IAmA 22yo [F] who suffers many medical ailments from the Chernobyl nuclear explosion; AMA?

Sorry about that.

it's "aight"; what happened, happened.

I think that of all people; my mom had it the worst...not me. Imagine yourself in her shoes. You give birth to a child that barely makes it into the world. This should be a time of great happiness and joy. But all you find out that more likely than not you child will become as useful as a vegetable. The numerous neurologists and doctors that my mother saw who all told her; "there is no hope", "she will be in wheelchair her whole life", "maybe you should just give it up for adoption". I am convinced my mom is not a human being; made of titanium or something. Honestly sometimes I feel like I may have ruined her life; she was supposed to be happy and all she got was me. Nethertheless I love my mother so very much <3

Not to take anything away from serious moment, but when I read "become as useful as a vegetable" I thought "Delicious! Some people are never that useful."

ha ha thats cool; yeah ill bring some nutrition in your belly. Okay now I feel weird too :X

EDIT: HAPPY CAKE DAY!

it's that tough russian spirit. My uncle's mom (not blood related) was Russian and she was one feisty and fierce lady. ;)

What is your favorite topping on pizza?

Jalapenos or Mushrooms

Why would anyone downvote this AMA? This is incredibly interesting to read. I wrote my thesis in college on Nuclear Power as alternative form of energy help combat coal power plants....You are a special gift from god, darling. We are all glad you are here.

Well this is Reddit; some trolls just enjoy trolling. Thank you for your kind words; I really appreciate them :D

Reddit's spam fighting system automatically adds fake downvotes. I think that you have less than 10 real downvotes, quite possibly zero.

Really I never heard of that. I feel really stupid asking; can you explain how and why that works? :)

This section of the basic reddit guide should help explain it. They are fuzzed as a countermeasure to spam-voting. There's an algorithm somewhere in reddit's source code that identifies accounts that are abusing the karma system in some way (mass downvoting a user, sub, or something). When such accounts vote, they don't actually affect the score anymore. To hide this so that they don't realize they have been caught and jump to another account, the vote is fuzzed. You can't tell whether your upvote was ignored or someone downvoted simultaneously.

That sounds pretty cool; thanks for the info :)

Not really, sorry. The exact algorithm is secret, but it seems that once a post gets around 35 upvotes, it starts to add upvotes/downvotes semi-randomly. I don't even know why it is so important, I think it is supposed to make it harder for spambots to see if something they do is working or not.

Thanks :)

Soo, your mom was exposed to it and had you 4-5 years afterwards?

Yeah; four years later. My brother was born when I was 13 (then 17 years after Chernobyl) and he has an abnormally weak immune system and some difficulties with learning in school. We are lucky enough to not have any visible ailments like a lot of people who are unfortunate enough to have them.

It may be an awful question, but why had you mother decided to bear children if she knew that they will most likely be, err, in bad medical condition? Sorry.

Also, thanks for answering all the questions!

You have to understand that no one saw the event as a detrimental to health (at the time). Some people didn't even know what nuclear power was. The population was assured that life would be restored to normal once again. Even those affected the worst were encouraged to give birth; irregardless of the repercussions of the unborn child's life. You can never be absolutely sure; I guess you bite the bullet with faith. Regardless of what has happened, I am quite thankful to be given life, and I appreciate it everyday.

Radiation could affect her ovaries permanently, it's possible she was warned against conceiving and chose to anyways.

I mean yeah that is very logical. My mother did in fact see a medical professional afterwards for consultation. They gave her the green light go ahead to have kids; "such a little thing, can't affect you". In all honesty, in the soviet union; doctors told you what you want...for a price, and we were very poor

What are the side effects you experience? and any proof?

The side effects all ranged in length and severity; some are gone, some still remain. And yes I can provide proof (I was actually looking for it).

