How We Survived Toxic Black Mold Exposure
73Educating People about Household Mold Symptoms and Effects of Toxic Mold
It has taken me 10 years to be able to actually sit down and write about my families experience with Toxic Black Mold. It was an experience that literally turned our lives up side down. I am writing my story because I am hoping to help someone who may be having health problems and don't know that they could be experiencing mold exposure. Also, I don't want you to feel like your are alone in this.
The thing about mold detection, is that black mold knows how to hide. So people could be getting exposed and not know it. We lived in a moldy house for years and didn't even know it!
Before I go into my story, I want to explain to you what toxic black mold is.
Toxic Mold | Airborne Mold | Stachybotrys
First of all please know that most household molds are safe. Every home has mold. It is a natural part of our environment. But there are molds which produce very harmful toxins are known as toxic molds. One airborne mold is called Stachybotrys. Once a mold becomes dry it become airborne. And once it gets in the air, people can breath it in and it can make them very ill.
The problem with Toxic mold is that generally most people do not know the symptoms of exposure nor do they understand the health and financially effects that such an exposure can causes. Which is why I want to share my experience.
toxic mold pictures
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What is making us so ill? Toxic Mould!
We were you average family of five. My husband and I have 3 gorgeous kids. They were 2, 4, and 7 years old. My husband and I both worked full time and I children were with daycare during the days.
Between late 2001 and 2002 it seemed like one of us was always sick. We were all constantly having flu like symptoms. You know feeling weak and lethargic. I was having horrible head aches and often felt like I could fall asleep standing up. The funny thing was, I only felt this way when I was at home. Once I left for work, I would feel normal within an hour or so. I now know that these are all effects of toxic mold.
My husband who was a non-smoker started having a constant cough that wouldn't go away. And he would have a nose bleed a few times a month.
My kids would each (at different times) wake up crying because their chins would hurt. I thought it was growing pains. So my husband and I would rub their legs and give them Tylenol. They each also had frequent nose bleeds. It really got ridiculous. I mean they were constantly sick. So my pediatrician tested them for lead paint and test were normal. The doctor was puzzled. What could be wrong with these kids. We knew it was something in the environment, because they felt great at the sitters. (You see, mold isn't like lead paint. It doesn't show up in your blood stream).
While we were trying to figure out what could be the problem, our neighbors who lived in the attached building told us that they were both having heath issues and found black mold covering items in their bedroom closet. They said they had it tested and it was black mold. They were concerned that since our houses were attached we might want to have some testing done. So we decided to go ahead and have a mold inspection done.
It was there and it was bad. The mold testing showed that we had mold hiding behind the walls in under are parquet floors, which was hidden by carpet. Who would have ever thought. We contacted our condo association as well as home owners and that is when the battle began. Without going into details, this mold devastated us mentally, physically, and in the ultimately financially. While we had wonderful toxic mold lawyer, our lives were turned upside down for years.
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We had to leave our home and move into an apartment. We left all of our possessions behind. You see air borne mold can get into porous furniture, clothing, toys, pretty much everything except glass and plastic. But those all had to be properly cleaned in order to take.
So we basically moved into an apartment with nothing. We paid a mortgage for a home that we couldn't live in while paying rent for a place to stay. It was a very stressful time financially. Mold cleanup is extremely costly. It actually totally destroyed us financially.
But this was about our health and keeping our kids safe.
The good news, is that the physical symptoms went away almost within days. We all felt great and had wonderful energy. We felt healthy. However, it has taken me years to begin to regain my short term memory problems and my children has some slight neurological problems for the first 3 years.
I am hoping someone who is having toxic mold symptoms will come across this article and decide to have their home tested. If you or anyone you know has been exposed to toxic black mold there is lots of help out their for you. (Not like 10 years ago). There are attorneys who specialize in Toxic Mold. There are many toxic mold remediation companies who can test your home and help with black mold removal.
But most importantly there are lots of support groups for Toxic Mold Survivors.
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That is a great suggesstion. Thanks 2uesday. And thanks for taking the time to stop by and read. :)
Gosh, I can't believe it. Thank you for making us aware of it.
Thanks for stopping by HH. It was unbelievable. But everything happens for a reason. It made my marriage so much closer. And I ended up quitting my job and being a full time stay at home Mom. My kids needed me, and I needed them. I realized what was really important. Material things can be replaced. So I guess you could say it is a blessing
Toxic mold can cause serious health problem. A good and timely hub for anyone considering purchasing a home.
