Could Mold Be the Cause of Your Health Problems? Andrea Fabry Mold Story

Mold is terrible. It can make you sick and worse. If you have health issues that are unanswered, mold might be the cause.

Following is Andrea Fabry's Mold Story and it's a doozy. It's a story of sickness, discovery, and recovery. It's excruciating and scary to read, but it just might save your life, or of life of someone you know.

{I have “known” Andrea Fabry for a long time. She and her husband are radio personalities and I have listened to them on an off for [ahem] many years. We even went to the same university (but at different times).  One of the most memorable stories I have heard is Andrea's – of her family's battle with black mold symptoms, how they found out where it was all coming from, and what they did once they knew.

Now you can hear it as well. I hope this helps someone out there get the relief they need.}

We were a relatively healthy family prior to moving into the home of our dreams the summer of 2000.

It was a 5500 square foot home, triple the size of our first house. We could see Pikes Peak from the upstairs window.

The home was perfect for our family of 10.

We knew little about medical problems.

We had been to the emergency room only once in our 15 years of parenting.

Within six months of our move, however, things changed.

The Fabry Family Was Changed Forever by Black Mold

Here's how:

– Our 6 year-old daughter was diagnosed with a seizure disorder
– another daughter’s food allergies escalated
– a bird died
– our dog developed diabetes
– I felt some slight neurological changes.
– Respiratory illnesses, fevers and ear infections became routine.
– Our ninth child was born in 2001 and immediately placed in neonatal intensive care for lung issues.

We thought nothing about the increased health challenges.

After all, health is random. Some people get sick and others don’t.

At least that’s what I thought.

The Mold Discovery

Two days before Mother’s Day 2007. I found a spot on the carpet in the corner of my daughter’s room.

We pulled up the carpeting and found some black-colored mold.

We called a mold remediator and he assured us that mold is harmless, and admonished us to not heed any of the mold “hype.”

We believed him.

Without testing, without masks, without any type of containment the workers tore into the wall, exposing massive amounts of mold – well beyond what we anticipated.

Mold had also been growing behind the bathroom wall, though we couldn’t see it.

Fans were blown directly on the exposed walls.

Black Mold Symptoms Progressed in the Fabry Family

Six Weeks Later

– Our 7-year-old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
– Three months later our 11-year-old developed debilitating tinnitus in his left ear.
– His tinnitus soon developed into full blown vomiting and vertigo.
– By November he was in a wheelchair.

Six Months Later

Six months after the remediation:

• our 10-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a serious vision disturbance.
• the convergence insufficiency led to intense headaches.
• her personality changed.
• she could no longer read and was forced to withdraw from fourth grade.

Soon everyone in our family was struggling. Our issues included the following black mold symptoms:

• Brain fog
• Digestive problems
• Migraines
• Abdominal pain
• Rashes
• Memory loss
• Mood alteration
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• Nosebleeds
• and even Black Tongues

In all, we saw 60 doctors in that one year.

I begged for help – especially for my son with vertigo. (Read Reagan’s unbelievable story here.)

We visited pediatricians, neurologists, ear specialists, ophthalmologists, and gastroenterologists. As specialists they showed little interest in my other children’s symptoms.

My role as a parent was questioned.

I heard statements like:

• “Your child needs tough love.”
• “She needs attention.”
• “Your child is just stressed.”
• “Don’t make your child’s illness about you.”

I was fighting for my sanity as well as my children’s health. Something was terribly wrong.

Finally, a friend asked if I was familiar with the term, “Sick Building Syndrome” and the thought began to nag me.

I called an environmental hygienist. However, he dismissed our symptoms saying mold only causes respiratory problems.

The New Mold Spot

In May of 2008, one year to the day after our first mold discovery, Colin, who was 8, pointed to a spot on the ceiling and asked, “What’s that?”

It was a water mark in a completely different part of the house.

Unknowingly and still believing our declining health was unrelated to our home, we called the same mold remediation company.

The workers tore open the ceiling and blew fans on the mold yet again.

I began to feel increasingly unsettled.

My husband, drowning in escalating medical bills, agreed to my request for a second opinion.

We called a new remediator who was shocked by the fans and the exposed walls. He encouraged us to call a hygienist to test the home.

We got our air samples back and found: astronomical levels of stachybotrys, otherwise known as “black mold.”

I knew nothing about “stachy” (pronounced “stakee”) but I now had a specific term to research.

It was immediately clear our symptoms were consistent with mold poisoning and mycotoxicosis (mycotoxin poisoning). They were black mold symptoms.

At last the dots were being connected.

We called a qualified company to undo what had been done. They wore masks and contained the areas properly.

We replaced virtually everything in the home, anticipating an end to this horrific chapter in our lives.

– We sought alternative health strategies.
– Our bodies responded.
– We were able to wean our 14 year daughter off of her seizure medication.

