The Hidden Mold in Our Brand New Home: What We Didn’t Know Was Making Us Sick

We moved into our brand new home in Naples,Florida on July 27, 2020.

I truly believed that because it was new, it would be a safe place for my family. (I was wrong.)

Part 1 

I wrote a blog post called, “Why I Moved from Naples to Chicago?” Even with all the problems, I still loved Florida!

I remember telling God I would never leave… unless there was mold in my house. Exactly one year later, on July 27, 2021, I had my stroke.

You can read more about that in another blog post called “I Had A Stroke.”

But I took good care of my family.

I had an air purifier in every room. Air purifiers help clean the air from mold, bacteria, viruses, smoke, VOC, and allergens. I used Molekule and Air Doctor. (I use Air Doctor in my current home and one IQ Air.) I think I had eight air purifiers.

I also had an APCO-X air treatment system in the air conditioning. It uses UV light to clean the air. It helps kill mold and allergens before the air goes into the vents.

I did not like the REME HALO air treatment system. I read about it in a Facebook group. It uses ions. Many people in the group said REME HALO gave them headaches. But APCO-X did not cause those problems.

I also had a whole-house PurOne water filter. I didn’t care about the cost. I wanted everything to be perfect for my family.

But the mold didn’t care. Water was leaking behind the walls.

 

In February 21, 2023, I discovered mold under my kitchen sink. I kept a box of garbage bags there. When I pulled one out, I noticed mold coming from underneath the sink.

Then I opened the cabinets right next to the sink and mold was everywhere.

My builder came out right away, but he tried to say it wasn’t their fault. They suggested I might have spilled water from a cup. What?! He told me to clean it with vinegar.

I finally got to wear a mask! 😀 Not COVID. Just mold. 🥴

Deep in my heart, I know the builder caused the mold. I cleaned everything out of that space—Play-Doh, crayons, markers, and kitchen items. (I know. It’s messy!) I threw it all away because I believed my builder would cover the cost. (I was wrong.)

But I started researching through Facebook groups. They’re called Toxic Mold Support Group and Mold Recovery for Families with Kids. I never knew about mold issues before now.

I would NEVER clean out my cabinets unless I had goggles on, gloves on, long pants, long sleeves…and maybe a full hazmat suit like this. 😀

I’m not kidding! I’m serious!

So I talked to my insurance agent (actually my mom did because I can’t talk). She said there was no mold coverage. Great. 🙄

A mold inspection specialist came out and tested the house. The results showed high levels of penicillium in my home.

On March 6, 2023, I had both Carson and myself tested for mold using the MycoTOX test by Mosaic Diagnostics (formerly Great Plains Labs) through a holistic chiropractor. It’s a urine test. I also had an OATS (Organic Acids Test) test done.

Carson’s gliotoxin level was 2400%. 😟 Normal should be under 200%. That indicates penicillium exposure.

I also had high levels, though not as high as 2400%. But Carson didn’t change his diet, and he didn’t take supplements.

I asked my chiropractor if mold could have affected my blood and caused my stroke. She said yes, and I believe the mold played a role. She did kinesiology mold treatment for me and Carson.

When I found mold, I started researching mold detoxing. I was trying so hard to fix this. I changed my diet to carnivore/keto diet (I will blog about this later).

I started taking supplements for mold detoxing—NAC, GI Detox, Glutathione, Biocidin LSF, Ultra Binder (I didn’t use it), Vitamin C, and charcoal when I was exposed to mold. Plus other supplements I use for my overall health.

 

I eat an apple every day because people in a Facebook group said apples can help support the body’s mold detox process because of the fiber.

I also started eating okra every day. I knew okra is high in oxalates, but at that point, I didn’t care.

Researcher Trudi Trahan-Upchan has said that okra is actually low in oxalates. She is a good person to follow on Facebook if you have mold issues.

Okra gave me a LOT of energy, and it helped me with mold detoxing. I was supposed to eat 1 cup of okra daily. I like okra, but it can be a little slimy! 😀

Fresh okra is available at Woodman’s (near me), but it goes bad very quickly, so you have to use it fast.

I cut it up, then added a little olive oil. Then I seasoned it with salt and pepper.

When I moved to Illinois, I started a garden with okra in it.

If you don’t like the slimy texture, frozen okra works well in a smoothie. You can find frozen okra at Walmart or Whole Foods.

From what I have learned, raw okra or frozen okra in a smoothie is recommended. Cooked okra does not appear to have the same detox effect.

From what I found online:

“The slimy substance in okra contains substances that bind bile acid and cholesterol to detoxify the liver. The slimy stuff in okra is alkaline. This helps in neutralizing the acid.”

When using okra, it’s recommended to wait 2–3 hours before taking any supplements.

If you are doing a parasite cleanse, do not use okra. Wait until after the parasite cleanse to use okra.

