Our House Is Very Sick...
Well, where do I start. First God…read moreis good even when we are going through some hard and stressful times right now. "I can do hard and all things, with Him at the helm".
A freak thing has happened, and we don't even know how or what started it. A week ago, I was at home sitting in our dining room and I keep smelling a weird smell. I asked my husband, Vel, "What is the awful smell?" and he said, "What smell? I don't smell anything." It was driving me crazy.
A few days later, my eyes starting watering and was red, my eyes and throat started burning. I developed a burst blood vessel in my right eye and red blotches on my face. I have a headache and was feeling nauseous. Vel didn't experience any of that. I am allergic to dust, mold and so many other things, so that is why It is affecting me so badly...
I started coughing, so I smelled the fabric blinds and OMG, it was the worst smell imaginable. So Vel removed all the blinds and cleaned the windows and put-up window film to prevent smells from outside coming in. But I keep smelling it. So, I sniffed the walls and furniture. The smell is in everything we own. But yet, Vel still can't smell it. So, we started trying to clean everything with disinfectant & soap and water. It helped, but the smell was still in the house and on the walls. It is even in Vel's car now.
The smell in on our skin and we still have no idea what this is. So, we removed all the lamps, decor items and such. But still the smell is still there. Finally, I told Vel I had, had enough so, we went to a hotel.
After two days, the smell was in everything there as well, because it is in all of belongings, we brought with us. The clothes, computers, and now their walls. So, we cleaned everything with Lysol, Windex and cleaner. Our nose is raw at this point! It is still in the hotel, but not as strong as in the house. So, until we find out what it is, we can't go anywhere else and have to endure it.
I thought, maybe it was mold or a gas leak? So, after making about ten calls to different places: Allstate - homeowners insurance, Serv-Pro, CDC (Center for Disease Control), Arizona Health Department, and other places. No one would come out to inspect this smell in our house. They said, natural gas has a rotten egg smell, so it wasn't that. I am quite hysterical at this point, feeling hopeless and we didn't know what else to do or who to call!!!!
So, I called another company who deals with mold & restoration, Doan Restoration AZ. I am crying and hysterical and told them my house is sick and so am I. First, Ricardo (Manager/Supervisor) was compassionate, sympathetic and patient with me as I tried to explain the unexplainable. Then he let me know they would get someone to come out in the next couple of hours to investigate.
When Conner and Kevin arrived at the house, I couldn't hold it together. I was crying and hysterical again. They assured me, it would be ok and then they explain the multi-step process to get us back into our house. So, I was able to calm down. With equipment in hand, they did an initial inspection to test for moisture and mold in every room. It was negative for mold or moisture. The smell was gone in the house, but it still exists on the walls and in the furniture.
So, the next step is to get an environmentalist specialist who will test the walls, furniture, blinds, HVAC, and the air in the home. They will take samples of items to test in a lab to find out what this is. So, we should hear from him on Monday or Tuesday to schedule an appointment at the house.
Thank you, Doan Restoration for listening and not letting me believe I was going crazy.
I am grateful for you and your company. We still don't have answers, but at least we now have a plan of attack and the right team in place. *(update, the environmentalist came out to do an air quality and mold test. We are awaiting the results, so hopefully, we will get an answer soon).