Guest guest Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Hi folks-- I posted here months ago about getting mold tested. Well, the landlord insisted on a specific company, the tester minimized the mold and blames what there was on the tenants, and nothing has been done. I went away for a month and felt much better, came home and after a few weeks collapsed with the worst fatigue I've ever had. My naturopath has been treating the adrenal collapse part of this, but it's taken until now to figure out why staying in bed was making me worse. I know the mold is on the window frames, was in the bathroom, and is strongly present in the kitchen cabinets under the sink. Last fall the bathroom was replaced. Now my family is offering to replace the moldy wooden cupboards in the kitchen. I know some of you must be shaking your heads, muttering " give up on the apartment, " but I'm not yet sure that's my only option. The thing is, I am very poor, having been chronically ill for years, and I live in a low-income housing co-op which means extremely cheap home ownership, and I pay well below market rate, so if it's possible to salvage the place I want to try, but I have to say this last month has been really bad--with vertigo, extreme fatigue and weakness so bad I really couldn't get out of bed for longer than to go to the bathroom. I also have epilepsy and a brain injury, as well as chronic fatigue, and I'm a single mom and a self-employed writer who's too sick to write. So I am trying to figure out the best way to protect myself with the least disruption to my life. I understand I may have to give this home up, but in the meantime, any support or advice you all can offer about both cleaning up my space and building my resistence will be much appreciated. Thanks, Aurora -- Aurora Levins Morales, Ph. D. 2425 California Street. #6 Berkeley, CA 94703 510-540-1262 510-717-3189 cell 510-540-0165 fax aurora@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 Getting new cabinets sounds nice, but this will do nothing to solve the mold problem unless you solve the water/moisture problem contributing to the mold. When the old cabinets are torn out, you may see a loose drain line, or very common in kitchens, a faucet sprayer which leaks (only when the water is turned on). If that is not the case, water can be coming in from a roof leak, possibly as small as worn out sealant around a plumbing vent stack. As bad as your apartment sounds, it seems the problem is more widespread, or there are several small problems. A friend who is a rental property owner told me of one tenant who complained of mold (just one, out of 22 tenants). The tenant liked long hot showers, and didn't use the exhaust fan. Water condensed everywhere, and a lot spilled on the floor. After the tenant moved out, the apartment was cleaned, and the new tenant has reported no problems after more than a year. So, it is possible that a tenant can cause his own mold problem. However, after searching this and other sites, I'm sure you are doing whatever you can to reduce mold development. It would probably be best to move. Your health is worth more than the higher rent. Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 23:20:31 -0700 From: Aurora Levins Morales <aurora@...> Subject: Slow Learner Hi folks-- I posted here months ago about getting mold tested. Well, the landlord insisted on a specific company, the tester minimized the mold and blames what there was on the tenants, and nothing has been done. I went away for a month and felt much better, came home and after a few weeks collapsed with the worst fatigue I've ever had. My naturopath has been treating the adrenal collapse part of this, but it's taken until now to figure out why staying in bed was making me worse. I know the mold is on the window frames, was in the bathroom, and is strongly present in the kitchen cabinets under the sink. Last fall the bathroom was replaced. Now my family is offering to replace the moldy wooden cupboards in the kitchen. I know some of you must be shaking your heads, muttering " give up on the apartment, " but I'm not yet sure that's my only option. The thing is, I am very poor, having been chronically ill for years, and I live in a low-income housing co-op which means extremely cheap home ownership, and I pay well below market rate, so if it's possible to salvage the place I want to try, but I have to say this last month has been really bad--with vertigo, extreme fatigue and weakness so bad I really couldn't get out of bed for longer than to go to the bathroom. I also have epilepsy and a brain injury, as well as chronic fatigue, and I'm a single mom and a self-employed writer who's too sick to write. So I am trying to figure out the best way to protect myself with the least disruption to my life. I understand I may have to give this home up, but in the meantime, any support or advice you all can offer about both cleaning up my space and building my resistence will be much appreciated. Thanks, Aurora Aurora Levins Morales, Ph. D. 2425 California Street. #6 Berkeley, CA 94703 510-540-1262 510-717-3189 cell 510-540-0165 fax aurora@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.