Re: Sickbuildings ~ I'm a newbie

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/1/2006 9:06:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

eaglestone@... writes:

Here are a couple other questions that will help us to help you. Are you

still in the school? Has the entire school been remediated (cleaned up) by

professionals? Did they have any sort of testing done or did they just clean

it themselves and say it is okay now? Does the school admit to any mold being

in the school?

I KNEW I forgot something ~ I'm in New York ~ almost on the northeastern tip

of Long Island.

Yes, I'm still at the school in the same room ~ which was given an overhaul

over the summer.

While the school will tell you that they did have a company come in and do

SOME remediation, the majority of the clean up was done by the school's

custodial staff ~ none of whom have had any training in mold remediation.

They had a study done and there was definite signs of mold. The room where

I work had 3x more concentration of airborne mold spores that any other area

tested in the building. My immediate supervisor and I also had an

independent mold test done with showed evidence of long dense mold strands in

the

sampling we gave him.

They now say it's ok. HOWEVER the roof still leaks . . . I took pictures in

December, March, April and last month to show that there is still flaking,

peeling pain in the room where I work. Where there's moisture, there's a

chance for mold to appear!

There are also many ceiling tiles that show water damage, both old AND new,

throughout the building. This was validated by an Industrial Hygienist from

my Union.

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group Joan. You are no longer alone. Everything you are talking

about most of here have been there done that. Let me first say that our hearts

go out to you. It is a hard illness to get ANY doctor to stick by you and stick

their necks out there. Almost everyone is still in the same boat even after

many years. For our family 5 years. There are doctors that specialize in this

area, but there are only a few. It might help us if you could tell us what

state you are in.

As far as the school goes. I have had several years experience working w/a

couple different districts. Schools are VERY resistant to anything concerning

mold, but they are not the only ones. It will be very hard to even get them to

admit it can do anything. But, let me tell you not impossible. Hard work,

diligence, patience, kindness, and professionalism you should always keep in

mind.

Here are a couple other questions that will help us to help you. Are you still

in the school? Has the entire school been remediated (cleaned up) by

professionals? Did they have any sort of testing done or did they just clean it

themselves and say it is okay now? Does the school admit to any mold being in

the school?

[] Sickbuildings ~ I'm a newbie

I just found this group today ~ by accident ~ and boy oh boy could I use

some help/guidance. (I'll try to keep this brief!)

The school where I work became inundated with mold growth after 9 days of

torrential rain last October ~ and the room where I work being one of the

hardest hit with it.

An allergist confirmed that I have an extreme allergy to mold and dust

(and I've been receiving weekly injections from her for almost a year now). My

three biggest complaints are chronic fatigue, daily throbbing pain in my

fingers, hands, wrists, feet and calves and hair loss (although now I'm being

told that I may also have hypothroidism. I've done research and there is some

proof that prolonged exposure to mold can effect the endocrine system).

(Does anyone know of anything that can be done for the pain? I'm SO sick of

being sick!)

An occupation health doctor validated my Workers' Comp claim, saying that

he felt there was reasonable proof that it was the school's mold that made

me ill. HOWEVER, no one - not my primary care physician, allergist or the

occupational health doctor ~ has stated a disability. Which doctor should I be

asking? (My PCP isn't really familiar with mold allergies, my allergist seems

unwilling to stick her neck out for me and the occupational health doctor is

really going on the vast documentation that I have).

Is there something more I should be doing? I have to provide testimony

AND any disability validation to Workers' Comp. in March and I feel like I'm

fighting this battle alone. Any help anyone could give me would be GREATLY

appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

~ Joan

[Guest guest]

Although there are often differences on the proper ways to clean up mold,

there are

a number of things that everyone agrees on and the #1 thing is that whatever

water

issues drove the problem to occur in the first place have to be fixed before

anything else.

That means the leaking roof has to be fixed.

The area needs to be completely dried out and cleaned.

Then after that, they need to physically remove

all the mold growth (the tiles, and everything else that got moldy)

and HEPA vaccumn the entire space, preferably exhausting the vaccumn

outside, downwind.. (after its filtered, because the particles that get

through

can often make people sick, even if they are too small to have viable

spores)

All of the mold debris needs to be removed, and all of those tiles need to

be replaced.. ..