• I was born with nearly complete asphyxia (due to having an extremely short umbilical cord).
• I had total liver and kidney failure at birth [both fixed when we moved to the United States].
• I was severely delayed in development. Only started walking at 2 years old & talking at 3 years old.
• I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 6 months. Doc's "assured" my parents that I would never talk, walk, and will never be integrated into a normal meaningful lifestyle.
• For the first four years of my life I had massive seizures every 2 weeks - 3 months. Getting my immunizations nearly killed me.
• When we arrived to the United States; it was discovered that I had serious heart insufficiencies. I have aortic stenosis; ventricular and atrial septal defects, valvular degeneration (all heart valves), and many cyanotic "spells". I had open heart surgeries at the ages of 4,9,and 10. To this day I undergo regular screening every 6 months and a yearly MRI.

Today; I pretty much live as "normal" of a life as I can. I was teased a lot about my condition at school. Mostly I am upset that I can't be as physically active as my friends. When I was young I had a friend who had the same condition and symptoms as me; we were playing in the park and he ran after the ball off to the street...he never came back. When we found him, he was dead. His heart couldn't take the exertion

So I live one day at a time; surprises are always ahead!

EDIT: clearly I fail at spelling and grammar, feel free to troll me :)

Do you look outwardly different than "normal" person, or are all of the effects internal?

At this very moment; 90% is internal. Like I said in a previous comment; I count my blessings everyday for having 10 fingers, 10 toes, and legs that move me from point A to point B. Personally however I do feel like there is something outwardly wrong with me (but that's because I have been living with this my entire life; it's like my extra leg). I do have a large scar down my chest from my surgeries; it used to bother me immensely because everyone noticed it and teased me like I was some kind of extraterrestrial...but now my breasts grew in, so it's not noticeable at all.

my breasts grew in

How many?

Just two; working on the third ;)

What about your feet?

They managed pretty well amongst other things. I feel like my toes may be a tad to long; but that could be just me.

Ok, I have to ask. If you were to have sex, could you suffer some sort of internal ailment due to an orgasm? Like would it make you have a seizure or something? Idk if I'd be scared or say job well done once we were finished. lol

HA HA HA HA HA! If I wasn't currently in a difficult financial predicament; I'd give you a years worth of Reddit gold. No; sex is great...orgasms are awesome. And hey a high-five after a good romp is a pretty good deal if you ask me! :D

i love you. You're like a modern day female version of Guido from life is beautiful

Oh STOP! You are making my heart melt. Ha ha ha, thank you :)

ಠ_ಠ

;)

well im glad you beat your doctors diagnosis, do you permanently live in the states now? what are your views on nuclear power? against im assuming right?

I hope I completely beat it :) For example I still have some twitches and spasms that come and go & all those lovely problems associated with heart insufficiency. BUT HEY! I walk, talk, and I can make a logical & cohesive thought. [fuck it, have an upvote :D]

Yes I permanently reside in the States. (unless I end up moving; who knows)

Aghh nuclear power! Touchy subject. Okay here is my honest opinion. I think that in certain ways it is very beneficial to humanity especially as a source of energy in a world that thrives on oil and electricity. But at the same time it needs to be adequately controlled, protected, and disposed. After the Chernobyl explosion, the government advised officials to not mention anything to the public; to not worry them. For god sake they had a parade for children the next day. Can you imagine how many more people got contaminated?

{for the record} I don't have a deep knowledge base of nuclear power...this is just my opinion.

Honestly, I wouldn't blame you at all if you said you hated nuclear power, considering what it put you through. A lot of people forget about it, because "oh, it was 35 years ago, who cares".

That being said, the problem with Chernobyl was exactly what you said- it wasn't controlled, and the fixation with "we can't tell the citizens because it's bad PR!" hurt many more people than it had a right to. On average, if it's safely done, nuclear power is extremely safe and amazingly efficient. Unfortunately, the Soviet power plant design had major flaws, and the disaster was caused by an unsupervised test run- both things that could have been avoided.

You are right on the money! You can never forget; inevitably history repeats itself...and personally I don't want to be on the business end of another bad situation 0_o

Looking at how TEPCO handled Fukushima, noone can claim "oh, but we aren't the Soviets, we will handle it better". I also think that nuclear power could be good iff we managed to handle it responsibly. Unfortunately, the companies running the power plants don't do that. (In one German nuclear power plant, they found a filter that was filtering out radioactive particles - in the tube leading to the sensor measuring the emissions.)

