It’s been a rough few weeks. Filled with grim reminders that our bodies are still in the process of recovering from a massive mold assault. I would much prefer to think of our experience as “behind us.” Even more, I would love to tell friends and family what they want to hear. “Please tell me you guys are all better.” Or, “Tell me everything is back to normal.”
The truth is, we’re not all better. And life is not back to normal.
One of my daughters accepted a job recently at a nearby fitness center. Unfortunately the front desk is within feet of an indoor chlorinated pool. Two days after she accepted the job, the doors were removed for a remodeling project. Within minutes my daughter felt dizzy and lightheaded. Hearing about a previous mold remediation only added to her trauma. She left the job disheartened. It’s been three years. Does she still have to worry about this?
Another daughter met recently with a mold-traumatized family at a nearby coffee shop. Still in their home and preparing to vacate, they carried spores with them. Within hours my daughter’s fungal symptoms flared. One of the most aggravating is a rash around the mouth. Angular cheilitis. The symptoms led to a setback that lasted nearly two weeks.
One of my sons added a significant amount of kefir to his diet, sparking a major healing crisis that left him unable to attend school. Our diabetic son Colin’s blood sugars escalated for several days. Another daughter experienced a sore throat, and the familiar questions surfaced: Was she exposed to something? Is this detox? Is it unrelated and just a “normal” sore throat?
“Just think, it used to be like this every day,” my husband said as I sat on the floor, overcome with discouragement.
He’s right. Three years ago we were in the emergency room weekly. Nosebleeds were a daily occurrence. Children were unable to attend school. My memory was shot. I would walk into a room and have no idea why I was there. Honestly, we were too sick to see how sick we were.
We’ve come a long way. I don’t mind the reminders. They keep me grounded. Grounded in reality. We were “hit” by our house, and some issues may stay with us the rest of our lives. Life may never be back to normal.
We have a choice to embrace our new normal or continually wish for life as we knew it before. Now that we’ve made it this far, I’m not sure I would go back. Would I trade all of this knowledge for the good old days?
Letting go of what is behind is the only way to embrace today. I have to choose to be thankful for the reminders that life is a journey no matter what our trials may be. It’s been a rough few weeks, but we're going in a good direction. Maybe, just maybe... these are the good old days.
About Andrea Fabry
I am a former journalist and the mother of nine children ranging in age from 28 to 12. My husband Chris, myself, and our children find ourselves in the desert of Arizona attempting to rebuild our health and our lives following a massive toxic mold exposure. The organization momsAWARE comes out of this crisis as a means to help educate and empower others on the subject of environmental health. Our family has also launched a natural line of personal care products called Just So, available at our Online Store.
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great post. Yes, my guess is a mother would look back on these days fondly - with all/most of the family around each other (all the time), bonding, supporting each other's trials. It will seem so easy compared to years from now when they are out from the safety of your nest, having to find homes for themselves, and deal with the "relapses" without the support of the other family members being RIGHT there.
ReplyDeleteI really want to encourage your daughter who got sick spending time with that family. What she did was selfless and honorable. Her taking a risk on her health shows how real this issue is. That this family is sick. And her support and counsel may have been what this family needed to make the big jump. I will be praying for this family and yours.
One step at a time. You guys have come SO far and are doing so good. Always have memories of "the good old days" ;)
ReplyDeleteAfter our last hit, we can't seem to shake the mouth rash so it's back to SCD/GAPS intro (doing the best I can with it) for a week. Nothing has ever seemed to work for rashes, not even avoidance. So glad to know inflamed bowel is a cause too and not just exposure.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen Sara Grove's "Painting Pictures of Egypt"? I appreciated the insights and it reminds me of your post. We love you guys! The Nobles
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the experiences of both daughters. I experienced both of their events. My toxic mold exposures were many years ago. Two years ago, I also met with a couple who had just realized that they were being made sick by their home. They had not yet left their toxic home, and wanted my advice on remediation versus "selling and running". I had not had any toxic reactions for 5 years prior to our meeting. [you always retain the potential for toxic reactivity, and chemicalreactivity, for your entire life] Our meeting lasted for one hour, in a restaurant that I had verified, many times, was "mold-free". My reward, for my good deed, was an intense toxic mold reactivity that lasted 72 hours! All my future counseling will be done by phone or Skype. You are doing a wonderful job! Watching the suffering of our children is a heart-wrenching experience. Good luck and God Bless.
ReplyDeleteI know the set backs all too well. You are doing a fantastic job Andrea and you need to know that! You have helped your family and yourself to get better by all your hard work and the strength that only comes from above. Not only that but you have helped me on so many occasions. I am so thankful for you and your knowledge. Keep moving forward!!!
