Karen Nickel

Karen grew up along the banks of Coldwater Creek in Hazelwood. She spent many summer days playing in St. Cin park and in the creek - both currently undergoing remediation by the Army Corps of Engineers FUSRAP due to radioactive waste contamination.

Fifteen years ago, Karen was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, an auto-immune disease that can be attributed to radiation exposure.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/rele.../2012/11/121110155813.htm

She has to alter her entire life around this disease. If there is a holiday or big event, she has to plan downtime before and after the event as she will need to recuperate from the stress put on her body.

Simply getting out of bed has become a chore. Most mornings she is so sore and stiff that she can't even roll over without help from her husband. Even putting her feet on the floor is often excruciating. She has to hold on to the bed and the walls to get to the bathroom in the mornings. There are times when just having her clothes touch her skin induces pain.

Symptoms vary from person to person, and may come and go. Almost everyone with SLE has joint pain and swelling. Some develop arthritis. The joints of the fingers, hands, wrists, and knees are often affected.

Common symptoms include:

•Chest pain when taking a deep breath
•Fatigue
•Fever with no other cause
•General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
•Hair loss
•Mouth sores
•Sensitivity to sunlight and cold weather
•Skin rash. A "butterfly" rash in about half people with SLE. The rash is most often seen over the cheeks and bridge of the nose, but can be widespread. It gets worse in sunlight.
•Swollen lymph nodes

Other symptoms depend on which part of the body is affected:

•Brain and nervous system: headaches, numbness, tingling, seizures, vision problems, personality changes
•Digestive tract: abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting
•Heart: abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
•Lung: coughing up blood and difficulty breathing
•Skin: patchy skin color, fingers that change color when cold (Raynaud phenomenon)
•Kidney: swelling in the legs, weight gain

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000435.htm

Currently, her digestive system is under attack.

Unbeknownst to her, when she later moved her family into Maryland Heights, that she would be living near the largest, unauthorized, storage facility of nuclear waste in North St. Louis County, the West Lake Landfill. The same World War ll nuclear weapons waste that plaques Coldwater Creek and presently wreaking havoc on her body.
"With an incurable disease, everyday is a challenge. I am just thankful for everyday above ground."

While everyday is a struggle for her own life, she never waivers on fighting for yours.