I will do a parasite cleanse after my vacation. I got the RogersHood ParaFy cleanse. Wish me luck! 🥴

Watch Mikhaila Peterson on YouTube. She talks about parasites and mold. If you have a mold problem, you need to watch it.

I read the book “The Cure for All Diseases” by Hulda Clark a long time ago, where she talks about parasites and believes they are the root cause of disease. Interesting book.  At one point, I wondered if my gallstones were parasites. 🤔

Mold Remediation

I hired a mold remediation company to get started while I waited for my builder company fighting with me. When the mold remediation company came over and I was not home, this is what he did. 🙄

The mold was not removed. He turned the fans on. No plastic covering. No cleaning through an open window. Nothing. I fired him.

After reading about remediation in a Facebook post, I taped up the cabinets to try to stop the mold from spreading until a professional could remove it.

Then another two weeks went by while I waited for a mold remediation company to come out. Be careful when dealing with mold. Some mold remediation companies are scams. Check Facebook groups for recommendations in your area.

Meanwhile, I was fighting with my builder. He said he didn’t know if the construction crew caused it unless they opened up the wall under my sink. I said, “Ok. Do it!”

The mold remediation company started working on it. My builder sent someone out to inspect the sink, and he found the problem. A hot water line had been leaking behind the wall for three years. That is why we never saw it until then.  I washed dishes twice a day! 😩

The builder finally paid $40,000 to fix the damage but it took three long months. 😩

My builder reimbursed me only for what I paid to the mold remediation company. That was it. They did not reimburse me for DoorDash, or kitchen items, or Play-Doh! Or mold specialists, or mold tests, or ERMI tests (house mold test).  Nothing.

My builder reps say that the builder can pay for everything. They only paid for the mold remediation company.

During that time, I could not wash dishes in my kitchen. The dishwasher was right next to the sink. I took dirty dishes to my mom’s house to wash them. I was emotionally drained, and I can’t talk because of my stroke. Maybe it was because of the mold in my house!

I could only use the oven. I did not want to stay in the kitchen for long. Looking back, I should not have been living there during the remediation.

I left my house after one month of remediation because I became very sick. My mom says the mold is gone, but I still smell mold! We are still waiting for the concrete to dry.

I bought a moisture meter. (Only about $40.)

I packed my kids’ lunches on the island countertop across from the fridge. But one wall was still there, and there was mold underneath the walls!

My throat hurt so badly that I finally went to the doctor, even though I rarely go.

They tested me for strep throat, but it was negative. I told the doctor that I believed mold was causing this.

I knew something was wrong, and I felt like my body was trying to tell me.

After I got back from the doctor on March 28, 2023, Carson and I went to my son’s condo (about 15 minutes away). I was very sick, and Carson was sick too.

I tried to have my kids come to the condo with me, but they said there was no mold there. My mom also said there was no mold there.

My kids and my mom thought I was crazy. So my mom stayed overnight with my kids at the moldy house for two months.

We had three huge fans and a dehumidifier running nonstop day and NIGHT for all three months! 😩 I was going crazy from the noise in my house.

I had luxury vinyl flooring, and they had to rip it all out. They also had to replace the wood cabinets.

On May 19, 2023, the mold remediation worker came to replace the cabinets. I was sitting in a chair in the driveway when he came out carrying one of the walls underneath my island. It was covered in mold! I knew it! 😠

Sicknesses

By the way, some people are allergic or sensitive to mold. About 25% of people are estimated to have a mold allergy or sensitivity.

That may be why Carson, my husband, and I were sick so often, while my other kids and my mom were not. My other kids did have headaches and sore throats fairly often, though.

I read several books about mold while searching for answers and trying to understand what was happening to my body.

Including “Toxic: Heal Your Body” by Neil Nathan.

And “Break the Mold” by Jill Crista.

During that time (2022-2023), my little boy, Carson, was only three to four years old. He was sick every two weeks with fevers, earaches, headaches, coughing, pink eye, throwing up, strep – again and again. I didn’t know why. My kids kept asking “Why is Carson so sick?” I just kept praying for answers.

Strep

Threw up

I had a stroke in July 2021. About one month after my stroke, I had to go to the ER again. I threw up and felt very sick. I didn’t want to go to the ER. But my mom and husband insisted, so I went. My stroke ER experience was extremely horrible. (I will write about it in another blog post.

The ER doctor said I needed to drink a liquid for a CAT scan. (I know. CAT scan are evil.) I couldn’t talk, so I did it. But immediately, after I drank the liquid, I threw up.

The CT scan was okay. The ER doctor said they did not know what caused me to throw up. Once again, I left without answers.

Looking back now, I can’t help but wonder. Was it my body reacting to something in that house? At the time, I didn’t know about the mold.

It took me ten long months to recover. During that time, my mom stepped in and cooked for my family. I am so grateful for her. For ten months, I barely cooked and stayed out of the kitchen.

