lieze

How horrible! I have had the same problem with my weight loss. I was desperate and seeking help and so scared because I've gotten so thin. They shake their head as if to scold me as if I did it on purpose. Hello? I'm so scared and here for help. I got totally the opposite reaction as what I needed at the time.

We should be in by end of this month or sooner. Just waiting to get the email that the realtor has keys for us. Not sure how hubby will be at that time. I just went and transferred a CD that had matured into savings with the plan to buy four single matresses first. Hoping for a deal somewhere and I'll just have new furniture delivered directly to the home. I really want to take as less as possible from the contaminated environment into the new home. One day at a time. Not sure what help I'll have-talk about an adventure. That back pay from disability would really come in handy right now but I guess none of us would refuse money at any point in our lives-it's something we always need. I already have quite a bit charged on my credit card so I'd really like to use cash I have now to buy what I can. I'm not sure about picking up used things at this time of year-and then I worry about whether they've been in mold also since we seem to have an issue in the area. Can you believe the first house I went and looked at was built in 2000-just had flooding in March and there were black spots growing a good 2 feet up the basement walls. Right then I was just asking the realtor-how in the world am I going to get away from it??? So I'd rather purchase new furniture and go light and add to as we can afford it and keep our environment decontaminated. I sound neurotic don't I? I am feeling good. I'm good for several hours of light activity with rest breaks then I'm done so I am going to have to pace myself. I've been looking at overstock.com because I don't think I'm physically able to go to 5-6 furniture stores and shop. The running each day with the kid's and a load of laundry and a run to the post office for my eBay is about all I can handle.

Oh I've worried my cortisol might be too high. I've always been high strung. As I get a little stronger though I'm interested to investigate what's going on with my body more. I'm going to have the bloodwork for my anemia panel today. 718 mom-I got a call back from the lawyer just yesterday checking in. I should hear by mid November whether I'm accepted or denied if I'm denied I'll contact the lawyer right away and they will represent me. I might feel a relief then knowing that someone that understands the process is in control. They will just charge 25% of my back pay if they win my case is what I understand.

Wow Katybug didn't know you were dealing with that. I've never been tested but we have ticks galore and pull them off of us all the time. Bless your heart it sounds like you've been through a lot! The air filters are a great idea. I'll have to see what God provides for us. If we have to start over again with all new furniture money is going to be very tight. I'm also not sure if I will be doing it alone as hubby is saying right now he's not moving with us. So finances could be very compromised.

In the beginning I had chest pain, racing heart, crazy heart pattern showed up on my holter with my heart actually stopping at several points. I threw that away because I couldn't stand to look at it. With my head I saw halos around lights, felt as if I was going to fall when I walked, and had vertigo and migraines, pressure in the head snapping and oozing then all of that slowly went away over time and I just had a normal CT of the head thank you God. It went all through my body with jolts of electricity going through my arms and legs. Startling for no reason. Waking up screaming or with heart pounding or gasping for breath. Then all my joints swelled up and got painful. The collapsing episodes where my heart would race, I would feel as if I was going to pass out started from the beginning and lasted the longest I would say predominating symptom. Then the horrible allergy reactions similar to a MCAD. I react to just odors and chemicals in the air. That's what I've experienced in a nutshell. Not sure if it's POTS or not. Something rocked my nervous system. Two CNS viruses back to back and a very stressful life + genetic tendency. I really feel fortunate that I'm doing as well as I am all things considered.

I realize I'm a mess. I don't know how we can pinpoint exactly the cause of my illness and I really don't know exactly how my body has been affected whether it is temporary or permanent. I know I got hit with West Nile had a blood test that confirmed it-then chicken pox-went to ER with that then right after was fearful I got meningitis because I got a stiff neck and horrible headache. Received a diagnosis if viral syndrome after that. At the same time my bipolar husband was having a horrible episode so I had stress from that and thinking that the responsibility of the family financial and everything else was on my shoulders so incredible stress and pressure plus PTSD from listening to all the crazy stuff that flies out of his mouth. He will say anything absolutely anything he has no limits. Then whatever it is in that house. Well all that and I was just down for the count. I tried to keep going and I kept collapsing with crazy scary symptoms. Then the allergies started so it seems immune system related. How to sort it all out then yes genetic tendency. Other women in the family have similar physical problems. It got me whatever it was or is.