They should use some kind of containment (negative air pressure, done with

plastic sheeting and HEPA fans)

while they do this so that the rest

of the school isn't further contaminated...

Good luck!

>

> While the school will tell you that they did have a company come in and do

>

> SOME remediation, the majority of the clean up was done by the school's

> custodial staff ~ none of whom have had any training in mold remediation.

>

> They had a study done and there was definite signs of mold. The room where

>

> I work had 3x more concentration of airborne mold spores that any other

> area

> tested in the building. My immediate supervisor and I also had an

> independent mold test done with showed evidence of long dense mold strands

> in the

> sampling we gave him.

>

> They now say it's ok. HOWEVER the roof still leaks . . . I took pictures

> in

> December, March, April and last month to show that there is still flaking,

>

> peeling pain in the room where I work. Where there's moisture, there's a

> chance for mold to appear!

> There are also many ceiling tiles that show water damage, both old AND

> new,

> throughout the building. This was validated by an Industrial Hygienist

> from

> my Union.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Joan,

Here is a link below that I think you'll find very useful. The sight is

dedicated to school issues. There is a ton of information. When I first began

our fight here, it was extremely useful.

http://www.schoolmoldhelp.org/

[Guest guest]

Hi Joan, I'm really sorry you are sick but glad you found us!!! I am a

former teacher and had ALL the symptoms you mentioned except the hypothyroidism

and hair loss. However 3 other teachers at my school did have thyroid problems.

I had horrible headaches, debilitating fatigue, muscle/joint pain, blurred

vision and slurred speech. My skin itched all over, I was always very thirsty

along with a horrible taste in my mouth, sort of like I had eaten mud. My

hands hurt so badly I couldn't even squeeze toothpaste! I also took allergy

shots but honestly they made me worse. Since leaving my school and seeing Dr.

Shoemaker I haven't had any allergy shots at all not even a pill!

You can contact me directly and I'll try to answer any questions you have.

The first thing you need to do is get a copy of Dr. Shoemaker's book Mold

Warriors.

Please get in touch ASAP!!

Sue

I just found this group today ~ by accident ~ and boy oh boy could I use

some help/guidance. (I'll try to keep this brief!)

The school where I work became inundated with mold growth after 9 days of

torrential rain last October ~ and the room where I work being one of the

hardest hit with it.

An allergist confirmed that I have an extreme allergy to mold and dust

(and I've been receiving weekly injections from her for almost a year now).

My

three biggest complaints are chronic fatigue, daily throbbing pain in my

fingers, hands, wrists, feet and calves and hair loss (although now I'm

being

told that I may also have hypothroidism. I've done research and there is

some

proof that prolonged exposure to mold can effect the endocrine system).

(Does anyone know of anything that can be done for the pain? I'm SO sick of

being sick!)

An occupation health doctor validated my Workers' Comp claim, saying that

he felt there was reasonable proof that it was the school's mold that made

me ill. HOWEVER, no one - not my primary care physician, allergist or the

occupational health doctor ~ has stated a disability. Which doctor should I

be

asking? (My PCP isn't really familiar with mold allergies, my allergist seems

unwilling to stick her neck out for me and the occupational health doctor is

really going on the vast documentation that I have).

Is there something more I should be doing? I have to provide testimony

AND any disability validation to Workers' Comp. in March and I feel like I'm

fighting this battle alone. Any help anyone could give me would be GREATLY

appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

~ Joan

[Guest guest]

Your really need to try to get to Dr. Shoemaker ASAP!!

In a message dated 12/1/2006 9:06:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

_eaglestone@..._ (mailto:eaglestone@...) writes:

Here are a couple other questions that will help us to help you. Are you

still in the school? Has the entire school been remediated (cleaned up) by

professionals? Did they have any sort of testing done or did they just clean

it themselves and say it is okay now? Does the school admit to any mold

being

in the school?

I KNEW I forgot something ~ I'm in New York ~ almost on the northeastern tip