Re: symptoms (I'm new to this group -- help!)

[Guest guest]

Dear Bonnie,

Your story mirrors mine.I was forced out on disability and the moldy basement was covered up. Please rethink you health concerns.

Janet

[Guest guest]

You must not keep going back to that building. Get a different job, get and keep your health and get on the bandwagon to help people increase awareness of this ongoing problem. If you remain in that building, then you reinforce the notion that there is nothing harming your health there. I understand that it is hard to leave your job. I had a hard time leaving my home, that's for sure! I stayed too long and put my health in continued jeopardy. I am glad I finally left and wish I had left earlier.

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

From: bonnie_20042002

Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 4:35 AM

Subject: [] symptoms (I'm new to this group -- help!)

I'm new to this message board, and I'm curious if anyone is having the same symptoms that I am, and I could really use some advice on how to handle some things.I've worked in the same school building for almost 5 years. Over the first two years, I had chronic sinus infections, headaches, arthritis symptoms in my feet and knees, and terrible fatigue. I saw a rheumatologist, who treated my arthritis symptoms, but a cause of the symptoms was never found - I was told it must have been some kind of a virus. My ENT said he thought my building was making me sick, but I didn't take that too seriously at the time. I had sinus surgery the following summer to help alleviate my sinus problems. I worked in a different part of the building the following two years, and my symptoms gradually disappeared. I still had an occasional headache, only a couple sinus infections, my energy returned, and I had no arthritis symptoms. I did, however, develop vitiligo and irregular heartbeat during this time. Again, my symptoms were treated, but no cause was found. Because of cutbacks, I was transferred back to my previous job this school year, and I am now back to the same part of the building I was in the first two years. Within the first couple weeks of school in September, I was having headaches again, so I completed an air quality complaint form. Didn't hear anything; my emails and voice mails went unanswered until January. I finally was told that the air quality was okay - no problems. In the meantime, the fatigue had returned, as had the arthritis symptoms. I've basically been on an antibiotic for a sinus infection since October. The vitiligo flaired up again, and I continue to have the headaches. By this time I was convinced there had to be something there, so I requested a copy of the testing company's report. I was told the carbon dioxide level tested out just fine, and they gave me the numbers. I asked how the allergen testing came out. "Allergens? We didn't test those -- would you like us to?" Yes! A few weeks later I was informed that a "low level" of mold (cladiosporium) was found in the drapes, and they would be removed. Finally! I started investigating cleanup procedures on the web, but when I came back to school after a weekend, they had been removed. I asked someone who happened to be there when the drapes were removed if the custodians had taken any precautions, like wrapping them in plastic before they removed them or somehow sealed off the area, and the answer was no. This person told me there was a "ton" of dust on the floor. Yikes! The custodians who removed them didn't even take any personal precautions like masks, gloves, etc.! I asked another custodian who wasn't involved with the removal if they had washed down the floor or anything afterward. "They must have cleaned up because there isn't any dust on the floor now." It was obvious to me that the floor (or anything else in the room) hadn't been washed down. Within 5 minutes of being in that room, my eyes burned, and within an hour, I had a headache. I could almost see the mold spores floating around in the air! The following morning, I ended up in the ER with severe abdominal pains which turned out to be a kidney stone. Is it just a coincidence, or could that be caused from mold exposure? I found a few websites that listed kidney stones as one of the side effects, but the urologist said he had never heard that and he would be really surprised if it was. My family doctor seems more knowledgeable about mold exposure, as well as more open to the possibility, and I have just recently had several blood tests done to eliminate other possibe causes. I'm anxiously awaiting the results. But even if all the blood tests come back negative, all it proves is that it isn't something else. Is it possible to prove that all these symptoms are side effects of mold exposure? I've now heard from three other people in my building, but in a different wing, who also have had trouble with chronic sinus infections. I still believe there are other mold sources in that room, but our head of maintenance doesn't seem too knowledgeable about mold, and I just don't think a complete, comprehensive testing was done. I'm feeling so frustrated, and I'm just not sure what I should do. Any suggestions? I love my job, but I can't help but feel like I'm poisoning my body. Any one else had these same health concerns? Thanks so much for listening to my long story.BonnieFAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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