Thanks wordscriber for your comment.
Thanks Wendy! I'm 21 years old and I have been sick all throughout high school and I started getting sicker in University and I had to quit. After many many maaaany test and doctors, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome 2 years ago. However I am not getting better and I live in a really old building so I will definitely get my place inspected... I kind of hope it is mold so I'll know what to do to get better :) .. you mentioned lawyers? Would I be able to sue my landlord?
Thanks for stopping by Sue. Do you feel better about an hour or two after you leave your home? I was always way sicker at home. And Yes, there are lawyers who specialize in toxic mold.
Thank you for sharing your story. Yes, mold is very hazardous. We can always perform a mold testing with a home mold test kit from any home improvement or hardware stores. This is a lot cheaper and economical. This type of test kit is also available online in sites like Amazon.
Samatha of http://moldremovalfacts.com
Blessings to you and your family Wendy!!
GREAT Hub!! I am just now dealing with Toxic Mold!! I have wonderful Landlords who are doing the best they can to remedy the situation!!
But as we have opened up the walls and removed flooring and torn out appliances the problem is more wide spread than any of us thought!!
I only moved in a few months ago!! BUT, I am moving myself, two cats and two dogs out tomorrow to protect our health!!
Thank you so much for the heads up!!
Blessings always, Earth Angel!!
Earth Angel I am so sorry to hear it. Have you been having health issues? The reason why I ask is I highly suggest you leave any porous items behind. Because The spores are air-bound. If you bring your sofa, bed, pillow etc. you will continue to breath in the toxins. You may want to consult an attorney or Mold specialist. They will probably suggest you leave it all behind like I did. It is really hard to do(I know- I've been there), but your health is most important. (Maybe you have a nice landlord who will replace what you have lost?). God Bless and Keep me posted.
Hey im suffering from black mold exposure. we moved out of the apartment however i took our clothes into the new apartment with us. idk what to do. should i bleach everything. even if i throw everything out the new place has been exposed right?
Hi Joe, Yes the exposure would be in the air. I would wash everything as best I could (since you already took them to the new place). I would wash in Hot water. Also maybe you could purchase an air-cleaner. It may help with any spores that may be in your apartment.
How are you feeling. We felt so much better once we got out of the environment.
Thx Wendy. Im feeling worse. so is my girlfriend. weve been out of there for about four days. im having memory problems, no appetite at all, i eat once a dau if that, were getting chronic depression. fist they diagnosed me with bronchitis andher with strep throat, two days later they said i didnt have strep. we also have chronic fatigue idk what to do im getting worse. im going to wash all my clothes in bleach please help us.
Hopefully you will begin to feel better soon. Stay outside as much as possible in the mean time. I wish you the best.
Hey Wendy we are still not getting better. And i found out we cant drink water at all. Even one cup will make us feel numb and severley poisioned and our body will pee the water our immiediately (5minutes later), so perhaps we ingested it through the water or even the shower. I dont know what we should do as far as treatment. The problems persisting are inability to maintain water, asthma, our lungs/throats hurting, and just feeling as if we are losing it mentally (mental problems)
I also did some more research and im almost positive that we have CANDIDA now too which is caused from black mold poisioning
Joe, you really should consult a doctor. When we moved out we felt way better after a couple of weeks. I still had short term memory for a while but it eventually improved. But we left everything that was porous behind. Including toys, furniture, beds clothing, bedding, towels. We left it all. We only took dishes and other glass or hard plastic items. So I'm concerned you may still be breathing in spores. Please contact a doctor. I am so sorry you are going through this. I will be keeping you guys in my prayers.
I am wondering if Joe & his wife/girlfriend are doing better. I have been seriously sick from blackmold & Candida. I am scared I am not going to make it. My tongues feels like it's stinging constantly, burning up cold chills, non stop burning & ring in my ears....the list goes on and on and on. I can't find a doctor to help. If I go somewhere that they have mold I am having severe allergic reactions. I don't know what to do and nobody takes this serious.
