Re: Toxic Mold, Sapulpa, Oklahoma

[Guest guest]

I think I've told this story before, but I'll repeat it.

All my stuff went into storage and I was too scared to touch it for

years, otherwise I guess I would have thrown everything away.

But after about 5 years the sense of toxic exposure eventually died

down and though some small remmnants of the allergic component

remmain, I have no problem now with the chemical sensitivity to

mycotoxins on my possessions.

One of the things I did attempt to use after fleeing the " bad place "

was a pair of binoculars.

They were waterproof so I washed them off in the sink.

I went hiking and was right on top of a mountain feeling just as mold

free as I could possibly be and raised the binoculars for a look at

all the scenic splendor.

Instantly I went right into brainfog and heart palpitations.

I could move the binoculars close to my face and get the response and

then move them away and recover.

But wait, this was just one small item and it had been washed

thoroughly. How the heck are you supposed to " remediate " something

coated with a waterproof covering better than washing it off under the

tap with liberal amounts of soap and water?

I then did some experimentation with various objects that " experts "

told me could be remediated and found that no amount of washing

removed my " imaginary response " to it.

I then found out about the properties of " adsorption " at a molecular

level that prevents mechanical removal of these toxins.

So I am really suspicious of taking advice from " experts " that

possessions can be successfully remediated in short order.

You must rely on your perception of a response to anything you attempt

to take with you and trust nothing else.

At the same time I remind people that the objects that dropped me in

my tracks years ago have " denatured " and feel perfectly safe.

Like Gil says, I wouldn't trust most furniture and certainly not

bedding, but other than that, I wouldn't advise throwing stuff out

wholesale. You might just get it back someday.

-

[Guest guest]

Wow, what a story. Unfortunately, none of it surprises me at all. I, too, live in a building filled with toxic mold. I am still here after remediation, still sick, can't sell it this time of year, couldn't get it ready earlier and so now must find a room to rent until the place sells. The symptoms are scary, painful, depressing and how to describe the non-reaction of doctors who are supposed to be helpful and the joking reaction of friends? Can't describe it. If my friends aren't joking, they are sort of demanding that I either "get over it" or do something that makes the issue go away. Sure. Like, I'm a multi-millionaire that can just go out, own two properties and pay two mortgages and dual sets of utilities all the while unsure if I can earn the amount for one mortgage!

Some friends are sympathetic, but only for a while and only if I don't talk to them too often!

I am so sorry to hear of your problems with this. It sounds like you are doing a lot to learn about what has happened to you and your daughter. Getting out of that apartment is the best thing you could do. Your possessions are secondary to you and your daughter's health even though it is horrible to lose them.

