"Happy" Fibromyalgia Awareness Day - May 12, 2006. I say that "tongue in cheek," of course!!! Seriously, I applaud the efforts of all those with neuro-endocrine-immune disorders who are actively trying to get the attention of the media, legislators, friends and family. My letter to Congress is at www.fms-help.com/congress.htm.
Now, dear and faithful readers, I wonder if you can help me with a health problem I have been battling for the past 6 months. Here's the situation:
Last June, I began teaching music in a church sanctuary. I am in this room 25-30 hours a week. The room has a musty odor and stays very humid due to past hurricane damage and also leaving untreated water in the baptistry for months at a time. (The water is changed and the baptistry cleaned only on the day of a baptism. The water becomes scummy and bacteria-laden in the meantime. I didn't realize this until a few weeks ago when I went "backstage" to investigate.) The air conditioners for this room run constantly. We live in Florida, so it is hot and humid most of the time. I'm no A/C tech, but I think the A/C doesn't shut off because it can't pull the moisture out of the air. My clothes are always damp and I am sweating, even though the thermometer says 70 degrees. (Others feel the same way, so it's not hot flashes.)
On December 4, I got sick with a horrible virus that lasted several weeks. A lot of my students were also sick with this same illness. Most recovered in a matter of days or couple of weeks. I recovered eventually, but then in January I went down with what appeared to be a lung infection. Breathing was difficult and painful. Coughing was excruciating. My doctor thought I had fluid trapped in my chest and there was some talk about using a BIG needle (yipes!) to drain it. Turned out, the X-ray came back showing my lungs were clear. I attributed my newly acquired weird lung illness to taking the (bad) advice of a chiropractor to fill an ice bag with ice cubes and strap it to my back with an elastic wrap for up to 6 hours a day to treat sciatica. I had ice on my back for 3-4 hours a day for several days. That's when the lung problem started.
Well, it is now mid-May and there is still something wrong with my lungs. The pain has lessened, but I still have chest tightness, shortness of breath and pain when coughing, sneezing or breathing deeply. I have been to a very famous doctor and also to a pulmonologist (lung specialist). Nothing they have prescribed or done for me has helped. I have been on a dozen prescriptions since January - antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, inhalers, prednisone, etc. My voice is weak when speaking or singing, especially when I'm tired, which is most of the time now. My day consists of teaching, then I come home and collapse. I can't go anywhere on weekends - just no stamina.
I got online this week and began studying MOLD. I think I have been working in a "sick building" and that has a lot to do with the lung problem and my inability to recover despite tons of supplements and even my wonderful immune powder. Has anyone else had this condition? Do you know of any medicine (maybe an anti-fungal?) that could heal my lungs? I think my immune system has become totally overloaded. What do you think?
Below is some info I found about mold. It may be useful to you and your family too!!!!
Faithfully yours,
Dominie Soo Bush
P.S. BTW, today was my last day of teaching there since I can't afford the medical bills I'm generating as a self-pay patient. My husband is now wondering if I should file for disability. I can barely function. It's hard enough having FMS/CFIDS without this new lung illness too. I'm all ears to any suggestions you may have!
1. SICK BUILDING SYNDROME (SBS)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html#Biological%20contaminants
Biological contaminants: Bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses are types of biological contaminants. These contaminants may breed in stagnant water [slimy baptistry water?] that has accumulated in ducts, humidifiers and drain pans, or where water has collected on ceiling tiles, carpeting, or insulation.....Physical symptoms related to biological contamination include cough, chest tightness, fever, chills, muscle aches, and allergic responses such as mucous membrane irritation and upper respiratory congestion. One indoor bacterium, Legionella, has caused both Legionnaire's Disease and Pontiac Fever. For more information, see Biologicals and Mold.
Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any organic substance, as long as moisture and oxygen are present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, foods, and insulation. When excessive moisture accumulates in buildings or on building materials, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or unaddressed. It is impossible to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment. However, mold growth can be controlled indoors by controlling moisture indoors.
Molds reproduce by making spores that usually cannot be seen without magnification. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. Molds gradually destroy the things they grow on.
Many types of molds exist. All molds have the potential to cause health effects. Molds can produce allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mold. Others are known to produce potent toxins and/or irritants. Potential health concerns are an important reason to prevent mold growth and to remediate/clean up any existing indoor mold growth.
Since mold requires water to grow, it is important to prevent moisture problems in buildings. Moisture problems can have many causes, including uncontrolled humidity. Some moisture problems in buildings have been linked to changes in building construction practices during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Some of these changes have resulted in buildings that are tightly sealed, but may lack adequate ventilation, potentially leading to moisture buildup. Building materials, such as drywall, may not allow moisture to escape easily. Moisture problems may include roof leaks, landscaping or gutters that direct water into or under the building, and unvented combustion appliances. Delayed maintenance or insufficient maintenance are also associated with moisture problems in schools and large buildings. Moisture problems in portable classrooms and other temporary structures have frequently been associated with mold problems.
When mold growth occurs in buildings, adverse health problems may be reported by some building occupants, particularly those with allergies or respiratory problems. Remediators should avoid exposing themselves and others to mold-laden dusts as they conduct their cleanup activities. Caution should be used to prevent mold and mold spores from being dispersed throughout the air where they can be inhaled by building occupants.
http://www.moldinspector.com/church-mold.htm
[Answer to a question about
mold:] Attending church religious services or participating in
other church activities [including Sunday school for young children and
youth fellowship meetings, as well as marriage ceremonies, baptisms, and
funerals] in a church building with mold-infestation can
adversely affect the church members, visitors and guests, their minister or
priest or rabbi, and church staff. Inhaling of
elevated levels airborne mold
spores for
even an hour during religious church services can sometimes be enough to
initiate mold colony
growth in one's sinus cavities and lungs. Because your son already has
serious health problems, he is much more at risk for mold health
damage than most
people. Your first step should be to offer to pay for do it yourself mold
test kits to determine the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mold spores in the air of church
sanctuary and other church rooms and in the outward airflow from heating/cooling
duct registers, in comparison to an outdoor mold control test. As
to the visible mold, you can collect a sample from each mold growth location
using the Scotch tape lift
sampling technique which is
explained and mold test kits available at a large hardware, home improvement or
safety store. If you cannot afford the mold test kits and mold lab
analysis, ask the church to pay for it or suggest that the pastor or priest or
rabbi take up a special collection to pay for environmental and mold testing of
the church building. Learn how to do safe and effective mold remediation by
visiting: Mold Removal.
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