Polluted Oklahoma City

My second wife Anne died of lung cancer. I always assumed it was caused by smoking because she was a heavy smoker. An incident that happened while she was taking a chemo treatment gives me pause to think maybe smoking wasn’t the only cause.

Anne grew up in a house near SW 42 street in south Oklahoma City. I can’t remember the exact address but this is close enough. Anne and I talked as the chemo treatment coursed into her veins. A man across the way, also receiving a chemo treatment, spoke to us.

“I couldn’t help hearing where you grew up. I lived across the street from you.”

Strange as this probably sounds, another man, also receiving a chemo treatment said, “I lived right behind the two of you at the same time.”

Yes, I know it is quite a coincidence, but Anne and the two men all lived within a hundred yards of each other during the same time period and yes, all three had lung cancer.

What is the possible cause? 800,000 barrels of oil (probably much more counting all the spills and blowouts that occurred in the 1930’s) saturated into the earth and groundwater in southwest Oklahoma City. Oil clean-up ended long ago in Oklahoma City but perhaps the deadly toxins still exist. Only God knows for sure.

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