Good News or Bad?
Mold? Have you ever given it much thought, other than when you're cleaning your tub? Do you have symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, chemical sensitivity, headaches or skin issues? (The list could continue, but these are some common ones.)
I didn't until two years ago when I got the news I had been searching for. The root cause of all my symptoms was MOLD.
Good News? That’s debatable.
I was relieved at first. I felt validated. Thoughts like “Finally!” rang through my head. It was a pretty significant victory to have identified the BIG WHY. The reason for my chronic fatigue. The hidden cause that led to my hashimotoes diagnosis. Why everything in my body seemed out of balance. That part is definitely positive.
The bad news is, once the reality of my situation sunk in and I understood its implications, I felt overwhelmed. Helpless. The last conversation with the doctor that ordered my first mold test, went something like this:
“Your body is in survival mode. The level of ochratoxin A in your system is so high, I can't believe you are functioning as well as you are. There’s not much I can do for you until you get out of the environment that’s making you sick.”
Leave my environment? How exactly do I pull that off!? Well, I did, just not right away. I'll tell you how in an another post. For now, let me back up and trace when it all began, Because, no. matter how long ago it was, if my body was unable to properly detoxify, I carried with me the toxins and any other exposure would just add to it.
My First exposure
I have a suspicion my first encounter with mold happened in my early 20’s. I was working as a preschool teacher in the basement of an old home. I remember it smelling musty at times and I recall getting my first ever sinus infection. More followed. I was wise enough to realize the dark, dank basement was likely contributing to my respiratory infections, but I had no knowledge of just how far reaching the effects would be.
Fast forward a few years, and I no longer worked in that building, but I did move into my very own old home, which looking back, I believe had a mold problem from the very beginning. I only wish I knew enough to recognize the symptoms for what they were. Instead, it took me more than 20 years to discover the root cause of all my health struggles, which progressively got worse. My body was talking to me, telling me something was wrong and I couldn’t hear. A signal that something is out of balance. Thyroid aside, medication hasn't been my go-to, but I did slap other bandages on. I live with regret over that. Regret that I didn't know what I didn’t know. Regret I didn't spend the money to test, test and test some more instead of playing the guessing game.
Is it Mold
In light of what I've learned, I'm sharing my story in hopes you will to listen to your body better than I did mine. If you feel something is off, look back over your life. What environments have you been in that may have exposed you to mold? Do you recall any musty spaces you spent time in? We tend to think, or at least I did, that a musty smell is just the smell of "old," but it's not. Old does not have a smell of it's own accord. Mold can be present without giving off an odor, but once it does, it's already started to create harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC). That is what the mustiness is.
Or look around. Do you see signs of mold? Look wherever you have water sources coming in. Not mold itself. Water stains, buckling, warping or rust? Those are all signs that there may very well be a mold problem hiding underneath.
I spent years going down rabbit holes trying to find out why I struggled. Mold crossed my mind a time or two and a few doctors even asked me about it. But, they never encouraged me to test for it. Other tests were done to check my hormones and thyroid, but mainly I was guessing as to what was wrong with me and just accepting it as my new normal. I jumped from doctor to doctor until I finally had enough. I was sick of always feeling tired and depressed! So finally, I said I'm done with the trial and error approach and the waiting to see if something worked. That's when I found a provider who believed in diagnostic testing FIRST. It was the best decision and worth the cost.
REDEMPTION.
There’s more to this story, and I’ll tell it in time, but what I want to first share the REASON I'm sharing my story with mold. If I let myself, I can get very angry about the years I lost to mold illness. I tend to want to cast blame. But what good does that do? In the end, it doesn’t help me get better and it even slows my healing. Instead, if I take all that I’ve learned and try to help someone else, then maybe, just maybe, I can REDEEM my situation. Maybe I can make sense of the why. I don't want my experience to be wasted and meaningless. I can't get back the years I've lost due to mold, but I'm hoping I can help you walk a different path. My hope is that you are able to be one or two steps ahead of me to connect the dots between your symptoms and the possible mycotoxin overload your body may be carrying. If you suspect mold, don’t wait to be tested. You can do it at home and get help with reading the tests.
I’m not an expert on mold, but I am an expert on my story, and I know it affects many people unaware. If any of this resonates with you, follow along. I'll be sharing more in the days to come. I'd also love to connect with you and hear your story.
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