Fw: dental molds and other things to ponder

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----- Original Message ----- From: peter haughton

Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2000 2:48 PM

Subject: dental molds and other things to ponder

Message: 13 Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 02:01:11 -0000 From: inwords@...Subject: Re: Denist> I, too, am losing my teeth now at an alarming speed. Even my denist> sits in amazement. I have the same problems with the medications> used before working on them. Makes me wonder how many others> are in our same boat.> > Love,> Suzanne in TexasI can't seem to locate the original post on this subject but am very curious

hey group; maybe this will get some of you even more curious! I've stored a file named "dental Stachy" and it seems to grow in spurts!

3 Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 16:33:30 -0000 From: brunson@...Subject: dental problems with stachyI have been a dental hygienist for 20 years. My husband is a dentist in The Woodlands, TX. We are current and pretty well-read on continuing education in the profession. We recently had to abandon a 7-year old synthetic stucco house that rotted and almost killed my daughter. All of us have symptoms from the mold. The house is thought to have leaked between the walls since construction was completed, so we had a chronic 7 year exposure. I lost 6 teeth in that house and have another one on the way out. I had no disease at all present in my mouth--no periodontal disease, no decay. These teeth hurt for years and finally abcessed for no apparent reason. Root canals were useless, apicoectomies did not work. The last two I lost, I had extracted right off the bat and did not even try root canals because it seemed useless. Attempts at titanium steel implants have been pretty successful; I only rejected two so far. They get a "green goo" growing around them that the surgeon has not seen before. I have baffled every specialist in the area. I'm thinking it was the mold. I'd like to research this and write an article that would help dentists and other healthcare professionals recognize the mold problem. If you have a similar situation, please email me. I am especially interested in hearing from people who had regular dental care and can document that they did not have disease present that led to the abcesses. If anyone has seen any actual research on this topic, please send it. I cannot find any studies or reference to this, but it does make sense that a neurotoxin could set in and eat the myelin sheath off dental nerve endings as well as any other nerve ending in the body. I appreciate any input here. One other thing--the last time I took an antibiotic I almost died from toxicity-type symptoms. There was also alot of penicillium in my house. Does anyone know if this is related?Thanks,Alda Brunson, RDHbrunson@...

November 19, 2000

Dear Alda,

My name is Cherry Haughton and I am also a dental hygienist. I graduated from Armstrong State College, Savannah, Ga., in 1983.I returned to school to study pharmacy in 1992 at the University of Georgia in Athens and I am a registered pharmacist. I regret having to meet under such trying circumstances, however, maybe we can pool our knowledge and resources to help others and ourselves.

First of all, how are you all feeling? How is your daughter? All fine I hope.

Here's our story........My husband and I had a home built for us in 1996. It is a wood frame home constructed on top of a crawlspace.

The property was never graded properly and the house was set into a downward slope, therefore every time it rains, water collects in the front yard and seeps into the crawlspace where it pools to about 6 inches deep in places. There is always standing water in the crawlspace between rainstorms. We mentioned this to the builder within weeks of moving in and after the first rainstorm and he said that"crawlspace homes are always expected have some moisture." He put some clear plastic down to cover the dirt, but he didn't extend the plastic all the way to the foundational block wall. This halfhearted measure did nothing to help the muddy mess under our house.....MOLD......

We used Hardi Plank siding(which is concrete planks made to look like wood) and we had cellulose insulation blown in between the studs(which is simply ground up newspaper). As you are picturing this in your mind, it is important to note that the builder neglected to place a vapor barrier between the Hardi Plank and the wooden studs and cellulose insulation. Therefore, every time it rains or the humidity gets above 50% the studs and insulation get wet..... MOLD......

