April 30, 2006

Nine years.  What a world of difference nine years makes in lead poisoning and yet it’s just a drop in the proverbial paint bucket in regards to the immense history of lead.  A lot can transpire in nine years; for example, on April 30, 1997, I learned why I was having unusual headaches with a metallic taste in my mouth, which happened when I used a hot air gun on my 200-year-old house to remove paint.  While I was slowly poisoning myself, I was also rapidly poisoning my infant son, who simply breathed in lead dust and vapors while sleeping. 

Julian was diagnosed 9 years ago with a level of 44 mcg/dL at the age of 10 months; my level was 21.  There are no words to describe a mother’s feelings on how, through sheer ignorance, I poisoned my son.  If I had known about lead before buying the house, things would have turned out so much differently, a sentiment echoed by many parents. 

To put the lead in perspective – after 4 months of using the hot air gun, he required 2 rounds of oral chelation.  It took 2 years to reach single digits for measurable lead - a total of 7.5 years to reach lead levels of <3.  (For a chronology, click here.)  Although his level is currently 1.3, he has had lead in his body for most of his developmental stages, and as time goes on, those systems are ‘firing off without all the cylinders in place,’ if you know what I mean.   

 
Julian is a very bright child.  He is in the top 5% of his class, and was accepted into the National Young Scholars Program to study CSI & Leadership this summer.  His last report card was 2 percentage points short of straight A’s.  When he grows up, he wants to be captain of his own ship, which he will design.  He rivals Audubon for drawings of every kind of bird, and Ken Marschall for ocean liner illustrations.  A memory for statistics & information – he can cross-reference through a variety of sources. 

Julian also suffers the effects of lead.  There was no doubt that having high levels of lead would do some damage, somehow.  He is ADHD, and since the neurologist ‘corrected’ the school performance issues, ‘his work is done.’  Math is his subject of difficulty – he has always excelled at reading, spelling, writing and science.  A couple of teachers early on tried to diagnose him as autistic, because of his lack of interpersonal skills and sensitivity to loud noises; even today, the similarities to Rain Man (Dustin Hoffman) are eerie. 

There are behavioral issues – from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde - in the blink of an eye.  My sister-in-law, who recently retired from 34 years teaching in public schools, is familiar with young adolescents & their behaviors.  She witnesses the extreme mood swings and fixations, the tendency for violence, the sounds he makes without even realizing it.  Moderation will never be part of his vocabulary – he does everything to an extreme. 

My husband & I have opted to raise him as a ‘normal’ child, without the labels & specialists.  There is no neat, compartmentalized way to classify ‘normal’ – there are high and low ends to ‘normal’ in every classroom.  We embrace the good behaviors as much as possible, and hope that we can continue to cultivate our little pearl. 

The crime remains that children such as Julian, and so many others, suffer the silent hangover of lead effects in their bodies for the rest of their lives, while the lead industry continues to hide behind their high-dollar attorneys, evading ANY responsibility.  What kind of lesson is this for future generations? 

I poisoned my son 9 years ago, and will spend the rest of my life coming to terms with the long-term results.  Because of the lessons learned, Julian has beautiful younger twin sisters who appear to be lead-effect free.  The problem is, all three of my babies were supposed to be normal, not just two of them.  As a result of my experience, I’ve impacted the lives of thousands of people in OH, NJ and across the US regarding lead; however, that doesn’t change what lead did to my child, only the way I can help Julian clear the multiple hurdles ahead in his future. 

As a result of my experience, Julian’s lead anniversary has become an annual event – a way to measure his milestones both publicly and personally.  Lead is not just an issue of high-risk zip codes and abatement techniques; it affects children forever.   

Leann Howell
American Lead Poisoning Help Association
ALPHA