The Leprosy of Our Day

There are no words can adequately describe the horrors that we have experienced over the past year. A little over a year ago Spencer was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. His diagnosis was followed by non-stop visits to the doctor/and or hospital for most of our family. Sicknesses including several attacks of acute pancreatitis, development of asthma, Bell's Palsy, headaches, brain fog, chronic rhinosinusitis and chronic coughs.

In November 2012 we moved to a new house that we thought was our dream house out in the country. After experiencing so much sickness and the house testing positive for toxic molds we fled for our lives moving back into our old house 2 weeks before our newborn baby was born.

For the most part we have been avoiding the doctors office/hospital, but my husband continues to have recurring bouts of pancreatitis. He just had his 7th attack. If we do not get this situation fixed he may develop chronic pancreatitis, diabetes or cancer. He also remains at a high risk for premature death. Before moving into this house my husband was in good health and had never had a hospital stay in his life. In an effort to get to the root of his condition we spent $700 out-of-pocket to have his urine tested at a specialty lab. He tested positive for tricothecenes (one of the most toxic substances in existence) in his body.

Since we are finding NO answers in our medical community within a 100 mile radius we have been forced to find our own answers and diagnose ourselves. We have also had to search out doctors that deal specifically in environmental medicine. We have found a lot of answers from Dr. Rae (author of "Surviving Toxic Black Mold Syndrome) and Dr. Richie Shoemaker (survivingmold.com). I have also had several conversations with Dr. Thrasher, one of the leading toxicologists in the United States. One of the greatest blessings I have gained through all of this is my friendship with Andre Fabre, a mother of 9 who had experienced a nightmare experience with exposure to toxic mold. Her website can be found at momsaware.org and is full of so much helpful information.

Toxic mold exposure has truly become the "leprosy" of our time. Just like lepers were cast out of society and left to bear such a great sickness with so much ridicule. History has repeated itself. Toxic mold syndrome leaves its victim sick in ways that leave one questioning their own sanity as it spreads through their body spreading poison and totally unpredictable symptoms. When the sufferer finally identifies the root of the problem they are ridiculed and made to feel "crazy", especially by those in the medical community who remain close minded and continue to produce "sick" patients.

In addition to the emotional trauma that this lack of support and backbiting produces one must cope with the mounting medical bills and lack of ability to pay them due to time off work and then there is the constant search for answers.