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Arizona
Jul 24, 2011 8:40:10 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Jul 24, 2011 8:40:10 GMT -5
MIXED
I’ve spent a substantial amount of time in Arizona. I thought it was mostly okay, with some particularly good and particularly bad areas.
I’ve RV and tent camped here, with a few exceptions (noted).
NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA: GOOD (4)
This area includes Flagstaff, Sedona, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Prescott and Jerome. I spent about a week in this part of the state in March 2009 and almost a month in May 2010.
In general, this area seems to me to be pretty good. The air did not seem to be bad to me, but it didn’t seem fresh either. I felt very good during my time here, but not absolutely terrific. The only place I ever encountered any of the worst toxin for me was in one of the parks near Sedona (on Oak Creek Canyon), and that was just a little bit of it.
Each of these towns has its own character. Flagstaff is a medium sized city that feels working class but is rather expensive. Sedona is a very expensive, crowded tourist town catering to upper middle class overachievers. Jerome is an artsy town on a hill. Prescott has more of a big city feel (and felt really polluted to me -- I definitely wouldn't want to live in town).
I spent a lot of time in Cottonwood, which is where Dead Horse Ranch State Park is located. It is a nice park, and its tent/RV sites have electricity. There are showers (they felt marginally okay to me) and cabins. The hiking in the park was pleasant. Cottonwood did not have a good coffee shop, so I spent a lot of time enjoying the air conditioning at the Panda Express. (My RV was out of commission during this time, which is why I spent so long there.)
Flagstaff’s air quality isn’t pristine, but it’s better than that of most big cities. The KOA a little east of the city felt terrific to me on several different visits, including in winter. I suggest avoiding the RV repair shop in Flagstaff at all costs.
NORTHEAST ARIZONA: EXCELLENT (5)
This is Four Corners reservation territory. The air quality is generally fantastic, but things are spread out and in most cases fairly desolate.
Winslow has a great hotel, La Posada. It was built in the 1920s and felt really good to me. Their restaurant is a good lunch spot.
Holbrook has a KOA and is near Petrified Forest, which I liked a lot.
The Canyon de Chelly National Monument is beautiful, and there was free camping at a local park. Hiking down into the canyon (which was made famous by an Edward Curtiss photo) was a treat. It is certainly out of the way though.
Navajo National Monument is pleasant, though the cliff dwellings are not very easy to see.
Monument Valley is very impressive, but also very dusty. I didn’t do the long drive around the park; just looking from the visitor’s center seemed sufficient.
GRAND CANYON: GOOD (4)
I visited the south rim of the Grand Canyon in April 2009 and March 2010.
On my first visit there, I ran through a plume of the worst toxin for me on the drive there, somewhere north of Flagstaff, but the park itself felt great. On the second visit, my first day in the park felt great, but the air quality went down somewhat when a storm blew in. I feel okay enough about it that I would consider going back though.
There are campgrounds here and an RV park with electricity. This is a big tourist location, with restaurants, hotels, Wi-Fi and cell phone service readily available.
WESTERN ARIZONA: GOOD (4)
I’ve driven on I-40/Rte. 66 a few times, most recently in March 2010. The main towns are Williams, Seligman, Kingman. It felt fine to me.
Lake Havasu City is a touristy place on a lake with palm trees. The town purchased the actual London Bridge (built in the 1800s) and now uses it as a bridge of its own. The town felt good and had a good Starbucks, but the RV parks were quite expensive.
TUCSON/SCOTTSDALE: POOR (2)
I spent several days in Tucson in March 2009, trying to find scout out locations for a friend who was living there. I had a very hard time in the city and felt fairly sick while there. The worst toxin for me definitely a problem throughout the area, though at a low level. (My friend says she feels worse in winter, so I imagine it becomes more of a problem then.) (2-POOR)
Mt. Lemmon was scattershot, with some parts feeling excellent and others feeling bad. I’d hesitate to spend any time in it though, even in the parts that seemed good.
Picacho Peak, between Tucson and Phoenix, had some of the worst toxin for me in it. I would not want to be there on a cloudy day.
