For a couple of years now, I’ve had an odd health problem. Every doctor that I see, I tell them, “I’m fat, fluffy, forgetful, and fatigued” – which translates to a full page of odd symptoms. None of the symptoms, by itself, would really be so bad. Even a couple together wouldn’t be so troublesome. But I run the full gamut of odd things wrong.
When I finally sat down to make a list of even the most trivial-seeming symptom, it sounded like I had something terribly wrong with my thyroid. So, I went off to Ken’s endocrinologist. Every thyroid test comes back normal. Well within normal.
Ken has been having odd symptoms too. Fatigue, chest pains, stomach pains, weight gain, etc. His thyroid was quite a ways off and the doctor bumped his medicine up.
Yesterday, Ken and I were evaluating yet another sick fish. It seems like every other week one of our fin-babies comes down with something. In fact, I think we’re about to lose little one-eyed Jack (our little fantail goldfish). Something keeps spiking the ammonia levels in the tanks.
Ken said, “Something is turning the bathtubs blue. I wonder if whatever that is could be hurting the fish.”
Chance comment, right?
Well, Uncle Google says that the blue is from copper. Further investigation shows that high levels of copper could be somewhat toxic to fish. Aquamain said that in a fresh water tank it shouldn’t hurt them. However – we also have a high rate of algae growth that seems to green and then turn brown quickly. Uncle Google tells me two things – one, copper is widely used as an algaecide, and two, high levels of algae die-off will, of course, raise the ammonia levels in the tanks.
Hmmmmmm. I might have come across the answer.
So all of this got me wondering what effects copper could have on US. Again, I asked Uncle Google. And guess what? A stunning array of symptoms showed up – many of which match mine. And Ken’s. Some even scarier, as copper apparently regulates brain chemicals like norepinephrine and seratonin – meaning that copper toxicity can lead to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, panic attacks, etc. It can also bring on seizures in people who’ve never had them.
Knowing that our well shares groundwater with many others, I pondered our neighbors. Within five miles I can point to a couple dozen people who’ve got fat fluffy fatigued sorts of problems, who are living with people who have panic/bipolar issues or seizures. Just about everyone we know in the area is “sick all the time” with nothing, really – just feeling sick.
Copper’s got agricultural applications, and this is definitely farmland. It can also apparently come from junk cars and fluids – remember that this is where many a racecar was birthed and buried.
I don’t know if I’ve found the answer or not – but I will have some interesting questions for my new doctor tomorrow.
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Commentation