The day we got our air tests back was the day I knew mold caused our illnesses. What I didn't know was how many others were suffering. Until I started this blog. Here are just a few of the emails I have received over the past several weeks. Used with permission.
1. "My daughter, who is now almost 3, was constantly getting sick with respiratory infections and was eventually diagnosed with asthma. And when I say sick, I mean sick. We were having to do breathing treatments every two to three hours, she was taking an inhaler and steroids just so she could breathe. She would be sick for 2 weeks, get better for 2-3 days and then would get sick all over again. I was at such a loss as to what was making her so sick. I am a stay at home mom, so she isn't in daycare; the only thing I could figure was that she was picking up viruses when we would go on our occasional outings to the store or park or at the church nursery. Then one morning I walked into her room to get her up and was blown away by a very strong "musty" smell. I had never noticed it before and really think it was a gift from God. The first thought that came into my head was mold. That night we closed off her room and moved her to the guest room. It was amazing how much improvement she made in just one night. It has now been nearly 5 months and her asthma is practically gone and she hasn't been sick since. That was also the beginning of our mold journey, although definitely not as extreme as yours. We have had several series (long story) of air tests done, along with interior wall samples that have come back with, among other types, aspergillus and stachybotrys mold."
2. "All 4 of us have been affected by our mold exposure, although my daughter and I were the most severely affected. I battled chronic fatigue, brain fog, chemical sensitivities, panic attacks, nightmares, muscle cramps, heart palpitations, racing heart, thyroid issues, etc. Our daughter developed autism.
We have dealt with this since August of 2004... I just want to encourage you that things can improve with time. Just this year I have begun to feel "normal" again. I have been able to deviate from anti-fungal diets without symptoms! I don't know if you have had any of your family's amino acid levels tested, but this was HUGE for me! Getting those back in balance has really helped me to feel so much better!"
3. "I was poisoned by mold while living in Britain for 13 years as a missionary teacher (4 years in Edinburgh Scotland and 9 years in Liverpool England). Everywhere in Britain is plagued with mold and when you take a desert rat that is not used to mold and plant her there - well guess what. Unbeknownst to me, I was collecting mold spores and didn't even realize it. I always tell people that I brought back 2 souvenirs from Britain - - (1) my English husband and (2) a collection of mold spores (believe me, that starts some pretty good conversations!) Looking back - I had all the symptoms of toxic mold poisoning and MCS but didn't realize it. In 1995 we immigrated back to the states and made Tucson our home and within three years I really started having trouble. Back and forth to doctors - nine in total - all admitted that yes, I had a problem, but tests were not helping them come up with any solutions. Sinus trouble, nosebleeds (some pretty scary ones!), brain fog, confusion, lack of concentration, forgetting the stupidest things, rashes (I was a beautiful sight at times), severe intestinal trouble and a metallic taste that would not go away. It was frustrating for both of us and at times really tested our marriage. But he has been a real trooper and adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "helpmate" - I sure could NOT have done this journey without him.
After being carted out of church one Sunday morning with yet another reaction to all the perfumes in the room (I didn't realize at the time that that is what I was reacting to - but every Sunday I was having to leave church and would be sicker than a dog for a couple of days). Finally a friend said, "I've been wanting to share something with you, but didn't know how you would react to it - but have you ever heard of MCS - I think that might be what you are suffering from." No never heard of it - but tell me more. I began my own search on the internet and one day yelled for my husband to "come and look at this" - "This is describing me to a tee." He agreed. The article was talking about MCS, its symptoms, what chemicals do to affect your body and health. I copied the article and made an appointment with my PCP and asked him to read the article and then we could talk. He then gave me a referral to the doctor who had written the article - Dr. Michael Gray in Benson, AZ. So in October 2001 I became his patient and right away he said that I was "a classic mold patient". He did a LOT of testing and on December 19, 2001 I was given the diagnosis of Severe Mycotoxicosis and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Turned out I had 13 different types of mold spores actively growing in my lungs and intestines. He said that I was slowly suffocating to death - using only a 1/4 of my lung capacity at that time. No wonder I was out of breath all the time!!!
Detoxification began right away (I don't even remember Christmas at all that year) and just as the doctor had predicted - I got worse before I got better and I had many days that I begged God to simply let me die. The battle was HARD - - and ever so lonely. Boy, I found out who my true friends were at that time. Many chose to walk away thinking I was crazier than anything, a classic hypochondriac, and the best ever drama queen. I was in quarantine at home for what turned out to be just over a year, only being able to go to the hospital, lab, or the doctor's office. I missed teaching opportunities, women's retreats, friends' weddings, funerals, church services, going shopping at the mall, going on a picnic, taking a hike or a long walk, etc. Very few people understood at all - even my own family were quite distant at that time. It was the hardest year physically, mentally and emotionally that I ever care to live through. BUT it was the most fantastic year for me spiritually!!! You see, I had to learn what dependence upon GOD was REALLY all about. I spent many long hours - just God and me. Often I was angry at Him, frustrated with Him, comforted by Him, challenged to grow because of His lessons. All in all I would never trade that time spent with Him. It changed our relationship forever thus I am truly thankful for toxic mold poisoning and MCS - yes, truly thankful!!!
Today - eight years later - I am doing SSOO MUCH better. I still have health issues as a result of MOLD. But I am still alive and kicking. I am able to be out and about a little more, but have to really monitor where I go and what I do. Still have times when my husband has to carry me out of some place due to reaction to some chemical. I insist without hesitation that people are totally fragrance free when they come to my home or they don't come at all. I have learned more about mold and chemicals than I ever wanted to know."