The addition in the new place is 5 years old so old enough that I didn't notice any glue smells from walls or flooring. I think most of that would have time to dissipate by now but I have my fingers crossed that it's a good environment for us.

Thanks so much for that link Dizzy. I think our area is a mold hotbed too. Much of this area we live in used to be swampland. And lately it seems our water table is rising again. We've had flooding here in the recent years and many people had their basements flood. I'm suspect of this drainage system we have that opens up to the creek in the back that comes right up into our basement and there has been an odd smell down there. We have seen salamanders well 1 or 2 that have come up our drain. Anybody getting the quivers? So anything in that creek with often wet moist soil could be contaminating our house. It could be a weird off toxin. So that was my number one goal to get back to civilization with city water, we have a well, and sewer, we have septic and away from that creek. We also had to heat with fuel oil and propane for our hot water tank. I wanted to get back to natural gas and we ended up with geothermal instead. We are surrounded by trees and our outside air did test positive for mold related to decaying rotting leaves and trees. It's a type of mold that affects respiratory system over time. So we are back to city water sewer. There is a creek in the far back of the new place to but it is not connected to the house in anyway. This house does not have a basement-crawl space only. It is a brick ranch that a builder purchased and lived in and he built up and out and the selling factor we were looking for is 5 bedrooms with the master on the main floor. It has geothermal cooling and heating which is supposed to be both efficient and economical. We'll just have to see about air quality. It seemed okay while I was there. I don't even know if the windows open they are huge in the addition part of the home. They moved to Wyoming because he couldn't find steady work building houses around here in this depressed economy. His family is heartbroken. In laws live right up the street and he did an addition onto their place also. It all looks super clean and fresh.

MomtoG - that sick building issue you posted about almost describes thus to a t. The kids experience headaches and stomach aches, nightmares and disturbed sleep that staying with my mom didn't occur as much. It was going on still when we first got here and then dwindled down over the summer. Now that they are sleeping there it is all starting again. Volley-do you think the mold triggered your POTS? I am suspicious it is possible. I don't know that I can know for sure our issue was mold but whatever it is in that house I believe killed the mouse, killed the cat, made me sick and my husband. He still cannot eat normally is lucky to tolerate one meal a day is in a lot of stomach discomfort and has lethargy that comes with it. INteresting!!!! Almost simultaneous he started in with high blood pressure that exacerbated with any stress but also came out of the blue. He had a couple spikes that were scary before he got meds to control it where his bp was 200/100. He had to lay down and close his eyes. I was ready to take him to ER before he stroked out or had a heart attack. His heart enzymes were also elevated. I didn't really correlate his high bp's with the house issue but I think it could be related. I wonder now if those high bp's could be an autonomic issue for him or neurological. I'm worried he is not going to leave. He is so emotional and when I told him it was at the bad stage again he flipped and I heard all kinds of non related garbage. His final comment was he will stay in that house and me and the kids will move to the new place. I think if he would just get out and go any where for about 2-3 months like I have he would start to notice the difference. I can't make him believe me and I also can't know if the effects of that environment are affecting him cognitively too like putting him into a mental haze where he can't think straight.

Thank you Katybug. I feel like at times I have so many things working against me and they are all somewhat intertwined my health, finances, 4 kids, a volatile relationship, only somewhat supportive parents. I feel like my resources are limited and my problems are huge and then I think well how many other people are in the same situation or worse? So somehow we have to prioritize health and safety first for everyone. Then take it from there school and work obligations for husband and the kids. It seems like we have just been in survival mode and not really living for many years. I'm sure maybe others are dealing with just as difficult situations maybe different issues. I'm trying to stay calm and see the hope in this. What if it was the house? What if my condition can improve in time being out of there? Then comes the fear-what if we never escape it and take it with us and it continues to make us sick?

