Clarion Mold Article

[Guest guest]

Good Job, Serena!!!!!

[Guest guest]

Dear Ms. Goodman,

Your recent article on mold was forwarded to a very large support group of

people who have been made sick from mold toxins - many of them for years now. We

realize you are trying to work with the best information you can get, but the

sad fact is that that information is, as a rule, highly inaccurate, and in some

cases downright dangerous. You certainly aren't alone in this. We deal with it

every day. For example:

" Marshall warns those cleaning their homes of mold to be wary of exposure to

cleaning products in the zeal to scrub, as he has seen patients with lung damage

under those circumstances. Cleaning should be done in well-ventilated areas, and

he recommends purchasing a humidifier to help with the air quality. "

Marshall is an allergist. Toxicology and mycology are clearly outside his area

of specialty, as evidenced by his advice to purchase a humidifier. A

dehumidifier would have been a far more correct answer. Mold thrives on

humidity. In his defense, there are few physicians in this country who are

really well versed on this topic, and virtually none who have ever had to deal

with the massive contamination caused by Katrina and Rita. While it is true that

most people will only have a temporary and very treatable reaction to the mold,

for the rest, the effects can be devastating and lifelong. It is not caused by

" stress " , and is not an allergy at all in many cases. It's caused by a genetic

fault in the immune system that prevents some of us from getting rid of the

toxins the molds produce. Where you might cough a bit, we would eventually fall

down - and stay there. The neurotoxins produced by some species of mold can

cause an array of symptoms that range far beyond respiratory problems,

and are often mistaken for other illnesses.

Unfortunately, this thing has happened at a juncture where we, ourselves, were

just beginning to get correct diagnoses and treatment. A bill is sitting in

Congress, intended to address the problem of indoor air quality and health - and

mold exposure in particular. A pivotal JAMA article has been prepared, but not

yet published. Press releases have been seen where the " expert " quoted is a

known, highly-paid defense witness for the insurance industry (Emile Bardana,

for one). Some of these people are in the very lucrative business of downplaying

mold-related health hazards for profit. Some, like Dr. Marshall, are simply

uninformed. Unfortunately, sources such as the CDC and EPA are less that helpful

or accurate themselves. You will notice that most of their articles contain the

phrase " more study is needed " . The governors of LA, SC, TX have all moved out

of the governmors mansions, while the remediation is performed by men in hazmat

suits. (This should give you some idea how the

problem is actually handled by people who have the funds and information

necessary to protect their health and that of their families.)

It is not my intention to draw you into the very heated public

health/governmental/legal controversy, even though all possible support would be

welcomed. Please understand that we are watching the situation with rapt

attention, and our primary concern is for the many people who will become

chronically ill because they are getting such bad advice. Dr. Marshall was

correct in trying to avoid panic. However, for sensitive people, a sense of

urgency is absolutely appropriate.

Please allow me to invite you to read " Mold Warriors " by Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D.

and Schaller, M.D., available at www.moldwarriors.com. You can also get

more information at /, where

people from all over the country have gathered to share information and support

through this illness. Another source is the non-profit foundation at

www.fdrcinc.org.

Our goal is to reach out to the people on the Gulf Coast and help as many of

them as possible avoid what we have been through. Most cannot get to us because

of all the communications disruption and relocation, so we must try to reach

them by way of local news outlouts. Any help you may be able to offer in

achieving this goal would be deeply appreciated. We will be happy to help in any

way we can to avoid more needless suffering. They've been through enough!

Sincerely,

Serena

Serena

www.freeboards.net/index.php?mforum=sickgovernmentb

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