The sub floor is entirely plywood, which is protocol for crawlspace home construction, as opposed to a concrete pad foundation and block walls, however when it rains the french doors leak; thus keeping the sub floor wet under the carpeting. The toilets both leaked until the proper size wax ring was installed to keep the sub floor from staying wet under the ceramic tile. There were two roof leaks, which resulted in wet cellulose insulation in the attic, wet wooden trusses and wet drywall inside the house......MOLD.....

Are you beginning to see a picture/pattern emerge? Quite simply, when we combine water and wood or cellulose products(anything made from wood or a natural fiber....i.e.: paper insulation, drywall, cotton fabric, even the jute backing of carpeting) that is the perfect substrate for mold growth.

Well, if that isn't enough, better hang on because I've left the best(worst) for last. The air-handling unit is installed inside the crawlspace. It is suspended from the floor joist(wooden I beams) with pressed particleboard. The HVAC contractor mounted it 3 inches off level causing the unit to pool and stagnate water rather than allowing the water to drain as designed by the manufacturer. We notified the general contractor and HVAC contractor immediately after we moved in and again we were told that "it would be ok."

Fourteen to sixteen months passed during which time we had to have the HVAC contractor and/or general contractor out to our home to address problems concerning the malfunctioning of the unit. The entire exterior of the unit was wet and eventually began growing black mold as well as the pressed board frame from which it was suspended. The interior of the unit was completely covered in mold (all four sides and top molded and the drip pan contained stagnate, moldy slime water). It was at this time that we began to develop physical symptoms.

Our initial health symptoms consisted of burning eyes(like walking in a room of very strong chemical fumes making your eyes sting and tear), SEVERE itching (in every area of the body, especially around waistband of pants, bra strap etc...),burning skin(in areas where skin is thinnest and most tender, i.e.: outer corner of the eye, armpits, neck area, inside of thighs and private areas..)

About the same time, I experienced the most terrifying episode of my life when I began having memory problems and mental confusion and I realized that I didn’t comprehend anything I tried to read. Simple things that I have done most of my life like how to write a check, take a phone message and even how to spell simple words correctly took a lot of mental effort. Looking back on some notes that I tried to write it became apparent that something was very wrong when I couldn't remember how to spell the word "was" and wrote "wus" or "says" and wrote "sez" instead because I simply couldn't remember. Sometimes I left out blocks of words when writing and didn't even realize I had done so until I later reread some things I had written during that time period. On top of the memory problems etc, I developed a SEVERE stuttering problem and found it impossible to control the muscle twitches in my jaw and tongue area.

I also experienced muscle twitches in my right shoulder area. This was truly a nightmare..... We discovered that opening all the windows helped to decrease the symptoms. From this point forward, we lived in the house completely open, even in the winter months. We fired up space heaters and slept under electric blankets until we could make different living arrangements. At times, however, the itching became so bad that we simply had to leave the house.

A few months later, I lost 75% of my eyelashes and what were left became very short and thin. My husband() and I began having daily diarrhea(sometimes passing blood) and nose bleeds 3-4 times a week. We would wake up(sleep during this time meant 4 maybe 5 hours of interrupted rest because the itching discomfort) to find blood all over the pillowcase and/or sheets due to nosebleeds. My left ear bled a few times and they always itched. Our two retrievers developed fungal infections in their ears that caused the skin to redden and bleed lightly. Skin blisters on our arms, legs and chest erupted that initially itched, eventually popped open and turned into open sores and would take eight to ten months to finally dry up and turn into a white spot.

As time progressed, we developed an ever-growing list of troubling health problems. We would eventually learn that our problems were caused from mold/spores and we learned how to cope somewhat by opening the windows, placing a couple industrial sized fans in window openings to blow in fresh air, etc. However, there were times that the itching got so severe in the house even with everything that we were doing to "fix" the house that we would sleep in our tent outside a few nights just to escape the hellish conditions inside. During the winter, sometimes the rain and wind would send us packing for the house because we simply couldn't endure the wet cold only to start the "hellish" itch all over again. When would this nightmare end? Local physicians only added to our frustrations and anxiety because of their lack of knowledge and interest, all the while denying any health implications linked to mold spores. Some had never heard of mold spores producing a "neurotoxin" and dismissed it as "a little improbable that our problems were caused by common mold spores" and advised us to "decrease the stress in our lives".

