Now comes the really hard part of this section. This
includes those symptoms that are most directly correlated
to allergic responses to mold. These are the ones upon
which there is the most professional agreement, but they
are also the most persistent . . . because the mold problem
has not been eliminated.
If this is your entry page,
you may want to go back to the beginning of
this section where a list
of symptoms appears.
Allergic Responses
Not everyone is allergic to
mold, but those who are have different symptoms. The
condescending language of medicine makes it seem that allergies
are inappropriate responses to "normal" substances,
but molds are not necessarily benign. Even the so-called
non-toxic molds can be irritating because they sporulate
and outgas and produce dust and other burdens on the respiratory
system. Moreover, I will maintain that regardless of
what others believe, the purpose of mold is to decompose
materials, supposedly only dead materials, but they feast
on living plants, animals, and people as well as decaying
ones. I therefore do not believe that mold is harmless;
however, I do concur with the experts that some molds are
more toxic than others.
I happen to be allergic to
mushrooms so it's possible I am having a tougher time in
the house than someone else might have. This said,
I do not think the amount of dust is safe for anyone, and
I have more or less said my piece on the destructiveness
of toxic molds.
I do not believe that any of
my allergic symptoms will go away until the mold is remediated
properly. However, it is also true that many symptoms
subside in only a few hours away from the house. This
includes the itchy eyes.
Itchy Eyes
This is perhaps a classic allergy
symptom, but there are molds associated with very severe
eye conditions, ones that can cause blindness or even cancer
of the eyes. I lived in terror of blindness for much
of the time I have been in this house and I tried to minimize
my risk with various eye drops, tonics, and air filtration
systems. I don't think any of them work. Perhaps,
I have managed to preserve some of the integrity of my eyes
through use of eyebright and other such herbs, but there
have been times when everything was so blurry that I couldn't
read anything on my computer screen. I was therefore
relieved to discover that I had none of these problems, none
at all, when I was away from the house.
Mucus Discharges
At times these discharges were
so profuse that I had to cup my hands and run to the wash
basin. I described the use of ozone early
on in my ordeal. I lost 12 pounds that night. Obviously,
the weight
gain referred to on the previous page is due more to
fluid retention than fat. My theory is that by destroying
the viability of the mold, my body relaxed and the adrenals
became quiet enough for my kidneys to function. I had
to get up every few minutes to pass water and I discharged
totally amazing amounts of mucus from my nostrils. This
was a turning point for some symptoms, like the disorientation
and dizziness. It also marked the return mental clarity,
but the discharge has continued in varying degrees to this
time though it has been less since the crawl space was sealed.
Sneezing and Coughing
I believe that sneezing is
caused by irritation of the nostrils due to musty as well
as chemical vapor odors whereas coughing is related to deep
lung infection and attempts on the part of the body to expectorate. The
sneezing got worse after the installation of the encapsulation
system.
Coughing has been a nightmare. In
the months leading up to the decision to remediate at my
own expense without waiting for the insurance company, I
had begun coughing blood, first tiny amounts and then one
day, there was actually an alarming amount of blood. I
began taking a special fungal lung formula. In about
two months, the coughing all but stopped . . . until the
encapsulation was done.
This is not my formula. It
was a gift from the laboratory that produces my formulas
and our historic formulas, recreated from the legacies of
the healers who went before us. It worked so well for
me that I asked if we could allow others to use it. It
is now called Sun's Soma, a long story, but it is in honor
of Helena, my first great teacher on mold.
Emotional Stressors
Obviously, there is no cure
for these conditions until I can get my life on track. This
five-year battle with mold has been costly on all fronts. However,
I will wait until the case is settled before going into more
details. At this point, I would say that the main medicine
for this stress has been philosophical—though jatobá is
a wonderful adrenal aid.
Global Situation
I see my situation as a miniature
version of what we are seeing on a far larger scale in the
economic and political worlds. The bottom line is that
corporations have hijacked governments, not just in this
country but in many others. They pitch their products
to the public and then swear allegiance to the bottom line. Cynical
insiders on the lecture circuit state that this is a duty: corporations
are run for the benefit of stockholders, not customers; however,
the truth is many corporations purport to render a service. The
question is whether or not they do, in fact, have an obligation
to provide reasonable products and services. Personally,
I think they do have this responsibility, but the worship
of profit makes for a dilemma that, at the moment, is devoid
of moral and ethical oversight. Since I am a reformer,
I have to hold my ground. This said, I have no interest
whatsoever in the house per se. I simply recognize
that the house is as potentially dangerous to other inhabitants
as to myself so it has to be fixed. I am the one who
appreciates this fact the most. I wish I had the resources
to live elsewhere while it is undergoing its cure.
I believe that by sharing my
story, the epidemic denial in the health care industry, insurance
industry, and building industry will be challenged. My
purpose at this juncture is to force reform, and if it takes
the will power of an Erin Brockowitz, so be it.
Ingrid Naiman
23 November 2005
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