Lead Scare

It's not lead poisoning. Hopefully we will avoid that. Anyway, it went like this: Gaz was tested in May at her nine month visit; who ever processes the tests reported her results to the state (might actually be the state that runs the tests) and the doctor; the state reports the results to the local health department; the local health department sends us spooky notices that scare the hell out of us because the doctor's office doesn't contact patients that have test results that don't require treatment. There is lead in Gaz, but not enough to cause any kind of damage, just enough to give me a couple of sleepless nights waiting for the situation to resolve.

And resolve it has: we've got lead in the kitchen, pantry, and back porch. A nice inspector from the city health department was out today to check everything out, and that was his verdict. Both Mr. Inspector and the nurse from Dr. C's office concur that the level of lead in Gaz's system is "very low" but that we should really try to get it down to zero, a sentiment I completely agree with.

I've already talked to our landlord and told him basically what was going on and that he'd be getting more detailed information from the inspector. We don't blame the landlords, of course, because had they known they definitely would have fixed it before now, and he did look quite vexed when I spoke with him earlier. Mr. Inspector said something along those lines too. They aren't "out to get" anyone; they simply want to prevent children from getting lead poisoning.

Gaz's lead level is so low that treatment isn't necessary, so there's nothing to do at the moment but keep her out of the kitchen, work with the landlords to fix the problem areas, and wait for her doctor appointment next month. I can handle that.