We reasoned, it wouldn't take too much to regain our health if only just live in a "clean" mold free environment. and I discussed our options, set our goals and set about making the necessary changes. In the interim, we had the house mold tested by a Ph.D. toxicologist and it was found to contain a four times higher concentration of molds inside than the outside control concentration. This test was done AFTER we had the HVAC replaced, all the ductwork replaced and the carpeting and upholstery professionally cleaned. One can only imagine what the test results of mold concentrations would have shown before that. Furthermore, we met with Dr. Johanning (medical doctor, environmental exposure doc and mold toxicity expert).The same molds found in the house were identified in our elevated antibody blood labs (no great surprise.....duh).

The next big question is what to do?? First, we removed ourselves from the house per Dr. Johanning's recommendation. Secondly, we walked away from everything that was in the contaminated house. That's right, we left photos, diplomas, awards, teddy bears that we grew up with, antiques that belonged to 's great grandmother, books and important paper documents, even our most basic of necessities ..... underwear and toothbrush.....and started over.

We have been almost 17 months removed and we are better. HOWEVER, we STILL have recurrence when re-exposed and we are still having mild symptoms on a daily basis. At some point during our two year or so exposure, these neurotoxins decided to become systemic. I can think of no home, property or possession that is worth trying to "fix" or "salvage" all the while losing ones physical, mental, spiritual well being, draining of finances, damaging of ones credit and the loss of misunderstanding friends.

Alda, to answer your question regarding the possibility of Stachy causing nerve damage resulting in tooth abscess, I think that it is entirely possible. You are probably right on about the neurotoxin destroying the myelin sheath of the nerve, pulp death and subsequent abscess. I would be happy to help you research this and share my findings with you. Now, I am wondering about all the possibilities. Before the mold, I had a history of no dental problems at all, no gum disease or decay. Right out of the blue, I developed a large decayed area in # 19 that almost required root canal due to the depth/extent of decay. The dentist says it is strange given my oral health history and good home care, to have no decay and then this huge honking decayed area. I still don’t know what happened…..I have always wondered if the mold may have had remote connection.

Sorry such a long message….it’s difficult to put such an experience into thirty words or less. I hope that our story at least lets others know that they are not alone.

Sincerely, cherry haughton

Message: 1 Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2000 17:02:53 -0800 From: 1-Host Marketing <marketing@...>Subject: Mold Questions

