlins/sad.gif

Originally posted by sevt_chevelle:
graemlins/sad.gif :eek: Geez....This is one of those posts where you dont know what to say..IF I was you, Id go back to school and do something else for a living- if youre not already. Not only is it not worth it for the hobbyist to SAVE a few bucks, there comes a time when it isnt worth MAKING a few extra bucks and causing further destrcution of your health. Health is priceless.

I'll tell you this- my Uncle was a smoker for A LONG time. Regardless of HOW he got to his condition, he got a transplant. At the time, he was little more than skin and bones- BUT he made it through- and that was 6 years ago- hes now 65. He has his ups and downs, but hes still hanging in there. By hanging in there, Im not talking about toting an oxygen bottle around. Im talking hiking and fishing at 6000+ ft, walking 2 miles a day. SO- at 26 years old- If they can find a lung from someone that will fit your frame- you might be OK. Dont always go by statistics- a 26 year old male is NOT the typical lung transplant patient (dont know how else to state this :( ). I would imagine "they" are talking about a 22% rate of people that are twice to three times your age, FWIW.

I had kind of scary incident one time with "bronchospasm" and etching primer..and I didnt know until your "Health" post what caused it. Turns out I was storing my stuff the wrong way, and was essentially using worthless cartridges. Thanks to your post, Ill NEVER store it all together again. Nowhere near as scary as your stuff, BUT, it was a wake up call- I was on some asthma meds for awhile to clear some crap out of my lungs, but now am back to normal for the most part. I feel for you, because when your breathing "just aint right", you key in on it constantly, and that in and of itself becomes a MAJOR LEAGUE crock of *****. Just keep at that health maintenance- the KEY to doing good when it comes to transplants is STRENGTH.

I am really sorry for your condition, and hope that something turns for the better that will allow you to live the life that you wish..
graemlins/sad.gif

Wow Eric, That sucks. I'm sure I've burnt quite a few days from my life pursuing this work but to have these problems at the age of 26 is not fair at all. I've steered many young people away from this line of work knowing the price they would have to pay if I would have encouraged them.

I hope things turn around for you. You can make an occupation change, I worked as a tech for 18 years full time, 3 years ago I became an insurance adjuster and now spend about 20-30hrs per week in my own shop part time. People who have a genuine interest in this work have a difficult time hanging it up completely, working with your hands becomes normal routine with a comfort level hard to achieve doing other jobs. The switch to adjuster work was very hard for me, but if I can do it I'm sure anyone can. For 18 years it was just me and the cars and the people I worked with, now it's different people everyday with many uncomfortable situations but it's getting better as time goes by. Four years ago a good friend of mine Pat was diagnosed with throat cancer at the age of 32, he had done body work full time for 14 years. Treatment has put the cancer in remission and he now manages a body shop for a saturn dealership.

Eric, I along with everyone else here wish you the best of luck fighting this thing :(

Eric,
I wish the best for you, I Know that I should use more precautions in my shop. Mostly a brake and muffler shop. I will have to now remind my self to take the proper safety precautions and quit telling my self "It is only for a few seconds it wont hurt me" I'm sure that has entered your mind at one point in time in the past few years. you are a very knowledgeable person and look foward to your advise given on these boards.

Not the best with words, but I am sincere wishing
you the best of luck & hoping you get a big dose
of it.
Larry

sevt_chevelle,

I was completely floored when I read your post. I wish you the best and sincerely hope that you pull through. Make it your goal to force them to re-write the statistics.

I also want to thank you for your original post. It was because of that post that I went out and got a respirator to begin with and keep the filters in a seperate sealed bag. Before the original post, I just went about my business because people aroung me had "painted and did filler work without any of that blah, blah, blah". Plus the post gave me a new respect for body work. Kind of made me feel sh**ty that I myself bocked at prices for respirators or outsourcing body work.

Finally, I want to say that everyone should do their homework before you go out and purchase a respirator and other safety devices. I ended up buying mine at a bodyshop supply house because the guy at Home Depot said "this one will work fine for what your doing". Since I'm not in the business anyone could tell me anything and I have no choice but to take their word for it, and if this person says it will work...well then it must. Come to find out, the mask wasn't enough protection. And judging by the spraying I did with etch and 2K the other day, this $30 bodyshop supply mask isn't enough either. The fumes were overwhelming...time to step up.