ReplyDeleteWe recently had to deal with mold in our home again. I have fought so hard to stay on the anti-fungal diet for the last 1 1/2 years...then to find more mold in the house! It did set me back and I realized my family may have had some issues with the mold this time, not just me. They have been on phase one of the anti-fungal diet and doing well.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get down about "having" to do this diet for the rest of my life....I think back to last year when I couldn't get out of bed each day. This does not work with with 3 kids and homeschooling!
The good old days weren't so good after all. I will take the good new days over the old ones anyday!
www.goodbyefungus.blogspot.com
I tend to think that people who know that they have issues with mold need to be very wary in terms of meeting in person with others who have chronic fatigue syndrome or severe mold illness. Those people are very often carrying around with them extraordinarily potent toxins that can drive previously sensitized people way down.
ReplyDeleteWhat I generally find is that if I change clothes and shower right after getting an exposure (whether it's from a bad building or from cross-contamination), I can keep the negative effects at a minimum. Doing this quickly is key though. Also, taking off the clothes that were exposed as soon as I come in the door and then bagging them (rather than letting them cross-contaminate my living space) is really important too.
(Thanks to Erik Johnson for these tips, which he learned in the army as preparation to deal with substances like nuclear radiation and nerve gas. Amazing how toxic mold -- at least for those who have become sensitized to it -- fits into this same paradigm.)
I think that you were really smart to have gotten rid of ALL your possessions from the bad house. Your daughter's experience suggests that if you'd kept anything at all, she (and possibly the rest of you) still might be really sick. It's really hard to lose our stuff, but our health is (in my opinion) much more important.
Best,
Lisa
We, too, deal with this on a daily basis. Anytime someone doesnt feel well, I scramble to find out whete they have been, who they were with, what they have eaten. A sore throat is cause for too much conjecture. And yet, we have better days. I spend less time needing to lie down. We laugh more. And are thankful.
ReplyDeleteI know how that feels, those questions and desires from yourself and others that ask for everything to get "back to normal". As I have had to say to my own child over and over, this is now OUR normal. Some days I can say it with confidence, other days I cringe so deep inside I almost can't croak it out. Yet this is where the Lord has seen fit to place us. Yes, I understand that overwhelming feeling and the cry of heart that goes up to God "will this ever end?!" There is so much good that comes out of it, though it's hard to believe it at the time. The very fact that your daughter wanted to meet with this other family is a great showing of the mercy and compassion God is working into your family. The loss of the job by another of your children is also guidance, just so difficult to bear, I know. God also hears the cry of your hearts. His Ways are unfathomable but never wrong. Your trust and perseverance in the face of these trials speaks volumes about the God you serve.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post my family has been getting after me about how long it is taking me to heal, I will have to have them read this. God Bless you.
ReplyDeleteAndrea,
ReplyDeleteSounds like your family has taken a few new "hits" from toxic exposure. I ache that your kids are having to persevere these difficult waters. I hope these 'surprises' lessen in their new normal, and you continue to press on... even if some days are foggy. You've helped countless families to take another step into wellness and life... thanks for showing the way, shining light on a path less traveled. kt
Boy can Millie and I relate! Blessings to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteOur family, too, lost everything. Toxic mold illness is an opportunity for courageous healers to blend the various approaches to human health--energy medicine, ayurveda, conventional western medicine--to enable healing. It requires dentists to stop doing root canals and putting metal in our mouths. What has helped us most is NAET to eliminate the sensitivities and treatment with Dr Nazanin Kimiai at the Comprehensive Medical Center in Kirkland, WA, who uses a combination of all the above approaches to restore health. I wish you all continued healing. All the best.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, I am so touched by your post. I feel exactly the same, life is not going to be the same for all of us, everyday I ask "how long are we going to be this sick?" Why can this possibly happen to my 3 year old, but then when I pray for a little boy with pediatric cancer and going thought chemotherapy, I feel I should just be thankful for what God has planned for us, God is in control, He will heal us, perhaps is not that our bodies will get better but we will become strong and take better care of ourselves. I see that in you, you know a lot more than lots of people. You are doing such a great job. I admire you!
ReplyDeleteGod bless you all.
Luiza
In response to one your readers comments where she wrote:
ReplyDelete"Have you seen Sara Grove's "Painting Pictures of Egypt"? I appreciated the insights and it reminds me of your post. We love you guys! The Nobles"
For those of you who listen/watch this song, I suggest you follow it with one or more of these songs / teachings:
SONGS:
- "Healing Begins" by Tenth Avenue North
- "You're Not Alone" by Meredith Andrews
- "I will carry you" by Selah
- "Prayer for a Friend" by Casting Crown
TEACHING:
- "Healing Scriptures" by Dr Gary Coller, D.O.
http://www.ihcenter.net/styled-3/styled-41/styled-35/
** This is FREE for download! Excellent!! **
- Dr Nassir Siddiki's teachings on Healing are also excellent! I've learned SO MUCH for him about how God heals... Amazing!!!
