Is your house making you sick?
It’s been an interesting week so far…including this past weekend. Let me start with some background….
My mother was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis when I was in my early teens.
Sarcoidosis is a disease in which swelling (inflammation) occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, or other tissues. Almost all diagnosed people have lung issues, but they can also have skin irritations, joint pain, nervous system changes and more. Google Health gives a great overview. All in all, I remember it being very hard to detect and VERY hard to treat when I was in my early teens. My mother had a lot of pain, needed a lot of my help…and had to take a lot of drugs. We thought it was gone. She’s been working to counter the steroid shots every since.
I know to watch my mother if she gets over heated, get her potassium. There’s a great story about one of my birthdays, bears, and getting the park ranger to realize I wasn’t a dramatic teen and I really DID need to get my mother somewhere for OJ or Grapefruit Juice. Maybe I’ll share that one day.
I keep an eye on her at the gym to make sure any trainers don’t push her past her physical limits, yet, while she trains with me I routinely do so. I figure, by now, I know her limits and she knows when to tell me she’s really reached hers.
I learned to do laundry young. I learned to cook. I learned to manage a household long before most of my peers. I learned to heft all the groceries into the house in one fell swoop. (It still irritates my husband that I will carry in six bags of groceries rather than make multiple trips.) And, actually, when a family member falls ill or needs help, I’ve surprised my husband with my single minded focus to make things right or easier for said family member.
If something needs to be done to make things better or right, then I do them. I’m not used to having others around to help me or do them for me.
Flash forward to this week.
My wise aunt, in talking with my mother, mentioned that perhaps there was something in the house that was making her sick. She’s been having flare ups every summer when she finally turns on the AC. Now, we’re not saying she’s of utmost stellar health during the winter, but she certainly doesn’t have the same issues she does when summer kicks in.
In following that line of thought, we decided to check out her basement again. About 17 years ago, she’d had a pipe burst. I’d gone through then and hauled out a LOT of stuff…helped her clean out and up. Now, my husband went back with me…we did another attack. And then, today, I had ServPro out to do a looksee and estimate.
Can I tell you what I learned about Mold and how it can affect you???
Now, I’m not sure if this is backed up with scientific research. I haven’t spent the time tonight to go look. Honestly, I’m not going to. I’m giving you my honest responses to being in the house and some commentary from Barry, who’s been doing this a LONG time. (I’ll do more research later.)
First off, it’s a townhouse with a below ground, enclosed basement. Built in the 1970′s and the house I grew up in. (Yes, that gives you my general age…be nice.) It’s unfinished. Growing up, we’d never had the money to finish it. And then, when we had the money…it just never seemed important to follow through with.
With the onset of summer and the rains, the basement smells musty. Concrete floors, collections of stuff everywhere, from holiday decorations to linens to books I’ll never read again. Nick and I spent almost 2 hours with my mom categorizing things to be pitched. We pitched out a LOT.
I didn’t realize we probably shouldn’t have been touching any of it and just let the experts clean it all out.
Barry showed me where the mold was growing on the dark wood paneling of the walls, where it coated some of the books. He explained in detail about how the cinder-block walls allowed the water to seep in from the ground. We discussed humidity levels – hers are at 50% or more and they should be in the 30′s. AND, I learned…the reason she wasn’t having problems in the winter?
Gas Heat.
Seriously. In the winter, the gas heat kicks in and decreases the humidity levels and thus, puts the mold in a dormant phase. Then, in summer, when she turns on the AC and the humidity levels increase (cause let’s be honest, humidity in VA? YES.) then the mold flourishes.
Eureka. OMG, it is a perfect line up of all the problems. AND, it explained the massive headache I had after being down there for a few hours and the general ick feeling of needing a shower after having done all that work.
So now begins the battle. Honestly, everything NOT metal or hard plastic needs to go. But, she has items stored that represent her history, her past. And we’re going to fight about the damn chairs she hauled back from Chicago 
But, I’ve been trying to make things easier….realizing that ONE her house is contributing to her pain and illness and TWO, this house has been her life for MY life.
Some things I learned about mold:
- It’s like grass. It takes root in items like wood, cardboard, clothing, paper, etc. If it’s not metal or hard plastic…throw it out.
- It thrives in high humidity. I guess I’d know this if I paid attention to biology classes.
- It can migrate. Don’t move items from one part of your house to another without proper barriers or cleaning. Meaning, the husband will be removing the boxes he brought home of his stuff from our son’s room…esp since our son has suddenly started with the sniffles.
- Hirer professionals to do the cleaning, clean out and clean up. Make sure they’re certified. You don’t want the issue occurring again.
I’m sure there are more things I learned, but I wanted to share with you the highlights. I’m waiting on the estimate, but we already have plans to migrate Mom’s cat to our house. I’m sure our three cats will just love this….and hopefully, have this all done while she’s on vacation and can’t complain about all the things they pitch out.
I never even thought her house was contributing to her illness(es). Barry mentioned that while he wasn’t a doctor, he’s seen people with many physical and mental changes due to the mold in their homes. From physical aliments to mental ones. I know the headache I had when I left the basement today…I don’t wish that on ANYONE.
My recommendations?
- Check your house out for mold or mildew, especially if you’ve been ill a lot, have a below ground basement or unfinished basement.
- Call someone to vacuum your vents. You wouldn’t believe me if I tell you some of the things ServPro has found in vents. Just…no. I swear, our house is by far newer than my mothers, but I’m still having them come vacuum ours out next.