Thanks again for making people aware, and good luck. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Like the others, I'm sorry to hear about your health problems sevt_chevelle. I too wish you the best and don't give up. The exercise program you are on may help work wonders for you. Sometimes the body surprises us with its healing powers. And the transplant may offer great hope.

It constantly amazes me how archaic our society is in its disregard for workers' health. Cars are only my hobby. But I worked in the construction industry for about twenty years before making a career change. Although not usually as bad as auto body work, construction workers also are exposed to a lot of nasty chemicals and dusts. Most workers refuse to wear masks or other protection. I quit a particularly hazardous job working with refinishing chemicals and furniture finishes when I was 24 largely because I didn't think I'd see 40. Now I'm 55 (and a runner).

I hope giving up working on cars is not the only answer. After reading the earlier posts, I spent about $900 US dollars (lots more in Canadian dollars) on a Survivair 3/4 hp supplied air system with enough air flow to supply two masks or a full hood. While that may sound like a lot of money, that amount of money won't buy many car parts. Yet it might buy the user a couple of decades of better health. Getting in the habit of using it for those "few second" jobs is another thing we need to work on.

Good luck, and thanks again for the warnings and advice,

David

Wow. Thanks for sharing sevt. I pray for your well being. I hope everyone can take something away from this post.
I for one, have always been the guy who dosen't always wear his safety glasses, skip wearing a respirator for primers and base coats, and let my nose hair do the filtering of bondo dust.
Until now. I've never been accutely affected by the chemicals I've injested into my body by breathing or absorbtion through my hands and skin, but I think it has effected my health to a dangerous stage. Dust, solvents, oil and anti-freeze all have very bad attributes, including heavy metals (Bad - very bad). Your body can absorb these easily and your liver and kidneys cannot remove them all. Damage over time is called a SOMATIC EFFECT.
I am 42 years old. I never smoked (maybe a little rubber) never drank too much, worked in a safe job and have always been healthy. Until I had two heart attacks, three stents put in my heart and had three different operations. I have coronary heart disease. It's supposedly caused by inflamation in the arteries. High cholesteral then 'sticks' to the highly inflamed areas and causes blockage, restricting blood flow to your heart. All of the cardiologist I've seen, six in all, cannot explain what causes the inflamation.
I sought an alternitive treatment after studying everything I could about my disease. I went to a medical doctor who specailizes in Chelation therapy. I had hair samples and urine samples checked for heavy metals. All high!
After a full year of treatment and de-toxifying, those levels are all down. I am now recieving Glutathion injections for my liver and kidney function. Here's some info on it. Glutithione (http://http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/aminoacids/pages/glutathione.html)

So, I say to all of you. Don't be a hard-headed idiot like me. Wear protective equipment. Don't soak your hands in lacquer thinner, motor oil, transmission fluid or ant-freeze. Wear gloves. Get a good respirator and paint suit if you're painting. Wear the right respirator when painting or welding. Don't breathe bondo dust or any other kind. Do it for you, your kids and your family. God only gives us one body. If I could do it all over again, I would do it all differently.

sevt_chevelle,
thank you for sharing your story. im 18 with a nothing can hurt me attitude.. i welded many plated metals that should not be welded without respirators.. i did some stupid stuff and now you really got me thinking.. spring is coming and i can finally get back to working on my car.. but this time ill think twice before i decide to weld without any protection.

thank you for this.... last weekend I was working on that tailgate I told you guys about, and out of sheer laziness I didn't wear my respirator while sanding down two coats of k36, or spraying it for that matter.... I never wear one when welding... something to think about on my part.

even as hobbyist, we need to be aware of how dangerous this stuff is.

I hope you are able to overcome or at least live out a normal life with this problem...

Your excellent knowledge has helped many and I hope that you can continue to give advice.

Since I read your previous post I have taken new actions towards protecting myself from bodywork byproducts.

I hope everything works out,

Kris

Sorry to hear you're in such a bad way. I had a good friend pass away from complications of emphysema a couple of years ago. He had a lung transplant which helped for a couple of years. It's hard watching your buddy gasping for air, and there's not much you can do about it. He took it in stride, and didn't let it get the best of him.