All the best

----- Original Message -----

From: Bridgette

Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 11:39 AM

Subject: [] Toxic Mold, Sapulpa, Oklahoma

I would like to start by introducing myself. My name is Bridgette Hinkle. I am a 25 year old, single mother currently residing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From 1999 to 2002 I resided in Colcord, Oklahoma which is located by the Arkansas State line, northeast Oklahoma. I was self-employed operating a licensed home daycare center. After my divorce, I had decided to move back to Tulsa, Oklahoma where I was born and raised most of my life.On 6-1-02, I moved from Colcord, Oklahoma to an apartment complex in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, "Woodhaven Apartments." The apartments are located on the northeast corner of Mission and Taft Streets. It is a very quite neighborhood, my neighbors were very friendly and consisted mostly of senior citizens. Inside the apartment seemed very well maintained, clean and a very cozy place for my daughter and I. I had moved into this apartment from a very rural area, so moving here seemed to be so much more of a convenience. I was employed at Crescent Café in Sand Springs, Oklahoma as a waitress.From March to May of 2003 I began to get large amounts of water leaks in my apartment due to rain. The first leak noticed was on a Saturday in mid March, either the 15th or 22nd (Not quite sure of exact date) of 2003. I called and reported this leak to Hainsley, the apartment manager, on the following Monday. She then informed me that the guttering was clogged with leaves and was in need of being cleaned out. However, for 3 months no one had attempted to clean them out. Every time we received heavy rainfall, the leaks would worsen.On Friday, 5-16-2003 around 8:15am I had woke up to a phone call from Mrs. Hainsley complaining because the woman under my residence claimed that I had let my bathtub overflow and was leaking through my floor to her apartment downstairs. I walked into the bathroom and seen it had approximately ¼ inch of water on the floor and it appeared that the leak was coming from the heater/vent. I then informed Mrs. Hainsley that it was water leaks from the rain. I then reminded her of the guttering that they had failed to fix and she, once again, assured me that she would immediately get the roofing company over as quickly as possible to fix the problem.The living area had pots, pans and large mixing bowls scattered throughout the floor to catch the leaks. The leaks were sporadic in this room and dripping from numerous places. The kitchen had some leakage coming from the corner of the ceiling. That same evening I was scheduled to be at work at 4:00pm, however, I had to call in so I could keep all these bowls from running over because at this point the water was coming down faster.On that very same day, 5-16-2003 around 3:30pm, I took notice that the light fixtures in the kitchen, dinning area and in my master bedroom had leaks as well. The globes were entirely full and had burned out the bulb in the kitchen area. I immediately called and reported this to Hainsley. She then sends Bud, the maintenance man over. He came in and immediately removed the globes from the ceiling and dumped out the water. When I had asked him if this was a fire hazard, he simply replied, "Oh of course not, don't worry about it, it would kick a breaker before anything could happen. If the globes fill up again, call and let me know and I will come dump the water out again." Being nieve, I took his word for it.Eventually the living room, after so much leakage, started to cause all the stucco on the ceiling to fall, revealing the center part of the ceiling, which looked as if part of it had been replaced on a prior occasion. When I had proceeded downstairs and spoke with Reba, the tenant downstairs, she then informed me that this has been an on going problem for the last 4-5 years. She also informed me that the ceiling fell through the prior year or 2 ago and that explained the reason why part of the living room ceiling had been replaced.On 5-18-03, Sunday night, my daughter starting running a fever of 101, followed by a dry cough. At the time I had assumed it was due to allergies or possibly sinuses because I had not felt so great myself for several weeks. I was continuously congested, headaches, sinus pressure and being tired and drowsy all the time. That night I gave my daughter some Tylenol to reduce her fever and a cough suppressant/antihistamine to relieve the coughing and itchy, watery eyes. It helped subside her for the time being, but later all these symptoms occurred again. That night I allowed her to sleep in my bedroom with me to keep a closer eye on her.The following morning, Monday 5-19-03, when we woke, she was running a fever of 102 and had hives on her from head to toe. I once again did the same routine with medication to get the fever reduced, then promptly took her to my Grandmothers house while I worked 11am to 8pm. When I picked Katelyn up from my Grandmothers house that night, the hives had went away and she did not have anymore fever.Tuesday, 5-20-03. The prior night we had got home around 9:30pm and promptly went to bed because I had to be back at work Tuesday morning at 10am. She showed no signs that morning of any fever or hives. She went back to my Grandmothers house and stayed until I got off of work at 5pm. When I picked her up, there were still no signs of any illness.Wednesday, 5-21-03. This particular day was my day off at work. When I had awoke that morning, I went into the kitchen to make coffee, went into the living room to watch the 6 o'clock news, glanced up at my ceiling and noticed black and green looking slime all over the ceiling. It had just appeared over night. The same was in the kitchen as well. I immediately grabbed my camera and took pictures. Later on that morning when Katelyn awoke, the hives and fever came back. After giving her more fever reducer and it not helping, we took a trip to the ER at Saint Francis Medical