posted
Yup. The mold was really getting to me. Packed up myself and the dogs. Husband stayed behind. He thinks he's immune to it. Even though his eyes are bloodshot and hes dry coughing.
Couldn't breath today, I felt like I was being suffocated. Hopefully for the first time I can really begin the healing process for the lyme... and mold! 9 weeks in today.
Cried the entire way to my mom's. I had no idea our home could make me so sick! We have invested so much into it. And I have no idea how much we will lose.
I stuck around, wishing maybe my symptoms would go away but I drew the line in the sand today. Even my dogs, my sweet fur babies were getting sick. Swollen lymph nodes and everything. They sat quietly while I packed some things. I think they knew it was time to go to.
Feel like I'm back to square one and a whole new nightmare is beginning
Sigh...
-------------------- Diagnosed with Lyme 4/7/14
KB Posts: 87 | From Townsend, MA | Registered: May 2014
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Dogsandcats
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I am sorry, that must have been very hard on you. With Lyme we lose jobs, friends - but walking away from your home must have been very sad.
I am glad you and your fur babies have someplace to go- hope your husband will come around.
Take good care of yourself.
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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lpkayak
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Im sorry. As hard as it was i think you will realize it is for the best. I dont think you can get better from lyme if you are reacting to mold. I have some experience with mold
Remember you can carry it with you i clothes, your car etc It might not grow in new place if condituons arent rught
Its comlicated like lyme. Theres lots to read about it
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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lpkayak
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Its common when someone is in mold for awhile for them to srop smelling it and not know ut is there
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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just don
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posted
I used to live in a house with mold too.
Best thing I did was make the change,
Not to say the house should be thrown away.
Do you know 'where' the mold was located??And the cause that was kicking it off?
Is your husband 'fixing' the mold so you can return???
Correcting the cause of it is first step,,,like leaky roof?improper flashing of windows?leaky pipes?
Dampness like a dehumidifier in a basement??
Ozone generators are supposed to be good at ridding mold. Have no idea on cost or sources. Google might.
Do you have central air,,,putting a HEPA filter and running it a bit more(lower the degrees
)in your house, filters more air, cools so it doesnt grow, and dehumidifies ALL in one step.
Improper attic ventilation is a huge source.
Damp wet basements another
Even vacuuming with a HEPA vac is helpful
What age is the house and what general area?? Are you for darn sure your moms house doesnt have a worse problem??
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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dbpei
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posted
So sorry Kbone. That must have been such a hard thing for you to do. I hope your husband will work on removing the mold from your home safely so you can return with your dogs. Sending prayers and hugs your way.
Posts: 2386 | From New England | Registered: Aug 2011
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posted
Thanks everyone. We had the insurance adjuster out this week. Its all in our finished basement. Three different colored molds I have spotted.
It's past us cleaning it up, it smells bad as soon as you come into the house. Its going to be cleaned professionally.
For me it was like hitting a wall as soon as I got home, my feet go numb and I was having heart issues.
We have a dehumidifier running all the time and 2 hepa air purifiers. It wasn't enough.
My mom's house is safe. I slept like a baby last night! Woke up feeling somewhat good for the first time in months.
-------------------- Diagnosed with Lyme 4/7/14
KB Posts: 87 | From Townsend, MA | Registered: May 2014
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dbpei
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posted
I am happy to hear that you did so much better out of that moldy environment. It sounds like you are closer to figuring out how to get well!
Are you taking cholestyramine? If not, let your LLMD know what is happening and she can prescribe this for you to clear the mold toxins out of your body. Good luck to you!
Posts: 2386 | From New England | Registered: Aug 2011
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kam
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Hoping this new window that is opening for you will be one that restores your health.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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lpkayak
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I bought a construction grade ozone generator and am really glad i have it
You cant use it with plants,pets or ppl present but depending on size of machine and area to be cleaned it can take as little as 20 min...ive never done more tgan an hr-my hoyse is a total of 1000 sf Im.not sure it kills mold but it makes it dormant and thrn a hepa filter will catch spores
Even with prof cleaning there will be a few spores or new ones
You need to change envirinment-heat and humidity so mold cantgrow
I had trouble with profs doing it right so be sure you understand the basucs so you dont waste money
Thegovt site on indoir mold is pretty good with the basics
Like don said you have to remove it, and repair what caused problem then create environment where it cant grow
There are mold spores everywhere so they can always cime back if you dont change environment
Hardware stores have little thermometers that also have humidity on them. I have 3 for different areas of house and many air macines
The first year after remediation i used the ozone alot
Secind yr much.less...only if really wet/humid outside
Good luck. I posted many links etc when going thru this a couple yrs ago. Others did too. Might be worth a search
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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poppy
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posted
My house smells musty most of the time, except in winter when heat blasting. Even AC does not take this away. The house had problems when I bought it, that I didn't know about, and people who have done work on it since have made them worse, and created new ones. It is so hard to find honest competent people nowadays to do work on a house.