No I have not had it checked for radon it was suggested to me. A person told me it's bad in our area. In fact my sons kindergarten classroom had a radon leak that had to be repaired and his teacher quit shortly after that. The school is within 5 miles from us. I question if it is environmental. Our neighbor at the same time developed a pain in her side. She had all types of testing and they could not find anything. They moved and just resold their home. It stood empty for a year. I just don't know what we are to do and I am worried about whether I will have symptoms in the new place. I'm paranoid about that. There isn't much carpet there-it's mostly tile and hardwood floors.

I do not think anything was done with the duct work. We lost tons that first round besides the 10 thousand it cost to do the chemical treatment. We threw away our couches and matresses. A lot of our stuff is still in storage. Our carpets were professionally cleaned at that time and the carpet in the room that I was in that was so bad yesterday I had replaced when we moved back in. I had just asked my husband in August if we could clean our carpets. I was noticing it then and thought if we could pull out our carpet cleaner and use it-it might help clean up some of what was there. He basically threw a fit and didn't want to do it-thought I was asking for too much and went into a rant about not looking forward to me moving home-so I didn't. The rant today I heard was even worse and I won't repeat it here. Needless to say I left and did not listen to any more. I am all about trying to keep the peace but when it comes to something so potentially hazardous-it can't be overlooked. It's very sad-I think it's making him sick too with the GI system rather than the nervous system but he seems to be in denial. We need to get out stay out try to not transfer it over to the new place but then what do you do with the house? Insurance does not cover the loss. Here we have a home that at this time is not safe to sell or rent out to anyone.

Also I did not show a sensitivity on my allergy testing to dust, mold or things in the home so this is really curious but I feel there is a direct connection with my health-I just don't know how much.?

Have any of you ever had an environment you simply cannot tolerate being in whether it is the source of your symptoms or somehow our condition makes us more sensitive? I'm having it with our home right now. This sounds crazy but when I breathe in whatever it is I can feel it in the air. I do not get that feeling anywhere else just there. I tried to spend the night Monday and Tuesday due to all the driving I was having to do. I woke up Tuesday morning feeling like I was being suffocated. I went outside and it took me a good 20-30 minutes to recover. I had a period of confusion during this. I had the feeling something was taking the place of the oxygen in my body-horrible feeling. I had to open the doors wide open and it took about 2 hours to get enough fresh air in that I could stand being in there. Then yesterday I needed to go in a back room to print something and it was bad. The thing in the air was stronger there. It does not have an odor that I sense it's a feel as I'm breathing it in. I do not have asthma. I just found out today when I spoke with my husband about it that several years ago when I thought we had mold and had it cleaned up that the tests were inconclusive-this is what he's telling me now??? That he just had it cleaned up anyway for the heck of it. At the end of that clean up he ended up in the hospital with pancreatitis. And since has had stomach tumors removed. I don't know if whatever it is-environmental toxin? Is the source of my illness? I don't know. A mouse died a cat died. The cat we have now is only a year old and has a gait disturbance that just started. It's obese. When we would let it out in the summer it could not tolerate the heat and could not get back to the house on it's own. It's having recurrent bladder issues and urinates everywhere and seems confused. I have stayed at my moms since June. The kid's have slept there only on school nights but now that whatever it is is getting worse we're pulling them out of there. They will be sleeping at my husbands parents and my husband will drive them to school until we get possession of our new house in about 2 weeks. This is causing horrible stress for us. I am scared to death somehow we will transfer this mystery toxin to the new house and contaminate it also. I just don't know what to think or do. I heard the agency we used before were con artists that tested and treated our house. I wish there was a way to find out what it is-has anyone experienced anything like this-my husband just thinks I'm nuts. My mom also experienced the respiratory issues and recognizes there is something unhealthy there. She thinks it is what has made me ill. She could sense it helping us clean up prior to our appraisal when she was pulling things out from under the beds in the kid's room and also bringing sleeping bags here and washing them she said it was wafting up off of them and getting right in her face. The next day she was experiencing weird symptoms-all she could see was a purple square and she had extreme nausea. What in the world could it be?

