I want to share what has been happening with me lately that may impact you or someone you know. I’ve been recovering from toxic mold exposure.
I never thought much about mold. It was just an annoying thing I had to clean off of leather items, like my saddle. Come to find out, 1 in 4 people are genetically susceptible to mold biotoxin illness. (“Lucky me”, the 1 in 4.) That means they cannot clear from their bodies the biotoxins that molds put off.
The biggest source of toxic mold is water-damaged buildings. The US government claims that 1 in 2 buildings in the US is water-damaged. This was the case for my illness. Living in a humid environment tends to further compound matters. You may not be able to see or smell the mold, but it can still make you gravely ill. I hope you can realize the enormity of the issue.
These biotoxins create havoc by poisoning the body, causing inflammation throughout the body systems. Symptoms are extremely variable depending on the other genetics and how well the various body systems can defend themselves. Headaches, fatigue, brain fog, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are probably the most common symptoms, but there are many others. Most doctors don’t have a clue as to the cause of the condition, and write it off as some other disease or that it is all in one’s head.
My symptoms were unusual and none of the many doctors, holistic or conventional, I have seen through the years have understood the cause. Yes, I was tested for many things, including allergies. It was not that and, yes, the allergy doctor concluded that it was “in my head”. Not!
More than one doctor offered me chemotherapy to suppress my immune system. I told them “No! I want to determine and remedy the cause, not just suppress my immune system so it won’t react.”
Another doctor prescribed oral, broad-spectrum antibiotics. I told her I didn’t want to further impair my intestinal flora.
You really have to be your own advocate!
Fortunately, some functional medicine doctors do understand mold illness. However, good luck trying to get health insurance companies to pay for office visits or tests ordered by functional medicine doctors.
The genius researcher who has uncovered the truths about mold biotoxin illness is Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. He has an extensive testing and treatment protocol. He no longer sees patients, but is training a growing number of physicians, who are listed on his website, www.survivingmold.com.
Mold biotoxin illness is not a new illness, but the incidence has increased with changes in building materials and construction. With the effort to cut energy costs we now have “tight building syndrome”, which results in a greater concentration of indoor air pollution due to less air exchange. In 1969, mold-retardant paints were introduced. Just as antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains have developed due to the overuse of antibiotics, super-toxic molds have developed due to the use of mold-resistant paints. What happens is that the organisms that aren’t killed develop more resistance over subsequent generations. They proliferate because their weaker competitors have been killed off by the agent (mold-retardant paint or antibiotic).
The same thing can be seen in agriculture. When nature is in balance, it is a self-regulating system, and life is good. When humans interfere in the system with toxic agents, good and bad aspects of the system, i.e. microbes or insects, are all impacted, with the bad becoming more prevalent over time due to the resulting selection and lack of competition.
I am delighted to report that I am feeling much better now that I moved to a drier location, cleaned or discarded everything I own (while wearing a mold remediation mask), and got some truly helpful medication. Yes, mold remediation is a huge undertaking.
Now I am happily back to my regular work of helping to grow the best foods ever!
Dr. Jana
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