I originally sent this message to Doug Haney, but he hasn't answered(perhaps he is out of town), so I am sending this to the group: After testing our house for Mold we found higher than normal levels ofPenicilium and Aspergillus. Sure enough, the MAST test I received by Dr.Marinkovich revealed high antibody levels to Penicillium and Aspergillus.For the first time in 9 months I had a blood test that actually points to apossible (likely?) diagnosis!! I am still so skeptical having been to somany doctors and having been mis-diagnosed numerous times, but this time Iam hopeful. I do have a number of questions though :1. Dr. Marinkovich described what I had as "chronic serum sickness". He saidit was a "normal reaction to an abnormal exposure". Apparently it hasnothing to do with allergy (I guess I have no allergies). Would this then becharacterized as a fungal infection or hypersensitivity to mold or what? Ihave a tough time explaining it to family and friends.2. Why me? Any idea why it would affect me and not my wife and children?Does it necessarily indicate that my immune system was somehow previouslycompromised and that's why I was so susceptible?3. Is there any way to get a feel for how long I will be affected? I livedin this house for about 6 months before I became ill and now have livedhere for a total of 15 months. There was no Stachybotrys, just Peniciliumand Aspergillus. Is there any way to tell (now that I am on Sporanox andNizoral) how long before I can expect to feel better? Dr. Marinkovich saidhe thought I'd start feeling better in about 2 weeks. What do you think?4. Our house was tested by an (expensive) firm called "RestorationConsultants". How do know where the source of our mold is? We suspect ourcarpets, We know it's damp in our living room. We're getting some drainagework done for our crawlspace and putting down some plastic sheeting etc. Butmy concern is that we'll do all this work and there will still be mold. Howdo we know for sure? And how can we test the levels without having to spend$2-3 grand each time?5. Dr. Marinkovich also gave me alist of foods containing mold. Howimportant is diet in all of this? Should I really strive to eliminate allmolds (cheese, brad etc. ), or is it just something to be aware of and notto overdo?Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer these questions.---Rich Hey Rich; The molds that you mentioned do the same things to a lot of people. Mywife and I have similar symptoms, yet at times hers are more sever thanmine. We attribute this to her extended exposure. She was in it 24/7;whereas I was in it outside of 10 hour work days 5 days a week. As to themany responses from the Dr. types, we chalk this up to the ego that many ofthem have. (Let's face it, it takes a lot of self esteem to get through medschool). Then for them to have to face the fact that in that period somemedical problems weren't answered, well, some of those hot shots wouldrather say that the problem is psychosomatic or "stress related". We'vebeen there and had that! Also mentioned by Cherry (herself a pharmacist and dental hygienist) tome is the time that it takes for the medical field to suspect, investigate,confirm, accept, publish, and then educate emerging diseases can takedecades! She told me tonight how some 98 year old guy was being interviewedabout the most impacting achievements in his lifetime, and his response was"air conditioning"! Yeah, he does live in Hotlanta, Ga., but think aboutit. This society has only been dealing with sealed environments aspermanent living/working spaces for about 40 years now. I graduated fromhigh school in '76 and never had the benefit of climate control in my publicschool in West Palm Beach, Fl. We had fans blowing in the windows forthat. I wonder if in 10 or 20 years the Dr. types will look back at thisperiod and this group of mold sufferers and say, "those poor schleps! ifonly we'd done this they wouldn't have had to suffer from bloody noses,constant diaghrea, the itch from hell, sores that never heal, and thatterrible brain fog!" As for us, we're spending about $200 every week for supplements thatseem to be helping us. Our health insurance laughed when asked if it wascovered. If the meds that Dr. Marinkovich prescribed for you do work in acouple of weeks, let us know! Personally, I'd eat a steamin' cow pie if Iknew that I'd get better in 2 weeks! (we've been tormented since 7/97). What are your symptoms? (go to the archives for "our story" to get afull detailing of ours for comparison) As to the construction defects, you've got to fix the water problems!We found that when we had the house remediated, we got rid of some of theviable mold, but not the spores that were making us sicker by the day. Weabandoned the house about 2 years later. We're still making mortgagepayments on it so as to not lose the property that we owned before havinghad the house built. Future plans involve a bulldozer. As to mold avoidance; yeah, I try as hard as I can to avoid it. I hopeand pray that the day comes when all of us can't tell if we have or have notbeen exposed to any type or concentration of mold! Sincerely, Haughton

