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Old 03-12-2008, 06:43 PM
 
435 posts, read 1,571,714 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by altus2006 View Post
You are using the past tense here. Did you leave Arizona because of the air quality?

I read a report today about the EPA listing a large amount of counties that have unbreathable air, but I have not been able to find info that tells what these counties are.

The article said that many people are dying too early from breathing problems due to air quality. Phoenix and its brown cloud is worrisome to me.

altus2006
There wasn't a singular reason in particular that I left, Phoenix just was not the right place for me- for many reasons. By reading most of the posts on this site, I think you'll get the general impression that Phoenix is a place most people tend to either love or hate; there aren't too many folks with "lukewarm" feelings about it. I don't really know why certain characteristics of Phoenix make it such a divisive topic, but that certainly seems to be the case. It either suits you, or it doesn't; in my case, it absolutely did not. The air wasn't great, but the same can be said of many large cities in the U.S., including some places which I think are terrific places to live (i.e., Salt Lake City). So that really wasn't a major factor for me.

As far as Valley Fever, the interesting thing about it to me always was the unpredictability of it. True, in most cases, it really amounts to little more than a mild cold or flu-like syndrome; however, in a smaller percentage of cases, the fungus can disseminate to bones, meninges, skin, visceral organs, etc. and cause severe, even life-threatening complications. I saw people become paralyzed from dissemination to the spinal cord, lose limbs, you name it. It's a scary disease when it takes a more aggressive course.

The sheer randomness of the patient population in which the more severe clinical course occurred was what made it frightening to me. I saw such complications happen in the old and young, immunocompromised and healthy, animals and humans (dogs, by the way, often have very serious problems with it). The disease course also, for whatever reason seems to be more severe in certain ethnic groups (Asians, Hispanics, and Blacks), as well as in recent immigrants from other areas of the country. Native Arizonans rarely have a problem with it. Standard antifungals aren't too effective against it, either, unfortunately.

At about this time last year I remember reading about a potential cure that they were working on at the U of A, called Nikkomycin Z, and I think the early clinical trials were pretty promising. I'm not sure what the status of that drug is now, or if it's close to becoming available anytime soon.
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Old 07-19-2008, 09:36 AM
 
3 posts, read 7,503 times
Reputation: 12
Exclamation I Have Valley Fever

Don't stick your head in the sand with this problem, I have Valley Fever and it's put my life on hold for the last 3 weeks. It's as debilitating of a condition as I have ever experienced and hopefully never experience again. I've been visiting AZ for over 7 years but didn't contract the disease until a moved here over 7 months ago. 6 months after moving here construction started on a new house across the street from us, I suspect that's where the spores came from but obviously can't say for sure. I'm just anxious to get over the condition and move on with life!
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Old 07-19-2008, 11:03 AM
 
9,091 posts, read 19,131,212 times
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my wife got it when we first moved out - helped weaken her up and a bunch of other stuff came along with it (walking pneumonia & pleurisy which pretty much sucked)

wasn't until like the 4th trip to the doctors that they were able to trace it all out - early symptoms were being treated as just a cold

wouldn't say that her life was ever in danger - but there was a solid 2 month period and a whole lot of uncomfortable feelings
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Old 07-19-2008, 02:00 PM
 
99 posts, read 385,385 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MARKG65 View Post
Don't stick your head in the sand with this problem, I have Valley Fever and it's put my life on hold for the last 3 weeks. It's as debilitating of a condition as I have ever experienced and hopefully never experience again. I've been visiting AZ for over 7 years but didn't contract the disease until a moved here over 7 months ago. 6 months after moving here construction started on a new house across the street from us, I suspect that's where the spores came from but obviously can't say for sure. I'm just anxious to get over the condition and move on with life!
Disease Listing: Coccidioidomycosis General Information | CDC DFBMD

From what I have been reading it is more than likely that it was from the construction. I would think that in the states that are prone to this problem there would be more of an effort to make people aware IMO. Especially for the people who are coming from out of State who would more than likely have no clue. With all the construction stirring up the dirt etc. I am glad that this thread started or else I would have never known about this.
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Old 07-19-2008, 11:24 PM
 
181 posts, read 1,074,346 times
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My dog has it. I'll tell ya whats debilitating,$45 a month for his fluconazole. I guess it could be worse. He is perfectly normal while on his meds.
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Old 07-20-2008, 02:35 AM
 
