I would like to begin by thanking everyone for their outpouring of love after my last post.  This community is truly a blessing, and it is humbling and strengthening at the same time to know that we are here for each other.  God willing, our community will get even stronger, and I can continue to share my knowledge and inspire you on your quest to honoring God with everything you have, including your body.  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement from the bottom of my heart!

Mold.  Mycotoxins.  Heavy Metals.

Mold is found in over 50% of homes and commercial buildings in this country.  Not surprisingly, 95% of people with mold and other toxic poisoning experience not only a lack of energy, but even debilitating fatigue.  Most often, due to a lack of understanding in our medical system, either the symptoms are not taken seriously, or they are mistaken as other issues.  Some doctors estimate that at least half of their patients have been infected with environmental toxins.  Auto-immune diseases are often brought on by toxicity.  Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue, Lyme, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Parkinson’s, MS?  These are examples of diagnosis’s that may benefit from further testing for mold, mycotoxins and heavy metals.  When was the last time your doctor asked you about your home and work environment?  I’m guessing that this was never brought up.

Just a few symptoms of mold exposure include:

Weakness – Aches – Muscle Cramps – Unusual Pain – Headaches – Light Sensitivity – Red Eyes – Blurred Vision – Tearing – Sinus Problems – Cough – Shortness of Breath – Asthma – Abdominal Pain – Diarrhea – Joint Pain – Morning Stiffness – Memory Issues – Focus/Concentration Issues – Word Recollection Issues – Decreased Learning Ability – Confusion – Skin Sensitivity – Mood Swings – Appetite Swings – Sweats (especially at night) – Temperature Regulation – Excessive Thirst – Increased Urination – Static Shocks – Numbness – Tingling – Vertigo- Metallic Taste – Tremors – Heart Palpitations – High Blood Pressure – Chest Pain – Anxiety – Hormonal Disruptions

I have 24 of these symptoms, many of which had been diagnosed as something else in the past. Of course the answer was to prescribe a drug that would cover up the symptom and ignore the underlying issue.  I’m not blaming my past doctors, as they just didn’t get the education needed to address toxin based illnesses.  Thank goodness there are resources now to turn to, but we need to be our own advocate in most cases.

One of Holistic Christian Life members recommended a site called momsAWARE, where I found an excellent CBN news clip that goes into detail about one family and their story.

Heavy metal toxicity also has many of the same symptoms.  Both of these can be tested easily through blood and urine.  Some doctors prefer hair analysis for heavy metals. 

So, we know what mold is, but what about mycotoxins?  Mycotoxins are the byproduct of fungal growth and are found in the air, clothing, upholstery, drapes, wood…any porous material.  They can cause death in humans and animals.  They get through drywall, plastic, mortar, etc.  So you took care of the mold?  Mycotoxins can still be in the home/building, and probably are.  My doctor had me do a couple tests to make sure my exposure was only from my home in Chicago and not my current one.  You can’t start healing the body until you know that you are out of danger.   The first is a swab test for mycotoxins that she obtained from Realtime Labs.  It’s a simple test where you swab your heating and air vents.  The second was a mold test where you use a dusting cloth on your surfaces and send it in for testing.  We used Mycometrics.

You can be healed, so don’t despair if you get bad news!

After you know that you are out of danger, it’s time to start the healing process of the body by killing the toxins.  It’s a process, but the good news is that it can be done!  Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker is a premier authority, and many doctors follow his protocol.  His site includes a directory of doctors who are certified in his method.

Dr. Shoemaker was also interviewed by Suzanne Somers for her book Tox-Sick.  This book was also very enlightening about other ways we can protect ourselves from toxins other than mold.

If you would like to study this further, here are just a couple resources that I recommend:

Dr. Jill Carnahan (Make sure that you read her story…I’m sure that you will want to follow her work as I do)

Surviving Toxic Mold

Dave Asprey as a great video called “Moldy”

I pray this posts helps you!  If you have any reason to believe that you have been exposed to mold, know that you’ve been in a building with previous water damage, smell a musty odor at home or work, etc…this is definitely worth checking out.  I can attest to it!

All for the glory of God, our Father.

Leviticus 36“The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the mark, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to look at the house. 37“So he shall look at the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface, 38then the priest shall come out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven days.…