Omg, we are all so sick in my house.....
By Stephanie5
@Stephanie5 (2946)
United States
January 11, 2007 8:25am CST
My whole family is getting REALLY sick. I've had it for over a week, my daughter about 4 days, now my boys and old man are getting it! It's bad too...chest is tight, can't cough anything up, but you cough, cough, cough...fever, aches, stuffy noses, bad headaches, it's horrible!!!
I hope it's just the flu or a cold...but here's my question....
We were putting stuff away in the basement the other day, and when we went down to our surprise our basement is full of standing water!!! Now, I just posted a topic on my sucky windows, and now this has happened. Do you think it could be mold and mildew making us sick????? How am I supposed to get all that water out of there? How do I clean it up well enough to stop the mold and mildew? I'm so stressed about this house and too sick to do anything about it! Please ANY suggestions are appreciated, thank you!
3 people like this
26 responses
@linda345 (2661)
• Canada
11 Jan 07
I would definetly get it checked out. Even if you get the water cleaned up there could be mold depending how long the water has been there. Mold can cause alot of problems. It could definetly be making you sick. But on the other hand there is alot of cold/flu on the go. I know in our house in seems like we just keep passing the cold back and forth. My granddaughter has had it 3 times, my son 3 times, me twice and hubby twice.
2 people like this
@Stephanie5 (2946)
• United States
11 Jan 07
Oh lovely...ugh. There are quite a few leaks in this darn house, and there are leaks that have been fixed, but probably never cleaned up....
What makes me wonder is that my dog has been really ill since we moved here...and the kids and I have too....just not all at once like we are now. My daughter especially. I haven't seen any mold but I'm sure there is mold in the ceiling from a previous leak, I'm going to have to do something, it's killing us and the dog. Thank you for your response! Can I call someone to check? I don't want to mess with the ceiling, it might fall. (it's a drop ceiling)
@patootie (3592)
•
12 Jan 07
Ohh dear .. you really are having a bad time aren't you .. I think you need to get some health people in to check over your home .. it doesn't sound at all healthy .. is there nowhere you could go and stay for a few days ..
And I think your landlord must be made to come and sort out the house .. surely there are housing laws that he has to abide by ...
If I was near enough I would pop in and give you all a big hug ... hope everything gets sorted very soon ..
1 person likes this
@Stephanie5 (2946)
• United States
12 Jan 07
Awww, thank you. I don't think you'd want to hug us right now, lol. We all look and feel like hell. I am hoping and praying that we can get this taken care of today!!! And I hope we all start to feeling better soon! Thank you for your concern! Take care!
@sexysilver (928)
• United States
12 Jan 07
OMG!
Girl, get off the computer & call a dr NOW. Even if it is an ER Dr.
Standing water in someone's home is very dangerous! It can cause TOXIC mold. Toxic mold can present signs of a flu or cold, but can actually KILL a person. It affects infants, children, the elderly & people with weak immune systems the fastest & hardest, but NOBODY is immune to toxic mold.
And the fact that the stading water was there & you didn't notice until you say means it could be what's causing this. It happened at around that time & until then you hadn't gotten too near it (although it can cause toxic mold to grow between your walls & under your floor & up into your ceiling too.
But go see a dr & update us later.
Go - now - shooo ...
1 person likes this
@Stephanie5 (2946)
• United States
12 Jan 07
I don't have the money to go to the doc right now :-( or I would have, I have it the worse of everyone in the house (besides the poor dog who's been like this since we've moved here)(I feel so bad for not realizing before now), I feel like I'm dying. I'm going to call the landlord today and if he don't get his butt over here, he won't be recieving any rent for a couple months. I will call in professionals and use the rent to cover the cost. I'm fed up with this house and fed up with him. Thank you very much for your concern! I really appriciate it. I will keep you updated!
@wmg2006 (5381)
• United States
13 Jan 07
First you need to call an expert to check and see if you have mold in your house. In the meantime you need to get you and your family to the Dr. and maybe even to a hotel or someone else's house. If it is mold and mildew you guys could be sick for a very long time. It is the flu season though and hopefully you just have a cold. Don't stress while you are sick you will never get well. If you can not afford an expert then get some friends to come over and use a sump pump to remove the water. Once the water is gone you can go down and bleach the walls of the basement which will kill mold and mildew. Best of luck to you all and get some rest!