Nuclear facepalm; I wonder how that looks like.

Heh. I'm not claiming we're much better- there's plenty of incidents that happen even today. Leaks, corrosion, "taking shortcuts", etc. Chernobyl was a major catastrophe, I'm not disputing that, but I still believe that overall, nuclear power is a good thing.

I agree; there's always a surprise around the corner.

Do you want to have children yourself? Why/why not?

I have been thinking about it a lot. HONESTLY I wouldn't want to subject anyone (even the scum of the earth) to the pain I have endured. I don't think it is fair. I hope to get married some day. Hopefully in depth genetic testing would help see if any problems could arise in my offspring. But then again, anything could happen. I would like to have children; but I am really really afraid of the repercussions that may occur.

[deleted]

Absolutely; I think adoption is also a great alternative. However if it is appropriate and possible; I would love to have my own children...a physical extension of myself :D

How do you know that these effects are due to Chernobyl as opposed to being a random occurrence?

My whole family had full medical workups. The lives of my great-grandparents and further on were also evaluated. No one had any genetic markers or inclinations that would predispose me to my condition. In the states I was also evaluated for radiation levels; and they were at moderate levels. Same goes for my mother.

To a degree you may be right; it may have been a random occurrence...but most signs lead to radiation poisoning.

Has this given you a different outlook on life than most people? Are you mostly happy?

Yes; life is so precious. I feel that I am a different person because of it; unique in a sense. All I want to do with my life is to help others that are also in need. I think this world has become way too cold (in a sense for needed reasons, but not for all). If I can change just one persons life...that would mean so much more to me than any kind of material worth. I think that this is my purpose in life. I hope that I can adequately fulfill it.

I listened to an epidose of This American Life recently that had excerpts from a book about Chernobyl. When I heard the first-hand accounts of people that had to deal with it, there was a lot of misinformation and straight up lies from the government. Being that you live in the States, how trusting are you of our government?

Lets be honest; trust no one. There is no way we will ever live in a perfect world. Do I trust the government at all times;NO. Am I going to become a lunatic and do something rash; of course not. I just have to hope that the elected official(s) will protect me and my constitutional rights. There is a great saying I once heard "hug your friends with one arm, and hold a knife behind your back just in case".

Great response. I'm a soldier in the US Army. I couldn't imagine hiding something like that from our citizens. It's become something I've thought about a lot lately.

Thank you IMMENSELY for serving and protecting our country :)

I enjoy my job and appreciate your thanks. I'm just glad that you found a home in the United States and can function. Another question for the AMA: if you didn't live in the US, where would you live?

I mean there are many places I would love to live; Spain, England, Argentina, Israel (I have lots of family there and a potential apartment and job placement. But for some reason I really want to live in Australia. There is just something so majestic about it. And of course I want to see if everything there is really upside down ;) crikey mate

I would love to live in Australia. I want to see how much shit could kill me. I've actually got the opportunity to join their Army because of my job. We can transfer to the Aussie Army easily. I won't, but holy shit that would be cool.

...If you go; take me with you! [insert puppy eyes here]

Deal. If I join the Australian Army, the random Russian-American girl from Reddit is going with me.

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/conan_thank-you.gif

d: ˙ɔıʇsǝɾɐɯ ʇ,usı ɐılɐɹʇsn∀ ʇɐɥʇ noʎ llǝʇ uɐɔ I uɐılɐɹʇsn∀ uɐ s∀

Oh dear! I will still visit; or maybe permanently move my location over there!

Why did you come to the United States?

On a completely unrelated note; with the fall of the soviet union in 91', Ukraine was becoming highly antisemitic (I am Jewish, but my religion is not a ruling factor in my life). We basically left because we finally got permission to leave to escape persecution; in refugee status.

I always wonder about the Chernobyl accident because my parents are Russian and they talk about it sometimes (I was born in America). So firstly, I would like to thank you for doing this AMA!

