Hindsight is a wonderful thing. We made so many misjudgements and mistakes during this mold journey. On retrospect, by ripping out the walls we probably blew mold spores throughout the house. Not helped by the fact it was a hot summer and used fans in each bedroom / room.
We also doubted ourselves too much. Writing down our story it's so obvious that it was / is mold. But when you are living it day to day, with doctors constantly saying its not possible, it doesnt seem so clear. I think Andrea Fabry makes the best point ever when she says "treat mold as the problem until proven otherwise".
I could kick myself at the moment because we doubted ourselves. 4 months later after moving out, I'm back at square one health wise (not quite), but at least I know what to do :-)
Go with your gut instinct!! If you think it's mold it probably is!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Our Story
In December 2009, we moved house. The first day we moved in we discovered that the previous owners had been hiding mold in the wardrobe roof of the master bedroom and in the cupboard of a back bedroom. These areas had been hidden by a box and a chest of drawers.
The ceiling in the master bedroom wardrobe was completely black with mold and so were parts of the wall inside. We at least had enough intelligence not to move into the room. On removing some wood panelling on one wall, we discovered huge amounts of black mold. Mr B proceeded to remove all the walls and part of the ceiling and replaced it all with fresh plasterboard. We then moved into the room.
In the back bedroom we paint the wall in the cupboard with an eco fungicide, followed by liberally spraying vinegar and letting it dry. Nothing is put in this room though as it smells damp and dank. It's dubbed by Little B as "the smelly room".
In March, we experience a massive hail storm during which our study leaks water from the window architrave - the water pours in onto the floor. The ceiling gets wet in the master bedroom and water runs down one wall. The insurance company takes until June to repair the ceiling in the master bedroom but only does a very small section. The assessors assess the study as having no damage.
3 weeks after moving, I begin to lose weight. Up until March, it is 0.5kg every 3 weeks. This then progresses to every 2 weeks. No matter what I eat, it keeps happening. By July, it's 0.5kg per week. I can occasionally gain 0.5kg but this is often followed by a 1kg weight loss the week after.
April 2010
From April, Little B is sick literally every 7-8 days. The coughs, colds and fevers are endless. For one month he catches back to back gastros. His cough is horrible and he has permanent dark circles under his eyes.
Mr B suffers from a constant massive fungal infection on his leg from the moment we move into the house. Eventually the doctors move to massive doses of a medication that can damage the liver. It only holds the infection at bay, if he stops the meds it comes back with reinforcements. He suffers muscle wastage and atrophy in that leg from the infection (not the meds).
Our two inside house cats constantly vomit. Sometimes it feels like every day. They have never done this prior to living in this house (they are 7 years and 8 years respectively).
May 2010
Around May, I start to suffer from severe postural hypertension on waking in the morning. I'm blind for 3-4 seconds. I break my nose in late May as the blindness is so severe and disorienting that I walk face first into a door frame.
July 2010
In July, my hands start to go numb periodically. Over the next few months this spreads right up my arms to my shoulders. It then starts to coincide with my morning blindness. Then the postural hypertension starts to occur anytime I change position (i.e. from sitting to standing).
During this time, I am in and out of the doctors like revolving door. No-one knows what is wrong. My weight loss continues. I'm referred to an endocrinologist and he is completely stumped. In his words "visually I can see you are very sick, but on paper you look healthy". I'm warned that I am 0.5kg away from potential hospitalisation and then sent on my merry way.
Then the fatigue sets in. I'm constantly exhausted. I have times when I quite literally dont have the energy to open my eyelids and I cant stand up for long periods of time. I can no longer lift my 3 year old son. My thinking becomes really foggy - I just cant think straight. My memory is shot - I cant remember anything to save myself.
I start seeing a dietitian who is completely freaked out. I'm consuming 3000 calories a day and as much fat as I want but I'm losing weight. I cant stay above 46kg anymore. She recommends I start physical rehab to stop the increased muscle wastage.
