Toxic mold is EVIL and it is my nemesis. To the average person, they might not be bothered by it, but I’m no average person! And although I haven’t been tested for it, I believe I’m one of the 24-28% who is genetically susceptible to be severely affected by mold.
So excuse me while I vent, hopefully for the last time, about toxic mold. In the future, I am hoping to dedicate informative articles on mold and resources to help others who are harmed by it. After my experience with it, I believe that mold is the cause of many health challenges. And now, looking back, I also believe it has been the number one thing which has caused my deteriorating health, ultimately landing me on my deathbed. If you are someone who, like me has suffered over the years with many unexplained health symptoms, having to go from doctor to doctor without getting 100% better, having been diagnosed with numerous health issues, only to find that you’re still not 100% after addressing those issues, I suggest you research mold.
For more on my health journey, click here (In addition to the things mentioned in that post, I’ve also been diagnosed with Lyme, SIBO and other things. Maybe one of these days, I’ll write another post about it all). It’s been a long road. However, I’m glad to say that, by the grace of God, I’m still alive. I’m a ton better today than I once was, however, I’m still not 100%. Over the years I have addressed numerous health conditions and made many changes to my diet and lifestyle which I believe have kept me going. On a positive note, I’m glad for all of the things I have learned over the years. It will ultimately help me and my family in the years to come. However, I don’t wish for others to go down the road I did.
Mold is All Around
Many indoor environments have varying levels of mold. Fortunately, the house I grew up in didn’t seem to have a mold problem. Though, once I moved out, I believe the different places I lived had mold issues. However, I didn’t realize it at the time. The last house I lived in was confirmed to have mold in the attic. I didn’t realize there was mold at the time, but that’s when I was at my sickest. It didn’t affect my husband, but it definitely affected me. Moving out of that house has definitely helped. That’s one of the first things that doctors who understand mold say you need to do – get out of the environment which is causing you to be sick.
Mold Travels Well
When we moved, I didn’t realize how contaminated our items were. Again, they don’t bother my husband, but they are like kryptonite to me. I’ve read of others who, when they moved, left everything behind and walked away. Looking back, I wish we would have done that. I didn’t realize at the time that mold travels well.
Mold grows in dark areas where there is moisture and little ventilation. I am here to tell you that it becomes exasperated in sealed boxes which might be in an area, such as a garage, that has high humidity. When a sealed box or plastic bin is opened after time, it releases spores. To me, it seems to increase the spore count so much that everything else which was in the moldy environment seems to also increase its spore count. All of this drives inflammation in my body which results in all of the crazy symptoms I experience. Scientifically, I don’t know if this is how it works. This is just my firsthand experience with it.
Feeling Better Away From the Mold
One can usually tell if their environment is negatively impacting them if they feel better when they are out of it. Over the past couple of months, when I was out of our home for any length of time, I felt better than when I was home. Months after we moved into our new home, my husband and I had thrown away many of our boxes. Memories of old childhood items and report cards were out on our curb to be trashed. At the time, we didn’t throw away everything because my symptoms seemed to get better with what we threw away.
Fast forward to today. I have started getting symptoms again and I had felt better being away from our home, so I began throwing more boxes away from our garage. That released more spores which has made me miserable. Also, in the midst of throwing those boxes away, items inside our house started bothering me more, so as much as I hate to do it, we will be throwing away many other items that I’ve been using regularly. Items which are porous and cloth are the worst. Even furniture is going. If they were in our old house, they’re going to be trashed. My only hope is that our new home hasn’t been so contaminated that it makes it difficult for me to get completely better.
Something Invisible Wreaks Havoc
It’s hard to believe how much something which is invisible has wreaked havoc on my life. It’s damaged my health, left me with fewer possessions, taken tons of money and has even impacted my marriage. I have a very supportive husband, but he’s beyond frustrated with all of this (as am I). I’m trying to not become bitter over the situation and to only look forward, but I admit, it can be difficult at times. When everything is taken away from you, it’s a life altering experience. I’m determined not to let the mold win and I’m holding onto the hope that this is the final thing that has been blocking my health. I am hoping to return to as “back to normal” as someone who has autoimmune disease (thank you mold) can.
Now, excuse me as I go throw away another batch of our memories and belongings.
Read Next: Mold Exposure: Learning from Doctors Amy Myers and Jill Carnahan
Leave a Reply