Being that you are a living medical miracle, do you feel like you truly appreciate life more on a day to day basis? I am wondering if when you see a sunset, the experience is more intense than the average person because you were "not suppose to be alive" according to doctors. Or is it just an average normal reaction?

спасибо! :)

I can't say I completely 100% appreciate every second of life. There are days where you get up, work, and go to sleep. But yeah; I feel like I see life in a way no one else can. I work in healthcare, as a nurse. I just feel like it is my obligation to help those at the moment they need help the most. I am not looking for praise or gratitude. I just want to save lives; just like mine was saved.

нет, спасибо вам ;)

Is your family spies?

...no; my family is not spies. However when I was little I did believe I was a spy. Who knows...

How long was your mother exposed to the conditions after Chernobyl? And when did you end up growing up because of it?

My mother was in medical school and she was going on a trip to a town not too far from Pripyat; about an hours drive. She tells me that it started to rain and she didnt have an umbrella and got all wet. When she got home she was shocked to see that her hair (dark brown) turned paper white. She used to have really thick and naturally curly hair (like it was curled with a curling iron). Since then she started losing a lot of hair; she would run her hand through her hair and a massive clump of hair would come out.

I'm not sure about the second part of your question; I lived in Ukraine for 4 years and then we moved to the States. I have been living in New York ever since.

Does she still have some contact with her friends at school? If they encountered the same problem.

Thank you for this AMA :)

Not sure; I will find out over the weekend; will update!

And except your family, do you know some people with the same condition?

There was one boy, back in Ukraine...we were neighbors. He was two years older than me. We were playing in the park chasing a ball and it got kicked out into the sidewalk. So he ran after it; a few minutes passed and he never returned. Once we found him he was unconscious on the side of the street. His heart couldn't withstand the pressure of the exertion. Can you imagine how bad it is that you cant run more than 100ft without possibly dying? JEEPERS-CREEPERS; that's all I got to say.

I saw your post earlier, poor boy. I asked this because I know there's some "support group" for the Chernobyl explosion all around the world and it can be interesting to meet some person in the same situation.

Oh, sorry about that. That's the only person I knew who had the same combination of symptoms as me. I know many people have each problem on its own but not the whole shebang like me. That is really interesting, I never heard of support groups for it. I should look it up!

I'm horrible, I have no good questions to ask. :( I'll come back if I have any! In the mean time I will read all your comments and replies here. This is so damn interesting - of the coolest AMAs I've seen! :D

You so kind! Thank you :D

Im just gonna say that I have a lot of respect for you and what you went through cause of incompetence and corruption in the lower levels of the Soviet Union's government.. Have you ever considering going back to the Ukraine and seeing what the source of all your problems are? Namely going to Pripyat and Chernobyl NPP and seeing it?

Yeah I have thought about it. I don't have any family living there anymore. But yeah I'm totally considering it.

I like you.

EY! I like you too :)

With your condition, what is your view on nuclear power?

IT'S GREAT! But of course if it is used for beneficial purposes and is cared for and disposed in an appropriate and safe manner.

are you differently-abled right now? (wheelchair bound i mean) what were your parents occupation when they were exposed? worked at the plant? or just screwed over because you lived near by?

Thankfully I walk on my own two feet. In high school and still to this day I am really upset I can not run; I always wanted to do track, but its too much for my body to withstand. My mother is/was a nurse and my father worked in construction. We were affected simply because we lived very close to Pripyat.

I walk on my own two feet

The 3rd foot, does it just drag along behind you ?

Yeah sometimes I have to swing it over my back. Sometimes I tie it in a pretty bow if I am having a good hair day.

I love how cheerful you are about this, your jokes make me laugh!

My pleasure :) It's not always sunshine and puppies though. I do get down in the dumps at times & use food as an (unsuccessful) remedy. I have to lose 45lb to get to my healthy goal weight. Gotta stay positive or you'll fail at anything you set your mind to.

How will you lose weight without being able to exercise much? Weight lifting?