> Dear Cherry,> I have a very sincere question to ask you, but first I hope you'll> read my story. I'm sure you can relate...>> I live in a small mountain town in Colorado. In August 1997, my 12-> year-old daughter, nine-year-old Doberman Pinscher female and I moved> into a house I rented from my sister. Within the first few days, I> began experiencing burning eyes, raw throat and a nasty cough which> was particularly severe whenever I lay down to sleep at night. After> three nights of no sleep at all, and a 'brain fog' that had me so> disoriented I was literally walking into the walls, I saw my doctor.> He assumed an 'allergy' to new carpeting throughout the house (a> 20'x24' addition had just been built, too - a large open space> adjacent to the open kitchen in the center of the house). I thought> the carpet allergy diagnosis strange, as this was recycled berber-> type carpet fiber, and I had been married for 10 years to a> contractor yet had never exhibited allergies of any type (except to a> single drug - penicillin). My daughter appeared to be asymptomatic> at this time.>> The symptoms would wax and wane, depending on the season; my long-> time partner joined us in the home by late fall - he, too, seemed to> have trouble sleeping in the house but didn't really know why. We> were all quite itchy, but assumed it was dryness - because we're at> nearly 8,000 feet above sea level here in very dry air, and we also> used a woodstove for heat in winter.>> I was quite busy in my work (I'm self employed, and my office space> was in the new addition), so tried to tell myself that I> was 'imagining' things. Yet I had this ongoing cough, strange bouts> of dizziness and sudden blurring of vision (the sight problem would> occur for about an hour or so), ear pain, arthritis-like pain in> various joints. I bruised more easily, and sometimes a hives-like> rash would appear after my showers. I would get so hoarse from time> to time that I would lose my voice altogether periodically. My> doctor assumed these odd bouts of laryngitis were chronic tracheitis,> and told me to quit smoking. What was stranger still was that I> smoked far less (and had switched to organic tobacco) then I had in> prior years before moving to this location.>> Then came the mood swings, the depression and the odd sense of> confusion: my short-term memory would fail me from time to time - at> first this was just a minor frustration that I attributed to stress.> For my partner, this symptom was far worse: he became so forgetful as> time went on that my daughter and I began to wonder if he didn't have> some kind of early-onset Alzheimers (sic?)or attention-deficit> disorder. This was even dangerous at times - some nights I'd awaken> to discover he'd left an open-flame propane heater running in the> garage: he'd simply forgotten about it and gone to bed! He'd leave a> lit cigarette perched on the edge of the clothes dryer in the room> leading to the garage (we didn't smoke inside to protect my daughter> from 2nd-hand smoke).>> In January 1999, my Doberman - who was the picture of health when we> moved in - developed an adenocarcinoma of the breast. This was> confirmed via biopsy when it was removed. It had not matastisized,> and my vet told us that this was a very slow-growing type of breast> tumor and it was likely she would die of old age before it ever> returned. She was placed on prednisone as a precaution. In July, we> suddenly discovered that what we assumed was just some scar tissue> (we'd had it checked on a regular basis) had grown into a tumor three> times its original size! After 10 miserable post-op days, in which> she tried valiantly to stay with her 'mom' she went into some type of> sudden, painful paralysis. Our vet arrived and comfirmed there was> no hope, and that I should not allow her to suffer any longer. She> died in my arms on July 18. In late August, my partner bought me a> nine-week-old Doberman male (he's now HUGE, but a sweetheart!) and> within days of moving home with us he developed hives that started on> his head and neck, then moved down his torso. He looked like a> little leper! The vets assumed a food allergy, due to a change in> diet. His ears had been cropped by the breeder, and although I'd> raised two Dobes previously, I'd never seen the cut-edge of the ears> heal in the way his did: 16 months later, he has strange, permanent> scar tissue along the cut edges that look like little tumors. The> vets say this is only scar tissue, although rather unusual.>> Our other two dogs have had recurring ear infections - the elder of> these two has actually had an eardrum rupture due to these chronic> infections. Both seem to have joint problems now.