More Problems

However in the fall of 2008, when we turned on the heat, our health deteriorated again.

I made contact with a leading toxicologist in the field, Dr. Jack Thrasher, and he explained that even with remediation, a systemic mold problem like ours was virtually impossible to eradicate.

On October 4, 2008 we vacated our home. As advised, we treated the home like a fire: bringing nothing with us.

We found a smaller rental home close to our vacated home and started over.

While the loss of our home and possessions was devastating, I felt renewed hope.

– The kids would be back in school
– We would return to our life of activities, graduations, school plays and sporting events.

No more worrying about another trip to an emergency room.

Two months later, that dream died and our most challenging chapter began.

Make sure you are subscribed so you don't miss the next installment — Could MOLD Be the Cause of Your Health Problems?  – Part 2.

Would you like to read our family’s story in full? See Timeline of Events

Interested in learning more about toxic mold and black mold symptoms? See A Beginner’s Guide to Toxic Mold.

Affordable Mold Tests

If you are concerned about mold in your home there are a bunch of tests available, but there are only a few that I would personally use after talking with friends who are true experts on the topic. They are the following:

1. Got Mold

Got Mold uses the same technology that mold inspectors use when they do air tests, but this system is more affordable. Plus you don't have to worry about conflict of interest or trying to figure out who you can trust.

2. ERMI Dust Test

The ERMI is really thought to be one of the best tests out there. You can get it at Momsaware and use code MOMSAWARE to get a discount.

I personally prefer the Got Mold system as I think there are a lot of things that can go wrong with the ERMI. And you really should clean the area you are going to be testing well and then wait weeks before you do the ERMI – otherwise you are getting a lot of historical information and not necessarily current data.

Use code WHOLENEWMOM10 to get 10% off at Got Mold.

3. ImmunoLytics Diagnostic Tests

MicroBalance

If you are on a tight budget, then the ImmunoLytics Diagnostic Mold Test Kit is an option, but it does have drawbacks.

Petri dish testing doesn't test anything that doesn't fall into the dish. We did this kind of testing in our home, and it showed no real problem, but we had mold that actually gave me RA symptoms!

However, if you want to start with this, you can and for an even more inexpensive option, this 6 pack of testing petri dishes is great to see what kind of mold growth you might have going on in your home.

Micro Balance Health Products also has Mold and Mycotoxin Cleaners that will help keep the air healthy for your family. I've personally used these products and love them! Use Code wholenewmom to get 10% off your purchase.

CitriSafe

CitriSafe has the same tests at a lower price point, plus loads of other great products as well.

Moisture Meters

A meter like this one can be super helpful when checking your house for mold. You can check surfaces like walls and floors and ceilings to get an idea of what might be going on behind them.

We've used this meter often in our home and actually I think having a backup is a great idea too. It's been that helpful!

Dealing with Mold In Your Home

One thing that was super helpful to me when we had mold the second time, is fogging. Fogging with a good product that mitigates the effects of the mold and mycotoxins can greatly reduce your exposure and reactions.

Here are some products that I use and love.

Superstratum

This is a new impressive brand to address mold that we've used in our house for a few remediations, on the recommendation of a mold expert friend. Superstratum has a whole house system and chlorine dioxide bombs that you can even use to address areas when you can't get to them otherwise. As always, remediation is best, but you can only do what you can do in some situations.

Their HOCl is specially formulated to penetrate some surfaces more than the HOCl listed below. Use code WNM for a discount.

CitriSafe

CitriSafe has a great Mold Concentrate that is very effective. You can buy it and use it in any quality fogger. Use code WNM for 10% off.

Micro Balance has a good fogger that produces a 5 micron spray.

HOCl

HOCl is stronger than bleach and it's non-toxic. It's even used in hospitals.

Ecoloxtech is a great device for making your own HOCl at home without needing to buy pre-packaged ingredients. All you need is salt and vinegar.

HOCl kills mold. We spray the inside of our washing machine, shoes, clothing that's been in a moldy place (bags too), and sometimes bedding, and it's great for cleaning. So many options! Just be careful to keep it at the right strength because it can stain some things.

Force of Nature is another option for making HOCl. Most people use their pre-measured capsules but some find a workaround for that.

Toxic Mold Help

THIS book by Neil Nathan is thought to be THE best book on how to deal with mold toxicity related health issues. I'm reading it and it has superb information including ways to get started addressing this issue and the things that have worked best for his patients.

Do You Suspect Mold Could Be the Cause of YOUR Health Problems or
Have You Had an Exposure to Mold that Affected Your Health?

Andrea is a former journalist and the mother of nine children ranging in age from 28 to 12. Following a toxic mold exposure, Andrea and her family discovered the wonders of natural living. Andrea is the founder and president of momsAWARE, an educational organization designed to empower others to live healthy in a toxic world.