It's less all exercise and more exercise that demands a lot of cardio. Running long distance and sprinting are out of the question. I can jog but in intervals. For everything else; again like I said, has to be in moderation and intervals. So instead of doing a real hard workout I do it in "pieces". Also I am lazy and lack motivation. At one point I lost half the weight to my goal weight. It was great; I'm gonna do it again, but this time I'm gonna stay there!

Good luck! Once you get in the habit it becomes much easier.

Thanks :) I hope so !!!

I predict nuclear energy will be more and more common in the future; it is physically the most efficient source we have. What are you opinions on nuclear energy in general?

I agree with you. It is efficient and reliable. But we need to be smart about it. We can no longer use it and aim it at the wastebasket and hope to get it in. SAFETY MEASURES are imperative to the proper use and disposal of nuclear materials. It has to be 101% tested before it is used to ensure that is something does go array; that there is a plan that will produce a most positive & beneficial outcome.

The doccumentary 'into eternity' is a brilliant and somewhat surreal exploration of the disposal issue. I would highly reccomend it

Cool; I'll look into it. Maybe watch it as a bedtime story :D

How has the US healthcare system been in dealing with it? Are you in debt from medical bills? Do you have insurance?

In the beginning it was pretty rough. We were dirt poor when we entered the states with nowhere to live. However as of now, everything has quieted down. We/I managed to pay all the bills off one way or another; just hope the next one isn't RIDICULOUS. Yes I am still insured as of this day.

Do you regret abandoning communism?

Also, do you have any freaky abilities?

I didn't abandon it; it was "demolished" when I was one. And then broken down while I was a toddler. I haven't lived in it long enough to give a valid assessment.

Freaky abilities...I can write legibly with both hands and feet. I think that is all. If you mean FREAKY freaky things; that all just takes practice.

BTW: when I saw your name I don't know why buy "Andrew Lincoln" popped into my mind [from Walking Dead]. Thanks for pleasing me with your username :)

Nothing to ask but I wanted to say I hope you have a long and happy life! Your outlook is awesome!

Thank you so much :)

From your point of view, is it now safe to live in Chernobyl?

No; not today, not yesterday, not tomorrow. People still live there; drink water from the wells, eat vegetables from the ground, and eat fish from the local lakes. I think that's crazy.

Do you speak Russian?

да я говорю на русском языке!!!

Горячий привет из холодной России!

привет; спасибо :D

Given your experience and symptoms, I'm guessing that you are very opposed to nuclear weapons. That being said, what do you think of the nuclear arms race that went on in the Cold War and what N. Korea is doing today?

If I am not mistaken; I think the world in general has enough nuclear arsenals to blow the Earth out of orbit (not 100% accurate; but you see my point) Your comment reminds me of a comment I saw a while ago on a different Reddit thread. [http://i.imgur.com/IFRzT2l.jpg] The Cold War to me seemed like a big cat fight. Who's toys are better than the others. I think it comes down to the fact that there are two disagreeing sides and an issue. It is the 21st century; you would think we developed enough to make logical conclusions to solve problems instead of just hitting the big red button on impulse.

visited vishgerrod where alot of the evacuated went and the surrounding areas and been to the mueseum in kiev, it is truly amazing the lengths they went to cover this up to thier own people :( where abouts was your mum when it all kicked off?

I can't remember the name of the town off the top of my head; but I know it was an hour drive south east of Pripyat. (the exact direction the fumes were traveling).

Okay wow.

1) What was it like growing up in east europe after the soviet union fell?

2) Would you rather have a coal plant or a nuclear power plant in your backyard?

3) NFSW. My friend has a condition where he shakes a lot...I've met one person with CP and he was a shaky mover. Anyways, my friend with the shaky hands says getting girls off is easy a hell cause his hands basically a vibrator. Yeah?

Oh dear; your comment completely threw me off! 1) I left when I was 4; so I don't remember much. I do know that people in general were very poor, living conditions were not very good (no clean running water). We made due with what we had. 2) Do I have to answer this question (HA HA). Definitely nuclear power plant. The coal plant is a much greater "now" health risk as apposed to the plant which may affect me too but in a more long term approach. 3) CP is a pretty bad disease; I'm thankful that I dodged that bullet. I guess if it makes your friend happy; then so be it.

