I realize why I've been feeling sick.

[Aillidh]

We've been on a vacation to NY for about 2 weeks to see my family, got home about a week ago and I opened the divider to do the laundry yesterday.  Well, apparently hot water heater has a leak so there's black mold where the washer/dryer is.  There's a shelf up there where we were storing all of our blankets, luckily the bottom ones all have black mold on it.    Our building is a really old apartment complex but we rented this one because of it's space - 800 sq. feet for a one bedroom anyways things have been breaking left and right since we got here and they've been "patching" the problems instead of fixing them.  We were kinda in a hurry when we chose this place and only looked at about 3 others then just kinda made a hasty decision.  It's pretty ridiculous but our lease is up in July so we're moving anyways.  Thank God.  

Anyways long story but before this apartment, DH and I were living in a 4br. duplex with his best friend and had to move out of it, due to the black mold.  First his best friend got really sick, so bad he had to go get a shot in his butt.  His two kids got sick everytime they came over.  At first we didn't know what it was but I was getting sicker and sicker and nothing worked to fix it.  So went to the Dr. who assumed I had either mono or strep throat and prescribed some antibiotics and advised me to take vitamins. Nothing ever seemed to get better after a month.  I had such a bad cough I actually threw up a few times from coughing.  My nose was stuffed, my glands were so swollen you could visibly see them.  My mouth felt dry all the time and my nose was stuffed up.  My joints achhhed and I was so exhausted I could barely summon the energy to do anything.  We had no idea what was wrong with me until they were moving the T.V. stand one day in the living room and found mold all underneath it.  Apparently the tenants beforehand had a pipe burst from the washer/dryer back towards our room.  Well fantastically enough, all this mold was in the wall because nothing had been done about it.  So we were shelling out a $1,000 a month for this problem they never fixed.  

DH and I move over to this apartment and within a week, everything's clearing up, I sound better.  No more hoarseness or coughing, my joints feel so much better.  So we concluded that the reason I was sick was from this black mold stuff, which in all likelihood had grown into our bedroom wall, probably the reason why I got so sick from it.  

It seems like this black mold is haunting me!  I felt myself getting sick for the past couple days - throat hurts, more tired and sore in my legs.  DH called the landlady and left a message yesterday, she never got back to us but we're going to go talk to her this morning.  Soaking the blankets in vinegar and just had DH throw out the curtains I made that had mold all over it.  Ugh, this is so frustrating.  

I'm thinking maybe I should hold out TTC until we're out of this place.  Wondering what you ladies think?  Sorry for this vent it just seems like bad luck is following me around lately.  </endvent>  

[Jaimee]

That sounds horrible!!  I'm so sorry you're going through all this!  I don't know anything about black mold and it's affect on pregnancy to give any advice.   Charting would likely be a bit confusing during this time too if you're running a fever (affecting your temp) and are dehydrated (affecting CF).  But I always think it's worth gathering the data just to see what you get- if you feel up to it.  Just know that all the stress of the illness, the situation, and moving can definitely delay your ovulation (and hence AF).  Good luck with everything! 

[Aillidh]

Thanks so much.  When we discovered it I just got so sad about it because this is the reason why we waited to TTC until now, my DH wanted to make sure I was completely better (I had lost about 10-15 lbs the 1st time I got sick from this, have now gained it back and feel a lot more healthy and energetic but he's really cautious when it comes to me).  It's weird how DH never gets sick from this though, like his immune system is made out of steel. So finally we agreed on this timing and BOOM! it happens again.  When I first found out I was PO'd, felt like I can't win at this.  I just wanted to kick the water heater down the stairs but I refrained.  

Anyways I'm still planning to chart just to get the hang of everything but I won't be using as TTC right now more like a experiment.  We just discussed it and I feel a lot better.  DH is getting a storage unit either today or tomorrow so we can start putting our things up and away from here, I'm not sure how much clothing and furniture, etc, is affected by this black mold stuff but we're keeping it on the safe side.  But we're leaving again for the 4th of July to go to GA for 2 weeks to visit his Grandma so hopefully after this next few odd days of packing and moving stuff we'll be out of here for good.  I love looking at apartments/homes, which is what we've decided to do to save up money for getting a house - so it's not all bad I guess...only postpones the plans maybe a month.  Sorry for the rant.

[sraplayas]

Just wanted to send you a   , Aillidh!

[Aillidh]

Thanks for the well wishes.  The maintenance man is going to to put in a new water heater tomorrow so at least it'll work while we're here.

[Vegan Princess]

I have tried to research this topic and not found much. Though when I was in the hospital having a D&C after my miscarriage, the recovery room nurse told me her daughter in law had 5 miscarriages bc she was living in a moldy place. She was about to give birth to a baby - conceived after they moved. I always wondering about this bc I think my last house had mold issues. Black stuff would appear on our windows and when I bought a dehumidifier and plugged it in in my bedroom, it said the room was at 90% humidity. So there was definitely mold. I don't know what qualifies as toxix black mold though. I have been having hormonal issues and DH has a low sperm count. We conceived our daughter relatively easily prior to living in that house. So I don't know if we had these issues all along and just got lucky with her or if the mold contributed. In any case, we've since moved. I got pregnant a month after we moved but miscarried at 10 weeks. I have no idea how long it takes to cleanse your body of mold? Or how to speed it along?

Cindy

[Aillidh]

I believe it does effect your fertility, how I'm not entirely sure but in the old house we lived in, where the mold was a serious problem I didn't have my period for about 2 months (that's unheard of for me, my cycle is 28 days exactly and AF never comes late ever since my period regulated itself). I know when I moved into this apartment (prior to the present mold problem) my cough, my period and everything righted itself within about a month.  I felt so much better!  Maybe it varies from person to person?  But I definitely see a difference in health between when the mold is there and when the mold isn't.  Even in my most current situation when it wasn't as bad because we caught it soon, I could see a difference.