The only towns even close to Tucson that I felt were acceptable were Oracle Junction (way up in the mountains -- Oracle did not feel good) and Benson (and all areas east of Benson). (4-GOOD)
Scottsdale felt a little better than Tucson to me. (3-FAIR)
Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright’s residence) is up on a hill and felt terrific to me. If I had had to stay in Scottsdale longer, I’d have spent as much time sitting on the patio as Taliesin as I could. (4-GOOD)
I didn’t go into Phoenix, but a few people have told me that it’s worse than Tucson.
At that time, Happy Valley just north of Phoenix was in the process of being converted from farmland to a shopping area. It felt pretty good to me, but I don’t know what it would be like now. (4-GOOD)
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khaly
New Member
Posts: 9
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Arizona
Jul 24, 2011 22:19:26 GMT -5
Post by khaly on Jul 24, 2011 22:19:26 GMT -5
I really like Flagstaff. It's not excellent, but it's pretty good. (4). I agree about the four corners area, excellent. (5).
The last time I drove all the way through Arizona was about a year ago. On my way out to California, I didn't stop. On the way back, I tried to stop in Kingman. I really wanted to. I was tired.
But it was so bad there that I checked into a motel room, gave it about 5 minutes, and decided that I'd be coming back out on a stretcher if I tried to spend the night. I left there, and tried to just park the car somewhere to sleep. Couldn't do it. It was miserable. A definite Awful (1).
I didn't stop again until Flagstaff, where it was Good (4).
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Arizona
Jul 28, 2011 12:32:16 GMT -5
Post by wigwam on Jul 28, 2011 12:32:16 GMT -5
I spent time post mold exposure/illness onset in:
Phoenix (1- AWFUL), Scottsdale (3- ), and small ghost towns in high altitudes near this region (5- Excellent- tho it was a rapid altitude shift for those who are sensitive). Winter, 1995.
My memory of Phoenix and Scottsdale is of feeling "confused". I think it was because as you see above I was traveling between places that felt great and places that felt horrible. I didn't know yet to question my environment. Scottsdale was beautiful in a developed way...but I felt 'trapped' in the hotel there and much 'ick' seemed present in resort hotel areas. Outside restaurants felt lovely. I felt very well, happy and stimulated outside in general in Scottsdale. Not so in Phoenix. I went from well to much "ick" in one day. I found myself feeling sorry for the residents that they thought this was an "outdoor" experience while hiking Camelback Mtn. ...extreme exhaust fumes even back in mid 90's. High mountain ghost towns outside of the cities....if any remain are/were worth the trip for me. Very clean air -no industry obviously- or much ick ever I suspect there. That was then...they may have been re-named and turned into artist community/tourist stops by now. Even at that, these old small mountain ghost towns may be worth a check for those that can handle altitude.
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Arizona
Nov 8, 2011 23:16:38 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 8, 2011 23:16:38 GMT -5
LISA PETRISON'S UPDATE: November 2011
I drove across Arizona on I-40 in early November 2011, staying overnight in my favorite hotel anywhere (La Posada in Winslow).
The town of Flagstaff and everything east of there felt fine to me (4/5 -- GOOD/EXCELLENT).
The part from a little bit east of Flagstaff until the Arizona border felt problematic. The weather was sunny and my reactivity is now much lower than it used to be, so it didn't make me at all sick. But it felt like it could be a problem for people who are extreme reactors, especially if the barometric pressure is dropping fast. That's unfortunate if so, since there's no other very good way to get through northern Arizona.
There have been a lot of forest fires in Arizona over time, and it perhaps has finally caught up with them. I will be interested in hearing more reports, but my own experience this time is consistent with Khaly's report, I think.