(FYI: I don't think I have what you are describing; I just know how to use my fingers well)

Do you go to the chernobyl websites and think what life could have been?

No; not really. I once watched a documentary about it on YouTube. It so sad to see the ones most affected and their children. It is ungodly terrifying.

Best AMA ever, thank you.

FALSE! Thank you :)

Still better than Morgan Freeman's.

Ha Ha; thanks ?

I think this begs the question...

Which would you rather fight: 100 radioactive duck sized horses, or 1 radioactive horse sized duck?

Ha ha ha ha :D Definitely 100 radioactive duck sized horses. They are smaller and easier to defeat. Plus I can only imagine how fun it would be to punt them off my balcony. If I was a spectator then I would love to watch someone else fight one radioactive horse sized duck :D

are you angry at the russian government for exposing the innocent children to the radiation after the explosion occured?

You know often I see Americans making fun of Russians and vice versa. But this shit right here can only make me think (as a Russian) "OMG WE ARE A BUNCH OF MORONS". I have no idea how hiding the blatantly obvious from the entire nation was going to work out exactly. It's like watching a train collide with a car stuck in the train tracks. It's going slow motion and there is nothing you can do.

Not sure if this AMA is still active, but; seeing the USSR and how it turned out, as well as the effects of the government's choices on you and your family, How do you feel about the idea of communism? Is it a good idea, but poorly managed by leaders? is it not the idea, but the people that ruin it and make it ineffective/detrimental? and do you think the chernobyl incident would have turned out differently if the government had been under a different structure?

1) Communism is a great thing; on paper. Anything farther than that is like walking a tightrope from one end of the grand canyon to the other. Forming a society on the pretense that everyone is equal to each other is bound to fail. In order for Communism to work, first you need to take everything away from everyone. So (for example) Jay-Z is dirt-poor and the bum on the corner is dirt-poor. Then when the conditions are right you re-distribute the wealth so both Jay-Z and the bum on the corner have an equal net worth. The only way this can now work is if everyone is okay with this situation and no one wants to monopolize or create competition. Not going to happen!

I think the leaders failed in their management. The reason the soviet union broke down was because; honestly everything was crap. People were poor, sick, and unhappy. Everyone was tired of waiting for "utopia".

[cough]CORRUPTION[cough]

I don't think a different structure of government would have affected the Chernobyl events. It was a hush-hush society. "I know what I know and if you are not important enough; you don't need to know".

You ever been back to Ukraine (or Europe for that matter) since you left?

Oddly enough no. I should really go visit. See my old stomping ground. I really need a vacation anyway 8)

As a (Canadian) dude who emigrated from Russia when I was 10 I can't go back until I'm >28 because I'd be subject to the mandatory army service. It really sucks.

Your story is quite unique, I love your outlook on life. Still speak Russian?

Yeah I still speak Russian; it's a little bit broken, so I practice all the time to not forget my native language. I can read but not really fast. I can't write in Russian to save my life. My mother challenges me to write words and then makes fun of me for the nonsense I concoct :)

Oh goddamit written is so hard. I was in 4th grade when I left and I already knew cursive but I totally forgot it.

Now if I try to write by hand it does indeed look like I'm concocting nonsense. It's much easier to keep semi-fluent in spoken Russian, at least you can practice with the parents and stuff.

Sorry, one random/last question: favourite (or one of) book/movie? Just curious :D

Edit: the third pic, birth certificate, is just so.. it just reeks of USSR bureaucracy. An the (to me) nearly-illegibly handwriting. Man. I still have my school "report cards" and my own birth papers and they look exactly like that. Almost made me strangely homesick for a place I haven't been to in 15 years.

Thank goodness I am not the only one. Favorite books oddly enough are "child 44" and "the secret speech" by Tom rob smith. Favorite movies fight club & Star Wars. Don't even get me started on script. I just assume that it is another language on its own!

