Four years ago, I was fighting for my life. I had to force food down, was nauseated and bloated, had panic awakenings all night, was weak and could barely function. Afraid to go to sleep and to wake up, I just wanted to quit. Doctors were baffled and doubted I’d make it. Only the Lord and the prayers of many kept me going.
Finally, a new doctor found the problem: severe mold toxicity!
I stayed elsewhere for the summer while the house we loved was turned upside-down in remediation. We lost almost everything. I’m so grateful for my amazing husband who cared for me and also oversaw the entire demolition and reconstruction.
Six months later I was starting to feel better. It’s been a slow process, and I’ll probably always struggle with the challenges of post-traumatic stress.
Still, my gratitude continues to outshine the darkness.
While I continued to get stronger and our life returned to normal, one mystery remained: no active source of mold was ever found.
Until a few weeks ago. The doctor recommended the house be tested again, to be safe. Panic gripped me! I felt like throwing up and running away. I could NEVER go through that again!
But after much prayer, we decided to go ahead.
We enlisted the help of “The Mold-Hound,” a Seattle company recommended by my doctor. Jax was a young Beagle professionally trained to locate mold. Jax’s owners had lost their home and health to mold illness too, leading to their dedication to help others.
Finally, inspection day arrived. The suspense was intense. Would we soon be grieving the loss of our home and belongings again, or celebrating a healthy home?
When Jax came in, he rested his head on my lap while I stroked his soft ears and talked dog to him. It was an amazing, much needed dose of comfort.
Jax’s owner Dmitri explained the procedure and invited us to observe. Signaling Jax that it was time to work, he commanded, “Jax, Seek!” He led him around the room on a loose leash while Jax sniffed away.
Suddenly Jax sat, alerting to mold. Bummer! Dmitri said, “Show me.”
Jax pointed his nose up toward a specific spot. Dmitri rewarded him with praise and a treat, and marked the spot with blue tape.
As fascinating as it was, I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. So I went out for a long walk. And prayed!
When I returned, there were pieces of blue tape in EVERY room. NOT good. Holding hands, my husband and I gazed at each other while Dmitri and Jax finished up.
Sharing his findings, Dmitri admitted he’d initially been baffled. He walked us through the house, noting that most of the blue tape was far from any water source, with no visible mold nearby. Then it dawned: each spot was in the path of a furnace vent. This led us downstairs to the HVAC closet.
There we saw two more pieces of tape on a corner brick wall. Still no visible mold or moisture. Dmitri climbed into the furnace closet and pointed inside, way in back. And there it was! Down below where no one had ever looked, or even considered looking, right behind the brick wall.
GOOD Boy, Jax!
We heaved a sigh of relief. It all made sense! All the spots could be traced to mold in the HVAC closet — which was scary-ugly.
I wanted to invite Jax to live with us, but we had to say goodbye.
The blessings continued. The HVAC and mold remediation teams were able to come right away, and within a few days the mold was successfully removed. We were thanking the Lord and rejoicing!
Our journey isn’t over. The mystery of how and where the water came in remains to be solved. So, we will watch and wait. And continue to trust the Lord, Jehovah-Jireh, Our Provider, who takes care of us IN the hard times.
And nothing ever surprises Him.
For now, I’m going to turn on the furnace, hold my husband’s hand, and thank the Lord for the privilege of living in a healthy home.