- Invest in a high quality air purifier, industrial grade. We have one in our home that was used in the Pentagon after 9-11. It works. So, I took it to her house and left it here. She needs it more than we do at the moment. If you want to know more about the one we have…leave a comment…I’ll have to check the make and model when I go back tomorrow
- If you’re going to store items in your basement, cover them in plastic or store them in hard plastic bins.
Any other recommendations? I’m not an expert, just sharing what I’ve learned so far to date!
Spinach & Egg Mini Quiche – High Protein, Great Taste
This past holiday season I made the mistake of eating a large portion of our family quiche. I love it. Something about eggs, sausage, mushrooms and the cheese blend just tantalizes my taste buds. This year, something felt off. About 15 minutes after I’d eaten more than my fair share of it, my stomach started to knot up, and I thought to ask, “Is there milk in this?”
My aunt responded, “Yes and cream.”
Well, no wonder I doubled over in pain. My body doesn’t break down milk enzymes. Oh, I can eat cheese (love it in fact). I can have yogurt. Milk, ice cream, cream are all off limits.
As a result, my mother and I have been on a quest to make something similar to the family quiche that won’t kill me. (And, turns out to be far healthier for you.) She has a Food Science degree. She loves making meals, playing with foods, finding the right combination. She loves food, period.
Chopped Spinach, Eggs & More
Then, there’s me. I like food just fine, when I don’t have to cook it. This trial and error thing has been an educational process for me. Today, I had the wild idea to try again (I think it had something to do with reading the Oxygen Abs issue) with the crust-less quiche/souffle, whatever it should really be called. I’m pretty happy with the results. So much so, I had to remind myself I only needed to eat one!
What I used:
- One large, 6 count muffin tray
- 12 organic, free range eggs
- freshly chopped organic spinach
- reduced fat feta cheese
- lemon juice
- ground pepper
- olive oil
When in doubt, go organic.
I sprayed the muffin tin with the olive oil using a mister. It allowed a fine mist rather than me accidentally going overboard with it. Hello, I don’t really pay attention to recipes…I’ve made my Pineapple Souffle for the holidays far too often by winging it, @Nick_Kelly, doesn’t seem to mind.
Next, two whole eggs per muffin space. I pierced the yolks with a fork. I mixed in about 2 Tablespoons of chopped spinach, a 1/2oz of feta per muffin, a squirt of lemon juice on each and some ground pepper to taste. I swooshed (yes, that’s really a verb) the fork around in each before placing them in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes (until they puffed up).
I’ve tried this before, but never thought to use the lemon juice and pepper. Other recipes called for butter and milk. *shudders* If you’re leaning down/training or otherwise trying to stay healthy, butter and milk are to be avoided. Voila, a great tasting breakfast that’s easy to reheat and run out the door with. Of course, I’ll add a grain like oatmeal or a Kashi waffle with sugar free strawberry jam just to round it out to a balanced meal.
All in all, it turned out to be a great high protein, low calorie mid-day snack today.
Animal Empath for February 2010
As promised, we’re handing out another Monthly Award here! Today, in conjunction with Ingrid King and The Conscious Cat, we have created an Animal Empath Award. The Animal Empath Award is given to individuals who have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place for animals. It will be awarded once a month by Mind, Body, Spirit and The Conscious Cat. If you know one of these special human beings deserving of this award, please send a nomination e-mail to Stacia Kelly or Ingrid King for consideration.
Cindy Ingram – Animal Empath Award
February 2010
Animal Empath February 2010
Cindy Ingram is the founder of Casey’s House, a private rescue group in Bluemont, VA, that specializes in older and hard to adopt cats. Cindy has a special place in my heart because she rescued my precious little Buckley, the subject of Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher, from a farm in southwestern Virginia, where she and about twenty other cats were kept in marginal living conditions.
Casey’s House is named after Cindy’s beloved tabby cat, who came to live with her when she was fifteen years old. At first Cindy refused her entrance to her house, as she already had two cats and two dogs at the time. Casey, however, was not a cat to take no for an answer. Casey’s “home” at the time was a colony of some fifty cats, and she was probably getting tired of either not getting to her food on time, or eating off of filthy dishes. Every evening, Casey would be waiting on Cindy’s porch, obviously hungry, so Cindy would feed her. Slowly, but surely, Casey became a part of Cindy’s family. Eventually, four of her feline colony friends came to join Casey. Says Cindy: “Casey taught me to reach beyond my self-imposed limits, and her house is the dream that now has become a reality”.
In addition to providing a safe haven for older cats, Casey’s House also promotes Trap-Neuter-Return. Through this program, feral cats are humanely trapped, brought to a veterinarian to be evaluated, spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped. Cats that are friendly to humans and kittens are adopted into loving homes. Healthy feral cats are returned to their outdoor homes. Casey’s House spayed and neutered more than 200 cats in 2009, making a significant contribution to controlling the overpopulation problem.
Cindy created a wonderful environment for the cats. There are very few cages, most of the cats live in a large open room, filled with carpeted ramps, cat climbing towers, and lots of soft pillows and blankets for them to sleep on. New rescues and those with potential health conditions are kept in separate areas until they’ve been checked out by a veterinarian. What was really amazing to me was how peaceful the energy in that large room felt. All the cats seemed to get along, there was no hissing, posturing, or fighting. Cindy said in all the years she’s done this work, she’s only had one incident with two cats fighting. Casey’s House truly is a safe haven for cats in need.
Like all non-profit organizations, especially those helping animals, Casey’s House is struggling in these tough economic times. If you have a favorite shelter or rescue group that you support, please consider making a donation to them – they need your help now more than ever. And if you don’t already support a shelter, perhaps you’ll consider making a donation to Casey’s House in Buckley’s memory. Cindy and the cats at Casey’s House will thank you.
