I haven’t blogged in almost three months.

I didn’t post on Instagram for over six weeks.

Two months later I’m now just beginning to think about new content.

Stepping away from my business wasn’t a decision I made on a whim.

In fact, it wasn’t entirely my decision.

I’ve previously brushed off questions about the topic.

“ I was burnt out.”

“I just needed a break.”

Here’s what I haven’t told you

I was sick from mold exposure.

Tears swell in my eyes and stream down my face as I type this.

I still can’t believe it happened to me.

Losing your home shakes you to the core like nothing I’ve experienced before.

I discovered the mold in my apartment in December 2017 and life has slowly detangled from there.

In the undoing a new version of me is being born.

Why I didn’t tell you

I didn’t tell you because this blog is an educational platform.

I write from a place of empowerment. I write to offer you the tools and resources to help you take charge of your own health.

That’s my commitment to you and to myself.

I couldn’t do that until now.

How it happened

It took me over a year to connect all the dots.

I started to gain weight, migraines that I hadn’t experienced since middle school returned, I was exhausted and I was losing my memory.

Then things got worse.

The fatigue was extreme.

My vision became blurry.

My hair began to fall out.

My digestion was horrible; I was nauseous, frequently disoriented and often sick with a cold.

There were frequent doctors visits, endless supplements, MRIs for brain lesions and chiropractor appointments to try to alleviate the headaches.

Little helped.

I was scared. I was devastated.

At times I thought my career in wellness was over.

If I couldn’t get to the root cause of my own health issues, how could I possibly help others?

Over the holidays I was home from work. The more time I spent in my apartment the sicker I became. Staying in bed to rest only made things worse.

I heard a clear message to get my apartment tested for mold.

I did.

A few days later the lab test results came back; I packed up a few bags and left.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that day in December I was also packing up one version of my life.

Life was never going to be the same.

Healing

There are far too many emotional, financial, medical and legal details to share in this blog but here are a few steps that are helping me heal or have already helped.

• • Leave: You’ll hear and read varying opinions and recommendations on this topic. Some people say leave the toxic environment and don’t take any of your belonging and some say it’s OK to take your belongings. From my research, I’ve come to understand that it depends on which types of mold you’ve been exposed to. Your doctor can help you determine which is the right protocol for you.

• • Functional Medicine Doctor: Functional medicine doctors will do much more
    extensive allergy and inflammation testing than a typical physician. Once you know the type of mold you’ve been exposed to and the allergies you’ve developed, you can better figure out a treatment plan. If you don’t have a functional medicine doctor, you can search for a practitioner on The Institute for Functional Medicine website.

• • HEPA Filter: HEPA filters remove mold, dust mites, pollen and other irritants from the air. I use the Dyson Air Purifier  and leave it going in my bedroom at all times. This helps remove particles from the air that can cause an additional allergic and inflammatory response in the body.

• • Supplements: To reduce the histamine and inflammation in my body—under my doctor’s direction—I’m taking a protocol of supplements including Vitamin C, Quercetin and Tri-Salts.

   

  •  Ayurveda Routine: Ayurveda attributes mold allergies in part to an imbalance in the Kapha dosha. I’m transitioning to a Kapha balancing diet and have become religious about Ayurveda routines that clear the nasal and digestive channels. This includes using a neti pot every morning, sipping ginger tea throughout the day and lemon water every morning. More on my Ayurveda routine in another blog post but I attribute a lot of my recovery to this practice.

The steps above are what are working for me right now but mold exposure is a challenging illness to overcome and everyone’s situation is unique. Utilizing the steps above has prevented me from having to go on a five-year immune therapy protocol. I can begin to see my health returning and I’m committed to moving forward.

Our body’s ability to heal itself is truly incredible and while these have been some of the most challenging four months of my life, things in life don’t always just happen to us, instead they happen for us.

This process has given me the space to go inward and to get in tune with the depths of my intuition I hadn’t previously uncovered.

It’s opened up pathways and forced me to have the courage to walk through those doors.

More on those changes to come. This is part one.

xo
-K

I make every effort to share correct information, but medicine is a constantly changing science. I welcome any comments, suggestions or corrections. Nothing contained in the Site is intended to establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician or health care professional, or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.