Yes, he has been in my thoughts. I hope he is doing better. I know how frustrating it is for you Janny. You may get relief if you stay away from the exposed area and watch your diet. Don't eat any processed food or fast food or sodas. Instead go for the natural "real" food rather than processed. That helped us a lot. And exercising daily helps as well. There are mold physicians but I'm not sure if it would be covered with insurance.
Hi Wendy. My doctor don't even know where to find a mold doctor. I have severe fever/chills, flu like symptoms and the one lady who's been through this in another state says this is a kill off? I have been trying to eat all healthy and trying to stay on gluten free diet, and no sugar, so I am not feeding the mold/yeast. Does anyone know how long this will take? I believe now I have been being poisoned for years now, cause I have had health issue after health issue since I bought my place years ago. Also was you able to save anything in your home, like pots and pans, cookware, computer? I realize beds and furniture will probably have to be burned? Thanks so much for responding back... it's been such a discouraging day. My body feels like it's on fire. Did you experience any of these symptoms?
We all had different symptoms. My kids and husband had nose bleed. My kids all had joint pain. They would wake up crying in pain. My husband had a constant tickle which caused him to caugh. I had flu-like symptoms. I felt week and lathargic when I was at home around the mold, but felt better within a few hours of being out of the house. Also had terrible sinus infections all the time. We found that it was better within a few weeks of leaving the environment.Also, Mike (my husband) and I were very irritable. It seemed like we were at each others throats. I thought it was stress, but I really think it is a side effect of the mold.
But we literally left everything behind...furniture, clothing, toys, books, pictures, photo albums. We slept on air mattresses for a few weeks in our new apartment. It was hard but in the long run, better for our health.
I have been very sick burning and swollen tongue, dizzy, watery eyes, breathing problems and have also hallucinated due to this just know in process of seeing if the insurance will cover the clean up. Just bought house 2 and a half years ago unfortunately it was a bank owned home as is purchase so I can’t go after the seller for cost. But I am more concern about my health I feel seriously sick and the doctors don't seem to know what to do for me. I started eating gluten free and wonder if yogurt would help or make me sicker since it is mold the has problly gotten into my digestive system. Reading about this it can growing in your body - this is so scary. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Robin
Robin, I feel for you sweetie. Again, I'm not an expert. I'm just a Mom who lost my home because of this terrible mold. For me, we found we felt better only after we got totally out of the environment. We left everything behind. It was the only way to be sure we didn't bring the spores with us. Making the decision to leave our home destroyed us financially. But we felt our health had to come first. I highly suggest you ask you doctor to refer you to a medical doctor who specializes in mold.
Wendy I hope u read my comment....my kids and I are having all the symptoms u had and we found out we have toxic black mold..now we are planning on leaving and I wonder should I take my washer and dryer, my refrigerator??? Let me know what u think please...I have 7 kids and thinking about letting everything behind I don't know if Ican afford it :S
Christina,
I'm sorry to hear this. Toxic mold is NOT Fun! I think I would take the washer and refrigerator, just write them down really good with bleach water. The biggest concern is items that are porous, like wood, cloth, clothing, furniture, stuffed animals, pillow, paper products, books, photo grafts.
But anything that is metal, glass, or hard plastic can be washed and taken with you. We kept appliances, pots and pans as well as dishes and glasses. I hope this helps.
Thank u Wendy for answering to me so soon....I read on a web page that if I wash my clothes with baking soda or vodka I can kill the mold spores in clothes..Do u think I should trust that?? Another thing I would like to know is if after you moved u did any treatment at all?? Cuz I've been asking doctors about it and they just don't care.. they make me feel like i'm exagerating everything..I feel like we are dying a little bit more everyday and they just don't see it like i should be worrying.
Christina,
I'm not sure about the baking soda and vodka. Everyday it seems that they learn more about black mold. So it is possible. Our mold was over 5 years ago so I'm sure things have changed. No we didn't do any treatments after we moved out, however I did need to go on sinus medication. We actually noticed that we were feeling better within days. It is amazing how well we felt after we moved out. Hang in there...It will get better.
This was a terrible imposition on you and your family. I have heard of attorneys that now specialise in this area because of the prevalence of the problem.
You are right onlinelawyer and thank goodness there are lawyers that specialize in toxic mold. Our lawyers specialized in lead paint and mesothelioma. I'm glad people realize that toxic mold can cause real problems in people.