Yes mold can get dangerous and it attacks the respiratory tracts very soon.So please be aware of what must be done in case there is mold in the house.
ReplyDeleteIt is very kind of you to have posted your own life experience to help people understand how vulnerable we are to health inside our safe home.Good that you shifted her...and got rid of the molds.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear of them.Yes it is essential that we know about this growing hazard called mold.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, I've been following your blog for about a year now, and can't tell you what a blessing this has been to me/my family! Thank you so much!! You are in my thoughts / prayers.
ReplyDeleteI'm a stay at home mom who's blessed with a wonderful 5 year old daughter and a loving husband, praise God! Although it's been quite challenging to say the least b/c as for family or friends, they're pretty much non-existant (they either don't understand, don't have time, or simply don't care...sad but true).
I've had a LONG list of symptoms for the past 16 months (MCS, fatigue, shortness of breath are just a few of my symptoms...). I'm allergic to all antibiotics, all bronchiodilators, and even an anti-fungal cream that I tried over the weekend which I never had a problem with in the past! So you can imagine...
I live in Florida, and unfortunately, I have not found any healthcare professionals that are knowledgable enough to help me (more of than not, I end up worse after seeing them).
I hope you don't mind my asking for your feedback of a few things:
We just filed a claim with our insurance co after noticing water coming into our kitchen from behind the baseboards. A water cleanup co. was here today to check for moisture behind the walls and to address any cleanup needs, and it's possible that the windows were not installed properly (11 Years ago!...When we bought the house pre-construction). They found moisture behind the walls directly underneath the window).
1. With regard to indoor air quality testing that detects the number *and* the type of mold:
- With so many tests on the market, which specific test would you recommend?
- Is this only performed by an Industrial Hygienist?
2. In comment #2, the lady stated "I had 13 different types of mold spores actively growing in my lungs and intestines".
- What type of test is done to detect mold in the:
a) lungs ?
b) intestines ?
- Can any Dr order it, or does it have to be a specialist?
I'm so sorry for all questions. I understand if you have time to respond.
Thank you and God bless,
Cary
Cary,
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent questions. I will get back with you on the testing in the lungs. As far as the home testing goes, I encourage you to get an ERMI test. You can do this yourself through two labs mentioned on my blog homepage under the entry "Where do I begin?"
This would be the best place to start. You are wise to connect this water damage with your health. I suggest you keep going until you get the answers you need.
If you do an ERMI I'd be happy to look at the results with you. My email address is
andrea@chrisfabry.com
Cary,
ReplyDeleteI checked with the author of this story and here is what she said about the testing:
"My Primary Care Physican also ordered the ELISA ACT testing for molds (they can also do foods, chemicals and environmental stuffs) This testing is immune reactive testing through blood tests. This second testing backed up the results that Dr. Gray gave me. I've had several other ELISA ACT tests done since. It is covered by insurance companies IF you can talk your PCP into ordering it. Check it out on www.ELISAACT.com for further information."
Hi Andrea, Words can't begin to express how much I deeply appreciate your feedback and your offer to take a look at the test results, especially knowing how incredibly busy you are. God bless you & your family abundantly.
ReplyDeleteI've been so incredibly busy this week myself, that's why I haven't had a chance to reply until now (so sorry). Between all the different appts with inspectors for the water damage in our kitchen (3 different appts), and even a dentist appt that took 6 hours (yes 6 hours, inclu commute time), plus my already overwhelming long list of health-related tasks, it's been crazier than usual.
Re: the antibody blood test (ELISA ACT test) :
It's funny b/c I briefly looked into another type of ELISA testing -- dental material reactivity testing -- but eventually went with an alternate test called the Clifford test b/c it's more inclusive, and more affordable (test showed that I was allergic to all the metal crowns in my mouth). But I had no idea ELISA had a mold test.
After reading your reply, I decided to do a couple of google searches to better understand how a blood test, such as ELISA ACT, can reveal what could be in the lungs and actually came across some interesting info on many different mold-related medical tests. I'll include it here for anyone who's interested:
- Many of the "mainstream medical websites" kept mentioning RAST testing (another blood test) as the "standard" test done for mold. I've done this test before at an Allergy doctor's office who had limited knowledge on allergy tests (I know b/c I asked him about another test, I forgot the name, and his response through his nurse was "not familiar with it...can't order it"). With this in mind, I began to wonder about the difference between the RAST vs ELISA testing and after searching online, I found this:
RAST vs ELISA
http://cherir.tripod.com/Rast.html
Here's another site, from a mold inspector, that had a good explanation of some additional tests:
Medical Diagnostic Testing for Mold
http://www.moldinspector.com/blood_testing.htm
(my browser had some issues with this webpage, the text appeared for few seconds and then disappeared, even after re-loading the page; but I was able work-around the problem by using the "select all" then "copying/pasting" into a word document)
Here's an excerpt in case anyone has trouble viewing the page:
"Here are some of the diagnostic tools available to a physician to help analyze possible mold growth in your body: mold antibody blood testing, nasal swab, mri [magnetic resonating imaging] sinus cavities and brain [for brain damage resulting from exposure to Stachybotrys mold], lung x-ray, and lung biopsy."
It's so great to hear that an ELISA test can be covered by insurance and that there are some PCP's out there who are willing to run the test! I hope/pray my PCP is willing to order it.
Thanks again and God bless.
Cary
Cary,
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to share this information! Very helpful.
I'll be eager to hear how everything goes as you attempt to get the answers you need. You are wise to go down this road.
Andrea