Infidelity by Pat Tucker Page A

Connell studied her chart again. "Well, you don't have asthma. I do see signs of an upper respiratory infection, but there’s more to it than that. Based on what you've told me so far, I'd have to say I think you're suffering from mold poisoning. Have you notice any mold growing on any of your walls in your home, typically the basement?"
    "Mold what?" She frowned and waited for clarification.
    "Yes, mold. We've seen an increase in the number of patients falling victim to mold and it can get worse. There was a sudden rash in our area, especially after the recent rains and hurricanes along the coast." He flipped through her chart, then placed it on a nearby table.
    "What? Mold? Is that what I think you're saying, or actually what is mold? And mold poisoning?" Persha cleared her throat.
    "Throat a little sore?" Doctor Connell asked.
    Persha answered by nodding. She was still trying to gather her composure.
    "Any wheezing? Problems breathing? Dry eyes?"
    "Yes, and diarrhea. At night I'm coughing so much I can hardly sleep."
    "Sounds like all the usual symptoms. This can be serious, and depending on the severity, you may need to make some life changes." The doctor got up. "I'd suggest taking a good look around your house."
    "Like get a test done? How do I know I have a mold problem?"
    "Oh, depending on how bad it is, you can smell it; you can also find mold spores."
    She wondered if her face showed any signs of just how confused she was at that very moment. The only thing she knew about mold was what happened when you let a loaf of bread go bad.
    "Let me see if I can make this any clearer for you. Molds are fungi. Tiny particles of mold are present in both indoor and outdoor air. Molds produce microscopic cells called spores, which are very tiny and spread through the air. Live spores act like seeds, forming new colonies when the conditions are right."
    "So it multiplies? How does it even form?" Persha asked.
    "Moisture. Plain and simple. Any major plumbing leak, firewood stored indoors, failure to vent clothes dryer exhaust outdoors, even watering plants can generate large amounts of moisture. Like I said, after the massive floods from Tropical storm Allison, we saw hundreds of people suffering from it. I’m sure we’ll see more cases when people start returning to their homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita clean ups."
    "Well, now that you mention it, I did have several pipes burst during the storm, but that was repaired and I have some firewood I've been holding on to for what, two years now, I just had no idea. How come I've never heard of this?"
    "Unfortunately, Ms. Townsend, you're like many people who suffer from mold-related illnesses. They don't find out about it until it actually affects them or strikes close to home."
    He leaned against the counter and looked at her chart again.
    "I'm um, I’m still so confused," she said.
    "And I understand that confusion, but at this point, at least until the blood work comes back, I strongly recommend that you stay at a friend's house; at least for tonight so that we can verify or count out mold poisoning."
    "So I need to leave my house?"
    "I'm suggesting that until we get your test results back. If it's not mold poisoning as I suspect, then you can go back home and we will keep hunting for the real culprit."
    "What if it is mold poisoning?" she asked.
    "I don't want to scare you, but things won't get any better."
    Persha's eyes narrowed. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she knew for sure she had to consider the worse case scenario.
    "We'll work through this. If it's mold poisoning, we'll get you feeling better soon."
    "Yeah, but basically you're saying my house is making me sick. So that means I'll have to leave the house for good if, in fact, it's mold."
    "I've seen cases where that has happened."
    "So what am I supposed to do while we wait?"
    "You'll find someplace else to stay. I'll put you on antibiotics to clear up the mild infection, then we'll find out for