In October of 1993, my wife and I purchased a lawn and garden sales and repair business. This was a goal we had looked forward to for many years. Not only was it a business we wanted to get into, but also the line of equipment we always wanted to handle. After 23 years of saving and planning our dream was in front of us.
In November of 1994, the State of Maine opt into the oxygenated fuel program that was not mandated, as the state government would like everybody to believe it to be. The requirement was to conform to the 1990 Clean Air Act. This meant that the State of Maine has to reduce Volatile Organic Compounds by 15% in certain counties.
Oxygenated fuel is a fuel with an additive added to increase the oxygen content. MTBE is the most widely used oxygenate additive. MTBE is added to reformulated gasoline at 11% by volume and oxygenated gasoline at 15% by volume. MTBE is listed in material data sheets as being a severe poison.
By April of 1995, I began to have unhealthy symptoms when I would get around the vapors from the fuel, as a liquid and in the exhaust stage from automobiles and gasoline powered equipment. My hands would bleed if I got even a drop of this fuel on them. I would get nosebleeds from the fumes, headaches, and nausea, and I felt like I was intoxicated if I was driving. I also suffered from short-term memory and the ability to concentrate.
By June of 1995, I had become to ill to perform my work effectively. It was becoming quite evident that if things didn't change soon we would have to close down our business and take a substantial loss. We had in stock at his time over $100,000.00 in inventory. I had soon become so sensitive to the fuel that I would pass out when I got around any form of the fuel including the exhaust. I walked like I was intoxicated and could hardly speak because of constant laryngitis. Short-term memory had become quite severe and I found it difficult to spell my own name. Joint pain started to become unbearable and breathing became much more difficult.
Through a lot of research my wife was given the name of a scientist in California that was doing research on how MTBE was affecting people's immune system. My wife was asked to find 20 volunteers for this research that consisted of extensive blood test. I was the first one to be tested and the results were more severe then the scientist had anticipated. I was told that if we continued our business I wouldn't last another 3 years. The reality was I wasn't expected to live another 6 months because of the severity of the asthma attacks I was having.
Our son Jeff, 22 at the time, also volunteered for the blood test and the results showed that he has a suppressed immune system and looking at leukemia in the very near future. The rest of the results from the volunteers were not as severe but were consistent with the additive MTBE on their immune system.
We stopped all repairs and began to sell off the remainder of our inventory. The doctor I was seeing at the time suggested we move and for me to have a lot more testing. He told me I was like a "canary in a coal mine" and stated that about 20% of the people were going to be like me. Moving was out of the question, through some of the documentation from the USEPA, they plan to put MTBE in over 70% of the country. So where would someone move to.
By July of 1995, I had become very close to being an invalid. I was highly asthmatic and would pass out if I rode in a vehicle. My speech was terrible and the headaches had become more severe. The muscles from my waist up had become so weak I could hardly support my upper body. I couldn't hold a fork without dropping it several times while I was eating. My vision was also becoming blurred and I thought for sure if this fuel was going to continue to be used it wouldn't be long before I would loose my eyesight. My circulation was getting so bad my toes would turn black if I stood more then ten minutes, even when taking a hot shower. I was chilled or shivering most of the time.
Before the introduction of this fuel I never had a health problem other then the typical flu or cold. I was able to play sports with our six children, jog 3 tenths of a mile up to the school bus stop with my daughter, swim 20 laps in the pool, or walk 4 miles on the beach with my wife.
In mid July the scientist from the research lab called my wife to inquire on how I was doing. When she told them my health was getting worse and that doctors weren't doing anymore except testing, they became quite concerned and told her that I needed treatment not testing. They had done all the testing that was necessary. They told my wife if I had any chance of survival it would be through an environmental doctor that that specialized in toxins. They also suggested Pycnogenol and high doses of Vit-C. The lab gave my wife a list of doctors that specialized in toxic chemical poisoning and environmental medicine. We found a doctor in Massachusetts that had treated several patients with Gulf War Syndrome and fit me in that category. I was diagnosed with having Chemical Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and severe Asthma.
