One woman's journey w/mold

[Guest guest]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/714529,3_1_EL27_A1MSLADY_S1.\

article#

Courier News

CourierNewsOnline.com Member of the Sun-Times News Group

Woman finds clean start in new Gilberts home

December 27, 2007

BY CIGI ROSS Staff Writer

GILBERTS -- Barbara Flosi's house isn't anything fancy.

There is little furniture, the hardwood and tiled floors are bare, and

the walls boast few decorations. But to Flosi it is home, and the

first place she's been able to give that title in six years.

Barbara Flosi of Gilberts and her son, Joe Flosi of Woodstock, pause

in a room in her new house. The two researched and built an

environmentally friendly and nontoxic house in Gilberts for Barbara,

whose multiple sclerosis is exacerbated by environmental toxins. " It

was an act of love and a risk, " she said.

Flosi, 70, suffers from multiple sclerosis, which is exacerbated by

exposure to chemicals, even in small amounts. After several

consultations with doctors, Flosi learned in 1989 she also had a

condition called multiple chemical sensitivity, an environmental illness.

Black, a retired professor emeritus of psychology at Purdue

University and teacher for the Institute of Continued Learning at

Roosevelt University, said MCS is often misunderstood because

sufferers have diverse symptoms and reactions.

" (MCS) is misunderstood, it's hard to diagnose, and it's becoming more

common, " Black said.

Black said sufferers react to different chemicals and at different rates.

Reactions can include physical pain, sickness or discomfort and

fatigue. Workers in certain professions -- such as military veterans,

firefighters and coal miners -- now are more frequently diagnosed with

chemical sensitivities, Black said, despite some opinions that the

disease is psychological.

" Some people (with MCS) can't work at all and can barely leave the

house, " Black said.

The smell of any perfumes, hair products, lotions, cigarette smoke,

practically any odor in the air, will give Flosi a headache and cause

some of her limbs to go numb or swell. One time, a visit to a park

recently sprayed with pesticide caused a three-month bout of sickness.

" I have to be careful with every single little thing, " Flosi said. " I

learned that by giving up the hair dye, perfumes, makeup, using

different detergent, and just getting educated to safer products ...

all my migraines were gone and my MS improved. It was a lifestyle change. "

Losing a home

In 2001, a pipe broke in Flosi's home and caused water damage in the

laundry room. The family cleaned everything up and put everything back

in its place. The house looked as good as new. But Flosi could tell

something wasn't right.

" I noticed when I went downstairs, all of a sudden my arms couldn't

move, " Flosi said. " My legs got real heavy. The house looked perfect.

I couldn't see anything. "

It turned out there still was a mold problem in the house. Flosi

submitted a claim to her insurance company, but it was denied.

In the meantime, Flosi said, she couldn't stay in an apartment

complex, condominium or assisted living residence because she would

have no control over the common area. Flosi stayed at several hotels

waiting for her old home to be fixed. She had to ask hotel managers to

let her clean her room using her own supplies, put a towel in front of

the crack outside the door in the hallway, and always place her in a

room by an exit. She had to leave one hotel for several weeks after a

fire broke out in the laundry room and caused minor smoke damage.

It soon became clear that even if her old house was fixed, the mold

damage always would be detectable to her. " No matter who did the work,

it would never be OK for me to go back there, " Flosi said.

Picking up the pieces

During the next 2½ years, Flosi looked at hundreds of homes. None fit

her needs.

That's when her son, Joe, a roofer from Woodstock, made a big

decision. He owned a piece of land in Gilberts and decided to pay for

and build a house for his mom, and make it as chemical-free as he

could. He enlisted friends and Flosi's other children to help.

" He worked so hard, " Flosi said. " He was so particular. He was on the

job constantly. Every contractor he brought in on the job he told

about my problem. "

During construction, Flosi said, Joe inspected every piece of material

used on the building to ensure its quality. Joe was at the site every

day to make sure other workers weren't smoking on the property and

didn't wear any cologne to work. If neighbors were burning garbage or

it started to rain, everything was closed or covered up.

When appliances arrived, everything had to be " offgassed, " Flosi said,

meaning everything needed to be aired out or used several times.

According to NatureNeutral.com, offgassing evaporates chemicals into

the air. Building materials can release chemicals into the air through

evaporation, even years after the products are installed. Materials

such as paint, insulation, flooring, cabinets, counter tops and

particleboard all can contain these chemicals, so all appliances had

to be run dozens of times, and cabinets and furniture had to be aired

out for weeks before Flosi could move into the house.

Flosi said her house cost about 15 to 20 percent more because of all

the extra measures to ensure her well-being. She also spent hundreds

of hours researching the project. She finally moved in this September

after two years of construction.

Flosi said she's a survivor, despite the hard times she's faced in the

past six years and the trials she deals with each time she leaves her

safe, new home.

" People don't have a clue, " Flosi said. " I can't just go out to the

store. "

When she's in public, Flosi must wear a face mask or cover her nose

and mouth with a wet rag.

But it helps that she has a family that cares so much about her.

" This extreme kindness from all my children, " Flosi said, " I never

expected it. None of us know what challenges lie ahead, but this has

been a time of thanks. "