Introducing Myself

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I have been reading your messages for awhile and would now like to

introduce myself.

My name is Debbie and I live in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Not a place you

would think of mold exposure.

I worked for 2 years in a building that was full of mold. It was

everywhere and disgusting. The building had a flat roof and was prone

to flooding when it did rain or snow. It took me 2 years to figure out

that mold was making me sick. I was healthly before working there.

My situation is different because the people I work for rented an office

space at this location. The location being owned by my employers

brother. A year and half after I started working in that location my

employers brother suddenly died. No autopsy done. The Coroner said

possible aneurysm. His wife was constantly sick with sinus and runny

nose.

I started getting sick with sinus infections, respitory problems, ear

infections, menstral problems, depression, nausea, ect about 6 months

into working there. Also had blurry vision in my left eye.

A few months after the brothers death one of his employee's mentioned

something about sickness from black mold. I asked what it was. I

started reseaching it and there was all my symptoms. I took that info

to my doctor and he agreed with me. He prescribed Lamisil. I told my

employers that I would not continue to work in that building. 2 months

later they moved me to a new location.

Within a short period of time my symptoms started clearing up. I did

fine for a few months.

Later I started experiencing extreme fatigue, blurry vision. This went

on until Jan. of 2004 and then I could hardly motivate and I went to

anther doctor. I was severly anemic at that time.

I then started having horrible gastrointestinal problems, times when I

would just pass out after putting a few bites of food in my mouth.

I was like a drunk. Panic attacks. I could hardly talk and I became

dyslexic.

I have had all the symptoms that others on this borad have mentioned.

I started seeing doctor after doctor.

In March of this year I realized that I would have panic attacks after

getting into a filing cabinet. It is a fire safe filing cabinet so it

is lined with some kind of material. I pulled out all the drawers and

low and behold it was full of dried mold. I got a sample of it and sent

it off. With that info I went to see an Infectious Diesese doctor.

He did a tithers test on botrys only and my IgA came back high and

the report said I had been in recent exposure. The doctor assured me he

did not think mold was my problem. In fact he wrote in his notes he

thought I was delusional. Wonderful!

I did test positive for RA and anemia. I was sent to a Rhuematologist

for further testing. Still anemic and my protein compliment test was

just under the normal range. with that info she thought i was in the

begining stages of Autoimmue, but what autoimmune she did not know

because I did not fit the pattern of any one. She said the RA was a

false positive. Meaning the inflammation I did have was causing the RA

test to read positive. on and on and on!!!

After a couple more visits with her she now believes the mold is my

problem, but she does not know where to send me. I told her I will find

my own doctor.

I have been to see an Opthomolgist, Rhuematologist, Infectious Disease,

3 Internal Medicine and now a Neurologist. I have never been to so many

doctors in my life.

My employers removed the mold filing cabinet from my office and many of

my symptoms cleared up the following week. I am doing lots better, but

still have some problems and I don't know what this has really done to

the inside of my body. I know I have scarring at the base of my lungs

and I have some kind of nuerological damange, vision problems, feet and

1 hand stay cold.

I am going to see Dr. . I just faxed them my health

background.

Now, if I can prove that mold exposure is what caused all this....who in

the world is responsible for it. The owner of the building is dead, the

wife had to file bankruptcy and has no assets. She gave the building

back to the bank. They have sold it. The people I work for do carry

workers comp.

What a confusing nightmare.

So far I am out-of-pocket $6000+ the last 2 years. I can't even bring

myself to

go back any further and figure what my doctors expenses are. Thank the

good lord I have health insurance. I also fear if I do prove it to be

work related my insurance will not pay any more claims.

I just read a post about Houston being full of mold and now I will be

paranoid about going to Houston to see a doctor. Ha!!

I enjoy reading the posts on this board and so glad I found it. I have

a hard time remembering things I have read so I have to re-read several

times.

What is VEGF? My brain don't comprehend that one.

Debbie