My white blood count was high. No fever. So, it's definitely not bacteria/virus whatever infection. It started with a body ache and some twitches while in the lab. IN THE LAB. All these symptoms within one hour of my handling a neurotoxic material - Acrylamide/bis-acrylamide. I don't mind getting sick due to skin contact with that chemical, but I think infertility is one of long term effects that I honestly fear a lot. Why I suspect that chemical was the culprit was because that was my first time handling it (though I did wore gloves) and I had no sore throat, flu, sickness prior to this. And the funny thing was - my body failure happened very quick (like a succession of fits within an hour) and there was no fever. If not, what is it that my body is trying to defend? Why did my body generate sooo much white blood!? That damn chemical...must be. Too bad I didn't tell the doctor about it as I have forgotten all about my handling of this potent chemical. My research colleague heard of 2 Ph.D. students in Biotechnology faculty being diagnosed with breast cancer recently due to high radiation exposure in their lab. *worried*
Another theory was stress. Hmmphhh...likely cause but I doubt anything could caused me to stress. I was not even stressed that weel! In fact, I just got back from a relaxing 4-day trip in Perhentian-Redang. And what's teaching swimming 7 days in a week compared to me having to go for swimming competition and trained twice a day for one month!?!??! WHAT STRESS DID I GET??? My uncle doctor called up to ask me not to drink too much coffee as the caffeine masks the body's tiredness. Maybe I didn't know I was tired. And I had lack of sleep though. Had to admit.
I prefer to blame it on the chemical. Stress?? - meh!!! If there's 6 billion people in this world, I dare declare that I, Ivy Chai could handle stress the best! (I've been pressured, but never been stressed-out)
4 comments:
Found a link to your blog on Education Malaysia and have been reading it for something. This post scares the daylights out of me because I'll have to do some wet lab work if I do my PhD. :( Never thought of it as a health hazard until now.
hmm... stress...Ivy Chai...hmm.... well. docs advice here is to chao keng as much as possible :) and siam whenever not needed
WK, just read the instruction and be careful all the time in whilst doing your lab or field work. Go ahead and do what you love and sometimes when passion is involved, safety is secondary! (bad advise, eh?)
Bad advice indeed. :P
Anyway, this geneticist-wannabe will be starting his PhD in October. :) Don't think I'll have any field work to do unlike you. Although the idea of going around hunting for insects (which I assume you do) does have a strange appeal for me.
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