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Arizona
Nov 11, 2011 7:57:42 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 11, 2011 7:57:42 GMT -5
Here are some comments from Janis' blog. cfsmethylation.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.htmlI spent two nights in a room made ‘safe’ for EI in the suburbs of Tucson. The air in the room felt stale; but so did the outside air. It was an attractive residential area, but only one window opened, and it seemed that the air exchange was lacking something. The owner had converted her garage into a place safe for people with environmental illness, using metal shelving, mold resistant insulation, and tile with non-toxic grout. I loved having a real kitchen and immediately drove to a supermarket which specialized in natural foods and bought a ton of fresh food, planning to make dinner for my wonderful host. Within a few hours, I felt the lethargy and fatigue of my worst CFS, but devoid of other symptoms. My host suggested it was a normal response to four hours of travel plus all the packing and unpacking. I noted the possibility, took a swim, did some yoga, and was still tired. I went to sleep at 7:30 pm and logged in more than 9 hours. The second day, I felt the same lethargy all day, and the need to crawl into bed by 8 pm. I tried spending most of the day outside, but it made no difference. So I packed up my stuff and left early the next morning. On the way out of Tucson, heading for Ajo, I saw a rental house share about 25 W of town which I really liked, so I decided to cancel my plans to drive all the way out to Ajo. Instead, I headed up I-10 through Phoenix and then NW towards Kingman. As I pulled out of Phoenix towards Wickenburg, where I’d planned to stop, the air felt clean and fresh (and significantly cooler). I missed the RV park, and it was still early, so I continued heading north towards Burro Creek (land maintained by the BLM) which I reached just before sunset, enough time to enjoy the stupendous mountain views, find myself a site, and locate the bathroom. I felt fabulous even though it was windy and cold – conditions that, in the past, would have sent me whining. It was enough to put on a fleece jacket and some wood socks. I made a sandwich for dinner and ate standing up at the side of the picnic table. All the discomfort in my feet and head that gave me orthostatic intolerance in Tucson was gone! Wow! There’s not much to do after dark in the wilderness without a tent and lights (both tucked away in the car). After listening to two CD’s, I was still not tired, and so I got out my computer and started writing this blog. So much for my Tucson hosts theory that I was tired from packing and driving 4 hours! I did all the same activities today, even drove an hour further, and continued to feel better as the day progressed. Does that make sense? Not based upon my previous experience of 20 years with CFS. It only makes sense when I think of myself having Environmental Illness (EI) in which certain (unidentified) pollutants and toxins that I inhale or touch are having a profoundly negative effect on my brain and body. When I get away from them, my body starts to function better. The air is clean and fresh out here. The sky is amazing out here. There are no lights anywhere, not even on the bathrooms at the campsite. You can see the milky way streaking across the sky. I’m at a slight elevation (the road was uphill nearly the entire way after Phoenix), and mountains rise on four sides. The wind whips through the valley, and the temperatures are in the low 60’s and dropping, but with my toasty down sleeping bag and wool long underwear, I have no fear of the cold. Now, after a full day of activity, I’m barely tired. Meanwhile, I’m so pleased to have escaped the ‘chronic fatigue’ I experienced in Tucson. After living with it for 20 years, I have such tremendous joy at my newfound freedom from it. All I need to do is live in the wildnerness! Aaagh! I want the modern conveniences of plumbing and electric and a nice kitchen again. They’re no longer ‘conveniences’ but ‘necessities.’ And I miss easy access to internet and land line phones (because the cell phone hurts my ears). Even though sleeping in my Toyota Avalon is not an experience in comfort (for one thing, I’m a few inches taller than the car is wide, so I need to keep my knees bent all the time), I felt so good in the morning when I awakened that I decided to walk down to the gate to pay my fee. When I got close, two huge bulls were grazing inside the campgrounds, and a herd of calves and cows were standing outside the cattle guard looking in, afraid to step on the metal slats. One cow was trying to slide in around a rock at the side of the gate, but not fitting through.. I walked back to the car to get the camera, but when I returned, the calves and cows had dispersed. It didn’t take long to pack up and head to Wikiup for a hot breakfast. From there, it was almost another 2 hours to Dolan Springs. In my fantasy, Dolan Springs was to be the wilderness experience near a quaint little town. If you look on the map, it’s clearly in the middle of nowhere, with state parks and wilderness areas surrounding it, the west rim of the Grand Canyon 40 miles away, the Lake Mead recreation area north and West, the town of Kingman about 40 minutes south. In my fantasy, Kingman would have a great supermarket with lots of organic foods and a Trader Joes. I stopped for gas at a shopping center that had all the stores normally next to Trader Joes, but