Filtering Out Farmer's Lung

When I suspected that I was allergic to hay dust this autumn, I started using my husband's asbestos filter respirator when filling hay nets. (And for disposing the 75 bales that had gone bad, but that's another story.) After the doctor confirmed that diagnosis, I thought it would be a good idea to buy new filters for the respirator, so I headed off to Lowes, where we had purchased it two or three years ago.

Wouldn't you know, the manufacturer has changed the design so the new filter cartridges don't screw in anymore -- so I took the refills back today, prepared to exchange them and pay the difference for the more expensive replacement mask. But Lowes went above and beyond -- they exchanged the old mask for one of the new design, and I kept the filters. That made my day. And the new design has a nicer headstrap, to boot. Too bad my husband seems to have lost his mask... ;-)

JoAnn Johnson
November 14, 2008