I understand that Alicia. I was asking the nurse therapist I went to which benzo was best and she had a cow all over the place and got so uncomfortable as if I was a drug seeker. She started saying I needed to stay away from controlled substances. Well it sounds as if many people here with problems with regulating the chemicals in their body just with activity do well with a tiny dose of benzo daily. I don't find that so odd or horrible. So depending on the health care provider it can trigger them either way-we can't take certain things due to chemical sensitivity but because of the way our bodies behave to have a benzo can actually increase ability to function normally. I'm a bit surprised that the two people I have seen who say they have other POTS patients aren't more aware if that.

This is what I found: Healthcare at West Virginia University www.wvuhealthcare.com/.../index.aspx The Multiphasic Blood Analysis includes the following tests: HGB, Hemoglobin ... Low hematocrit values can be a sign on anemia. .... Low ALT levels can be caused by a urinary tract infection or malnutrition. ... - Cached

You are on the higher end and that was just where you were the day they tested. The way my doctor explained it was you will never have too much serotonin it's supply and demand so your body just won't work as hard to make it. I'm not sure I believe her I think high serotonin is part of my problem. Or maybe like other chemicals I'm just sensitive to it. I tried Zoloft and wasn't able to continue I developed an allergic reaction.

You may have water on your ear or a clogged eustachian tube. I'm not sure it's related to the dysautonomia. My ears are this way with pressure they only ring occasionally. One time I got a funny feeling in my ear this was years ago and the little bones in my ear started hammering away like they were playing a tune. It was so loud my husband heard it. That was a once in a lifetime. It's never happened again. I had sinus issues even back then so who knows? It was kind of like a spasm of the ear drum.

The doctor I see said they don't know how it helps they just know it does. She just happened to do her dissertation on POTS. I get the impression that they are not sure exactly how SSRI's work in general. There is the obvious of preventing the reuptake of serotonin and increasing serotonin levels but i also read that they actually work throughout the body on nerve cells and help to generate new nerve pathways.

That's a lot of info. I wonder if an integrative doctor could help?

I think they can cause all types of symptoms including shortness of breath etc that may be causing some of your symptoms.

Is anyone else noticing this? My eyes especially look scary and buggy. I have developed very saggy eyelids that remind me of Venetian blinds. I have layers and layers of folds in my lids I feel like I need a little string to pull to open them up. I often have a wrinkled forehead. My hair I don't even know what I can do with it. I don't have any good ideas. This is just all wearing on me and it's really showing on my face. Stress and fatigue. I think if when I looked in the mirror I didn't look so bad maybe I would feel a little better about myself. I'm sure the weight loss has not helped at all with my appearance. Is anyone else overdue for a makeover? Is this something that you have developed a way to manage in a liesurely way?

Wow this is like something out of a movie like the one with Mel Gibson where he can hear what women are thinking. Something causes the change and you are waiting for a strike of lightening to snap you back. I just don't know that it's anything predictable. I hope it happens for you one day.

I agree tell us more-it gives us hope. Update when you can. Are you tolerating being fairly active? I can be somewhat active but I have to watch it or the heat comes on and my heart gets worked up and then I have to take time out in meditation to get calmed down again. Not meaning to complain I'm happy for any normal here. And also I have NO plans to go back into healthcare even though it was my only career. I think with my sensitivities and frailty-it just isn't the place for me any more.

This may sound lame but drink lots of water to flush all that nasty stuff out of your body and try to find a calm and peaceful state of mind. Just any stress at all can really take us down a notch even if it's normal life stuff. Losing your father I'm sure is a huge impact. I am very sorry for your loss.