no Trader Joes. North of Kingman the landscape changed. No more stately Saqqara cacti, just acres and acres of sandy dust and little shrubby bushes. I was quite disappointed, and for whatever reason – the mysteries abound—I started to get pain in my left sinus. Was it emotional? Was it because I got stuck behind a diesel truck on the uphill? Was it the dust in the air? Some pollution or industry around Kingman? As always, many questions, no answers. I guess it’s not for me to know the specifics, just to learn to trust my bodily experiences and honor them. Dolan Springs looked like a typical Western town right out of the movies. Dollar Store, no-name supermarket, one paved street through town, lots of trailers, RV’s, mobile homes, a few cafes, restaurants, a gas station, a chamber of commerce, a public library, police, fire, school. I didn’t feel drawn to the place but I told myself to be open-minded. Maybe the rental house would be lovely! And it was. All tile floors, all electric. Roomy, clean, well-lit. Just up against the eastern slope of the mountain surrounded by fields of Joshua trees. Large empty garage in which David could paint. The only thing that bothered me was the proliferation of aluminum foil, which he’d used to cover all the wooden shelves and doors, since many of his previous tenants were sensitive to wood. I decided to give the place a try as the owner offered to let me stay for a night or a week. We chatted for awhile. I spent too much time in his house, which was not good for me. I stopped in the public library – knew right away I can’t be inside that building – and had the same experience at the Dollar Store and the no-name supermarket. What quality of life would this be? Still, I figured the true test is how I sleep. Fatigue again about 7 pm. Kept myself doing odds and ends until 8:30. No trouble falling asleep. But since 1 am, I’ve been awake. Turned off the heat and opened the window. My left sinus swelled up badly. So I finally got out of bed, and here I am, chirping away like a nightingale. Chip chip chip. My host in Dolan Springs told me that there was mining on the other side of the mountains (between Dolan Springs and Kingman) which had contaminated the water, but the well on this side is excellent. Still, I am clearly reacting to something around here. The combination of congestion and excitability (which I feel in my central and peripheral nervous system) is a sure sign of that. Again, a mystery. People say the air out here is good. People say this is a great place to get away from electro-magnetic pollution. Apparently, it’s not the place for me. I’m sorry to move on. I don’t have the vagabond mentality. I like to nest, organize my belonging, make a beautiful inside space and look out at a beautiful outside space. So far only the rental 25 miles W of Tucson appealed to me visually, but the place was rather small for 2 people, and the sensitive owner has more restrictions that I think my husband could tolerate. So I guess that leaves me Still searching.
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Arizona
Nov 14, 2011 11:05:39 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 14, 2011 11:05:39 GMT -5
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Arizona
Nov 14, 2011 11:08:55 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 14, 2011 11:08:55 GMT -5
A report: Prescott is in the mountains in Arizona. It is hot in summer and cold in winter. There are a lot of cedar and juniper trees. Also can be dusty. If you want part desert and part mountain and 4 seasons it is a lovely place. I have lived there. I do not consider it a good place for the ill. health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/7355?l=1
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Arizona
Nov 14, 2011 11:14:38 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 14, 2011 11:14:38 GMT -5
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Arizona
Nov 14, 2011 12:35:00 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 14, 2011 12:35:00 GMT -5
A report: I have CFIDS and Depression. I am very interested to hear about what others have to say about "feel good locations." I experienced this phenomenon when I went to visit my sis-in-law in Maui. Of course, everyone thought it was convenient that I would suddenly be out of bed and feeling good when I was on a tropical island, but I'm telling you it was a very dramatic difference. I went from sleeping 20 hours a day (in Fort Collins, CO - a beautiful place that I love but can't seem to live there) to 8-10 hours of sleep per day in Maui. This was also a very active time for me because I was a nanny for my nieces who were 2 & 4 at the time. I was absolutely amazed that I was able to be any help at all to them. I only felt bad when it was about to rain or raining. Then I got tired and achy. As a result of this experience in Maui, my husband and I moved to Tempe, AZ. I still need a nap every day, but my overall health is so much better. I only seem to get achy now when there is a rain storm which is rare considering this is a desertous region. The warm/hot weather is serving me well. health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/7047?l=1
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Arizona
Nov 14, 2011 14:44:07 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 14, 2011 14:44:07 GMT -5
