Memories of Other Things - 7 - Occupational Hazards

by Polydicta

A little more Buffy. I got a faceful of dust from the inside of a computer and during the resulting coughing fit, this idea popped up (or was, possible hawked up).

Medical information in fiction is suspect at best - treat it as a cautionary tale and try to ignore the facts.

Disclaimer:

All fiction is derivative and fan fiction doubly so. I make no claim to own any part of any of the following, all I have done is an attempt to put together the elements in a novel fashion, using words and ideas like Lego ™ bricks.

There is no money involved – all I do is to share what I do for my own amusement.

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Memories of Other Things - 7 - Occupational Hazards

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No particular episode here ...

Occupational Hazards.

Buffy had been coughing and wheezing almost constantly for weeks, and she was becoming short of breath while doing anything even somewhat strenuous.

Protesting all the way, she had been dragged by Giles to the hospital. She was listened to, X-rayed, ultrasounded, MRI scanned and, finally, put to bed with an oxygen mask.

Polishing his glasses, at length, Giles asked, "so, doctor, what is it?"

"I don't know what in her lifestyle has exposed her to massive amounts of airborne, micronised carbon, nor where she has come into contact with the microbial cultures, but Miss Summers is suffering from emphysema† as a result of pneumoconiosis‡ and an ancient strain of tuberculosis."

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emphysema -

Destruction of lung tissue resulting in non-functional cavities in the lung.

pneumoconiosis -

"Miner's Lung" - lung damage (scarring) caused by long-term exposure
to biologically passive dust resulting in hard, inelastic nodules in the lung.
Most commonly encountered in coal miners due to the inhalation of
coal-dust (carbon). Also "Stoker's Lung" - from the use of coal in steam
engines.

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