Center. On the way, I called and informed Hainsley of the mold on the ceiling and in the kitchen. When we arrived at the ER, Physicians seemed somewhat baffled. We were there for 3 to 4 hours before she was released. Upon her release, none of the three physicians that Katelyn had seen gave her a diagnosis. For treatment of the fever and hives, she was given some allergy medication/antibiotics.Once we had left the hospital, I had come to the conclusion that every time Katelyn was exposed to our apartment she would get sick. And after seeing the mold on the ceiling that morning, I was starting to suspect that this in fact was the cause of her fever and the hives. We went straight to my Grandmother's home after we left the hospital so that Katelyn would no longer be exposed to this environment.We stayed at my Grandmother's residence Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (Katelyn has not been to the residence since 5-21-03) I had spoken to Ms. Hainsley about Katelyn's visit to the ER and how I suspected it was from the mold in the apartment. I told her I was sorry for such short notice, but that I was going to remove my belongings from the apartment before 6-1-03 and find another place to reside because I did not wish to live in this leaky and mold infested apartment any longer.On Sunday, 5-25-03, I had left work at 3pm and went straight to my apartment to start packing up my things. I had packed up only half of my belongings, within a total of 2 hours at the most, I suddenly started running a high fever. I had a temperature of 102. Another 15-20 minutes after becoming feverish, I suddenly became very ill and almost collapsed in the floor. I felt as if someone had beaten me front and back with a baseball bat. My whole entire chest was suffering from excruciating pain and I couldn't breathe or speak. I have never experienced anything like this; it scared me to the point that I believe it threw me into a panic/anxiety attack. I had laid on the couch for 15 to 20 to calm down and try to relax, but it just kept getting worse. I could not regain my breathing patterns right. Once I realized that something was seriously wrong with me, I called a close friend of mine, ( Handley), and between gasping for air, asked her if she would take me to the ER. Mostly all I could get out was, "Heeeellllp meee."With only living within 4 blocks from me, she was there within minutes and rushed me to the emergency room at St. 's Medical Center in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. After being seen, they had given me morphine to relieve the pain I was having in my chest. After a few hours, the doctor that was treating me came into my room and explained to me that he suspected I had a blockage somewhere between my heart and lungs due to my low oxygen level which was somewhere between 40 to 50%. (Don't quite remember I was kind of out of it.) He also explained to me that at this particular hospital, they did not have enough technology, as far as CAT scans, to verify this. So he immediately wanted me transported by EMSA from Sapulpa to the St. 's Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The first thought that went through my mind at this point was, "I'm going to die."Somewhere between 10 to 11pm, 5-25-03, I was transported to the Tulsa hospital location. When I arrived, the CAT scans were performed and no blockage was found. After 4-5 hours of pure oxygen and watching my oxygen level slowly go back up, I was released around 3 or 4am Monday morning, 5-26-03. All medical professionals I had seen were somewhat baffled. They diagnosed me with having a severe asthma attack, which seemed strange to me because I have never in my entire life have had any asthmatic problems.After this incident, that's when my life took a turn for the worse. I missed almost 2 weeks of work after I was released from the hospital, which put me behind on bills. I had no medical insurance on my daughter or myself. I have not stepped a foot back into my apartment since 5-25-03, all of my belongings still remain in the residence; clothing, dishes, furnishings, my daughter's toys, filing cabinet with important documents inside, family photos that can't be replaced, my daughter's toys and much more. This has been such a major loss. I didn't have top of the line items in my household, but what I did have was well taken care of and I had worked hard for. The devastation of losing everything you own in one day is very overwhelming. I had made many attempts to contact the EPA, CDC, Heath Department and others. They all gave me the same answer, "Contact an attorney, we can't inspect the premises because there is not a State or Federal law on the matter at hand which could very well be Black Toxic Mold, AKA (Stachybotrys Mold)." NO ONE WOULD HELP!!! It seemed as though everyone I turned to refused to get involved in this situation.I was left with no choice but to turn to legal advice. I retained legal representation and it's still a major struggle. My attorney obtained an Industrial Hygienist to test the mold and the air quality in the apartment. As it turns out, there was in fact 50% toxic mold in my master bedroom.Aside from sinking into a major depression, I have done nothing over the last six months but read on anything and everything I can find on Stachybotrys Mold. So much of it is undefined because unfortunately, healthcare professionals lack comprehensive data on human exposure to all types of fungi. Much of what is known has been extrapolated from observations of animals exposed to mold both in the laboratory and as livestock; or from studies of human exposure in agriculture environments. Many people believe that although you may not be able to see, feel or smell the dangerous mycotoxins that are released (airborne) and produced by Stachybotrys mold, affects are very much can be hazardous to adult health and fatal to infants.Many of my friends, family and co-workers all ask me the same thing, "Why don't you just walk in and get your things, use bleach water and clean it all?" People don't realize what a