A report from this database. Scale is 1-10. (0=worst possible, 10=completely healthy) health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS....eportRows&tbl=1* From KV Phoenix-metro suburb 0 when it's colder and rainy; 4 or 5 when it's 70s and 80s and sunny and dry When it's very hot in the summer, if I am stuck in the heat, my symptoms are much worse Residence for most of 27 years Better when first moving from eastern U.S. and then worse when more stress, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, when colder and rainy and high pollution/high ozone days
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Arizona
Nov 16, 2011 16:45:18 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 16, 2011 16:45:18 GMT -5
A report: I did just get back from a trip to Northern Arizona and I felt pretty great the whole time I was there. I used to live in No. AZ a few years back and I currently live in SE TX, where I feel crappy every darn day. I think I have problems with mold, heat and humidity here. I would love to make a change to a better climate, but unfortunately there don't seem to be any jobs available right now in those places Here's to hoping I win the PowerBall so that I can get out of this Swamp! forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?13799-Mold-or-Oxygen-Feel-better-in-Hawaii/page2
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Arizona
Nov 17, 2011 23:00:30 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 17, 2011 23:00:30 GMT -5
A report: I don't have CFS/FMS but my MCS got severe when I was in Prescott, AZ, one of the meccas for MCSers. I visited Sedona with a friend one day and was so ill by the time we got there I couldn't enjoy it at all. I hated it. I felt so sick. I do have mold susceptiblity and I have no idea what I was reacting to. Either mold or the terpenes in the air from Pine? I never reacted to pollen or trees before getting to Arizona that I was aware of. Life has not been the same since. -Julie health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/3405?l=1
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Arizona
Nov 19, 2011 0:57:14 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 19, 2011 0:57:14 GMT -5
A report from 2003: Just returned from four days in Arizona. I felt great! I tend to be really achy and mucousy and that completely disappeared while I was there. I think the dry air is really good for my symptoms. I live in Santa Barbara, California and it is quite moist by the water. Literally the moment I returned to SB, my joints started to ache. And this morning, my nasal passage and ears were clogged again. Strange! Makes me want to visit the desert more often. -Cosima health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/326?l=1
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Arizona
Dec 19, 2011 0:17:33 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Dec 19, 2011 0:17:33 GMT -5
Here are some comments from Janis' blog about the Scottsdale area. cfsmethylation.blogspot.com/2011/12/live-from-phoenix.htmlI found a beautiful place to camp at McDowell Mountain Regional Park. The park sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. Each site is spacious with ample parking, spacious tent sites, electric and water hookups, and magnificent views. I like this area. The weather is a bit milder than in the desert of Eastern California.
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Arizona
Dec 21, 2011 20:47:50 GMT -5
Post by janisb on Dec 21, 2011 20:47:50 GMT -5
I also spent time in central Scottsdale and felt great, and I spent 2 days at a house in Phoenix not far from Scottsdale (off AZ 51) and felt good. It rained almost every day, which usually affects me adversely, so I'd give this area a 5, maybe a 4 due to the traffic and congestion. Avoid the freeways at rush hour; the other streets were fine.
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Arizona
Jan 1, 2012 16:21:46 GMT -5
Post by Madeline Van Deven on Jan 1, 2012 16:21:46 GMT -5
I have a second home in Tucson and if you have allergies it is the worst. Being there at certain times is great. Didn't notice any mold problems because it is so dry. At times the dryness is to dry and had to add humidity to bedroom. Wind storms are really bad as it kicks up everything in the dust. I still believe an island by the ocean like Hawaii is the best. Going to try Aruba this year.
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Arizona
Jan 1, 2012 16:33:27 GMT -5
Post by Madeline Van Deven on Jan 1, 2012 16:33:27 GMT -5
Forgot to mention that Arizona is on the top of the list for the worst place for allergies! For me that just intensifier for my CF :'(S! To bad so beautiful and I love the mental peace of the desert!
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Arizona
Apr 13, 2012 14:19:10 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Apr 13, 2012 14:19:10 GMT -5
A report via Paul Beith from February 2006:
"But the 'low mold' issue out west is a true understatement. The mold levels in the Vegas and Phoenix areas were off the scale. The mold was in the water, all you had to do was lift the toilet tank lid, and these were in fairly new places. The inside of the toilet tanks had little black dots where the mold ate through the porcelain. Every time I ran the shower water I got very ill and didn't have MCS at the time, it took me a long time to find out why. I didn't know my apt had mold until the storage closet ceiling caved in and there were many people complaining about the mold issues. I knew so many people out there who were ill and eventually linked it to mold in their home. So don't accept the west having lower mold issues then wet areas."
