sustainable systems & storytelling
A month ago, I posted that levels of mold in our home were higher after professional remediation. While some levels dropped, others rose. The rise in the toxic black mold stachybotrys chartarum suggests dampness or moisture. In Arizona, that generally means a pipe leak. We've moved all the furniture and there is no sign of... Continue Reading →
Last year ended on a high note. After being dragged, from many years, through a rotating door of mysterious symptoms, my partner and I found evidence that both of our health issues were due to significant, decade-old water damage hidden behind the drywall. We began treatment to remove the mold from our home and our... Continue Reading →
Do you ever feel like you just can't catch a break? My life is good, so I can't complain. And yet, my healthy habits seem to be perpetually assaulted by factors beyond my control. In 2018, we had a major pipe leak that flooded a third of our home. In 2019, we discovered black mold... Continue Reading →
On Wednesday evening, I developed a tickle in the back of my throat. Uh oh. Thursday, I felt tired and took the day off to rest. Thursday afternoon, I developed mild head congestion. By Friday morning, I felt great! My boyfriend experienced the same mild symptoms, though his lasted a few days long. Conservative estimates... Continue Reading →
The holidays have come and gone, and tomorrow marks the start of a new year. This has been a strange year, hasn't it? With the rise of Omicron, I'm hoping that a year from now, the pandemic will be a foggy memory recalled only briefly when the beam of our mind crosses that distant corner... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, we received a final report stating that "re-occupancy is ill-advised." The thing is, we never left our home. We had recently tested for mold spores, which we later learned stemmed from damage that occurred prior to installing a new roof in 2014, seven years earlier. I believe that biotoxin illness is the... Continue Reading →
There is much debate over whether supplements are really necessary, especially for those who are already eating well. Some swear by their customized supplement stack, while others believe it to be a complete waste of money. I believe fully that food is medicine. And yet, I also believe that the food we eat it is... Continue Reading →
Six years ago, I was diagnosed with a condition I had never heard of, despite living in the epicenter of fungal respiratory chaos. Three years ago, I learned that the infection had disseminated to the soft tissues of my leg, hiding behind my patella, clinging to my shins, and padding the soles of my feet.... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I underwent a battery of " I have given up on western medicine tests," one of which was allergy testing. I'm no stranger to allergies. I remember my throat swelling up in Sunday Bible school when I ate ants on a log, the fun childhood snack in which raisins lined up on... Continue Reading →
Six years ago, I was a high-functioning and successful Type A personality who had seemingly achieved success in all areas of life. I was an overpaid department head who excelled at my work. I had a fit an athletic body and loved teaching others how to achieve the most challenging poses in yoga. I had... Continue Reading →
Lately, I've been feeling a bit down. We're re-watching Seinfeld because it's the obvious choice when we can't decide what to watch. With each episode, I find myself verifying, "We've seen this before?" Several seasons in, I am realizing that I have absolutely no recollection of any of the content. It seems that I mentally... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I didn't experience any soreness in my legs all. I ascended a flight of stairs at work, as usual. I enjoyed a two mile evening walk, as usual. But one thing was notably different. I didn't stop once to rest my legs. For the first time in over 20 months, I walked further than... Continue Reading →
It's the final moments that define a journey and the first ones that make it possible. Both, we have total control over. Just over a month ago, I took my doctor's advice and made some drastic changes to my diet, in hopes of shifting my trajectory. I chose to embark on a new leg of my... Continue Reading →
On our recently trip, I felt lighter and more energized than I have in years, even though I wore huge bags under my eyes in every picture. Upon our return, the state of my health quickly returned to status quo. My boyfriend immediately suspected something environmental was to blame, hypothesizing either an allergy in our... Continue Reading →
I force a cough and it's done. The gynecologist drops a small T-shaped device on the bedside tray, its bloody tail looping into a figure eight. The petite women with blue gloves and a wide smile reminds me to call if I need anything before shutting the door behind her. I had the copper IUD... Continue Reading →
existential ergonomics 
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