Toxic DMV

I heard from a friend this week who had an eventful trip to a suburban Chicago branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles. This friend lost her home to toxic mold several years ago. She and her family members continue to experience health ramifications from the exposure. She has trouble any time she encounters damp, toxic indoor environments. In her words,

I got to the window and the woman helping me was coughing pretty badly. She had to excuse herself and went to get hand sanitizer. She said she had a tickle in her throat so I wouldn't think she was contagious. Then I noticed the woman next to her coughing and I turned around to see the other employees and there was a man sniffling. I told her, "I am not feeling well from being here." She said, "Yeah, it's this building," and then the other woman working there said, "They just keep coming in to clean the vents, but that doesn't help." I then said, "I noticed all the stained ceiling tiles here and I am now having trouble writing and I'm dizzy; this place must have mold." I knew it did for sure. The woman helping me said, "There are so many people that have developed cancer, lung diseases, etc. from working here." I told her, "Yes, I believe mold can do that to you." I told her about the website TruthAboutMold. My lymph nodes in my neck are swollen from being in there for 20 minutes, my ears hurt, and I was coughing (which isn't normally a symptom for me), I was having trouble reading the form to fill out and calculating a simple figure, and I was shaking uncontrollably.

Yet again, another illustration of the importance of connecting the dots between our environment and our health.