Ulcerative Colitis

My liver functions were so high the doctors say it looks as if I was exposed to a lot of pesticides at some point." OSHA is collecting data on illnesses such as Piearcy's from every government agency, including the Corps of Engineers, said Dean Wingo, OSHA spokesperson.

"People who get sick should report it back to who they were working for at the time.

Those companies should report it to the Corps or whatever agency contracted them.

We're collecting the injury and illness data.

It's all being compiled." Whatever the tracking systems, experts agreed that the risk would be lower in the first place if volunteers, disaster recovery workers and residents received better pre-disaster training.

The Corps of Engineers requires safety briefings for all its employees, but contractors and sub-contractors are responsible for their own safety briefings and requirements, explained Doug Garman, a Corps of Engineers spokesperson.

The Corps of Engineers does not monitor air quality or ground contamination, said Garman.

"That's up to the environmental departments." In December, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that flooded areas were generally safe to return to.

State and federal officials have not said there is no danger whatsoever, but said the threat appears consistent with toxic risks typical of many urban areas.

Meanwhile, Garman joined Boe and Coppola in a call for some kind of national tracking of illnesses t...

"In the last off-season, spending time with my family and my girlfriend, all of us have been able to sit back and look at it and say, you know, I always wanted to go to Formula One, but I could have never sat down and thought this is how I would get there," Speed said.

"I'm so happy that it's worked out this way, and I know that there was a lot of luck on my side to get me here." - SCOTT SPEED FILE Born: Jan.

24, 1983 Hometown: Manteca, Calif.

2006 team: Scuderia Toro Rosso Last year: Third in GP2, the top Formula One development series email this print this About The Mercury News RSS Feeds ...

So the nutrition you get out of your food is much less and because of the bleeding you lose a lot of blood and you lose bowel control.

So I basically ran around for a year and a half wearing diapers, and bleeding and being anemic.

But it's something that was a huge character builder, when you can walk around the racetrack and still perform wearing diapers and have self dignity, it's something you have to learn.

And I think it's something that's, for sure, helped in my personality today.

So I was also very lucky with this disease because I was really one month away of having to remove my colon, and if I did that then the racing career was over.

And I was very lucky to find a doctor in Vienna, who is, you know, into some cutting-edge treatment for the disease.

And I'm very happy to say that I haven't had any symptoms or any problems with the disease for over a year.

Q: Hey, Scott.

One last one for me and I know this probably not the question that you want to hear, because I'm sure you've heard it a million times, but is this year the last year that Formula One can get it right here in the United States?

I mean, after what happened last year, do you think the fans will come back?

SPEED: I hope they come back.

I mean what happened in Indianapolis was very unfortunate and very unlucky.

But I think at the end of t...