serious problem this stuff is. No bleach water or covering the surface with paint is going to eliminate the mold spores or mycotoxins that can cause great damage. All of my belongings have to be professionally cleaned.Woodhaven Apartments are refusing to remediate my belongings. They have made threats to throw all of my belongings in the "Trash Dumpster" if I don't vacate the premises. They requested that I remove everything immediately so that they can resume another tenant because they are, "loosing rent." (Quoted from Hainsley, who as of last month has resigned from Woodhaven.)Today Woodhaven claims that the apartment has been, "Fixed". Woodhaven's fix consisted of a little paint and cleaning out the guttering. However, that would not solve the problem; in fact, recent studies show that the paint cover can only make matters worse. Toxic mold can grow on almost any surface, sometimes lurking behind wallpaper, underneath bathtubs and flooring, in air ventilation systems and in sheet rock or dry wall, spreading quickly and often growing in dark and concealed areas. It prefers to colonize near moisture or in high humidity (usually over 55%) and on high-cellulose materials, such as wood or carpets. Homes with limited airflow, severe water damage, continued condensation, poorly installed stucco, and poor drainage all host the perfect mold environment.Dr. Jay Portnoy, MD, a physician at Children of Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and a representative of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology explains how mold acts on the body."Mold attacks in one of four ways, First, you could be allergic to it. This occurs in 10% to 20% of cases. A skin or blood test would pinpoint it as an allergic substance.Second, substances called ergosterol and glucan in the walls of the mold cell can cause hay fever-like symptoms with itchy, red, and watery eyes and nasal congestion. You don't have to be allergic – anyone could react to these.Third, molds release organic compounds such as benzene and acetone that would raise alarms in any workplace and are linked to nausea, dizziness, and headaches. Again, you don't have to be allergic.And last, molds, like other organisms, don't want to compete for food and nurturing, so they expel mycotoxins to kill competitors such as bacteria. In the case of helpful mycotoxins, we call these antibiotics and use them to help us. But in the case of some molds, the mycotoxins target cells within our bodies and cause problems such as cancer, stillbirths, and bleeding in infants. Stachybotrys makes a lot of these harmful mycotoxins."Apparently, the apartment complex feels it bears no responsibility and is taking no action to resolve this situation that it has created. I was in highest hopes that Woodhaven and I could resolve this matter without litigation. However, with Woodhaven's refusal, I have very few options left. Attorney, Dittrich is filing suit against them within the next week or two.Today I am beyond frustration and the devastation and I'm simply angered because on several occasions, my daughter had yet more breakouts of hives and fever and medical professionals were baffled once again. Katelyn has never been a sickly child, from the time she was an infant up until our residence at Woodhaven, she had only been to routine doctor visits for checkups/immunization shots.It angers me that I have not yet spoken to a medical professional that seems to know anything about mold exposure and the lifetime affects it may endure. I am very much disturbed to think that Woodhaven is planning to move in another tenant and have not sent out notification to other tenants in building 919 about the harmful levels of contamination in apartment number 4. I don't think I would be able to sleep at night if a small child was to reside there without notice of the problem and serious medical problems or death of an infant child occurred.In addition, I am not current to up to date laws, the last article I have read was pertaining to Congress to address toxic mold issue on September 12, 2002. Congressman Conyers, Jr. had introduced H. R. 5040: The United States Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act, ("The Melina Bill.") This bill consists upon the EPA, CDC and HUD to recognize some of the following;1. To examine the effects of different molds on human health and develop accurate scientific information on the hazards presented by indoor mold.2. To establish a guideline that identify conditions that facilitate indoor mold growth and measures that can be implemented to prevent such growth. The guidelines will also address mold inspection, testing and remediation.3. To establish guidelines for certifying mold inspectors and remediators.4. To educate the public about the dangers of indoor mold.5. The Bill requires mold inspections for multi-unit residential property and mold inspections for all property that is purchased or leased using funds that are guaranteed by the federal government. (Public Housing)6. It would also require, to whatever extent possible, that local jurisdictions modify building codes to minimize mold hazards in new construction.7. It will create a National Toxic Mold Insurance Program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to protect homeowners from catastrophic losses. Many homeowners are finding that insurance companies will not offer adequate coverage for mold.8. The Bill will also enable States to provide Medicaid coverage to mold victims who are unable to secure adequate health care.9. The Bill would authorize grants for mold removal in public buildings.10. The Bill would offer tax credits for inspection and/or remediation of mold hazards.If anyone has any further information or can help in any way, I can be reached at the following:Phone: 918-955-8088Via Email: Hinkle729@...Mailing address: 4538 S. 29th W. Ave, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107Thank you for your time,Bridgette HinkleFAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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