The unusual way COVID made me sick and why it matters to you
I was tied to the sofa. I could barely move. My thoughts were racing. How did I get into this? More importantly, how do I get out?
That wasn’t a dream, but my reality this time last year.
‘Stay safe’ they said
It was the height of the 3rd wave of COVID. “Stay inside” they said, “you’ll stay safe that way”; whatever ‘safe’ is!? Well, not for me. I was made incredibly sick by the COVID virus, but not in the way you’d imagine.
I was anchored to the sofa by a weight I’d never known before. With slight chest pains, I thought I had mild COVID, but all the tests came back negative. This was different though; I didn’t have the symptoms. It was like being shackled, stuck in treacle and drained. It was that nightmare that you’re running, struggling, trying to get away from something but are inexplicably stuck, weighted to the ground, making no traction.
One day, I dragged myself to my sister’s house; my bubble at the time. I sat and watched her vacuum. I couldn’t understand how she had the energy to do it, but I vaguely remembered that energised feeling. Now, when I vacuumed my small flat, I was wiped out for the whole day.
I felt lazy
I’m a successful entrepreneur with several ventures. I’ve single-handedly developed and managed many properties whilst running my own consultancy business, plus maintaining a very busy social life. But now I could barely get off the sofa!
I beat myself up because I felt lazy; I didn’t have another explanation. I was embarrassed and ashamed, so I hid how badly weak I’d become from family and friends. Something wasn’t right. I just knew I didn’t feel like me, but I didn’t know where I’d gone. It had crept up on me so quietly that it just became my new normal.
Left to suffer
From previous experience, I knew that the doctors wouldn’t be able to help. They would run some tests and then tell me I was fine. I’d be left alone to suffer, without any answers.
Where did it come from? What caused it? And how did I get back the old me; the one that ran around like a blue-arsed fly, and achieved so much with my time?
Cause and effect – piecing it together
The diagnosis had crossed my mind. But it was only when I got home, between two periods of being away, that I was able to piece it together. Within a week of returning home, I was sofa-bound again, feeling absolutely dreadful. Then I went away again. Within 4 days of being away on this second trip, my mind started to clear.
On two separate evenings, I experienced an instantaneous shift; it was like a thick, heavy, dark blanket was removed from over my head and suddenly I felt lighter and my mind was clearer. As the days went on, I gradually started to feel better again, stronger, more like me. Applying the cause and effect approach to wellness that we practice at Wholistic Wellness Centre, it suddenly hit me... it was my flat that was making me sick. Over the coming days, I was able to verify this using inexpensive tests and it was such a relief to finally know the cause, because then I could treat the problem.
By being told to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, I was made very unwell. I was rarely at home before the pandemic. I was always out working, networking, socialising, going to gigs, volunteering, travelling, exercising, being busy, so I had very low exposure then. I apply the 11 Pillars of Wellness in my own life so any impact of the issue was being minimised by my healthy lifestyle. But as I had been confined to the 4 walls in my flat, told only to go out when absolutely necessary, my immune system was being continually attacked and was unable to fight off the constant exposure.
Hidden problem
My flat is a Victorian property, which is over 150 years old. It smells a bit damp, as do many properties in the UK. We have extremely dank weather and use them in a way for which they were not designed, and worse, try to make them energy-efficient without considering proper ventilation.
I’m meticulously clean and leave my windows open every night for good ventilation and sleep. I’d seen a bit of both black and white mould in the flat but always cleaned it off with something to kill it and thought nothing much of it. Little did I know at the time that visible mould can indicate a much bigger, hidden problem. But having lived in the United States, and been to the real estate meetings, where they survey for black mould in property transactions, it was on my mind… what if I had a mould issue in the flat?
The diagnosis
I spoke to a Functional Medicine Practitioner. They recommended some basic, inexpensive tests, which I failed miserably and it was confirmed… I was mouldy!
The test showed that the mould had affected the neurological pathways in my brain. Although there are further tests that can be taken to confirm mould toxicity, I didn’t need them. The mould was obvious, and many of the symptoms were there. It explained my chest pains, poor immunity, hormone imbalances, bad memory, depression, brain fog and fatigue. Mould exposure can also cause other neurological problems including MS, gastric problems like Crohn’s Disease, heart disease, rheumatic problems, respiratory complications, liver disease, chronic fatigue and mood disorders including depression, anxiety and ADHD. Different moulds have different toxicity and effects; black mould is one of the milder ones, but there are more noxious invisible ones.
Despite being mentioned on the NHS website, and recognised by the UK Government as potentially being as toxic as asbestos, mould toxicity is barely even considered in the UK. I knew then, as I know now, if I had gone to my GP, the NHS would never have diagnosed mould toxicity. They don’t have the training or resources.
May the 4th be with you
I discovered the cause of my sickness exactly a year ago today, May 4th. Star Wars fans will know May 4th is a pun on the saying from the films ‘may the 4th (force) be with you’. It was an ironic date to find out the cause of my fatigue and how to find my force again!
Immediately, I set about finding a company that does mould detection and treatment. Many UK-based firms do not properly remediate, but I found one that uses special tried and tested technology from the US. They took some air samples and treated the flat.
The toxic truth
When the air quality test results finally came back, they were shocking. I actually cried.
Imagine a cubic metre for a moment… a smallish space really. The ambient outdoor mould levels, which were used as a baseline, were measured at 320 spores/m3, which doesn’t mean much on its own, but some outside mould is to be expected. Inside my flat, in the same one cubic metre space, the spore count was 39,000/m3! My flat was literally attacking me! My head span and my whole world started to make sense… I wasn’t lazy after all! I cried with relief and anger all rolled into one. I felt vindicated and yet so let down. All those days I had to spend on the sofa, hiding my sense of laziness, my feelings of failure.
Helping others
With this test result, I could finally rebuild my life; the one I’d missed out on for over a year. Since I’ve had the flat treated, it’s all gone away. I feel much more like my old self again. I no longer need to spend a whole day, or three, on the sofa and I’ve launched new ventures including Wholistic Wellness Centre (and Mental Health Getaway) to help those that might also be suffering from a myriad of conditions, and not getting help from the NHS, including mould toxicity.
It is important to say that not everyone is affected by mould, and there are certain indicators as to whether you might be susceptible. If you think you may have a mould problem, or another health condition (physical or mental) that you cannot resolve, like fatigue, get in touch and Wholistic Wellness Centre will be happy to give you a free 10 minute, no obligation chat to see if we can help.
We can also recommend companies that provide effective environmental remediation to clear your home/office.
Well wishes,
Andie x