I've never heard of the books, going to add them to my reading list, they look awesome. I might say American Beauty for movie and (maybe?) Flowers for Algernon for book myself. I adore Fight Club too though, check out Palahniuk's other novels if his brand of.. 'wtf' appeals to you.

Ну ладно, спасибо и спокойной ночи! If I ever end up in NY, first beer's on you.

I am a big Chuck Palahniuk fan! About that beer; I don't think that's how it works.

You are pretty and I really like your hair.

thanks :)

So having your conditions as they are, whats your opinion on a possible nuclear war outbreak in the SEA region? Do you feel that people in your situation could have a voice against these threats?

Nuclear war is ALWAYS scary regardless of location. I don't think that any threats should be easily dismissed; however, I can't imagine that there won't be any extensive negotiations before it is ultimately determined that nuclear war is the only alternative. Honestly; I don't think people like me have a say in anything. We are like those animals they show on the commercials where you "save an animal in need for 15 cents a month". You see us, you feel sad, but you continue on with your daily life.

Well we'd like to think that people out there wouldn't just want to push the button... and then there's people like Un. Its pretty wild that you started this thread, I was talking with some friends about Chernobyl the other day and the website I found said no one could safely live in the area for like 60,000 years. However it did state that some people still live in shanties in the quarantined area.

Sigh. If only we lived in a perfect world. Your information is pretty accurate. I also heard that the infrastructure used to "cap" the damaged plant may cave in and release toxins into the air OR the soil underneath is thoroughly contaminated and its traveled deep down to contaminate water supplies which thus compromises everything 10-fold. I actually started this AMA from someone who suggested me to do so from a meme I posted (it wasn't very successful)

http://redd.it/1c47cr

I can get the post to load but the image wont :/ I didnt even know they tried quarantining the area off, every picture I've seen is just the building blown wide open...

I hope this works better; DARN YOU INTERWEB! http://i.imgur.com/DpHD8g9.jpg

Yeah; other than sand. I don't know what it's made of (probably titanium or something stronger). But the point I want to make is that it was supposed to be a TEMPORARY fix. Hopefully someone out there has a plan B!

Despite being a victim do you support the use of nuclear energy?

I think it is a wise investment. Many good things can come out of it. But the monkey business needs to be cut out. People need to be more knowledgeable and safe about nuclear energy.

Keep on trucking girl!!!!

I have a thing for Eastern European girls. Not gonna lie. Holy damn!!

Oh Baby! ;)

[deleted]

Honestly; she did not feel any ill effects. People who were very close threw up a lot and became terminally ill over days. All she experienced was he hair turning white (briefly) and a lot of loss of hair (permanent).

Are you upset that you don't have superpowers?

I'm kidding. I wish I had a more serious question for you, if I come up with one I'll return. This is an awesome AMA. Thank you for doing it.

You best believe I am bummed I don't have superpowers. I mean at least X-ray vision!

Do you still live in the country?

No I moved from Ukraine in 1994. I currently reside in the United States in New York.

Also do these diseases make daily life anymore difficult do you think?

I mean to an extent; but over time I have learned how to manage them so the effects aren't as painful as they really are.

Have you played S.T.A.L.K.E.R.?

No I don't; but I just checked it out...looks pretty RAD!

Wanna f*ck?

That's so kind of you to ask. No thank you; I think you can handle it

I like your toes.

Thanks? I think they look weird. I didn't mean to get them in the picture; but once i noticed I though it would be extra proof that I am a real girl :)

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I've read in the World Health Organisation's report that:

"Poverty, “lifestyle” diseases now rampant in the former Soviet Union and mental health problems pose a far greater threat to local communities than does radiation exposure." (1)

Would you agree that the psychological damage to the community has caused most damage?

Secondly, Nuclear Power alongside renewables is one of the few ways we have to fight climate change. Given that coal powerplants cause an estimated 13,000 deaths in the US (2), I'd be really grateful to hear your views on modern nuclear power given your background.

Many thanks!

