Not Settling for a Diagnosis of Exclusion to Find Answers and Healing
by Cassie Sperling, IHP3, HPH
“You’re going to have to learn to live with Fibromyalgia for the rest of your life,” were the discouraging words I heard my doctor say while we were losing our medical insurance. I wasn’t just dealing with the implications of Fibromyalgia; I was also facing chronic daily migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic cystic acne, and extreme gut issues. Additionally, my memory was failing, and I could no longer remember what was said to me 5 minutes prior. Furthermore, my health was getting worse, and I felt like my insides were dying, all while my entire body radiated in pain with no reprieve. My doctor never once thought to test for mold toxicity.
Upon arriving home from that disappointing appointment, I allowed myself a moment to grieve. The warm tears danced their way down my cheeks, and my sleeves became saturated from soaking them up. Life as I recently knew it had the potential to be my forever, and I was not prepared to accept my fate and merely survive. What came next would be the beginning of a journey filled with hills and valleys that would lead me to claiming victory.
I got into what I call fight mode. I prayed, “God, if there is a way to fix this, I need you to show me.” Not long after I prayed that prayer, I found a functional medicine doctor on the other side of the country who did telemedicine. At the time, pursuing that road seemed like a big risk: I would pay $5,000 to a man I had never seen face-to-face for a 6-month package that included supplements and testing. Not willing to accept my primary doctor’s prognosis, I went for it.
Functional Medicine Testing
Functional medicine testing revealed I had significant candida (yeast) overgrowth in my gut as well as an overgrowth of bacteria. High cortisol levels were recorded in the morning, and then my levels tanked for the rest of the day. My thyroid was imbalanced, with my T4 not converting to T3. Still, my functional medicine doctor never tested for mold.
Hope started to pour in as the functional medicine doctor laid out his plan. He put me on a protocol and asked me to start walking every day. Naturally, as my energy levels began to rise, my inner athlete began to wake up. Walking turned into jogging and jogging into running. I went from living on the couch to running a 10K in 6 months. My family and I were amazed at the transformation, but my time with the doctor had come to an end. Fibromyalgia flares would return every 2-3 months, but this was a huge improvement from the daily, constant pain I was experiencing. Unfortunately, years later, the pain had returned, and this time it did not go away.
After trying all of the things I had learned from the functional medicine doctor with no success, I knew there was something deeper at play. Not only was I in the worst pain and Fibromyalgia flare I had ever experienced, but I started to exhibit new symptoms, such as not being able to speak in a full sentence without my words jamming up. Moreover, my energy levels were now nonexistent. My husband had to carry me up and down the stairs and place me in and out of the bathtub. Fear started to creep in that maybe I would have to learn to live with this for the rest of my life, but I quickly shook that thought and reminded myself that, if I was able to get the pain to go away for 2-3 months at a time, I could at least get back to that cadence. My faith had me believing I could figure out why I had developed Fibromyalgia and these other symptoms in the first place, so that I could finally do something to solve the underlying cause and say goodbye to them for good.
Finding Mold in My Body and My Home
New testing revealed I had Stachybotrys in my body, among other mycotoxins. We then had our home tested for mold to see if it was the source of my exposure, and the results were shocking. Mold was growing in almost every single room. Can you guess what they found in the ceiling of my master bathroom that opened up to my bedroom?
If you thought Stachybotrys, you would be correct. Immediately, we began the mold remediation process, and that is when my body started to indicate that the high levels of mold in our home were, indeed, causing my chronic illness and symptoms.
Through scouring the internet for resources, I came across Micro Balance Health Products. Overwhelmed with having to toss out so many of our belongings, Micro Balance provided a sense of relief knowing we wouldn’t have to get rid of everything. We purchased a fogger and added the EC3 Concentrate to pull any residual spores in the air down to the ground to be cleaned. The EC3 candles burned as we wiped down every nook and cranny of every single salvageable item we owned with the EC3 cleaner. My favorite product was (and still is) the EC3 Laundry Additive, which helped us to salvage clothes, linens, and very precious blankets my grandmother had made.
The Remediation Company Missed What We Found
Mold has a way of breaking down the body and sensitizing it to the environment. Because of this mechanism, I was able to pinpoint exactly where the remediation company had missed the mold. Pointing to the location in the bathroom, I showed my husband where I believed there was still mold. He carefully cut out a piece of drywall and found a wooden wall joist that had mold growth on it. We quickly learned that not all mold remediation companies are created equally, and we use our experience to coach friends and family through their mold remediation journeys.
Detoxing Mold: Did We Get It All?
