Megan Vickery 08:01
In Uravan?

Shannon Culwell 08:01
Yeah.

Megan Vickery 08:03
I don’t know.

Shannon Culwell 08:03
Yeah, they’re gone. Yeah, I mean, and you know, one of my patients told me that, “Oh, yeah, they moved them.” Oh, why would they move them? I mean, but they moved them someplace.

Megan Vickery 08:18
Interesting

Shannon Culwell 08:19
Yeah, and then that whole flume down there, isn’t that wild? Have you seen that?

Megan Vickery 08:26
Mhm.

Shannon Culwell 08:26
Yeah, I took pictures of it recently when I was down there, yeah.

Megan Vickery 08:30
Yeah. It’s an interesting area. What have you learned in your year about how uranium can affect the body for nuclear, atomic things?

Shannon Culwell 08:45
I haven’t really learned that much about it, because, like, I know that it affects their lungs, which is why they’re compensated and everything. But like, how it affects them? Like, does it crystallize, lung part — or not lung particles. But, I mean, I honestly don’t know what happens, like, does asbestos get in there? I mean, I honestly don’t know. I just know that they have lung issues and then I’m there to take care of them. But what it makes them feel like? I mean, they really have a hard time breathing. Like walking from here 10 feet, like a normal, skinny, normal-natured person can barely walk 15 feet without… With you know you have to take a breath in order to go to the restroom, and it’s just like, Wow. I can’t even believe that it affects you that much. But no, they didn’t — they’re not swayed by thinking bad about the mining industry at all. They’re very proud of it. Actually, very, very proud of it. Like, wow, that’s pretty good. They feel like they were very well taken care of. And the fact that they’re ill and there are bills, and they’re compensated, they’re very well compensated.

Megan Vickery 10:21
Yeah, they felt well taken care of by their companies, you mean?

Shannon Culwell 10:24
Yes.

Megan Vickery 10:25
And then now by their compensation?

Shannon Culwell 10:26
Yeah.

Megan Vickery 10:29
Sure. That makes sense. Do you have any other stories or things you’ve noticed about these patients and what that’s like working with them?

Shannon Culwell 10:54
It is… like some of them like love to talk about the stories and reminisce. And I love hearing about the history behind it, and it just being, oh yeah, them talking about, like, in the 30s, and I’m like, Oh my gosh, that was a long time ago! But they lived through it. And like, oh my gosh, you lived through that depression? And yeah, I forgot what the question was. Any other stories?

Megan Vickery 11:29
Yeah. Very open ended.

Shannon Culwell 11:38
Yeah, I don’t know.

Megan Vickery 11:40
Do you do much at all on the, I guess coordinating end with the compensation that they get. Like, does that involve your work at all?

Shannon Culwell 11:57
No, I’m not that level. And thank goodness, because I don’t want to be, you know, I just want to go in and take care of [them] and I honestly love when, like, you go in and you know, you’re going to hear a different story most of the time. And they love talking about it. They love telling the history behind it. And when you’re like, oh my gosh, I had no idea, and they’re like, Oh, let me tell you! Yeah, I mean, and it really makes them feel good, too. I mean, so only being in it a year and listening to their stories and knowing that they love telling it, because how else were they gonna tell their story? I mean, you know, it’s history.

Megan Vickery 12:43
Totally, yeah, it is. This year, in the first half of the year RECA [the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act], the compensation program, had expired, and then it was renewed in the summer. Did that affect your patients at all?

Shannon Culwell 13:01
No, not that we knew about or I knew about at all. I just heard my boss saying something along those lines. I just remember that language. And I don’t know if it was you just saying it earlier, or if it was her saying it, but it’s not language I’m familiar with. Sure.

Megan Vickery 13:23
Yeah, that’s fair. I’m glad your patients are getting the care they need!

Shannon Culwell 13:25
Yeah, exactly.

Megan Vickery 13:28
Well, those are the questions that I can think of. Are there any other stories or thoughts that you hoped you would share in this quick little interview?

Shannon Culwell 13:43
I think it is mind blowing to me to know that this existed. And I don’t know if it’s like, yeah, we’re taking care of the damage now, but what about in the future? Like, the timeline has cut off, and you told me that it got extended. So let’s just say in the 70s, like, if you… But people are still working. And we know the harm and the effects, we’re just gonna keep compensating? And like in your guys’s Museum, like it, seeing that gentleman hold that picture up, and them be told, just shut your eyes, just cover your eyes and cover your ears. Like we knew the effects of that [uranium]. And it’s just like and we were just told, we just told people to just shut your eyes. I mean, and I feel like that’s what goes on now, like, just shut your eyes, don’t look at it. And I think that people just need to be aware. And I never would have been aware if I wasn’t in, if I wasn’t in to it now.