Ana Harris on “Is My Story Scary and Depressing?”
Ana Harris wrote a blog article called “Is My Story Scary and Depressing?”
From the article:
Before mold avoidance, I wasn’t working or going to school or participating in society. I was stuck in bed staring at the same four walls and ceiling day after day after day. I was a prisoner in my own body. Curled up in pain. Too sound sensitive to interact with other humans. I saw friends less than once a year and barely interacted with family. I was often too brain-fogged to carry a conversation. I was down to only a handful of safe foods I could eat without risking anaphylaxis. People stopped inviting me to weddings. The only social event I could consider attending was my own funeral.
Mold avoidance has been a journey of one gain after another. Sure, I’ve lost possessions and living spaces. But I’ve gained a life. I have a body that functions how it was designed to function. I feel good. I have joy. I can cook meals and eat them. I can walk my dogs. I can work out. I can talk to friends on the phone. I can contribute to online discussions. I can visit with my family. I can actually carry a conversation with other humans. Nobody can tell me that this life isn’t worth living. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
Secondly, I don’t expect to live in isolation forever. This is a season. I’ve chosen to devote this season to healing because I believe it will enable me to be a better wife, sister, daughter and friend for the rest of my life. I’m only 26. I’m going to take my best shot at a full recovery.
Others have done mold avoidance in less extreme ways and still made impressive gains. I took a break from all civilization. At first, I was forced into it by the severity of my mast cell reactions. After six months, it was no longer a question of survival. Continuing to pursue a more “extreme” approach to mold avoidance was a choice my husband and I made deliberately. The bottom line is, the faster healing was worth it to us. The weeks of feel-good days were worth it to us. Not everyone has to take this approach. We chose to because we wanted to.
Links on this page are in orange (no underlining).