Stemedix Review: Mike R. (Watervliet, NY)
My name is Mike Rymanowski and I am 70 years old. I live in upstate NY just outside of Albany, NY and I was involved in a house grease fire on 10/30/1977. I was removed from the house not breathing and suffered major damage to my lungs. (Chronic Bronchitis, RADS/Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome and Non CF Bronchiectasis) In June of 1997 there was a fire at an unmanned chemical warehouse (1 1/2 blocks from our home) on a Sunday night which released a massive chlorine gas cloud along with other chemicals. Three sides of the warehouse were evacuated unfortunately the direction toward our house was not. A year later we viewed a hazmat training video which determined the chlorine gas cloud was heading directly toward our home approximately 65% of the time of the warehouse fire. Since we were not evacuated we tried to sleep through the night (we had no idea of the severity of the fire or chlorine cloud ) but I just kept coughing. I felt so bad I was finally admitted to the hospital...