A new practitioner started me on a mold detoxing protocol that consisted of herbs, binders, and homeopathics. My energy was increasing, the pain was becoming less, and I was able to speak more fluidly, which was a real confidence booster. It is important to note that every single holistic-minded doctor and practitioner I have worked with has propelled me forward in my healing journey, and I am beyond grateful to have learned from their knowledge and expertise.
Towards the end of my time with the practitioner, I was back to where I was with the functional medicine doctor– I was able to run and go 2-3 months without a Fibromyalgia flare. What a gift, but was there still mold in my body despite a Bioresonance scan showing I was clear?
Going Back to School Leads to More Answers
As I continued to get better, I knew I needed to speak about root-cause illness with a voice of authority. I went back to school to become a certified Integrative Health Practitioner from the Integrative Health Practitioner Institute. Because of this decision, I would unravel the mystery of why I was still flaring up every 2-3 months. Gut dysbiosis from mold toxicity was still a prevailing issue; plus, a parasite infestation and mycotoxins were still lingering. Taking my health into my own hands and following a multi-faceted approach to health and wellness, I can now confidently say I no longer exhibit any symptoms of Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic daily migraines, or chronic cystic acne. My memory is back to being sharp, and my speech is no longer jammed. I found freedom in getting my life back.
Re-Exposure to Mold Leads Back to Micro Balance Health Products
With the ebbs and flows of life, a new, uninvited mold exposure has recently interrupted my family’s life as we are preparing to build the most mold-resistant home we could dream of. Thankfully, I have experience under my belt and quickly went into action. We ordered the EC3 Laundry Additive to save our clothing and rinse away the mold spores, we ordered the EC3 Cleaner Concentrate to make numerous batches of cleaning solution to wipe down everything salvageable, and we also purchased the EC3 Enzyme Cleaner for those tough-to-clean spaces. After multiple mold exposures, we stay armed for the battle and keep Micro Balance Health Products close by.
Your Suffering Does Not Fall Void
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I wish MORE people would see this and understand that mold toxicity looks like a number of other health ailments and doctors never check for mold. I was having the exact same issues. Then it got worse. I’d have trips to the ER with unusual symptoms- One where my skin felt like it was burning. Another where it felt like I was breathing in fire. I later developed a hand tremor that has yet to go away but that’s been the least of my concerns. My sister is a DNP and even she though maybe MS, fibro, etc etc…but I couldn’t understand why that’d make sense to happen so fast and in my 30’s. Then one day sitting in my office I was recording something and when I played it back there was a voice that said something in a different language over my voice. I was able to use Google translate to detect what they said and it said either “emergency” or “teeth” – BOTH made sense to me since one of my strange symptoms were my teeth felt so sensitive, almost like a pain/pressure. I knew that message was for me that I was in the room causing my ailments. No, I wasn’t scared of the voice I recorded because I felt it was a message I needed to hear since doctors had no ideas other than saying my symptoms were due to stress at work. I left my office and closed the door. I wasn’t sure what I would do and then a crazy thought out of the blue popped in my head- mold. My biggest fear. On a whim, I called a mold remediator to see if they could find anything in my office. They did! BINGO! We ripped everything out, remediated that area, threw out things, cleaned other things. I found Micro Balance and started to burn their candles and use their cleaners. SO helpful to find a trusted company that had solutions! I did the same as Cassie tested positive, found a really good mold specialist doctor, I had my AC ducts sanitized and cleared, hired a mold fogging company for the entire house- the whole 9 years. Yes, it was expensive but I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had not heard that voice say there was an emergency and that I was sitting in the origin of it. I would have still been thinking my job was the reason that I was suddenly dying. I recommend Micro Balance as well if you need products that help detox your body and home from mold. Bottomline- If you or someone in your family has an ailment that seems odd to have, doesn’t run in the family..etc- Get mold tested. I had mine done through MyMyCo Labs via my doctors order. It really is more commonly the root cause screwing up your entire body- showing up as other ailments that it isn’t. And with SO many people that went to work at home after Covid 19, it isn’t a coincidence that more people would be positive for mold toxicity due to sitting in their homes for longer periods of time. Get tested! Thank you, Cassie for sharing!!!!!
Wow, thank you for sharing this. I relate to so much of what you said. It’s frustrating when your body is clearly in crisis and no one’s looking deeper.
That moment with the voice in your recording gave me chills—in the best way.
I’m so glad you found the root cause and got the help you needed. Mold is seriously overlooked, and you’re right, especially with so many of us working from home post-Covid, it’s become more common than people realize.
Thank you again for being so open. Stories like yours help others feel less alone and more empowered to listen to their bodies.