But I have nowhere else to go. Have tried to fix some problems on my own, with limited success. When the weather permits, I open windows to air it out and then the smell diminishes. That is not very much of the year.
This on top of illness from lyme, lack of family support....it is just about too much to bear.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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just don
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Okay since we have established the basement as the problem.
Only really 2 places most likely to start.
Moisture coming thru the floor or outside walls?
Generally basements are finished improperly.The outside walls SHOULD be done as follows.
Floor plate studs are mounted to is pressure treated.
Vapor barrier (4 mill plastic)placed over block or concrete walls with ZERO holes or penetrations
Insulation,,preferably 2" foam placed against plastic
Then stud wall placed inside of that spaced with a gap to the wall
Then drywall,,,paneling,,,wall finish.
If you remove a section of your basement wall I can guarantee about what you will see.
NO vapor barrier plastic. Studs tight to concrete wicking moisture to them,drywall
and fiberglass insulation all moldy and stinky.
Mold on walls,studs,drywall and insulation.
And dehumidifiers cant get to the moisture in time because of the wall.
95% of basements are finished that way.
Check yours in an inconspicuous spot like behind couch.
ONLY remedy is to don HEPA respirators. Tear out all exterior finished walls. haul it all out the door. Straight into the dumpster.
Hepa vac stairs and floors before entering living areas upstairs
Sorta like those tv shows depict,,,the space suits are good insurance
Also check behind the inside walls,partitions but should see much less there unless wicked up from floor,,,or has been flooded at some point.
Then a furnace duct cleaning after all else is in order also.
Is your basement naturally wet?? Drainage issues?? Do you need sump pumps and drain tile installed??
Sorry this is so long but there are no shortcuts
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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posted
Cant tell where the moisture is coming from. It's a big space with not alot of concrete showing. Could be floor or walls.
The people that lived there before built an addition themselves. The drywall in that room was literally glued to the concrete. There's not any framing or anything.
This room is also right below our master, which is where most of my symptoms are the worst. The carpet is sitting on concrete too.
There's no visible black mold in this room but there's wHite and orange. The black mold is in closets and on wall boards.
It's always been damp but not this bad. We had blown in insulation done 2 years ago. I have a feeling this is making the problem 10 times worse than it should be because the house isn't breathing at all.
Ugh what a mess and I'm really upset that I failed to recognize any of this as a major problem until it was to late.
I really think it should just be gutted so we can find the ALL of the problems.
-------------------- Diagnosed with Lyme 4/7/14
KB Posts: 87 | From Townsend, MA | Registered: May 2014
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posted
Also something important to note we live in a split level and we have an injector pump but no sump pump. We have alot of ledge too but the grade outside is good except for in one location.
-------------------- Diagnosed with Lyme 4/7/14
KB Posts: 87 | From Townsend, MA | Registered: May 2014
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GretaM
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Kbone-a very difficult thing to do but I am proudd of you.
Posts: 4358 | From British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Jun 2013
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just don
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posted
Has anyone donned a raincoat to exactly see what goes on in that one location?(while its raining very hard)
IF the gutters or downspouts are running most of the roof water or they
are running over there,,,it can amount to alot of water and it all comes inside
First things first,,,regrade the problem area almost to the extreme,,
,shoot it away faster than you think necessary.
Yes gutting the whole lower level is only way to find it ALL.
Once you are over exposed to these toxins the more susceptible you get to them.
Is there no Styrofoam glued first. no insulation or vapor barrier??
If not that isnt good because walls pass moisture when wet and drywall breeds mold
There is new drywall that doesnt support mold,,,its purple board.
How old is this house? I dont understand when you say ledge,,,whats that, how big is that?
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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posted
We do have an area outside that I am aware water pools. It's a walkway to the door that goes into the basement. It only pools when it pours. I know this needs to be fixed and regraded and I have a feeling the wallboard on that wall just wicks up this moisture.
All of the basement is framed off the foundation and then the drywall is on the framing except for the one room (the gym) where the wallboard is sitting right on the concrete.
There is no vapor barrier anywhere behind any of the drywall. It's actually sheetrock we used.
My husband is still at home. He texted me yesterday to tell me how good he feels and said he's been sleeping GREAT since I've went to my moms. Rude...
I'm really upset he thinks I'm crazy and just "over exaggerating" my symptoms. He doesn't understand us lymies don't have immune systems
-------------------- Diagnosed with Lyme 4/7/14
KB Posts: 87 | From Townsend, MA | Registered: May 2014
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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posted
So sorry about hubbys reaction. I get that from my kids alot. I have learned to let it go...
My marriage didnt survive lyme because of stuff like that
You are doing the right thing...sooner the better
Its true some can live near mold and not be bothered by it...but im not sure that means the mold us not doing damage
Id rather be the canary that shows sx tht something is attacking me
You need to take care of yourself so you can take care of him if he gets sick...
