What follows is the first of what we hope will be many guest posts from our new friend Shaylee Oleson. She works with chemically- and electrically-sensitive people to improve their health by adjusting their home environments. Shaylee is in tune with what we might imperfectly label as the Eco Feng Shui. And she's also really good at finding mold. We think she has some fun and thought-provoking stories to tell.
A Minneapolis family suspected their health problems were the result of a wooden power pole situated about 20-25 feet from their house. (Ideally, these should be 500-1,000 feet away from your home.) They started developing health issues after moving in 18 months earlier and doctors couldn’t figure out why all three family members were sick. The child’s bedroom was closest to the power pole and he had developed eczema that wouldn’t go away. The wife felt light-headed and disoriented whenever she was on that side of the house. The husband had developed skin problems as well.
That’s when I was called to test the environment of their home. I first recorded the magnetic levels under the power pole, which registered 100 milligauss (mG) (a unit of magnetic field strength). Safe levels are 1 to 2 mG during the day. Inside the house I was registering 10-15 mG. Levels of 10+ mG is considered extreme. The family was literally putting up the “For Sale” sign as I was leaving.
My very first mold testing job still ranks in the top two of the worst mold infestations I have ever seen. A woman renting a house on a river asked me to test for mold to prove to her landlord what she already suspected—that her numerous health issues were caused by the mold, including loss of teeth. When I walked in, I had to put a canister-type mask on due to the heavy concentration of mold spores. Every room was affected. Then there was the basement. Water was running down the walls, there was a huge water spot surrounding a doormat at the bottom of the wooden stairs, and there were mattresses on the basement floor with visible stains on them. Yikes!
The second worst mold condition I encountered was when I was called to conduct EMF (electromagnetic field) testing. I could smell mold standing outside the door. I pointed out that this person’s health problems might be due to mold exposure. He stored large oriental rugs in his house which he sold for a living, a great place for mold to collect. He then kept asking me the same questions, unaware that he was repeating himself. One of the signs of mold and high EMF exposure is lack of concentration and short-term memory loss. He is still living there.
My favorite story, though, is an inspection I did for a woman contemplating buying a townhouse by a lake. I conducted mold and EMF tests. She decided to buy the place, got everything fixed up and moved in—just to find out there was already someone living there. Well, more like a something than someone. She explained she has a very noisy spirit living there that wakes her up every night at the same time. I must admit, that is one test I didn’t conduct—spirit infestation.