Dr Nassir Siddiki - Video Testimony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysi4hz2FZXs
"How to Receive and Keep your healing"
https://secure2.convio.net/srmv/site/Ecommerce?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=17061&store_id=1101&JServSessionIdr004=2dty5bl9x1.app227a
Merry Christmas to all!
Love & Blessings,
Cary
Oh, ore more thing...
ReplyDeleteAndrea - If I'm not mistaken, I believe I read somewhere awhile back that you're a big fan of Coldplay.
Well, have you heard the CD "Come Away" by Jesus Culture?
If you haven't, you HAVE TO listen it ASAP!! You/your family are going to love it! Oh and I highly recommend you buy the actual CD b/c it comes with a DVD (amazing live concert!)
Enjoy!!
Hope you're children are feeling better.
Have a blessed Christmas!!
Blessings,
Cary
Oh, ore more thing...
ReplyDeleteAndrea - If I'm not mistaken, I believe I read somewhere awhile back that you're a big fan of Coldplay.
Well, have you heard the CD "Come Away" by Jesus Culture?
If you haven't, you HAVE TO listen it ASAP!! You/your family are going to love it! Oh and I highly recommend you buy the actual CD b/c it comes with a DVD (amazing live concert!)
Enjoy!!
Hope you're children are feeling better.
Have a blessed Christmas!!
Blessings,
Cary
After two months of being in the home with spore counts between 700 and 400 (or about 46% toxicity), the next three months became a scary detox process living in a new apartment. Family and friends offered to help sanitize what could be saved of our belongings, and we are so appreciative of their efforts to bless us and help preserve our health. I kept a journal of how my symptoms changed to encourage myself – and hopefully they will encourage others going through this as well. I know I've searched specific symptoms through the documented recoveries on this blog to see how different ailments were treated. I did make significant changes in my diet in order to starve the mold. I had the benefit of spending a year with my family about three years ago where I introducing a new vegetable each month, so we'd incorporated several green foods to our diets already, but it was a huge shock to my system to cut wheat and sugar and wheat as I was raised in a bakery and ate sweets of some kind nearly everyday. However, it has been entirely worth it.
ReplyDeleteSymptoms:
Month 1 – I couldn't talk very well as it began to hurt my throat. I had about a fifteen minute maximum, and it was difficult to read an entire children's book. My chest felt constant pressure and I felt like every breath I took was exhaling mold spores. My eyes hurt most of the time. I had a new intolerance to chemicals, and my bowels looked spider-webbish. I looked forward to sleeping whenI wouldn't have to think about the mold. The main supplements I took were garlic and pau d'arco, and I also gargled tea tree oil with water. Relief seemed to last minutes.
Month 2 – I added grapefruit seed extract and noticed it really seemed to give a short spurt of relief in my breathing. My voice was stronger, but I coughted a lot. My eyes didn't hurt as much. The first part of the month I felt like I shouldn't be hugged or rubbed, as I would cough up a storm. Also, when I would bend over I felt all the spores surge like a waterfall. The last part of the month seemed to be a little better with this, and I tried to count the days that I wouldn't cry (four was my record for awhile). My scalp itched a lot, and so I switched to a tea tree oil infused shampoo and started brushing my skin. Disappointing discoveries were that I couldn't shop thrift anymore because of the musty clothes hiding in the racks and some libraries had enough aspergillus that I couldn't frequent them anymore either. The good news was that it was Thanksgiving and turkey was something I could eat.
Month 3 – I could finally lay on my stomach without constantly coughing. We switched to a regular mattress again, saying goodbye to our trustworthy blow-up beds. I was able to be touched more without coughing and I could tolerate fragrances a little more, although I still didn't want to be around them. I took a lot of deep breaths and my eyes were still noticably different in the morning, but they no longer hurt during the day after cleaning them off. My sleep started getting a little more like normal (I could stay up until 9 – 10 p.m., whereas I'd been going to bed before between 8:30 and 9 before. I estimated my breathing as 60% mold breaths, 40% normal breaths. This was the month where I really felt like I was drinking in everything healthy – nettles tea, kefir and kombucha for starters. Plus everyone knew what to buy me for Christmas (new clothes!)
Month 4 – One thing I keep telling my husband is that detox is rough if you don't sweat! My breathing is about 20% mold breaths, 80% normal breaths. I also feel better when or after exercising, but the following day I am using more anti-fungals to counter what I've stirred up! My son also experienced a lot of coughing after leaving our home (resembling my month two at first), but he is no longer coughing. I feel as I continue with the quest to eat virtually label-free and to avoid foods that aren't helpful when it comes to fungal-detox, I will maintain the progress I've seen.