>> By the end of 1999, our doctor put us both on a trial of ADD> medication - dexedrine. By this time, fatigue I'd been experiencing> since moving in had become so severe that I could not make it through> a single day without a nap.>> In March 2000, after noting a strange odor, we called a plumber only> to discover that the main drain in the house (an irrigation fitting -> not even plumbing code) had been separated between two subfloors in> the kitchen - for how long no one knows. Chronic leaks were also> discovered in the walls between the kitchen and bath. Apparently the> idiot who built this house many years before my sister bought it, had> plumbed it himself - some of the PVC pipes were 'clamped' together> inside walls with duct or electrical tape!>> What was most startling, though was my body's reaction upon simply> viewing the slop found beneath the subfloor. Although I was standing> outside on the deck, looking through the open kitchen window, the> reaction was immediate and acute - burning, watery eyes, running> nose, sudden severe cough, and total deterioration of my voice within> 10 minutes, along with intense disorientation. I called my doctor> immediately. He seemed unconcerned, and told me to use the Albuterol> inhaler he'd prescribed. I told my sister what had happened - she> ignored it. We sent samples out and were told to get duplicates sent> immediately through proper channels to a reputable lab, as> stachybotrys was suspected. I again informed my sister. She got> angry and told me I had no right to send samples of anything to> anyone. I sent them anyway.>> We saw a specialist in Nevada, who confirmed building-related> illness. He advised us to leave the property immediately - we did in> April on this year. We tried taking a few things with us, with> unhappy results (even my laptop was too contaminated for me to use> anymore).>> After three separate sets of lab reports (two from my experts, one> from my sister's insurer), all confirmed heavy contamination with> stachy, penicillium and aspergillus species, as well as cladosporium> and a whole witches brew of others as well as "overloaded" gram-> negative bacteria.>> Eight months after leaving the property - and abandoning even the> things we'd tried to salvage - I am still having problems, and> discovering new 'triggers' on a regular basis. I can no longer use> chlorine bleach for laundry or chlorine-based household cleaners.> Windex is a problem, too. I have, in just the last month, begun> exhibiting asthma-like reactivity to anything containing sulfites.> Three sips of apple cider caused me to lose my voice for four hours;> two tablespoons of red wine simmered in a sauce served over pork loin> caused a frightening anaphylactic reaction; a serving of cherry pie> from the grocer's freezer caused me to hunt down the Albuterol again> late last night. My hair continues to fall out and has changed> texture completely. (By the way, we've learned that the water well> on the property was contaminated with sewage - nice, huh?)>> As a result of this mess, I have been forced into litigation against> my own sister. Neither my parents nor my brother will even call me> anymore, even though they live only an hour away. They all behaved> as though I am either crazy or making this up. No one offered to> help, or even to come see what had happened. (Boy, you never know> your family until it 'hits the fan', you know?)>> My longtime partner pays for the new house we've rented, but does not> live here, as he refuses to give up some of his things (he lives in a> small RV on a jobsite). Consequently, he must strip down outside in> the bitter cold, wrap up in a clean towel that I hang on a ped out> there, and run straight to the shower - then dress inside in 'safe'> clothing. Believe me, it's necessary - we've learned all this> through trial and error.>> My daughter, now nearly 16, can't even talk about all this. She was> quite upset to learn that the other sides attorneys have sent> interropgatories that she must answer. She just doesn't seem able to> deal with it. Neither can my partner - he just stays away now. At> first he'd come home once or twice a week for a few hours in the> evening. He hasn't been here for more than a week and a half, as of> today. I am heartbroken - it was bad enough to lose everything I> ever had (many things that were not worth anything to anyone else,> just personal memories, but now I've lost my entire birth family, and> it seems I'm losing both my daughter and the man I love a little bit> more every day. My dog has developed anxiety problems, so is now on> a drug called Clomocalm - an antidepressant. It's not inexpensive> and friends have suggested I just give him to someone else, but> dammit, I don't think I could stand to lose ONE MORE THING that I> love. And lately, the only thing I'm certain of is that the dog> loves me.