Identifying and Focusing on the “Big Rocks” Will Help to Make Mold Illness Recovery Less Overwhelming and Hopeless
As this blog grows one year older and I connect more and more with readers reaching out to me for advice about mold or other environmental toxins that are negatively affecting their lives and their health, I realize just how prevalent this form of illness truly is. It makes me wonder how many other people are out there needlessly suffering from undiagnosed, environmentally-triggered sickness. I am happy to have this platform to spread awareness and real information about mold, so that more people can have the tools to identify the cause of their symptoms and know the right questions to ask their doctors to help get their lives and their health back on track. But, I know that I cannot reach everyone. I guess that is why when someone writes to me for advice, I feel like it is my duty to offer them the best words of encouragement and the best information about possible solutions to help address their unique situation. Even though, I don’t have the professional licenses and certifications to be able to offer professional consultations and/or medical solutions, I can share my experiences and knowledge gained from fighting my own mold battle. So, while my advice is not always perfect and does not always contain one absolute answer or resolution, I am putting everything I have into my responses and am always giving the advice that I would’ve wanted someone to give to me—words rooted in honesty with valid, applicable action steps.
Today, I am going to share a recent reader’s email that includes almost all aspects of the mold/environmental illness theme:
- Gradually failing health;
- Multiple medical diagnoses without a real treatment plan or improvement in symptoms;
- Physical displacement from the family home;
- Loss of belongings and relationships;
- Anxiety, confusion, and hopelessness.
I am sure at least one part of this reader’s story will resonate with anyone who has dealt with or is dealing with chronic or environmental illness. It may even be difficult for some of you to read, because it may hit very close to home. The reason I want to share it, though, and to share my response as well is because, I think that sometimes the realness and the complexity of this illness is forgotten. There are so many balls to juggle; that it can become overwhelming. When mold becomes problematic to your health, hurdles can be many and may include
- Figuring out where the mold exposure is occurring—at home, at work, etc.;
- Finding a safe, mold-free place to live or place to go temporarily;
- Figuring out if you should and how to properly clean belongings and/or current living space;
- Avoiding further mold exposures;
- Finding a mold-literate doctor;
- Adhering to a detox treatment plan to remove the mold from your body;
- Navigating the lack of empathy or understanding from others and/or family members who are not sick and do not understand;
- Figuring out how to pay for it all when much of the medical costs are not covered by insurance and, many times, sickness makes work impossible.
In other words, knowing how and where to begin is daunting, to say the least. But, beginning the healing process, no matter what the circumstance, is NOT impossible and is what I always want to impart.