I started thinking about him when I read your post this morning, and being as I have been trying to finish up the bodywork as of late, I went down and got myself a 20 pack box of sanding respirators. Now don't think I'm unconscious about safety, I'm just hard headed sometimes. I've always been the one wearing eye and ear protection first at work. I even use my respirator when priming and painting. I guess I've just not thought much about the dust I create. Anyone working with me in the garage always gets handed a pair of safety glasses and hearing protection. I've got about 3 pair of each laying around. I've already lost some low and high tones of hearing in my right ear from just working around diesels (and probably from my bikes in the past), so I'm pretty consistent about hating loud and/or constant noises. Even a leaky air hose or fitting bugs me to no end, so I fix it quick. And I've had enough wire bristles fly off of a cup brush on an angle grinder and lodge themselves into my skin through my Levi's to know about eye protection. My shades I buy are ANSI Z87 spec, and cost about $6 each, great deal, and safe to a point, too. My boss questioned them one day, so I showed him that shooting at the lense from 10 feet away with a .22 pellet gun @400 fps took the lense out of the frame, broke the frame, but didn't break the lenses. Not bad for that cheap.

Bottom line, I hope the best for you, your knowledge you pass along to the rest of us is astounding. Thanks for the wakeup call. We're with you, bro. Let us know if we can help, as a bunch of us would still be doing it wrong without stand up guys like yourself, who are willing to take the time to break it down for us. If the time and need comes, I'm sure you'll receive the same as you've given us.

Thanks everyone for the kind words. You know Ive already accepted and come to terms with the hand that was dealt to me so I maintain a positive attitude. I really don’t think too much or worry about the condition. I view at as no point in worrying about something that I don’t even know when or what will happen for certain. I take it day by day, but Id be lying if I said I don’t think about it all or worry about things from time to time.

Still working in the shop and really don’t feel different as I don’t put myself in those conditions any more where my health might be jeopardized. I mean during ANY type of painting I wear the fresh air mask and do it in the paint booth. Were sometimes in the past had just some small little spots Id spray it out in the shop but no longer. When doing any type of work that produces a dust I wear my mask and change the filters on a almost a weekly basis. Even currently looking into getting a small compact fresh air unit for myself to wear through out the day.

Am sure some are thinking why not just quit now go back to school learn something new and live a healthy life. I agree to a point with that. I don’t see myself working in some office environment looking at a computer screen all day. When you work with your hands all day its hard to just quit, it becomes a mind set. Maybe my views on life are a tad different then others but Id rather continue doing something that I enjoy and love and wind up ending it early then waking up every day going to work at a place and job that I hate just so I can tack on a few more years. To me doing that is the same as already being dead.

Ive gotten a several emails asking me what masks and filters should they be using. Ill post some part numbers and links to some good info on the products. Am waiting to hear back from the regional safety rep from 3M, getting some new updated numbers. So when I get that info Ill make sure I post those numbers…Eric

God loves you and so do I.

Does anyoe know how Eric is doing these days? Hope and pray all is well with him (as best as can be).

Durand

wow reading that left me speechless.... I just don't know what to say.

I hope that the DIY folks here read that and your other posts and take hte time to assemble the proper safety gear.

I have gotten paranoid about shop safety. I always have my gloves, earplugs, 3M respirator (not jsut a dust mask), and safety goggles on when I'm doing anything that puts stuff into the air - even sweeping the floor. A lot of time they restrict my movement and/or vision, but I've learned to live with it.

After reading post after post talking about the effects of breathing in dust and chemicals, i have become paranoid about the potential effects this hobby might be having on my body. I am constantly wondering if that little ache in my neck or that strange headache is because I spent too much time working contorted inside the car or on the floor or did I ingest some nasty chemical? I mean, just about anything you do on a car, grinding, welding, painting, sanding, wire wheeling, even changing the oil, you are exposing yourself to some harmful substance through the air or possibly through your skin. My family hasa history of emphysema, and I take the threat pretty seriously. so far, my lung function "so good it's sickening" according to my doc, but I have to wonder sometimes if I have done damage in the past that won't show up for years.

Please do everyone in this hobby a HUGE favor and post whereever and whenever possible about your experiences and you can make anyone who listens just a little safer.