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Arizona
May 21, 2012 22:24:42 GMT -5
Post by janisb on May 21, 2012 22:24:42 GMT -5
I drove through Arizona in mid May 2012, starting at Quartzite near the CA border with Blythe on I-10. This area felt the same to me as the Palm springs area/Coachella Valley, which for me is always wonderful (5) out in nature and middling (3) inside the cities. I headed up through the mountains to Prescott. Even though 5 forest fires were raging, I only got a few whiffs now and then and generally liked the air in this region. I loved Prescott and stopped for an hour to have a tea at Starbucks. I know Prescott tends to get smoke from burning but today it was wonderful clear, fresh air. (4) I continued onto 84A through Sedona (4 with 5+ for the views) until I reached Flagstaff where I checked into the KOA on 89N. I didn't feel good in Flagstaff. The KOA bathroom wasn't good, and despite showering, I had a terrible reaction at the campsite of the kind I get to mold.(2) I woke up all congested.
The next day I headed E on I-40 through dreadful windstorms lasting into Western NM. I had no desire to explore anything in this part of Arizona.
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Arizona
May 10, 2013 11:13:24 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on May 10, 2013 11:13:24 GMT -5
"Plant," a member of this board, asked me to add this report.
Diagnosis: Chronic Lyme disease and Large Biotoxin Exposure to Water-damaged building, and since then unable to tolerate around 50% of buildings.
*
Phoenix: 3 May 2013 Was only there at night around 11pm and only was outdoors briefly while walking to board a small plane but it felt like the air was moist and not totally healthy.
The airport seemed fine to me, though. I felt fine in the airport.
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Arizona
Feb 8, 2014 18:39:54 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Feb 8, 2014 18:39:54 GMT -5
LISA PETRISON'S UPDATE: JULY 2013
I drove across the state on I-40 in July 2013. Most of the drive felt similar to how it had in the past: excellent going through Indian reservation country in the NE part of the state, reasonably okay in the NW part of the state.
The exception was Flagstaff, which was blanketed in a toxin that felt horrible to me. It was just centered on the city, maybe for a 10 mile stretch.
This is a toxin that I am familiar with and that is a problem in other parts of the SW. It cross-contaminates only moderately though, so I can still drive through the areas where it is at as long as I decontaminate afterward. (Though the car takes a while to totally die down when I get hit with it.)
I've found this toxin to be particularly problematic in the wake of fire retardant usage, and I do recall Flagstaff being threatened with fires in recent years. So maybe that is what happened there. It is sad since Flagstaff used to be a good city for me.
Lisa
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Arizona
Feb 8, 2014 20:36:49 GMT -5
Post by Barry on Feb 8, 2014 20:36:49 GMT -5
I have mold and chemical sensitivity. I am exploring drier regions with a small travel trailer. I'm now concerned about Valley Fever in Arizona and surrounding states. I'm wondering if mold sensitive people contract this fungal infection more frequently, and whether the complications are worse. I'm willing to risk a little in this regard (little is key word) if the benefits of the Southwest make up for it.
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Arizona
Apr 30, 2014 17:58:30 GMT -5
Post by Lissa G on Apr 30, 2014 17:58:30 GMT -5
Got Valley Fever after my first visit to Phoenix from Palm Springs, CA. I'd moved there to escape the mold in Richmond, VA. I've since all this time found out the reason for my mold sensitivities was lyme, it's coinfections, heavy metals and parasites. As I treat this, things are lightening up, though I still would love to really find a place that I felt good. People in my lyme groups have left the US and Canada to live in Mexico or abroad.
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Post by Beachy on Jun 6, 2014 23:30:16 GMT -5
I went back to the Phoenix and Tucson areas for a week in June 2014. I actually fled there with heart attack like symptoms. Planned to go to the ER when we got into Palm Springs. But once we got to Palm Springs I felt better. I cannot recommend Arizona to anyone. At least not the Phoenix or Tucson areas.
I did also see Dr. Gray and his office has become unbearable. I'm tn sure how much that affected my visit this time.
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Arizona
Sept 9, 2014 14:59:00 GMT -5
Post by Tiffany on Sept 9, 2014 14:59:00 GMT -5
I felt so much better than normal at the Flagstaff KOA last June - despite freezing without blankets and having our tent on gravel. That particular location is definitely a 4 or 5.
