Mold in My Rental Home, Health Issues

by Karla L. Houghtaling
(Pinckney MI US)

Extensive mold on toilet

I'm 59 years old. Thought I was done with ever being exposed to mold again. Exposed to it many times and just cleaned it up myself - was not a good idea. I just rented a cottage a year ago, it is very old, on a slab, but in a very safe neighborhood, a private community on a lake and I love it here. This summer I noticed a bad musty smell when I entered the home. I'm very picky about making sure everything is always dried out, due to bad experiences with mold. No matter how much I cleaned I could not get rid of the smell. I have a skin fungal infection that totally grossed me out & could not figure out where I got it. I haven't done very much socializing due to moving and I watch my grandson. NO fun this year.

About a month ago I was down on the floor in the bathroom cleaning around the toilet. I happened to look up & between the toilet tank & seat was the grossest thing I have ever seen. It looked like a monster from the sea. It even scared me. I have pictures if u would like to see it. It opened my eyes to what the heck is in this home, plus I noticed I was coughing for 20 minutes when I laid down to go to sleep. One other odd thing my furniture is leather noticed black spots and then it started to create holes in the cushions & other weird markings. I thought I was losing my mind. I would think, how did that get there? I have had no company; only one other person has been to my house, so no one has been sitting on them. They are actually two little love seats, old but always well taken care of. It got so bad I had covers made and covered them. Anyway, other things were weird. I was losing my coordination, couldn't figure out why I would drop everything I touched. It would take me all day to a very little task. I was not thinking rationally. I love doing projects & good at it, but they would end up a disaster. I always paid my bills way before they were due; right now I have not paid my consumers or DTE bills, due on the 18th & 21st. I have the money & plan to pay it the next day but always forget. I am not feeling or acting normal. I couldn't think straight so I would have to go outside to clear my head. It would take at least an hour or longer. I felt awful.

I started to panic, packed my car & went to my daughters and stayed for 3 weeks. My symptoms went away. My family would look at me like I was out of my mind. I Kind of was. I couldn't believe that this was happening. It has taken me a year to clean up the mold mess I was in before. I'm exhausted and I'm not dealing with it very well. I stay at my daughters 3 to 4 days a week watching my grandson and it probably has helped with my health.

I have a window air conditioner and took a look inside; it was absolutely full of mold. I took pictures behind the toilet, it made me sick. While I was taking pictures of the mold behind the toilet I pulled a muscle I think. I got a bad pain on the right side of my back. I healed being gone for 3 weeks, but on Friday when I got up and started to move around, the same pain in my back was back.

If I moved a certain way it takes my breath away it hurts so bad. My joints hurt all over. I have been working hard on this mess since Saturday, non-stop making sure everything is off the floor. Well, it's too late, all my rugs have mold on the back. I went & purchased new filters for my respirator. I bagged up as much as I could. I plan to take everything to the landlord when I got home. My rent is always paid early. I talked to him about the refrigerator having mold on the seal, little did I know the door is pitted out, mold on the bottom of the doors as well. I looked in the back & got sick to my stomach. A tube is dripping on the compressor and it has no drip pan. It sits against a Knotty Pine wall. He said he called the maintenance man, gave me instructions on how to clean it! Really!! He said to seal it with Vaseline or silicone. I haven't touched it. The mold is on everything.

Today, I can barely walk I hurt so bad, my hair looks the worst it ever has. I have not done it or my makeup two months. Haven’t gone to church since I got the fungal infection, it’s just too embarrassing. Exhausted dealing with this. I need to get the hell out if here & focus on my health, even though I love it here. I was really happy! I Thank God for answering my prayers & helping me identify what is wrong. He is my savior. It is time to just walk away from this place.

Thank you for listening. It was good therapy for me to talk about things.

Karla Houghtaling
Pinckney, MI

PS: Will send more pictures.

Found Mold Bottom of Refrigerator

by Karla L. Houghtaling
(Pinckney MI US)

I already sent my story, here are more pictures.