My Journey
"My route and challenges through Mould illness which nearly killed me but may have saved my life."
Jeff Charlton-
Certified member of Chartered Institute Environmental Health MCIEH (UK)
Member of Surviving Mold and International Society for Environmental Acquired Illness
(ISEAI) groups of Indoor Environmental Hygienists writing USA and international standards
on water damage and biological investigations for environmental acquired illness.
Narrative
I have written this paper (diary) in the hope it might support individual family members suffering from mould illness and who invariably travel the journey of recovery alone and confused.
I am an indoor environmental hygienist and my full-time roll is visiting homes to assess the cause of building related illness.
I have been involved in water damaged and mouldy homes for 30 years although I have also been exposed to chemical loading through commercial clean ups such as Kuwait oil fields.
As a sufferer of CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response), I have been faced with many of the same physical and mental challenges as my clients.
This paper shows the routes I followed to getting diagnosed the ups and downs and feeling better.
My Stroke, Stammer and Stutter and the British treatment
With the newly developed stammer, stutter and tics, focus was again on my brain, one of my primary care doctors suggested I bought a book on how to improve self-image and he clearly thought this was all in my imagination. Some friends and family members thought I was an embarrassment when stammering or ticking and occasionally I can speak a sentence back to front which adds to their entertainment. My stammer and tics appeared to be related to temperature and this may reflect brain inflammation especially to hypothalamus at the base of the brain.
When I am exposed to high temperature I crash into stammer and stutter and during the hot summer of 2019 I could hardly speak.
I went to my doctor and they sent me immediately to hospital for suspected stroke or brain bleed. I was given an immediate MRI scan. The scan did not show abnormality and the doctors were unable to diagnose or explain, not least after I cooled down in the airconditioned hospital and all symptoms disappeared. Diagnosis of brain injury from the newly emerging symptoms of toxic mould exposure, is as we all know from experience, very difficult to find.
CIRS or bio toxin (mould) illness is so often misdiagnosed as being depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and somatization; as well as Alzheimer’s, Parkinsonism, allergy, fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, among others. Treating patients for these seemingly diverse conditions does not improve their symptoms of CIRS, although effective therapies for CIRS do exist.”
The hospital report below shows no stroke but equally no reason for the obvious symptoms.
UK primary care doctors and Brain injury
I was informed I have severe brain damage caused by a motorcycle and truck crash in 1967 and given a letter to excuse me from high anxiety scenarios such as cross examination in expert witness cases.
Neuroquant Brain Scan
My friend doctor Ritchie Shoemaker in USA suggested I have a Neuroquant which is a three-dimensional MRI brain scan. The cost is around £1000, and I booked two different clinics in London and Boston USA but suffered claustrophobia and had to leave both hospitals without the scan. This is a new psychological development as I am a scuba diver and used to working in confined spaces wearing full PPE.
While in Australia I visited Dr Sandeep Gupta who organised a Neuroquant 3D MRI brain scan) with me taking sedative.
The following Australian Neuroquant shows 6 areas of brain atrophy and two areas of brain inflammation. The findings were missed by radiologist in Australia but picked up by mould specialist doctors in USA using an Evans Index. This may be due to onset of Alzheimer’s or brain inflammation from mould toxins breaking the blood brain barrier. The technology is already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the assessment of grey matter to track cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.2
Brain Expert in London.
The NHS haven’t heard of Neuroquant and I made an appointment with private clinic to have a consultation with a brain expert, Dr Clough. A 40-minute review of the Australian brain scan confirmed in his opinion, I have nothing wrong and I’m normal.
Of course, I and my family are confused. I saw three separate phycologists, brain specialists in the NHS specialist hospitals and two US doctors telling me I have severe brain damage, yet a private consultation in both Australia and UK tells me nothing is wrong.
I informed my UK expert that I have very high C4A which indicates my blood is very high in inflammagens. His response was, “You should stop reading Google, C4 is a vertebra and nothing to do with blood. You will see from my blood tests I have elevated C4A probably induced from high biological exposure on a flight from UK to London just hours prior to the blood test.