430 posts, read 1,406,222 times
Reputation: 158
Default maybe you can tell me why

Quote:
Originally Posted by steve22 View Post
I worked for 4 years as a physician in Phoenix. And to answer your question, yes, it can.
when you go see a doctor here with upper respiratory illness, such as flu like symptoms are a nasty caugh, not once have they ever mentioned Valley Fever or even testing you for it. No wonder the population is so clueless. From now on if I get a really nasty upper respiratory illness and it lingers on, I will insist on a test! I bet there are tons of people that have had it, be it a mild case or not, but do to the under diagnoseing who would know. The Doctors don't even bother to ask if you just moved to the valley, or any question that might clue them in could be more then allergys or a bad cold. sad medicare care
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Old 07-20-2008, 11:28 AM
 
3,886 posts, read 10,041,405 times
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They use to give us a VF test on our arm when I was young. They put a little shot of something under the skin and it swelled up if you had ever had VF. My father got the lung spots. The only bummer with this is the testing every time they see them to make sure they aren't lung cancer. No doc. will take your word for VF. They have to see it for themselves.

Construction and such are a concern, but when you live in a place that gets yearly dust storms it doesn't really matter. It's hard to run around here avoiding it all the time, it would drive ya nuts. We have a lot of dust everywhere. lol
Ponderosa is right, I think of it like West Nile, I mean, I don't ever put deet on my kids and freak about skeeters because chances are they wouldn't be aware of it if they had it. You can get really sick from the flu too. Same thing. Most people just think they have a bad chest infection and then they get over it. Get tested to see if you've ever had it, maybe you have and don't have to worry about it anymore.
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Old 07-20-2008, 11:32 AM
 
3,886 posts, read 10,041,405 times
Reputation: 1486
Quote:
Originally Posted by azkylady2 View Post
when you go see a doctor here with upper respiratory illness, such as flu like symptoms are a nasty caugh, not once have they ever mentioned Valley Fever or even testing you for it. No wonder the population is so clueless. From now on if I get a really nasty upper respiratory illness and it lingers on, I will insist on a test! I bet there are tons of people that have had it, be it a mild case or not, but do to the under diagnoseing who would know. The Doctors don't even bother to ask if you just moved to the valley, or any question that might clue them in could be more then allergys or a bad cold. sad medicare care
I think they only test for it if you have complications. Other wise it doesn't really matter unless your curious. There is not a lot they can do about it. Just let it run its course. They mostly just treat the symptoms like the flu.
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Old 07-20-2008, 02:05 PM
 
430 posts, read 1,406,222 times
Reputation: 158
Default Yeah, I suppose theres not much they can do.

Quote:
Originally Posted by twiggy View Post
I think they only test for it if you have complications. Other wise it doesn't really matter unless your curious. There is not a lot they can do about it. Just let it run its course. They mostly just treat the symptoms like the flu.
My husband did have a really bad upper respiratory illness this past winter, we both were sick with it, I got over in in two weeks, but, he was chokeing and caughing for almost a month. he does work in construction, not actually outdoors every minute as he is project management, but he is around dust a lot. I do think he probably should have been tested after that many weeks, The caugh was so bad he was loseing sleep. Seemed like forever for him to shake it.
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Old 07-21-2008, 08:11 AM
 
3,886 posts, read 10,041,405 times
Reputation: 1486
Quote:
Originally Posted by azkylady2 View Post
My husband did have a really bad upper respiratory illness this past winter, we both were sick with it, I got over in in two weeks, but, he was chokeing and caughing for almost a month. he does work in construction, not actually outdoors every minute as he is project management, but he is around dust a lot. I do think he probably should have been tested after that many weeks, The caugh was so bad he was loseing sleep. Seemed like forever for him to shake it.
Well, he can be tested for having it anytime. You don't have to currently have it to be tested. The test can tell if you have ever had VF. If your curious, next time you go in, ask for a VF test. It is always nice if you know especially if you find a spot on your lung down the road before surgery or something. You won't be as worried it's from cancer. They always do lung x-rays out here before surgery and some other things to check for TB. Most people find out about their VF spots then but before they know they can be quite worried it's cancer. If you test positive for VF you can get a x-ray and see if you have any spots and document it for any future use.
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