1 person likes this
@cajundharma (641)
• United States
12 Jan 07
I hope that by time you read this, you and your family have seen a doctor, or better yet, you don't see this for while because you're in a hotel, away from the mold. Some of that stuff can be toxic, and you really need to get a professional company to come in and spray antifungals and clean it out. And I hate to tell you this, but the spores are probably on everything you own. Not trying to scare you, but this stuff can cause serious illness. If you're a renter, definitely contact your landlord right away, and if you're a homeowner, you need to contact your insurance company ASAP.
@vivek_max_vivek (373)
• India
12 Jan 07
try seeking out some doctor
its not nice ffor all ofthe family members to fall sick it will cause u too suffer afterwards
1 person likes this
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
12 Jan 07
my whole family is having the same problem, i think it started with our youngest child picking some bug up at school. She started with a dry cough and a headache, then passed it on to her sister. She had a couple of sleepless nights (which means we all had) then started getting a high tempreture.
Yesterday both my wife and i started in the same way so i think its a bug doing the rounds but the state of your basement cant help, can it?
1 person likes this
@Great_Nate (84)
• United States
12 Jan 07
First of all do not walk throught a flooded basement unless the electricty is turned off!
You can buy a pump at hardware stores for this type of situation if you want to try and deal with it youself. You can also call a plumber to see if they do that type of thing. The could also try to find the soucre of the flooding.
1 person likes this
@jeepstergirl (396)
• United States
12 Jan 07
That could very well be the cause of your illnesses! You should visit the doctor, and voice your concerns so that he has a better idea of what he's looking for. Meanwhile, sterilize everything several times a day with lysol (the phone, door handles, toilet seats and flushers, steering wheel on your car, etc.) Good luck, and I hope your family is feeling better very soon!
1 person likes this
@KeesaMaMax5 (79)
• United States
12 Jan 07
It very well could be the mildew making you all sick. There are companies that will clean your basement for you. And I think you should all get check out by a Dr.
@dianagaddi (765)
• Philippines
12 Jan 07
it happens to my family too. and not only once. the bacteria is really strong. get well soon to all of u. drink lots of water eat fruits
1 person likes this
@clarity (65)
• United States
12 Jan 07
I feel for you, so bad. There are a lot of bugs going around so don't just jump to mold yet. You need to get the water out of the basement ASAP. You will have to hire a specialist, probably. If it is deep water, you will need strip and redo your basement. You will need to have everything cleaned with a disinfectant, such as bleach. If your "stuff" got wet, it might have to be all tossed. This is going to be hard, because if you have insurance, I don't know if they cover for the flooded basement. Be careful who you hire and I'm a little wary about city hall....
1 person likes this
@MsRetro (249)
• United States
12 Jan 07
If there's a lot of water, a wet dry vac may be your best bet.
After that, try using a dehumidifier.
I'm allergic to mold. It sounds to me like you guys all just have the flu. I don't think you'd have fevers if the mold was making you sick.
@tanujbhargava (310)
• India
12 Jan 07
Oh my .
That would be a tough situation there.
Take proper medication. Refer to a good doctor!
1 person likes this
@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
12 Jan 07
Oh yes mold and mildew can make you really sick, I really don't know how you are going to do it when you are sick but somebody will have to remove it for you, can you get somebody? I hope so as mold and mildew gets into your lungs that is what has caused your whole family to be so sick.
1 person likes this
@pradesh13 (287)
• India
12 Jan 07
Hi Take proper precautions for you and your family.You should keep basic medicines (medicine kit) at your home so that you can refer to it anytime like having some pain relievers, anti allergiecs etc. Home Remedies are also useful. Please refer the site www.home-remedies-for-you.com
Get well soon!!!
1 person likes this
@heiferhead (11)
• United States
12 Jan 07
You are going to need some type of pump to pump it out if there is a lot of water. Sometimes a wet/dry vac will do the trick! After I got it out I would wash everything down with Clorox (including the walls).
I really do not think the water caused it. I think your family has the good old fashioned flu! Hope ya'll get to feeling better! Margie J
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