>> So here is my question, Cherry: HOW DO YOU STAND IT? My daughter> leaves in less than two weeks to spend the holidays with her dad, and> I am trying very hard to make it, but I am so lost. I have only> recently been able to work again on a minimal basis (I am in a> freelance creative field) - thank God, my partner has continued to> support us, as I am now totally broke. I'm still unhealthy - it's> beginning to look more and more like the damage is permanent. (Only> my old dog - the one I lost - and I were in the house full time.)>> I am exhausted and just plain soul-sick. My sister is rather> affluent; her insurer even more so, of course. So their attorneys> will do everything they can to bleed me dry before this can go to> trial. And I am absolutely PETRIFIED. Is this how you have felt,> too? Please let me know how you're making it through, if you don't> mind. This is all so surreal - like living halfway between a > King novel and an episode of The Twilight Zone. I hope you still> have your family, at least.>> I apologize for the length of this message, but I had to tell someone> who knows what this is like. (It helped me a great deal just to read> your story in the archives.) Just knowing that there's someone out> there who understands that all this is REAL is a Godsend, you know?> I just hope I can hang on until there's some kind of resolution.>> I hope you're doing well, considering what you've been through. Take> care.>> Sincerely,>> Renae>>Dear Renae,I have read your story and continue to pray for you and your family daily.Yours is truly a nightmare, if ever there was one and our hearts do go outto you.Here are a few things that I did that helped:*Everyday I did something in the line of research, it was almost like I wasconsumed with this thing and many times when I couldn't sleep, I would sitdown in front of the computer and read, read, read.... anything that had todo with mold, concentration of mold, testing protocol, building codes,moisture in the indoor environment, health effects of........etc...*Form a game plan, which you have already started with the attorney. Talkwith several PhD mold toxicologists before you decide who to hire. If theyare good, they will know how to approach the problem properly, but the majoridea is to identify the mold within the home, do outside control comparison,calculate the inside concentrations and get a detailed written report.*Secure a medical doctor that KNOWS about mold and fungal infections and Iwarn you, there are not a large number to choose from as far as I know. Thekey is to choose somebody that ABSOLUTELY knows what she/he is doing andwhat tests to order etc.....VERY important. Obtain from them, a writtennarrative regarding the extent to which you have been exposed and lab testresults etc.......VERY important.*Make sure that your attorney is on the same page with you regarding theseriousness of mold exposures and personal injury. We made this mistake notknowing that our attorney really didn't appreciate the enormous healthconsequences. We have since hired another to help him with our case, thankGod.*Write everything down......names, date ,time and nature of conversation.*I started keeping a journal and in it I recorded daily % inside humidity & temp., outside weather conditions, physical symptoms experiencing everydayand even sometimes my frustrations about the whole ordeal.......helpfulspiritually and for legal documentation.*I talk to alot of people about this and some understand, but most do not soif this happens to you just remember that you are NOT ALONE. Some peoplejust cannot handle things that are odd or difficult to understand. I wouldhave to say that someparts of this are quite strange sounding, but we knowthat it is possible because we have(are still) living it.*PRAY (this should be at the top of the list) and know that we( and I)are praying for your family too.*Re-remind your family that you are having to sue your sister's insurancecompany only because your finances and health have been irreparably damagedand you desperately need help getting your life back together. Give themtime....they're probably in denial. Tell them to call us and we will behappy to explain this situation to them.*Take twenty minutes each day to power walk.....it really works....just makesure it's a safe place.*KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE E-GROUP EVERYDAY, there are many others out therelike us.*No matter how bad you feel, remember that you are NOT imagining things orloosing your mind. *You may have experiences with others telling you thatthis doesn't sound possible......DON'T second guess yourself......you may betold by medical doctors that this problem is due to too much stress in yourlife....DON'T second guess yourself......you are not loosing it, you're justcoping where others, less strong individuals than yourself, would otherwisecollapse under the strain.