what tests

[Guest guest]

HI-- here is a link for one of the Files on the Autism Mercury

board... if you scroll down it, you will read where it says How to

get a hair test with or without a doctor's permission. This is one

thing you definitely need to do--a DDI hair analysis.

/files/HOW_TO_hair_test

You can also go online to www.kirkmanlabs.com or call them and ask

them for their Guide to Intestinal Health booklet... if you read

this, it covers a lot of information, and mentions some tests.

Depending on how your child's doctor codes things, some of it may be

covered, but realistically, I am not sure much of it is covered under

Medicaid. We pay for things out of pocket. It just depends on your

plan I guess. The hair analysis is not that expensive.

W

> I HAVE NEVER HAD MY 6 YR SON TESTED FOR ANY OF THE THINGS I HAVE

SEEN

> POSTED, CAN ANYONE GIVE ME A LIST OF ALL THE TESTS I NEED TO HAVE

> DONE AND ALSO, ARE THEY COVER UNDER MEDICAID? WHO DO I HAVE TO GO

TO

> FOR THESE TESTS. HE IS PDDNOS.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the rsponses. What tests should I have done on my daughter?

We are in Northern California. I havent had to use her nebulizer in 2

1/2 days, ever since I kicked the cats out. Im so glad she is getting

better, or so it seems. I got a dr appt for her on tues for a re-

check. Ive spoken briefly about the mold to the doctor. He is a good

dr. that actually listens to what I say. I can request certian test be

performed, but which ones? I can do $35 per tape strip. Ill take a

couple. All my pictures are digital and backed up on several different

CDs. We moved out a month ago. We havent slept in that room in months.

I really need to get the mold tested so I know what we are dealing

with, something bad, or something really bad. We have to go back

tomorrow. Ill take the samples. Should I have my husband take a video

of me taking samples? Thanks.

~

[Guest guest]

I am doing some looking around for you, and found some links about this.

This is from the National Institute of Health site: about the ohio babies that

died from

mold: " The rapidly growing lungs of young infants appear to be especially

vulnerable to

the toxins made by toxigenic molds. " the mold indicted in this case was

Stachybotrys,

which is rarely found loose. It is usually found behind walls, it loves drywall,

it is often

hidden. it is extremely poisonous. I would not get samples of it myself, it is

too

poisonous. Others on the group may know better where it is found and how to

sample it

safely. Esp, look at the last paragraph, recomendations.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/1999/suppl-3/495-499dearborn/dearborn-full.html

Pulmonary aspergillosis is another baddie, esp for babies and old folks. The

elderly man

across the alley died from this after the grain silos in our neighborhood were

torn down to

make way for condos (or apts). I also got an acute exposure at that time that

nearly killed

me, so the docs said.

You should be aware that there is much disagreement among professionals as to

what

does or does not cause disease. Used to be, most said mold could not cause

disease. Now

there are so many people getting sick from it, they see what used to be rare

fungal

infections much more frequently. Now I am hearing much more about the allergic

effects

of mold, which goes hand in hand with infection in my case, fine, but many

dispute the

toxigenic nature of it, which seriously sickens many people also. This seems to

me to be a

more or less normal progression of study and awareness of a new disease state

that was

largely unknown previously.

From another site:

" If sampling of surfaces needs to be done, there are several possible

strategies:

1. If you see a stain that might be mould, you can put a piece of transparent

tape on the

stain, pull the tape off, and then inspect whatever sticks to the tape for the

presence of

fungal fragments.

2. You can swab the surface and culture the collected material.

3. You can cut out a piece of the surface or material and either culture it or

inspect it

microscopically. "

Since it is my own home that was compromised, I of course was not interested in

legal

action. The places where the mold was was due to previous remodeling, which at

the time

was considered to be fine- but turned out to be problematic, ie: shower tile on

top of

drywall-everyplace dry wall got wet in my home, it grew BAD mold. I don't really

care what

kind, since I knew it was making me so sick as to be dying, so what difference

did it make

to me? It just had to all come out. But, my kids are teenagers, not babies, they

are pretty

hearty by comparison. I did do a culture at home, post remediation, with a 10

dollar kit

from Home Depot just to see if we got it all. It only grew 1 culture, a mold

that was white

and later turned green. Later I found out that the bathroom down there was

contaminated

(again, shower tile on drywall), so I don't know what good the culture did me,

except to

give me a false sense of peace.

I guess you are hoping to identify a mold so you can guess if it is causing your

daughter's

problems? It might help. For me, I went to an environmental allergist, who did

allergy

testing on me, and told me many, maybe all of my problems were being caused by

mold,

and they think the molds that I am most allergic to are the ones that were in

the house.

Who knows? Maybe so. But where there is one kind, there is usually several. Not

all of

them toxigenic, but who wants mold in the house?

As an asthmatic, I can say that when the lungs are compromised by something,

they can

get pretty twitchy, and I can get set off by things that might not bother me on

a bettter

day.

--- In , " dirty_little_feet " <sarahmarnick@y...>

wrote:

>

> Thanks for the rsponses. What tests should I have done on my daughter?

> We are in Northern California. I havent had to use her nebulizer in 2

> 1/2 days, ever since I kicked the cats out. Im so glad she is getting

> better, or so it seems. I got a dr appt for her on tues for a re-

> check. Ive spoken briefly about the mold to the doctor. He is a good

> dr. that actually listens to what I say. I can request certian test be

> performed, but which ones? I can do $35 per tape strip. Ill take a

> couple. All my pictures are digital and backed up on several different

> CDs. We moved out a month ago. We havent slept in that room in months.

> I really need to get the mold tested so I know what we are dealing

> with, something bad, or something really bad. We have to go back

> tomorrow. Ill take the samples. Should I have my husband take a video

> of me taking samples? Thanks.

> ~

>