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Post by Jess on Feb 19, 2015 20:11:32 GMT -5
I have lived in rentals in Arizona for five years. My first rentals were on the Mesa/Tempe border. I moved into a townhouse with a water damaged ceiling, and one whole wall in the downstairs bathroom. There was mold in the rental, but it did not really bother me as I wasn't really ever home and my immune system WAS fantastic.
The next small apartment had the same problem, water damage in the ceiling.. Noticed an increase in headaches (this was six months later).
Then moved out to a four bedroom house and got married in far East Mesa/Apache Junction. This House ruined my immune system for good. There was mold growing under the sink without our knowledge for almost a year. I started working from home here, and had a car accident where afterwards I had to stay in bed for two months.
That's when the symptoms began.. Sleep paralysis, severe mood swings, migraines, head pressure, depersonalization, nightmares, sugar cravings and severe dizziness.
Once we discovered the mold we moved immediately.. To ANOTHER house in East Mesa with a hidden mold problem. I thought I was just sick, so I stayed in bed for almost three more months.. My symptoms increasing everyday, to the point where I actually considered suicide.
Doctors gave me thirteen different antibiotics, anti depressants, pain killers, steroids, nasal sprays.. Nothing worked. They didn't know what was wrong. I was constantly peeing, I couldn't remember anything anymore, I was totally void of emotions and constantly ran a fever of 99.9 that analgesics wouldn't bring down.
The mold was hidden in the master bathroom.. Ten feet from where I was holed up all day. There was a foot or more area of it behind the toilet/wall.
I ozoned the entire house with a lot extremely powerful ozone machine, and felt slightly better.
I just moved into a new house in Apache Junction, right by Superstition Mountain and I'm once again running a low grade fever and the headaches are coming back. I've also gone back to having heart palpitations, and sleeping for 16 hours per day.
Moral of the story... Do NOT rent here if you are susceptible to mold. It is in almost every house out here.
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Post by nikkisharp on Jun 20, 2015 15:24:54 GMT -5
Linden/Show Low/Pinetop Visited June, 2015 (but have gone annually for the past 6-7 years both in summer and fall) Rating 5-excellent
Diagnoses: Our family has CIRS and varying degrees of MCS (myself, husband and 3 kids)
In all the years visiting the area, we have felt great health gains with every trip there. Even before having diagnoses. The mountain air is so fresh and clean.
This was our first visit since getting out of mold. We were happy that Eddie's grocery store was not problematic at all! We ate at Red Devil Pizza with no reactions as well. However, I did not visit their restroom.
We spent a bulk of time outside and the buildings I listed were all we visited or that I feel ok commenting on.
Upon returning home to Tucson, my husband and kids experienced many negative symptoms. We enter Tucson via Oracle Road (Oro Valley and NW Tucson). This area is always an issue for us. We all agree that we feel much better in the White Mountain area.
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Post by Lauren on Jun 28, 2015 23:23:03 GMT -5
I've lived in a few places in the Valley and worked in more. Tempe was bad for me year round, not terrible, I guess a 2. Anything was better than Delaware at that point. Gilbert was very bad for me year round. I would give it a 1-Awful based on where I lived. It always smelled like sewer, the apartment had a field with stagnant water and sprinklers that broke, and the place had some mold despite not seeming bad and testing OK on a HERTSMI.
Phoenix-3, I felt great here (85040) UNTIL the monsoon season hit. Now, I'm very scared of the months to come. I was feeling so good and so happy and healthy and since the barometric pressure dropped it all changed. Now I don't know what to do. I almost feel like my best bet really is to find a safe travel camper and figure out how to make a living mobile. I'm hoping things don't get worse and I can ride the storm.
People rate Scottsdale as great, but I don't think so. I worked in very moldy libraries there and felt the car congestion was significant. Maybe if I lived in a nonmoldy place there I would feel differently. I got very sick working in moldy buildings in Scottsdale.
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Post by Tim on Jun 29, 2016 5:08:28 GMT -5
Hi all
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with the Chino Valley, Arizona just out of Prescott or whether anyone lives around this area. I am looking to stay at a retreat centre in Chino Valley and would love any reports from MCS sufferers?
Many thanks
Tim
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Post by Clark on Nov 4, 2016 1:10:40 GMT -5
I just drove into Tucson tonight and the entire city smells. I picked it up just hefore dropping down into the valley where the city is and the smell is just as strong here. I feel poor and will be heading out to Palm Springs tomorrow.
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