So many people with mold illness/biotoxin illness/CIRS cannot find a place to live where they can heal.
It’s a horrible problem.
My friend has written a wonderful, new book on her experiences and the way she solved her housing problem–Camp Like a Girl.
She is getting better and gaining healing!!
She did an incredible amount of research on how to make this van as mold resistant as possible. Plus, it’s a fabulous living space.
Her book is also fun to read, with her amazing story interwoven. She includes many tips for living on the road, as well as links to more information about mold.
To receive a free download code for her album, sign up for her newsletter while it’s still July (2016)! Sign up here: http://sararileymattson.com/newsletter/
If you can beat the bunnies, deer, grasshoppers, weeds, rocks, hail, cold (in high altitude and northern areas), heat (in hot areas), and various bad soils (by amending), you can grow food! 🙂 I often think of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories of literally months of work and losing most of a crop to hail or locusts. It’s always a gamble, but, what follows are gardening benefits that are NOT a gamble!!
Exercise.
Fresh air.
Vitamin D. According to some sources, approximately 30 minutes in the sun a day (without sunscreen) should provide for the body to make enough vitamin D. Sunscreen makes me very sick anyway, even on other people 50 yards away. So if I’m going to be out more than 30 minutes or so, I wear long sleeves. I always wear a long skirt or pants and often wear a bandanna. In addition, eating fish apparently helps protect against skin cancer, and I love fish.
Connecting with nature. I love the birdsong, prairie breezes, wildflowers, butterflies.
Earthing (grounding), if you go barefoot or sit down to plant things. (Please do your own research on parasites and other risks of walking barefoot outside.) Click http://wellnessmama.com/5600/earthing-sleep/ for more information on earthing.
Time to think and “slow down,” away from electronics and “modern life” (don’t carry your phone to the garden LOL).
Time to spend with others if you garden together.
Wonderful gardening lessons for children. One year I recruited the neighbor girl to help me with my tomatoes, and she was enthralled with the whole process! It was 17 years ago and is still to me a sweet memory of time with her.
If you do not have a garden and are interested, this is a great time of year to take a peek at other people’s gardens and see what you like, do some research, and begin dreaming and planning.
If you have no land, some people garden in pots and others enjoy community garden plots where they can plant their own vegetables.
It’s been a rough month! Accidental chemicals, sore throat and cough twice, and see below….
Specific improvement:
Fewer irregular heartbeats. I’d estimate my heart is now working normally around 70% of the time (whereas it used to work normally about 10% of the time). This is HUGE.
Update: since I wrote that around the middle of the month, my heart has gotten worse again, maybe only 40% normal? I think probably from a number of factors—wildfire smoke (sometimes heavy, most of the time mild), unavoidable chemicals (new parts on daughter’s wheelchair, etc.), and detoxing with the summer heat.
But I am kind of running out of symptoms to get better!!! LOL There are a number of stubborn ones; hopefully they’ll improve someday.
Mostly I just need energy to continue increasing to stop being so disabled.
Air conditioning—we did not want to deal with the mold risks of central air. Plus we didn’t want the hassle and expense of installing duct work because our radiant heat in the slab doesn’t need ducts/vents.
Nights always cool off up here. Even on the hottest days, it becomes rather nice by 9 pm.
We do have a free-standing air conditioner unit (off-gassing in the shed) for emergencies. Right now, closing up against the smoke with the unit in here would make me sicker than the smoke itself. Especially because we do not have the money to make our furnishings etc. perfect, so they off-gas some, too, and I get sick if windows are closed too long.
However, a good friend is buying new filters for our air purifier, so that will help with everything!!! Smoke, wheelchair parts and other things off-gassing, and the air conditioner unit should the smoke get really bad and cause breathing problems.
Numerous MCS friends have said that the heat (sometimes up to 100!) and sweating is great (detoxing) but hard on the body to sweat that many hours (7-9 hours some days). Hard while sweating and need extra rest after and on the less-hot days in between.
Therefore, it does seem my body is spending a lot of time dealing with the detox and rebuilding.
Putting a squirt of lemon in my all-day-drinking water (in the heat) seems to help. Apparently it helps the small intestine absorb the water better. And praise God my stomach is strong enough now to handle the lemon.
One MCS friend said, after a summer like this of no air conditioning and sweating a lot, she could tolerate paper and ink better!!!! I am very hopeful.
In addition, when I am bedridden with the heat, I am finding I have MUCH more stamina for hand sewing, writing, and editing than I did last winter.
I also learned that passive sweating (sauna, or heat in the summer) AND active sweating (exercise) are both needed and do different things in the body!
Christa Upton Black Hills Picture Books Edgemont, SD 57735
A friend of mine adapted this from a recipe she found, to make it not only DELICIOUS but much easier to cook. I could eat this every day and not get tired of it.