I've been trying to find a lawyer but nobody seems to care about it...we were a normal family just worrying about everyday problems and after we bought this house 4 years ago everything is not the same anymore you don't know how many nights i fell asleep crying cuz I don't know whats is gonna be of my children. They are so so sick and my oldest suffers a lot of symptoms like blurry vision, stomach pain all the time, headache, wheezing, short of breath, memory loss, bone pain...so many things and it is no fair that this person that sold us the house like this is resting every night like nothing while my kids and I are struggling everyday with sickness and trying to find a way how to get out of here. Wendy i have a question...do u think that I should try to find a new place by new i mean something built recently and what about schools should I look for a place with new schools also? I'm worry I don't know what is best for my children anymore cuz they are too sensitive to black mold. Thank u very much for all your information.
Christina, I think the first thing I would do is try to find out where the mold is coming from. And stop the cause. Is there a leak some place? Or is it an old leak that was possibly there before you purchased it 4 years ago. You may need to contact an attorney and a mold specialist so they can tell you what you are dealing with. In the mean time, can your kids stay elsewhere? I found once we were out of the house our symptoms went away.
Now that you are in a safe place..what about your children? are they attending old schools and they feel fine anyway?
When we first left, the leg pains and bloody noses went away right away. However my two youngest had a really hard time focusing in school. The teachers and doctors wanted to call it ADD but I knew it was from the mold exposure and could even possibly be post traumatic stress. But eventually within a year or two the improved. We noticed a change in how we felt right away within a few days. While in the home, my husband and I were at each others throats and always felt like we had the flew. Once we moved out we had so much more energy and rarely fought.
Hi Wendy - To make a long story short, my wife and I also had a life changing mold experience. Besides Stachybotrys, the industrial hygenist found 17 different kinds of mold lurking in our home - I had thought about writing a book about our experience, but I really don't have the energy... our exposure was between 1999 and 2001 - since then we have lost all of our belongings 3 times(even the clothes on our backs),had to move 9 times in 8 years, we both have documented brain damage, I also have Fibromyalgia, Multiple Cemical Sensitivities, Chronic Fatigue Syndome and of course - clinical depression. I have been unable to work since 2005 and am now on disability.... Thanks so much for your article. I hope a lot of people read it and take it seriously - MOLD is NO JOKE!!! Now you know YOU aren't alone either :-)
Your Friend,
Bill Whitmer
Thank you so much for your comments Bill. I also responded to you over at Redgage.
Wendy,
I'm pretty ill again after being deathly ill 10 years ago. I need to talk with someone who understands why I don't feel good everyday. It would help. I had financial problems and had to move in with my mother. The problem is that her apartment complex was also sued for toxic mold and I think I'm still exposed like I was 10 years ago in my own apartmen. I can't work or function. Please write to jimwagner3@aol.com.
I appreciate you wanting to help people like me.
thanks, jim
Hi Jim,
I'm sorry to hear that you are not doing well. I would suggest talking with your doctor. There may be something that can help relieve your symptoms. I'll keep you in my prayers.
So sorry to hear that this happened to you. I'm glad you posted your story, however, it's not a good idea to suggest the testing be done by one of the home test kits. You see because mold is ubiquitous you need to test the mold spore count inside and outside the house. To be considered safe, the inside mold spore count has to be the same or less than the outside mold spore count. To get a list of reputable mold testers in your area contact the IICRC. One tip: always make sure that the company doing the testing is not also in the mold removal business. There is an inherent conflict of interest. These less than honorable folks will ALWAYS find mold and at the end of the job, they will ALWAYS pass their own clearance test whether the mold is gone or not. www.purocleanpers.us
Hi Wendy, i just read your article and your situation sounds quite familiar to mine yet I am 37 weeks pregnant. My partner, myself and my daughter moved into our rental property 3 months ago. About 2 weeks later there was torrential downpour over the period of about 3 days where the roof leaked into the main bedroom. about 2 months later black mould started appearing on walls, blinds and my shoes and clothes. we had just assembled babys cot in our room and bought a new bed and mattress as well for our room. my daughter and partner had been coughing and i developed a terrible flu and got rushed to hospital as i was so bad. initially our landlord ignored us for 5 days but after constant calling they sent somebody over on the weekend to assess how bad the problem is. supposedly the entire house moisture levels are 25% when they should only be 10% and under the whole house is contaminated with white mould. according to them house is toxic and our family shouldnt be around the mould especially me. i am going in for a c section next friday 24th due to medical complications and the mould people are saying it will take 5 days. we are going to have to find alternative accommodation for then but would you have any idea how long after it is cleaned up that property would be safe? i have bought so many new things for baby and all of my shoes and clothes are covered but i dont want to touch them because of fear of releasing the spores. also have been keeping bedroom doors closed and sleeping in the loungeroom as no visual mould in there but im not sure how effective this is..its a nightmare, i just want to have a healthy environment for my new baby but my doctor says it could even be linked to SIDS..i just feel like moving out..but not possible at the moment..im still coughing and am staying away from home until its sorted out as i need to be healthy for op next week.. my partner wants to sue but i just want health and a peaceful environment.. do u think i need to throw out everything porous? natcat from melbourne australia
@natcat11, I think if I were you I would contact an attorney. Your landlord may be forced to find you housing. Just a thought.