*Please feel free to call me anytime...cherry (706) 353-6930* Also, here are some numbers that might be helpful:Dave , PhD (mold toxicologist)9600 Stone Ave. NorthSeattle, WA 98133-3332Ph (206) 522-5449Fax(206) 522-5516e-mail: drdave@...Dr. Echardt Johanning (medical doctor specializes in mold diagnosis)1873 Western Ave.Albany, NY 12203Ph (518) 690-4420Fax(518) 690-44271-800-419-1230Clausen Law Firm(specializes in mold case, he may be able torecommend someone in California who is supposed to be very good) We stillhave our original attorney, the CM firm is helping our attorney because theyhave a good track record litigating mod cases.10 South LaSalle St.Chicago, IL 60603-7777(312) 855-1010Hope this helps, don't loose your faith.....sincerely, cherry haughton----- Original Message -----From: <wildhare@...><pandc@...>Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2000 3:39 PMSubject: Our problems started the month after yours...> Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2000 12:30:48 -0500 From: "bherk" <bherk@...>Subject: Complexes will accept tenants evicted by moldhttp://www.sacbee.com/ib/news/ib_news03_20001202.htmlComplexes will accept tenants evicted by moldBy LePageBee Staff Writer(Published Dec. 2, 2000)After initially refusing to accept tenants forced out of a neighboringcomplex plagued by mold problems, a half-dozen Antelope apartmentcommunities have decided to open their doors to those renters after all."It's such a relief to see something turning out right for a change," saysBetty Gwiazdon, director of program services for Sacramento's HumanRights/Fair Housing Commission.Managers at several of the surrounding Antelope apartment complexes declinedto comment or did not return phone calls. However, Gwiazdon and aspokeswoman for Deer Park Apartments, the complex with the mold problems,said all of the nearby apartment communities have agreed to accept Deer Parktenants if certain conditions are met.Deer Park's owners are vacating the complex because all of the 190 units arebeing tested and cleared for mold.The owners have tried to allay fellow landlords' fears of mold contaminationby taking measures that are viewed as extraordinary by some in the industry.Deer Park's owners have taken several steps to reduce the chance of moldcontamination of tenants' belongings. These include: Hiring a firm to set up an on-site mold decontamination center to cleantenants' hard goods, such as tables, desks and chairs. Electronics equipmentis being cleaned off-site. Hiring an insurance adjuster to pay tenants "fair market value" forsoft-good possessions such as beds, couches and fabric chairs that can't betotally cleared of mold and will either be thrown away or incinerated.Tenants with sales receipts for such soft goods were to have been paidreplacement value.Combined with other financial incentives for tenants to move out, thosemeasures could cost the owners close to $1 million, said Buller, aspokeswoman for Deer Park's owners.In addition, Deer Park tenants must provide nearby complexes with severalletters documenting that their belongings were either decontaminated orpurchased by the adjuster, Buller said.Also to put fellow landlords at ease, Deer Park sent neighboring complexescopies of a recent letter from an official with the state Department ofHealth Services."I commend the Deer Park Apartment owners and their agents in taking thesemeasures to ensure that tenants leaving their apartments do not bringcontaminated material to their new residences," wrote Jed M. Waldman, chiefof DHS' indoor air quality section.Also, the Rental Housing Association of Sacramento Valley says it is"satisfied" with Deer Park's mold decontamination program, said theassociation's director, Jim Lofgren."Once DHS and RHA agreed with our plan, we didn't have any more animosityfrom the surrounding projects," Buller said. "It opened up the gates forpeople (Deer Park residents) to move out."Buller said she expects the Deer Park complex to be vacated by Sunday.Some of the roughly 270 Deer Park renters have struggled to find housingafter receiving an abrupt order from the complex's owner a month ago to moveout by Nov. 30.Though Deer Park is only eight years old, Buller said water intrusionproblems around windows and siding have been documented, and testing ofabout 50 units showed "abnormal" levels of mold in all but 10 of them.State health officials say any substantial mold growth -- and not justso-called toxic molds that release mycotoxins -- in homes or workplaces isunhealthy.Still, Deer Park's owners say their mold problem is not so severe as to posea health risk today...WELL... if you've gotten this far, I'd really like your honest opinion.

pray for all of us.