Questions about Office Building Continuing Illnesses

[Guest guest]

<<Extensive remediation work has taken place to fix water incursion,

but there is still some that keeps penetrating, though they do

continue to repair the damage and try to eliminate the water leaks.

Things are better than they had been, but some people I keep learning

are still getting sick or have continued to be sick. I am interested

in finding out all I can about this matter.>>

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The above was emailed to me, I would like to share my response,

because this is applicable to so many of us who are exposed in the

workplace. After dealing with this problem for 6 years, I am starting

to understand what I should have done and can do now.

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It is very, very important for you to know that staying in a building

that still probably has mold in it is extremely dangerous for you.

Particularly because your immune system has already succumbed to it.

You are " sick " from it already. " Health effects generally fall into

four categories. These four categories are allergy, infection,

irritation (mucous membrane and sensory), and toxicity " .

http://www.mold-survivor.com/harrietammann.htm

Your only ONLY chance to try to get well, and to not continue to get

sicker is to get out of that building, completely. I mean it. The

consensus from doctors who understand mold is that the longer you are

exposed, the more ill you will be. Some of the illness is permanent

and it is damaging to the brain, the nervous system and the organs.

It can kill you, or make your life completely miserable. I am not

saying this to scare you. In fact, this is putting it mildly.

I am having to give up teaching in my district (I expect to have to

do so) in order to avoid the moldy, dusty buildings that come from

poor maintenance. This is after 25 years of teaching and being very

good at it and dedicated. But it is more important to try to restore

some of my health, and not to lose it all. There is a point where

money doesn't matter.

It is a hard task to convince someone to save their health and life

when I am a perfect stranger with no credibility for you whatsoever.

......

Go to these websites and start reading: http://www.mold-help.org/ and

http://www.mold-survivor.com/. Read http://www.mold-

survivor.com/submenu3.htm, http://www.mold-survivor.com/submenu4.htm

medical articles

You should have an inspection for the mold by an environmental

company, to see if it is gone. The trouble is it lives in ALL POROUS

MATERIALS in an infestation - it is in all the papers, all the boxes,

on your clothing, etc. I will send you a very good article on how

hard it was to eliminate the mold from an office in CA, when I find

it.

Use borax in your laundry and it will kill the mold. 20 Mule Team

Borax is available in a box at Walmart, near the laundry soaps.

I know that you won't like reading this. But it is absolutely true.

Take a leave of absence, get a transfer, etc. Or work somewhere else,

any way you can. For your coworkers, have them become informed and

they might organize and hire an inspector who represents them. OSHA

might help, but they don't do air testing here for mold. Just visible

mold.

I am glad you asked the questions but the answers are tough.

.......

I am still looking for a personal injury attorney. I have filed for

Workman's Comp ... you should do that and all the others in the

building. I have a WC atty. for that.

Best wishes to all of you out there who suffer in the workplace and

at home from mold.

I have found that COMPLETELY eliminating mold exposures and any other

noxious exposures (I have chemical intolerances now, like to perfumes

and anything that smells that is artificial)...dust, foods that are

allergens, etc. gave my body a rest and my immune system started to

function more normally. In other words, less hypersensitivity

resulted. A good trend. But I had to hole up in the house and make it

a protected space with none of that in it, for months. Now, I am

getting more able to venture out and not be so hyper-reactive to

everything in the environment. I was never like this before - I lived

normally. But it was imperative and worthwhile to take it to that

extreme, especially as I had no other choice, I was becoming so ill.

Now, as I plan my " re-entry " , another career may be necessary. I

still may have to be in " protected " environments, but with more

mobility.