Bill,
I read your post. I went through it too. Toxic mold is real and devastating. I was deathly ill from it and still don't feel good ten years after the exposure.
When I applied for Social Security Disability about four years ago, they wouldn't give it to me saying toxic mold exposure is not like having a heart attack or brain tumor. They were totally and completely wrong. It is very serious and life changing. I had one day about two years ago when I felt good. That was it. I don't know if the policy has changed as far as Social Security Disability. I needed my doctor to be stronger in her written statement saying I'm permanently disabled. She didn't do it saying she expected me to be disabled for about one year. I've been disabled for about ten years since the exposure.
I was exposed to Stachybotrys in two apartments over about a year and a half. A few months would have been bad. I can't see to recover.
It gives me a little peace knowing that I'm not alone. If I talk to much about it, I feel worse. But overall I'm glad to see I'm not alone in what happened to me.
Jim
Thanks for the comment Jim. I know what you mean about feeling better knowing that you are not alone.
We are having a black mold issue in our apartment that we are renting. It took the owners finally 3 weeks for them to believe everybody that it was black mold and for them to move us out of the apartment. Then I made them do a test showing the mold did not become airborne because we did not want to move back in if it was. Well they gave us the test results and they said it passed but when I later looked at the results after we moved back in it says that the stachybotrys was found in the air, so it is still airborne after they removed the wall and had fans going for 4 days that supposidly "got rid of the airborne particles". Is this safe living with this mold being airborne? What would you recommend us to do?
I'm sorry to hear about your troubles with mold, Jennifer. It sure does disrupt a family. I think if it was me, I would go ahead and run another air sample. It sounds like if they totally fixed the problem that was causing the mold and totally replaced the drywall you may be fine. The only way to really know for sure is to have professionals run an air sample for you.
What a terrible experience you had I am so glad that you found out what the problem was and got it dealt with.
This is a really useful article that makes people aware of a problem that I had no idea exsisted,
Thanks for sharing your experience Wendy I am sure this will prove invauable to some people who are suffering from this and are unaware of the cause forewarned as they say is fore-armed.
Thanks Maggs. That was my goal, to get out the word. I never heard of it either until it happened to us.
This is a crazy story. I will be writing a blog post and linking to this story on my blog http://moldyclothes.com.
Mold are the common houshold problems and exposure to these toxigenic black molds can cause number of health issues to humans.
Good Board! I am wkg. thru black toxic mold exposure (breathing) in living qtrs. I discovered 7 mths ago & am seeking treatment for bronchial/respiratory problem. I have always revered my health & have guarded it meticulously until THIS. I am Totally Holistic &, in fact, have told a pulmonologist to Kiss Off when he prescribed Advair/steroids. I am managing my condition via fungal free diet but am seriously seeking suitable holistic-homeopathic treatment & will greatly appreciate any suggestions/recommendations re: treatment, medical practioners, clinics, etc. that you are any of your readers may have. Thank you Wendy. (c- 832-567-6196)
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2uesday Level 6 Commenter 23 months ago
hi Wendy I think this page contains useful information that might be able to help someone in a similar situation. It might be helpful to people in the UK searching for information on this, so might I suggest you add the British spelling for mold to your tags. We spell it with a u in it - mould. It is good to share this and try to help people.
I hope you all keep well in the future.
BTW It was only recently I read that things like new kitchens can release things from the glue etc. that can cause health problems in susceptible people.