September 2010
By this time, both Mr B & I are convinced its mold. Our washing machine grew mold inside it, our toilet brush rotted, there is black mold growing in the middle of a window in full sun. My clothes smell like old granny op shop.
So I move out to my mum's (Granny B) but take my clothes with me. I dont get better. I read that you cannot wash mold out of clothes. We throw my entire wardrobe out plus anything that came from the house. And my numbness, insomnia and fatigue start to go away.
I start physical rehab. On my first assessment, the rehab specialist expresses shock. In his opinion I need to see a neurologist quick smart as I'm showing signs of damage in my central nervous system. He finds that my body is like a moth eaten dress - I am completely missing muscles in some areas, and weak in odd places. My lower body is the worst.
So off to the neurologist who can only say there is something seriously wrong with me but he doesnt know what. He doesnt think its neurological and refers me on. But whilst knowing nothing about mold, he tells me that the only way I will know if it's the house is if I return / re-enter the environment.
November 2010
Two months after leaving, I re-enter the house. I stand for 4 minutes inside with my heels resting on the architraves of our front door. The effect is instant - I have progressive difficulty with breathing which is only rectified by antihistamines and asthma inhalers. My numbness and postural hypertension return that evening. I take Dr Richie Shoemaker's online VCS test that night. I test positive for biotoxin exposure - sort of in the middle range. I am so happy to know it's the house :-)
December 2010
6 weeks later I see my next specialist who specialises in environmental toxins. She tells me "we were born into moldy caves and that there's no way its mold". She convinces me that my reaction in November was a panic attack and that she believes I have a food allergy. This appointment last for 2.5 hours and ends with recommendations for tests. We start to doubt ourselves and the idea its mold.
During a holiday, I begin to suspect that I have a nut allergy. After eating a muesli bar with hazlenuts & pecans my tongue swells and burns. After eating some sushi with sesame seeds my throat closes over and only antihistamines and asthma meds keeps this escalating further. I take nuts and traces of nuts out of my diet and gain 1kg for the first time in months.
We make the foolish assumption from this and the environmental specialist that it must have been food allergy all along.
January 2011
6 weeks after seeing the enviro doctor, I again re-enter the house. Within 24 hours, my arms are numb but I continue to go in and out of the house for the next 3 days. My postural hypertension returns to the extent that I physically fall over every morning. My thinking becomes foggy, I have trouble with language and cant remember simple words, I have constant headaches.
I take another VCS test and my reading is almost off the charts. I have had a massive biotoxin exposure...it IS the mold in our house...talk about a blinding flash of the obvious!!
The ceiling in the master bedroom wardrobe was completely black with mold and so were parts of the wall inside. We at least had enough intelligence not to move into the room. On removing some wood panelling on one wall, we discovered huge amounts of black mold. Mr B proceeded to remove all the walls and part of the ceiling and replaced it all with fresh plasterboard. We then moved into the room.
In the back bedroom we paint the wall in the cupboard with an eco fungicide, followed by liberally spraying vinegar and letting it dry. Nothing is put in this room though as it smells damp and dank. It's dubbed by Little B as "the smelly room".
In March, we experience a massive hail storm during which our study leaks water from the window architrave - the water pours in onto the floor. The ceiling gets wet in the master bedroom and water runs down one wall. The insurance company takes until June to repair the ceiling in the master bedroom but only does a very small section. The assessors assess the study as having no damage.
3 weeks after moving, I begin to lose weight. Up until March, it is 0.5kg every 3 weeks. This then progresses to every 2 weeks. No matter what I eat, it keeps happening. By July, it's 0.5kg per week. I can occasionally gain 0.5kg but this is often followed by a 1kg weight loss the week after.
April 2010
From April, Little B is sick literally every 7-8 days. The coughs, colds and fevers are endless. For one month he catches back to back gastros. His cough is horrible and he has permanent dark circles under his eyes.
Mr B suffers from a constant massive fungal infection on his leg from the moment we move into the house. Eventually the doctors move to massive doses of a medication that can damage the liver. It only holds the infection at bay, if he stops the meds it comes back with reinforcements. He suffers muscle wastage and atrophy in that leg from the infection (not the meds).
