fukkin hell

[maevele]

so we started cleaning out the mother in law's apartment today, and it was more horrifying than i had suspected. I don't want to talk further about it now, honestly I do not think I can.

after the first few mice, the hantavirus jokes started. after about ten, they weren't funny anymore. by the time I got home, went to the CDC website and saw how the symptoms go with the newer hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is not the one my friends dad had, and compared them to how she got so sick with no one knowing what was wrong, and fucking panicked. The right kind of mice don't live in people's houses here, and there has only been one case of HPS in wisconsin, but I am still pretty shook up. I mean, I was shook up anyway from her place, but it now looks entirely possible that what killed her was that, and that by cleaning up her place tonight, we would have stirred up actively virused mouse piss and infected ourselves.

Comments

[softestbullet]

Holy shit!! :( I hope it's not that!

[jesse_the_k]

Yipes - o - shit!

Is there a blood test or something you could take to judge your exposure?

Did the kids go along?

[maevele]

there doesn't seem to be much for testing unless we get sick, or take the mice in for testing. it's such a rare thing I am probably panicking for nothing. and no the kids were somewhere else. before i knew how bad it was, i knew it was no place for kids

[sparkymonster.livejournal.com]

One thought is that if you *do* get sick, you will be able to give the doctor lots of information that can help. The various icks you can get are treatable, and being aware of symptoms and infection possibilities means you can catch them early before shit gets awful.

Also, tae a break and return next time with a breathing mask or *something*

[chiyo-no-saru.livejournal.com]

Maybe call whatever the environmental health department is in town and see if you can bring in a sample or something? I don't blame you for being concerned.

[leeoakfire.livejournal.com]

I empathize with you. It sucks when parents aren't responsible and leave their messes for their kids! I had to deal with this with my mom's house -- while she was still alive and living in it, refusing to move. I found some awful stuff, including many mice. (at this point in time I wish I had reported her to adult protective services instead of cleaning up the mess)

I suggest the type of mask which people use when painting. I had to eventually get one for cleaning out my mom's house, and it helps a TON! After that, I always wore one when cleaning her house. I did get sick without the mask; I never got sick again with the mask.

I know that my mom's health was negatively effected by her living situation, and it makes me shake my head -- most of our life parents are on our butts to be responsible, but when one gets a look behind the curtain we find out they aren't. It sucks.

I hope your health is okay!

ps --

[leeoakfire.livejournal.com]

I had never heard of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and did a google search to find out what it was. That is not what I got sick from; there are many ways to get sick from mice droppings. Hopefully, you won't have any problem with hantavirus, but please wear a mask when you go/if back! There are many ways to get sick from mice.