Andy

Andy, I have posted stuff about respirators, and vents and exhaust fans on several different forums, and they get a few views, but rarely any comments, but they will listen and comment if someone has an actual health problem, other then that, I have the feeling there not listening.

Rob

Andy, I have posted stuff about respirators, and vents and exhaust fans on several different forums, and they get a few views, but rarely any comments, but they will listen and comment if someone has an actual health problem, other then that, I have the feeling there not listening.

Rob

I have done the same regarding shop safety, and I get the same feeling. I remember commenting on one post where someone suggested putting the car on jackstands and running it through the gears while someone stooped down under the car to listen for where a noise was coming from.

Some serious stuff can happen and be over with disasterous consequences before you even realize something is wrong.

So, how do you get them to listen.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink

So, how do you get them to listen.

The only people I've been able to confirm that they are listening when I talk safety are members of my crew when I'm running a field project. That's because on a boat they are a captive audience :) AND if I see someone doing something unsafe I givem an earfull.

At least you have somebody to get on, I only have the bride here, and its in one ear and out the other with her.:clonk: :clonk: :clonk: :clonk:

Guys:

Safety is important! I know I'm not the most careful person in the world but reading about Eric and him being only in his 20's with health issues is scary. I assume no one has heard from him. I used to read his posts quite frequently but haven't seen anything in some time or maybe wasn't looking when he did.

Durand

Andy, I have posted stuff about respirators, and vents and exhaust fans on several different forums, and they get a few views, but rarely any comments, but they will listen and comment if someone has an actual health problem, other then that, I have the feeling there not listening.

Rob

I'm pretty new to this stuff but from my observation it seems enough people don't make personal safety a priority in doing this stuff. This goes for both pros and hobbyists. Training and education on safety would help but let me point to the November issue of Hot Rod magazine as a prime example of what's being perpetuated:

(1) Hot Rod does a story on Junior Conway, a talented man who's been painting award-winning show cars for 50 years and they show him shooting paint without a proper respirator (he's only wearing a dust mask), no eye protection, no gloves, no paint suit. What does this teach young guys reading this?

(2) Same issue, Hot Rod does an 8-page story on how to paint your car as part of their "Ultimate Guide to Paint & Body". You would think safety and protective equipment should be the first thing discussed, the first thing you learn before you talk about gun choice, gun setup, mixing paint and etc. Safety/respirator isn't mentioned until the last page and even then it's just an anecdote in a box. They show pics of a guy shooting paint wearing a tank top and shorts but at least he's wearing a charcoal respirator. No mention of safety things like paint suits/gloves to cover your skin, fresh air supply respirators. If that's the way pros do things, it's no wonder things are no safer in home garages.

If you can't teach someone how to do something SAFELY they shouldn't be taught at all. Safety needs to be learned and made a habit, not an option and not an afterthought to doing the job. I understand it's not Hot Rod's job to act like OSHA and talking about safety probably won't sell more magazines, but c'mon. I'm not bashing Hot Rod, I'm a subscriber and love the mag, but one of the main reasons I subscribed was for the tech articles to learn how to do things. I really want to learn how to do things safely though. My life, my health just isn't worth risking, nobody's is for that matter.

I am very sad to hear about Eric's situation and hope he's hanging in there and doing well. If anything positive can come of this, let it be that the rest of us think about our health and safety.

I saw Chip Foose on Overhaulin spraying in the booth with NO PROTECTIVE GEAR of ANY KIND. Not even a dust mask.

What kind of an example does that set? Golly, at least Norm takes 10 seconds at the beginning of each show to tell the viewers the the most important piece of shop equipment are the safety glasses.

I saw Chip Foose on Overhaulin spraying in the booth with NO PROTECTIVE GEAR of ANY KIND. Not even a dust mask.

What kind of an example does that set? Golly, at least Norm takes 10 seconds at the beginning of each show to tell the viewers the the most important piece of shop equipment are the safety glasses.

Not defending his actions, but at least he's in a state of the art down draft booth.. I have been in the booth while Mike (69ssmike) is painting & there really aren't any fumes, every thing's pulled straight to the ground... I certainly wouldn't make it a habit to be in there without a respirator though..

Scott, that was a really good thing you pointed out, its a whole different situation for a hobbist.:thumbsup:

Rob