I asked Dr Shoemaker in USA why he thought of the Australian radiologist and my
UK brain consultant disagreed with him. He responded by suggesting the Australian
radiologist’s skill set should be reviewed and asked if Dr Clough had measured my
Evans index. Dr Clough didn’t know what that was. (It is apparently a new technique)
Dr Shoemaker sent me a very strong personal message “For heaven’s sake man
take this seriously”
It now transpires that the 6 areas of atrophy identified by Dr Shoemaker, can be an
indicator or early onset dementia and or Alzheimer’s, however it may also be caused
by mycotoxins and general brain inflammation. This is supported by Dr Bredesen
and various peer reviewed papers. These conclude that as many as 1:4 Alzheimer’s
patients have brain inflammation caused by mould, which unlike Alzheimer’s, can be
resolved.
There is now new recognition of Neuroquant analysis which identifies brain
abnormalities which are missed on standard MRI scans³
I am honoured my company Building Forensics, is mentioned in Dr Bredesen book
on page 205.
Blood Test Results 2 years Apart
The following blood tests cost over £2000 but significantly identified two HLA genes
4/3/53 and 13/6/52A which makes me susceptible to toxic poisoning as my body
cannot readily remove these naturally. This means a low-cost chelating agent may
be required.
So Where am I today
After eliminating my prescription drugs and reducing exposure to mould by wearing PPE and
or reducing my work load I feet much better. Not just better but brand new.
When I investigate water damage and mould affected homes now I risk assess very quickly
and may wear full PPE to protect myself as I am clearly sensitised and at risk.
Following my GENIE analysis by Dr Shoemaker in USA, and confirmation diagnosis from
blood tests by Dr Scott McMahm in New Mexico, coupled to my Marcons test results from
Louise Carder in UK, and not forgetting my Neuroquant organised by Sandeep Gupta in
Australia, I am confirmed as having the two dreaded HLA genes, confirmed CIRS patient
with brain damage (atrophe with inflamation too) and a biofilm bacterial antibiotic resistant
infection in my sinus cavity.
Some think this was a long and expensive journey, I would agree but published this diary to
show my pitfalls and mistakes. The bottom line is, I improved once I reduced exposure and
then focused on getting treatment from experts.
I had so many symptoms, wrong diagnosis and treatment that nearly killed me. Most
importantly it is difficult to convince family and friends that the NHS and respected doctors
get it wrong although I trusted my international friends
Dr Scott McMahn prescribed a simple treatment which had an almost immediate effect on my CIRS symptoms.
Incredibly my brain fog has gone, my old personality has returned and I can feel my brain
healing. My tics, stammer and stuttering have all gone.
The most amazing issue is that while mould has been a major contributor to my illlness and
poor health, it was easily countered by reduced exposure.
The Chronic Infamatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) confirmed may or may not be
responsible for my brain atrophe and I have been advised to seek further investigation
although current treatment is expected to heal these first stages (I Hope) of dementia/
Alzheimers if indeed this is responsibe.
I had taken chelating agents for a short time
It was however the confirmation and treatment of bacterial infection from water damaged
homes that has been the most significant cause and easily treated.
The bottom line here is that if I hadnt persued these investigations I would have probably
died from anapahalxis by now and or be in the advanced stages of dementia or Alzeimhers,
struggling with stammer and speech with ticks and getting into trouble with people laughing
at my stammer.
I purposely havent mentioned my treatment as this could be interpreted as a cure and as we
can see it is essential to get individual asssessment and focused treatment from specialists
after you have identified the source of contamination.
I now feel better than I have for years, I think!
I have four amazing side effects from my current treatment which have been attributed to
balancing my bodies bacteria:
- At 72 Diagnosed with Marcons (3 of 5 Strep infections in sinus cavities)
- At 73 diagnosed with ADHD & Bi-Polar
- Prescribed amphetamines at 75 to control ADHD and so focussed now
- My long suffering wife says I have become “nice” again?
- Brain fog gone and I feel sharp as a tack.
- Working 10 hours a day 7 days a week