On December 8, 2022, I had what I believe may have been a heart attack. I don’t know for sure. But it felt serious.

I had just finished a phone call with my mom. We talked for about 30 minutes at the kitchen table. She left.

I went to sit on the couch. I had a really bad migraine. I felt like I was going to throw up.

I had shortness of breath and pain in my chest, so I took it off my bra because it hurt. There was a squeezing feeling I had never felt before. I started crying.

After 20–30 minutes, I felt very weak, but the pain and squeezing in my chest were gone.

I was scared. I sat there alone, wondering what had just happened. I knew something wasn’t right. I didn’t tell anyone because I couldn’t talk.

December 18, 2022

While I was eating an apple at the kitchen table, I felt a sharp pain on the left side of my chest. It lasted for about one hour. Then I went to bed.

A couple of days later, I decided to tell my dad. My dad said we needed to go to the ER. I said, “No way!” 😀 He said we should see a cardiovascular doctor instead. I said okay.

We got an appointment with a cardiac doctor a couple of weeks later.

December 23, 2022

I did not have a headache, but I threw up in the kitchen sink. I didn’t know why. I had not eaten dairy or gluten. (I am allergic to dairy and gluten.)

Looking back now, I can’t help but wonder if my body was reacting to what I was breathing in.

Then I went to a cardiology doctor. He said I had a good diet – gluten free and dairy free.

I exercised regularly. Three times a week, I went to Planet Fitness and lifted weights.

I was at a healthy weight. I am 5’2” and 108 pounds.

I take aspirin every day.

I don’t remember everything he said. But my dad and I were not too concerned at the time.

There was no clear reason for my symptoms.

My husband often had headaches and migraines. He has Lyme disease. But the dizziness was new and not normal for him

My daughter had a sore throat many times, and she had a tonsillectomy when she was 6 years old. So…🤔. Now she a sore throat maybe one time in the last 2.5 years (2023-2026). She had a lot of headaches when we lived in that moldy house.

My older son had a lot of headaches and sore throat. Now he has no sore throat.

When we moved to Chicago, Carson almost never missed preschool. Maybe two times a year. Praise God!

Move or not?

During that time, in February, I started thinking about whether I should move. I was going through a divorce, and I told my soon-to-be ex-husband that we should move.

I ordered an ERMI mold test for my house from EnviroBiomics. It was $240. I did upstairs dust collection because I knew there was mold downstairs. ERMI test was 18. It should be zero but close to it.

And I did May Dooley mold tests for $15 per tape from Mold Control on a Budget. Make sure you get the right tape!

I did 20 tapes for $100. Not bad! Email her may@createyourhealthyhome.com. May is very nice!

I should have tested underneath my sink, but the mold is gone now. I tested my furniture.

And don’t test mold using kits from Home Depot. No! Use ERMI and May Dooley.

I decided to move out of Florida. I just knew I couldn’t stay.

When I tried to pack my things while living at my son’s condo, I was so sick. I could only pack for about 30 minutes before my body gave out.

My throat was sore, and I developed a stye or pink eye in my eye and I couldn’t sleep at my son’s condo (insomnia). I felt very sick.

In June 2023, I made the move to Chicago. By the way, I bought this house in 2020 during Covid for $900k, and I sold it three years later for $2.1 million. 😊

I will write about how I moved on in Part 2: How I Moved. It’s a lot! 🥴

What caused my stroke?

Could mold have caused the blood clots that led to my stroke? I don’t know. I may never know for sure. But I can’t help wondering if living in a house full of mold, breathing it in every single day, played a role.

But God knows. 😊

One day, when I see Jesus face to face and praise Him, I will ask Him what caused my stroke. Was it the mold?

Was it shedding? A family member had his second COVID shot just days before my stroke. A few days later, he went into the hot tub with me. Soon after, my stroke happened.

My neighbor’s son had a stroke the same week I did. He had recently received a COVID shot. He was a chef before his stroke. Now his left arm and left leg are affected.

My dad met a man at the gym who was working to strengthen his leg. He also had a stroke on August, 2021.  My dad told him that his daughter had a stroke too.

The man said he wanted to meet me, so my dad gave him my number. I texted him to talk about what caused the stroke. He says immediately after he has a 2nd Covid shot he had a stroke. Now his left leg is affected.

Maybe stress played a role. I was in the middle of a divorce. There were moments of relief and freedom, but the divorce itself was not happy.  By the way, James and I are not getting married. I tried. 😔 In my previous blog post, I shared…

Maybe it was one thing. Maybe it was more than one. Maybe it was something else entirely.

I may never truly know until I get to heaven. Death itself does not scare me. I know that I have a relationship with Jesus.

We don’t know when our time will come, even in something as sudden as a car accident or a stroke.

Ask God.

He will answer you.