Rudy's "very bad headache"

Rudy Giuliani, Republican presidential candidate, experienced a “very bad headache” on December 19, 2007. There was concern it may have been the flu but the following day he was released from Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, with assurance he was in good health. Perhaps, but since doctor-patient privacy laws prohibit sharing of information, it may have been a condition that could lead to other, more serious health concerns. Rudy was quick to bring attention to his bout with prostate cancer in 2000, reassuring voters the absence of recurrence and that his PSA level is “very low, nonexistent”. Nonexistent is surely good news. Very low indicates something other than the best of diagnosis. Which is it? It can’t be both. He may have been distracting journalists from posing other health related questions. Of more immediate concern that may put into question his well-being are possible health problems stemming from his brave gestures to expose himself to harmful dust, debris and contaminants from the fallout of the Twin Towers on 9/11. Terrorists undoubtedly killed thousands of Americans on that infamous day of national disaster but others are at fault for the ill affects that have endangered the lives of nearly 400,000 workers in Lower Manhattan. This doesn’t include those who have residency in nearby condominiums and thousands of others who may also be at risk in outlying communities. As the wind blows, so do the elements of life-threatening poisons. There are untold thousands, if not tens of thousands, of additional victims who inhaled the toxins in the air and buildings during the months following the initial days of the attack on American soil. Rudy was there, as were hundreds of other public servants and employees, at Ground Zero assuring the public that everything possible was being done to ensure the safety of those in close proximity. Rudy was indeed there, following the paths of the EPA and Bush’s Council on Environmental Quality to give guidance and faith that testing of air quality was being done with the utmost diligence and using the most accurate of equipment. Perhaps, but their findings were well hidden from the public. Rudy and Bush and every government department that downplayed the seriousness of the affects of the destruction of the Twin Towers have made New York City and the United States government subject to millions of dollars in law suits, if not billions. As many as 70% of those exposed to the dust have become ill as a result of being exposed to the contaminants. The days and weeks following 9/11, businesses and residents were “dusting off” the gray, sooty materials floating in the air and from air conditioning ducts. Clothes, furniture and floors were covered with particles of fallout, causing alarm to workers and homeowners even though city and federal officials proclaimed all was well and safe. There were multiple reasons for New York City landowners to brush the dust balls under the carpet of secrecy. If buildings were found contaminated, the value of the buildings and properties would plummet. The estimated cost to cleanup a single apartment would amount to $10-20,000. As it stands, many downtown business buildings have, or will be, demolished as workers continue to experience illnesses deemed related to the toxins. The chemical composition of the dust clouds included glass, fiberglass, asbestos from insulation, lead from thousands of computers, mercury from fluorescent light bulbs and pulverized plaster, various metals, cement and other products easily passed through the paper thin painter’s masks that were distributed. Dampened cloth provided no better protection. Few were given gas masks or respirators and anyone who momentarily removed the devices was also exposed. Workers, executives, housewives and home-based professionals weren’t the only ones experiencing problems. Consider children, returning to contaminated schoolrooms, and their pets are the innocent ones. Every mammal, bird and reptile is subject to health problems through their lives, if not an early demise. The symptoms of illness include difficulty breathing, coughing, stomach disorders and panic attacks, even cases of mental illness. And HEADACHES. Keep in mind that these toxins not only infiltrate peoples’ lungs but also flow through their bloodstreams. Most of the minute particles absorbed by every organ of the body are often impossible to allow full recovery. Many of the victims have no health insurance and do the best to treat themselves. The seriousness of some illnesses is vary alarming. Chronic coughs or, worse, asthma with a discharge of phlegm and blood. Failing gallbladders, spleens and livers. Immune disorders. The tens of thousands currently requiring medical attention may dwarf the numbers who will develop health problems during the next couple of decades. I have not found any reference to adverse affects on eyesight, but it took physicians a bit of time just to correlate what illnesses patients were experiencing the weeks following 9/11. Time will tell. So, that simple headache that Rudy experienced just a few weeks ago may purvey something more serious in the future. With the number of times he frequented Ground Zero to claim his moment in history with praise and admiration for the leadership he demonstrated there is little doubt the exposure to contaminants will lay claim to his health. Perhaps it’ll be another headache. Or symptoms of any variety of the flu. Or a cough. A grimace of pain. Sweat on the brow. Any visit to a doctor or another hospital could be signs of something much worse.