Our two inside house cats constantly vomit. Sometimes it feels like every day. They have never done this prior to living in this house (they are 7 years and 8 years respectively).
May 2010
Around May, I start to suffer from severe postural hypertension on waking in the morning. I'm blind for 3-4 seconds. I break my nose in late May as the blindness is so severe and disorienting that I walk face first into a door frame.
July 2010
In July, my hands start to go numb periodically. Over the next few months this spreads right up my arms to my shoulders. It then starts to coincide with my morning blindness. Then the postural hypertension starts to occur anytime I change position (i.e. from sitting to standing).
During this time, I am in and out of the doctors like revolving door. No-one knows what is wrong. My weight loss continues. I'm referred to an endocrinologist and he is completely stumped. In his words "visually I can see you are very sick, but on paper you look healthy". I'm warned that I am 0.5kg away from potential hospitalisation and then sent on my merry way.
Then the fatigue sets in. I'm constantly exhausted. I have times when I quite literally dont have the energy to open my eyelids and I cant stand up for long periods of time. I can no longer lift my 3 year old son. My thinking becomes really foggy - I just cant think straight. My memory is shot - I cant remember anything to save myself.
I start seeing a dietitian who is completely freaked out. I'm consuming 3000 calories a day and as much fat as I want but I'm losing weight. I cant stay above 46kg anymore. She recommends I start physical rehab to stop the increased muscle wastage.
September 2010
By this time, both Mr B & I are convinced its mold. Our washing machine grew mold inside it, our toilet brush rotted, there is black mold growing in the middle of a window in full sun. My clothes smell like old granny op shop.
So I move out to my mum's (Granny B) but take my clothes with me. I dont get better. I read that you cannot wash mold out of clothes. We throw my entire wardrobe out plus anything that came from the house. And my numbness, insomnia and fatigue start to go away.
I start physical rehab. On my first assessment, the rehab specialist expresses shock. In his opinion I need to see a neurologist quick smart as I'm showing signs of damage in my central nervous system. He finds that my body is like a moth eaten dress - I am completely missing muscles in some areas, and weak in odd places. My lower body is the worst.
So off to the neurologist who can only say there is something seriously wrong with me but he doesnt know what. He doesnt think its neurological and refers me on. But whilst knowing nothing about mold, he tells me that the only way I will know if it's the house is if I return / re-enter the environment.
November 2010
Two months after leaving, I re-enter the house. I stand for 4 minutes inside with my heels resting on the architraves of our front door. The effect is instant - I have progressive difficulty with breathing which is only rectified by antihistamines and asthma inhalers. My numbness and postural hypertension return that evening. I take Dr Richie Shoemaker's online VCS test that night. I test positive for biotoxin exposure - sort of in the middle range. I am so happy to know it's the house :-)
December 2010
6 weeks later I see my next specialist who specialises in environmental toxins. She tells me "we were born into moldy caves and that there's no way its mold". She convinces me that my reaction in November was a panic attack and that she believes I have a food allergy. This appointment last for 2.5 hours and ends with recommendations for tests. We start to doubt ourselves and the idea its mold.
During a holiday, I begin to suspect that I have a nut allergy. After eating a muesli bar with hazlenuts & pecans my tongue swells and burns. After eating some sushi with sesame seeds my throat closes over and only antihistamines and asthma meds keeps this escalating further. I take nuts and traces of nuts out of my diet and gain 1kg for the first time in months.
We make the foolish assumption from this and the environmental specialist that it must have been food allergy all along.
January 2011
6 weeks after seeing the enviro doctor, I again re-enter the house. Within 24 hours, my arms are numb but I continue to go in and out of the house for the next 3 days. My postural hypertension returns to the extent that I physically fall over every morning. My thinking becomes foggy, I have trouble with language and cant remember simple words, I have constant headaches.
I take another VCS test and my reading is almost off the charts. I have had a massive biotoxin exposure...it IS the mold in our house...talk about a blinding flash of the obvious!!
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