Boy am I glad I found this group

[Guest guest]

Hello, newbie here and boy am I glad I found this group. I moved into

an apartment in Sept. of 07 and have been ill ever since. Each month

I got progressively sicker. Yet if I left the building even in the

worse symptomatic stages of my illness, I could breath 100% better

and felt much better. Here is my story:

I left a home of 30 years that had some dampness in the basement but

never gave it much thought that it could be harmful. Yes, naive I

was, but I am being honest and I was young at the time we bought the

house. Fast forward to 18 months ago when my hubby and I thought

about downsizing and moving out of house and into a apartment. First

place was not damp, did not have a odor or seem like any thing was

wrong. The unit where the furnace was located and hot water tank

seemed dusty but it seemed dry.

I did not suffer too much in this building thank GOD. The next

apartment we moved into (due to job we had to relocate)there was an

obvious flood problem that we were not told about until almost 3

months into the movein. We were told by neighbors that the unit was

flooded out and that the clean up efforts were done very hasty and

very cheaply. We decided that we should move again. 3 times in one

year was hard on my poor hubby and I and we felt we moved into a

sound building with our apartment remodeled and overhauled with new

walls, carpeting etc. Later we found out why. (Note: this is where

you should ask questions to the leasing people, why was it remodeled?

Wish I had asked before moving in)

Apparently this building had a huge roof leak and our apartment, the

one below ours and the one next door to ours got hit bad. The

landlord refused to break our lease. In the meantime, I have been

hospitalized 3 times this month alone for asthma attacks, panic

attacks and anxiety attacks, bronchitis and a lung infection. I have

never had any of these before and each doctor tells me it is being

caused by some irritant in my environment.

I know in my heart that the ventilation system must have mold spores

in it. I know too that it does not properly circulate the air, as

another issue I have is a sensitivity to second hand smoke. Combine

the two and I am one sick lady here about to go crazy literally, if I

do not find another place to live.

How do you find a safe home to live in? In reading your entries, I

have noted that there are tests to perform, questions to ask, and

obviously many of you have been there, done that, so I am asking for

as much help as I can get on this. I am in the process of looking to

move out soon as I can locate another place to live. I am through

with apartment living and am in search of either a duplex, bottom

half of a double or a single family home. What should I be looking

for in my search? I know I am naive in all of this, but I am

teachable and I am desperate. Landlord is getting P.O'd that I

brought up the subject of mold and smoke issues and told me that I

could break lease if I choose to pay a 3 month buyout. His building

is causing me my health, causing me to about to loose my job due to

all the time off in hospital, medical bills out the wazoo and I still

have to come up with 3 times my rent to get out. Is there any way I

can get out of lease with medical conditions resulting from all of

this illness due to mold and poor ventilation?

Ok, enough said, I will wait for all of your professional and not so

professional advice and opinions. Thanks for listening and thanks for

having this group. Deperate in Ohio.