First Month in the Low-Tox House

I am getting better—yahoo!!!!

Gorgeous weather—bedroom windows stay open almost every day!

Specific improvements this month:

• Digestion, almost immediately.  I could not digest meat the last 4-6 weeks in town.  Within 1 day here, I could.
• Ability to use computer now, not get sick from the computer screen, and even be on wifi for very short times.
• Brain fog is starting to clear.
• Energy is slowly increasing.  I went from energy level about 1% of normal for a person my age to about 5% now.
• Numb and painful spot in my left foot has cleared up.
• The smell of cinnamon no longer bothers me!

One thing that surprised me, though, was the first week.  Other than a couple immediate improvements, I was absolutely miserable.  Headaches, nausea, chills, malaise, heart palpitations….

It felt for all the world like withdrawal, and I think it was!  If caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, then why not another chemical—namely car exhaust—for those of us whose bodies do not process it quickly enough while in it!

I went from town being the sickest EVER since leaving the mold house to this safe, low-tox house; from smelling car exhaust every day in town to not smelling it but once in the whole month!

After about the first week, the withdrawal-type symptoms began to reduce significantly.

The one time I smelled car exhaust here—I got into our relatively-safe car and gagged before the engine was even turned on!

Compared to this house, the relatively-safe car is pretty bad now—what a wonderful thing!!!  LOL

I know it probably doesn’t sound wonderful to you, but it is fantastic to me.  It shows how good the house is.

Knowing the house is much, much safer than my “safe spot car” means that God has given us wisdom on building and materials.

The house was less than 3 weeks “old” yet far superior to the car (or anywhere else I have lived, with the possible exception of the metal camper until it got contaminated with herbicide numerous times).

HALLELUJAH!!!!!

I must also mention how wonderful it is to see our daughter Sarah so independent.  She is 10 years old, has spina bifida, and is wheelchair bound.  She has not been able to use her wheelchair at home in almost 6 years due to various problems in rentals (carpet, no space/room for wheelchair, living in a Winnebago, etc.)

We designed this house to have wheelchair access and space so that she can basically get anywhere in the house.

It is obvious that she is just thrilled to get around other than a little army crawling, get things out of kitchen drawers, reach the fridge, help wash veggies, bring things to me in my bedroom, help with laundry, go wash her hands anytime she wants.  Oh, it’s so exhilarating to see her enjoy this new freedom in her life!!!!

We are so very thankful for everything.

Christa Upton     Black Hills Picture Books     Edgemont, SD  57735