Reference: (1) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr38/en/ (2) http://www.the9billion.com/2011/03/24/death-rate-from-nuclear-power-vs-coal/

Thank you for your very thorough comment.

1) Looking at Russia now; I can agree that psychological damage is clearly prominent. Lets be honest, generally it's a place of high corruption. Money speaks. People are making bad decisions because the people in charge don't care for their citizens well being. So the mentality "if no one cares, why should I?" comes up. It's every man for themselves; the ones who have what is needed survive.

2) I think modern nuclear power can bring the population in general, great steps forward in ingenuity. But of course everything comes with a price. We must first establish a fool-proof (or as secure as possible) method for storage and disposal of nuclear material. All efforts must me made to prevent further, unnecessary accidents. I honestly don't think our planet can withstand more fatal bombardment.

I met some guy recently who was born in Ukraine in 1986 and I made some comment like "omg mutant!"

So I feel like an asswipe now :(

The mutants forgive you :)

Have you read about what happened at the plant during and immediately subsequent to the accident? If so, What are your thoughts?

I'm not sure if we may be talking about the same thing. But I know for sure there was mass havoc during the containment and decontamination process; mass casualties and such. That is generally speaking; if you are talking about something else...please kindly inform :)

Have you been back?

No; but I might plan a trip

So what do you do now? Work? School? What's one thing you want to accomplish in your life?

I finished college. I work as a nurse. Currently looking for a stable position at a hospital. There are actually two main things I want to accomplish. 1) I want to run a 5K. I want to push my body and see what it can do; I want that adrenalin feeling. 2) I want to be fluent (or attempt) at least 5 languages; I have 3 under my belt so far.

1) You're more than welcome on /r/c25k 2) what is your third language? I learn alone with the Assimil method, it's quite good (a least with me :))

Do you think that you became a nurse because of your condition?

Spanish; learned it against my will but it's pretty useful. It hasn't hindered me yet. I can complete all given and surprise tasks. I need to build up some more muscle though. So patients are quite heavy to move around.

Oh no, I want to know that since you have medical ailments since birth, you were familiar with the medical environment and so it might guide you to become a nurse today.

Oh oops! I see...Maybe it has I can't say for sure; i just want to help those in need, that's all.

what do you think of hollywood, making movies like "chyrnobel diaries" making money off other peoples pain and suffering? do you think your entitled to a little slice? lol

Slice of what? Pie? I was actually just craving cherry pie :)

I remember when I first heard of the movie; I was so bloody excited to see it. You know because it's like a piece of you. Like having your favorite movie filmed in your hometown. But then I watched the trailer...dear god 0_o

I can kind of understand they may have wanted it to have humor; like in the Scary Movie series...but I just don't think it fits to soundly for the scenario.

I don't take it personally; in today's world, the media will criticize anything and everything. I don't care...I know my story; that's all that matters.

damn those media fat cats! lol, they filmed a movie in my home town, unfortuneately it was about shania twain. Cherry is my number 2 pick, strawberry rhubarb pie is my number 1. With scary movie being said, whats your favorite "scary movie" in that series? and whats the actually SCARIEST u seen?

I don't like any of the Scary Movie series. I think the scariest I have seen was the Ring. It was moderately scary for me but I nearly gave an old friend of mine a heart attack. We were vacationing upstate and the group was in the dining hall watching the movie. I was a few minutes late after a shower. Once it was over everyone got up and my friend lets out an ear piercing scream. Apparently I looked like Samara.

What's life like?

Life; just like everyone else. Just trying to make it through it one day at a time. Its been so long already, most of the pain I experience on a daily basis became routine...just need to stop, take a few deep breaths, check my bag to see if I have some pain meds with me [I sometimes worry that i'll end up "cooking" my liver with them, so I only use it seldomly], and then I just ride it out.

Some people treat me differently, but I don't let it get to me. If they need something to worry about so be it; i have a lot of other things to do.

It's really nothing special; its like a Super Mario 64 game but with some secret doors with challenges I need to complete that others don't.

Still no proof.

Sorry; please check above.