Indian Butter Chicken
1/2 c butter
1 chopped onion
2-3 lbs chopped, skinned, boned chicken
15 oz canned tomatoes (or fresh, mashed tomatoes or even pasta sauce)
1 c cream
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp masala*
Masala:
1 tbsp cumin
1.5 tsp coriander
1.5 tsp black pepper
.5 tsp nutmeg
Using some butter sauté the onion until soft in a large pot.
Then add the chicken to the pot. Stir until the chicken is cooked on the outside. Approx 5 minutes.
Add everything else. Let simmer on low until chicken is cooked.
You can also add vegetables to the mix after chicken is cooked.
We had it with sliced zucchini in it, and it was absolutely wonderful.
You can serve it over rice, or for paleo, serve over cooked sweet potato.
“I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord‘s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
“2.―Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
“3.―I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
“4.―Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
“5.―I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
“6.―Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.” –George Muller
One way I try to follow Muller’s 1st point is this: I think of all the benefits and good things about each option. This way I have something to look forward to no matter what God says (yes or no, this option or that option).
Though sometimes putting oneself into God’s hands and God’s will is scarier than flinging oneself off a cliff, I remember how GOOD and perfect God is. Once again I’ll mention one of my favorite songs regarding this—“Falling” on this album: http://www.traviscottrellstore.com/product_info.php?cPath=2&products_id=9
I LOVE this song, and I think you can actually listen to the whole song on that link for free.
Steve and I also take into account counsel from Christian leaders and friends, and experts in the area of decision, as well as logic and reason (if it’s not already clear through prayer, the Bible, and circumstances).
God’s way is always best, no matter how scary or difficult.
I’m SO excited about this idea from a friend!!! When returning home from errands or work, close windows near outdoor outlet, go outside, and run the hairdryer very hot on your dry hair. It will eliminate a LOT of scent from hair!!!!
If one is very sensitive or very sick, shower following this use of hair dryer on dry hair. Showering should remove toxins picked up on the skin. But even if you’re going to shower, the hair dryer will remove scents before they can be re-released in the shower (for you to breathe 😛 ) and will also cut down on the number of times hair must be washed before the scent is out!
If you can’t shower, at least do the hair dryer thing, change clothing, and wash your face and glasses.
Put “scented” clothing (from errands) in a new, large, metal trash can until they can be washed. But be sure to wash out the new trash can first. They usually pick up scents from the store, and they might even have release oils on the metal.
Put food items (such as dry beans or flour) into jars upon arriving home. Food packages can pick up scent from the store.
Have a mudroom or garage where winter coats, grocery bags, computer printers, inky bills, etc. stay. Install an exhaust fan in this room and use if it you smell mudroom smells in the house.
Use “home-only” shoes at home and “errand only” shoes out (and keep the errand shoes in the mudroom or some kind of metal tin/container).
Keep not-so-good but important items (like Legos 🙂 ) in tins.
Google natural ways to reduce pests.
Open windows every day if your outside air is good.
Wear mostly cotton clothing, but wash a number of times before use, and try to avoid red and black. These dyes can be a real problem!
Turn off your router at night. Have your provider set it on the lowest setting available (unless you need wifi access outside).
Try to eat organic.
Try to eat natural. Artificial flavors and colors often come from petroleum.
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with Castile soap because they can pick up scents from the store.
Don’t use non-stick pans. These give off toxic gases.
Use digital instead of paper when possible (unless you have EMF sensitivities).
Write in pencil (not ball point pen).
Don’t use fluorescent or LED lights (They contain mercury and are hard on the eyes. Eventually they gave me severe nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. Not sure why.)
For pillows, instead of foam you can stuff a pillowcase with non-flame-retardant-treated cotton sheets or cotton cloth.
My wonderful family does every single one of these things, and if they didn’t, I’d suffer more. I’m super thankful for them and their patience.
So, I can’t remember what I’ve written about my “treatments.” Here they are.
Exercise—I’m up and doing things as soon and as much as I can; I’m really tired of being chair/bedridden. Feels good to work my lungs.
Skin infection treating with white vinegar (topically).
Systemic candida treating with yogurt when I tolerate it and probiotic veggies.
Stomach issues treating additionally with raw cow’s milk.
Vitamin, mineral, etc. needs helped by: canned clams (B12), fish (omega 3s), antioxidants (many colored fruits and veggies), coconut oil & olive oil (several benefits), and glutathione in spinach, asparagus, garlic, etc.
Sleep treating with occasional magnesium topically.
That’s it (unless I’m forgetting something), besides this extremely low-tox house and the fresh, country, dry (low mold count) air high on this hill. Also staying home most of the time (for now) and practicing low-tox living. So far, I cannot tolerate any meds or supplements.