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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randibear
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posted
try angies list for people to do work. ask for references. I'm paranoid so I check out everybody. luckily my husband, well maybe unluckily depending on how you look like it, was a carpenter and contractor. one of his degrees was civil engineer and he's a perfectionist.
don has lots of good tips. shame you can't move.
my sister had black mold throughout her entire basement. jus the cleanup was three grand. then redoing drywall, etx was another 10 grand to rebuild.
its a mess.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Rivendell
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I think this is my problem, too.
Plus I live in area with a lot of pollution and lots of air-bourne allergens. Add a moldy house and it isn't good.
LisaK
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posted
I am so sorry to hear this about your situation. God bless.
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3558 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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linky123
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So sorry you had to leave your home, but hope that there are brighter days ahead.
-------------------- 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' Matthew 11:28 Posts: 2607 | From Hooterville | Registered: Apr 2009
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We are currently beginning the process of having the house remediated and will work on getting all of the outside stuff fixed so it doesn't come back.
Myself and two doggies Dino & Lady are still staying with my mom. Had to leave my betta fish aka "Unicorn" behind but the hubby is taking care of him.
My dogs are both feeling much better and are sleeping through the night again. They love being able to sleep with their momma every night in her bed. Think the mold was making us all crazy.
I am also feeling MUCH better! My rashes have cleared up and my fingernails and toe nails are looking better than they have in months.
Today was a great morning, I can't remember the last time I woke up and felt good Positive thoughts to you all <3
-------------------- Diagnosed with Lyme 4/7/14
KB Posts: 87 | From Townsend, MA | Registered: May 2014
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desertwind
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posted
I can so relate to your situation.
I have had bags packed ready to go so many times.
I live in a very old house (1760) and part of it is under grade. Long story short - hidden black mold in; dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms and attic.
Add chronic gas leak behind my kitchen wall it is a death trap.
I thought we got it all taken care of but lately I am getting my typical toxic mold reaction when in the house.
Between chronic lyme and what I think is more hidden mold I am just too exhausted to deal with it all.
I really do want to pack my stuff and start over.....Reading your husbands response just got my blood boiling. So glad you are taking care of you and your caninie kids!
Posts: 1671 | From Tick Infested New Jersey | Registered: Apr 2010
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Judie
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"I am also feeling MUCH better! My rashes have cleared up and my fingernails and toe nails are looking better than they have in months."
That's wonderful! It's amazing how much the environment can effect our health.
I'm glad you're feeling better. It sounds like a difficult but right move to do to heal.
Posts: 2839 | From California | Registered: Jul 2012
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dbpei
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Good for you Kbone!! You should give yourself a big pat on the back for being brave and smart enough to make this change in your environment. Your actions took so much courage! Happy for your pups too! We forget how this all affects them as well!
Sending hugs and prayers that you will continue to make progress and see light at the end of the tunnel!
Desertwind, I am so sorry for what you are going through. Especially after thinking you had already taken care of things. I hope you can start over somewhere else. Sometimes opening walls and ceilings up to remove the mold them makes matters worse.
It is so overwhelming just thinking about all we need to do to get and remain healthy. Take good care of yourself. Posts: 2386 | From New England | Registered: Aug 2011
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posted
So glad you decided to leave and look out for your health of your family!
After I moved out of my house, my dogs hot spots and her constantly chewing on her paws stopped. The hot spots were gone, and she is eating so much better
I still have a few symptoms, but most of the horrible ones are gone. Wish I could get back my hormones, but biotoxins mess with a bunch of systems.
-------------------- Bartonella (Rifampin 300 mg 2x day, A-Bart, A-Iflam) Toxic mold exposure (Cholestyramine 4x day) Heavy metals Marcon staph infection (Beg spray) Posts: 53 | From Maine | Registered: Jun 2014
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posted
It's crazy to think I have already been out of the house for 3 weeks.
I really wish my husband was more supportive about it. I try not to stress about it but it's hard when I sit at home by myself with my parents (who I love to death by the way).
He only stays over with me once in awhile and when he stops by for dinner he seems mad.
I don't think I am being selfish for wanting to get healthy and sometimes he makes me feel like I am crazy.
He is not immune to it but he says I shouldn't try and put my medical issues on him. He has had several symptoms - including a ringworm like rash on his thigh & red eyes / dry coughing but has chocked it up to allergies.
I hope I can come out of this on my two feet
-------------------- Diagnosed with Lyme 4/7/14
KB Posts: 87 | From Townsend, MA | Registered: May 2014
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Dogsandcats
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I think you will come out of this on your two feet ! I am very proud of you to have taken the steps thus far for your health and your fur babies .
Going against the grain and moving out probably did chap your hubby's hide. But, you will be a much better wife alive than horribly sick or dead. Dead wives are no fun at all.
The unseen illnesses are hard for those of us who suffer. Others just can't relate. My hubby says mold is just a lie so that contractors can make more money........
How great you had your folks place to go to. There was always a sense of protection and care there.
Keep your head held high and look forward to the day you can return to your home- all fixed. You go girl.
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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