A further word about diet: everyone has an opinion on diets. I do think specialty diets (like gluten free, Paleo) help some people.
Others have no choice due to extreme reactions to foods.
But I do not believe that “one diet fits all” regardless of “research” on diet for mold illness and the like.
This is because the human body is so complicated that it is nearly impossible to study complex dietary results effectively.
One cannot have a true “control” group, and the human body is affected by SO many factors besides diet that is it hard to sort them out. Some factors are: heredity, exercise, chemicals in the environment, illnesses, malfunctions of the body, stress, allergies.
Not having food intolerances myself, I feel the Mediterranean diet is sensible for many areas of health (fiber, balance, antioxidants, natural) Over the years I have also listened to my body, and that seems to work well.
It seems organic makes a big difference. I “lean” organic as much as possible while still doing well on some non-organic foods (especially peas, sweet potatoes, onions, and Romaine lettuce. But do your own research and try to pay attention to how you feel.)
I avoid potatoes now, only because I don’t feel good after I eat them. Regular potatoes are sprayed a lot; maybe this is why. I may try organic potatoes again sometime.
For children in particular, that deserves its own post, but for now I will say this: it appears that food problems in children are increasing because of more and more things that are going wrong with children’s bodies. My advice is to look into this carefully before deeming a child “picky” or “stubborn.” Some are, of course, but others may have stomach and related problems so that certain foods make them feel yucky. Sometimes even children have instinct about this.
Overall, my feeling is don’t listen to the diet police, listen to your body. 🙂
I have wondered—will I hit a plateau for a while in the healing process?
So far, not! As long as I look at the overall picture each month (and not more often), I can see very steady improvement. So thankful.
Specific improvements this month:
Less fatigue, shortness of breath, and recovery needed from talking or reading out loud. Talking takes more breath and energy than one might imagine! I still have a ways to go on this, but I have even been able to sing for short times. Before this I hadn’t been able to sing for almost 8 years, not even by myself at home. It was too exhausting, and I could not sustain a phrase without stopping to breathe again.
Headaches much less frequent.
Body temperature problems less frequent.
Here’s an odd one: fears (of spiders, wasps, etc.) are declining.
I believe there can be a direct correlation from worsening illness to fears increasing. After all, it makes sense, doesn’t it: when a person barely has the energy to take care of themselves and/or are bedridden, the person does not have physical energy or stress “margin” to deal with something like a spider. One part of this (at least for me) was that the physical ability to smash it (rather than scare it into hiding only for it to pop out later horribly and unexpectedly) was greatly reduced. Some people are exposed to mold different from mine; other molds may be even more likely to increase fears because of how the toxins act on the human body. This and other variances could make fears severe. I feel for people going through this.
Energy: just as I was about to time myself for the hours I’m able to be out of bed, I accidentally encountered some chemicals. I estimate it will take me a week to recover from this.
So it would be pointless to try to calculate my energy this time, although before the chemicals, I was probably around 20% of normal or so (just over 3 hours up and able to work each day).
Christa Upton Black Hills Picture Books Edgemont, SD 57735
These are tips gathered over 6 years of mold experience and education from mold experts, builders, the Center for Disease Control (USA), and others with mold illness.
Don’t let leaks go. Most people don’t realize that mold can develop in walls within 48 hours. So, prioritize leaks and dry things out quickly. (But do NOT put a fan on a place where you suspect mold is already growing. This could spread spores.) However:
Use dehumidifiers or air conditioning. Keep humidity in the house below 50% or even 40%. (Keep units clean.)
Do not water flowers or landscaping near your foundation.
Make sure everything is graded away from your foundation.
If you ever see standing water near your house, add French drains around the house (underground). (Put them in right away if building from scratch.)
Do not hang clothes to dry. This is sad because hanging dry saves electricity. However, hanging dry inside can raise humidity and even cause mold growth in the clothes because they do not dry fast enough. Hanging dry outside can cause wet clothing to pick up outdoor mold spores and toxins and pollen, depending on circumstances and the area. It may work for some people.
Make sure that the bathroom fan is vented to the outside (NOT the attic) and that any vent ducts are insulated. Otherwise, humidity can build up or condensation can occur, causing mold.
Whenever you run vent fans, crack a nearby window. This allows the fan to work properly (being able to pull air easily from somewhere). To check your fan, put a tissue near the fan and see if the fan sucks it up and makes it stick to the fan. If so, you’re probably good.
Do not install a tile shower. I have seen way too many stories of water getting behind and causing major mold problems. It can happen with any shower, but tile showers seem to be particularly susceptible to problems. I am not sure why, but I think it is because it is hard to completely seal the grout against water “pounding” on it.
If you boil water, soups, etc. a lot, make sure kitchen is vented to the outside also. I don’t know how much cooking humidity will cause a problem, but it’s better to take it out if you can.
Never leave cooked food on the counter for longer than 2 hours, and never leave it in the fridge for longer than 3 days. Even something acidic like tomato sauce will usually contain mold toxins or spores after 3 or 4 days (even though you cannot see mold growing).
Check sippy cups, pacifiers, baby suction bulbs, and the like. If mold is found, throw it away; do not attempt to clean it. Cleaning will often leave behind toxins. IMHO, it is not worth the risk for a child.
Make sure the dryer is also vented outside.
Always open the clothes washer after use. We keep ours open all the time except when in use.
Watch out for front-loading machines which can grow mold in the door seal.
When your dishwasher is done running, open it and run the kitchen vent fan and/or open a window and add a fan blowing outward to remove humidity. Like with the vent fan, you also need to open another window to allow dry air to come in and replace the humid air, allowing the fan blowing out to work properly. Leaving the dishwasher shut can cause humidity to build up under counter, in cabinets, etc. and cause mold growth.
Do not purchase a memory foam mattress, or if you have one, look to make sure no mold is growing underneath or in it.
Do not completely cover a mattress in something plastic. This may cause mold growth. Mattresses need to breath.
Do not set a mattress on a completely solid, cold foundation or on a cold floor. Again, mattresses need to breathe. I am not sure, but I suspect mattresses getting mold on the bottom from sitting on a solid foundation happens because the foundation or floor is colder than the room air. I do not know if this can happen on a solid foundation that is warm.
For many people, a little bit of mold is not going to cause noticeable health problems. (Though larger amounts and especially certain kinds of mold may cause symptoms even if a person is not susceptible.)
But for my friends and I with severe mold illness, it is scary how little can make us ill or very ill. So, we often chat and share ideas with one another. Any of these tips you follow may reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill from mold.
Of course you can also build a mold-resistant house from scratch, especially if someone is already mold-sick in your household:
Mold smells, destroys materials (like drywall), and causes allergies. But is it really all that bad?
Yeah, it is.
Granted, approximately only 25% of the population is more susceptible to mold illness. [i] However, mold is not good for anyone. [ii]
Mold does at least three things (besides cause decay):
Mold causes allergy (similar to dogs or grass).
Mold causes poisoning (because unlike dogs or grass, it produces toxins).
Mold infects (mold can grow on a person’s skin or in their lungs or sinuses. Yeah, gross.)
Before I continue, nothing in this post or on this website should be construed as medical advice. These are ideas based on my research and experience. I am not a doctor.
If one is mold allergic, the main thing I want to say is NEVER consent to mold allergy shots. This is because mold is toxic (again, as opposed to other allergens). You may not realize you are getting symptoms from the toxins in the mold shots until it is too late.
Mold poisoning. It’s nothing like people think when they first think of the dangers of mold. It goes far beyond respiratory or allergy symptoms; one would do better to think more like arsenic or dioxin.
Symptoms from mold poisoning can range from brain fog to heart problems, extreme exhaustion (“Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”), depression, sleep problems, acid reflux, Lyme disease-like symptoms, autism-like symptoms, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and even sometimes Fibromyalgia. (Though I believe Fibromyalgia can be caused by other toxins or xenobiotics or unknown reasons.)
Some people being treated for Chronic Lyme probably actually have mold illness. One treatment for Lyme (antibiotics) usually makes mold illness worse, sometimes much worse.
Prolonged exposure to mold (and other toxins) can also cause Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance or Toxic Injury (among other names for approximately the same illness).
If multiple family members or even pets developed symptoms along these lines after moving into a house, I would highly suspect mold. Look for water damage. If there is visible water damage, there is likely hidden mold. Many (most??) of us with mold damage never saw the mold until we were sick.
I do not have much experience with mold infection (thankfully!) I do have some on my skin, as well as systemic Candida (which is related to mold and can be exacerbated by mold in the environment).
My skin infection is (slowly) healing with topical vinegar. Candida is more complicated, but one thing that helps some people is probiotic veggies (properly fermented with good bacteria) or properly fermented yogurt. At this point in my research and understanding, I do NOT drink probiotic drinks as these appear to be more likely to be contaminated with Candida.
Mold infection of sinuses is apparently common. If a person has mold infection and is given antibiotics, the infection will probably get worse.
Mold infection of the lungs (possibly “farmer’s lung” or fungal pneumonia) can be very serious. Please see a doctor and tell the doctor you suspect fungal infection if you have symptoms of this.
From 2007 to 2010, I suffered accidental Toxic Injury (also called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Environmental Illness). But, the forced time in bed has given me time to write. It has been such a blessing to work on my children's books and stories!
I love: God, family & friends, outdoors, gardening, animals, writing, reading, photography, cooking, music, dance, bare feet, long skirts, lavender & yellow, and chocolate.
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