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Post by Lisa Petrison on Feb 9, 2017 12:02:21 GMT -5
This website is maintained primarily for archival purposes. Although people may feel free to share their locations experiences on the board and to read the information already posted here, there is very little new discussion that takes place on this forum. For general discussion about the locations effect and about mold avoidance, please visit the Mold Avoiders group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/moldavoiders/?fref=tsTo rate U.S. locations and international major cities, please see the Paradigm Change Locations Ratings project: paradigmchange.me/rate-locations/For more information on the Locations Effect, please see the following page of the Paradigm Change website: paradigmchange.me/locations/To contact me personally, please use the following address: info at paradigmchange dot me Thanks for your interest in the Locations Effect!
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Jun 24, 2015 16:00:58 GMT -5
Here is a report mentioning West Africa that someone asked me to post for them on this board.
*
My most recent diagnosis is hypersensitivity to environmental toxins, specifically mold. I have also been diagnosed with migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic sinus infections, ear infections, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and felt like an arthritic 80 year old when I was 40. Most of those symptoms are gone due to changes in diet, moving out of moldy homes, and moving to a drier climate.
Cote d'Ivoire, in West Africa. Rating: 1 I had to leave the country within months of my arrival. I lived 4 hours inland (north) from the coast, at about 11 or 12 degrees north of the equator. The area was mainly savannah, but there was a very rainy season. Primary mold source: soil (I planted a garden.) 2nd source: airborne.
West Palm Beach, FL rating 1. There is mold everywhere! I got sick from 3 different sources. One problem was outdoors: irrigation systems caused lawns, golf courses, soccer fields, and most parks with grass to be full of mold! Inside of public buildings: schools, churches, and department stores...nearly all had roof leaks during past hurricanes. Roof repairs were made without removal of wet building materials underneath. You cannot see the mold, but sometimes you will notice water stains on ceilings. The third source was outdoor A/C units of private homes and high levels of mold in duct work.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Rating: 3. Freezing temps for 4+ months and longer in the north keep outdoor mold dormant. However, most homes have basements that have had water damage and smell musty...a sure sign of mold. Outdoor A/C units often carry mold into and throughout homes.
Southern Wisconsin Rating: 3. Same description as MN, but shorter winter. I lived in a mold infested house. All four family members (kids 9 & 12) diagnosed with depression. 3 of us had sinus problems, and both kids developed asthma between ages 5 & 7. I experienced my worst physical health ever and had terrible mood swings on top of it. We lived in that house, ignorant, for 9 years.
Denver, CO. Rating: 3.5. Homes w/o basements make it easier to find a mold free home. Legalized pot adds risk of mold exposures through second hand smoke or residue on people's clothing. Springtime rain was abundant in 2015, making outdoor mold worse than usual.
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Florida
Jun 24, 2015 15:59:08 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Jun 24, 2015 15:59:08 GMT -5
Here is a report mentioning Florida that someone asked me to post for them on this board.
*
My most recent diagnosis is hypersensitivity to environmental toxins, specifically mold. I have also been diagnosed with migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic sinus infections, ear infections, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and felt like an arthritic 80 year old when I was 40. Most of those symptoms are gone due to changes in diet, moving out of moldy homes, and moving to a drier climate.
Cote d'Ivoire, in West Africa. Rating: 1 I had to leave the country within months of my arrival. I lived 4 hours inland (north) from the coast, at about 11 or 12 degrees north of the equator. The area was mainly savannah, but there was a very rainy season. Primary mold source: soil (I planted a garden.) 2nd source: airborne.
West Palm Beach, FL rating 1. There is mold everywhere! I got sick from 3 different sources. One problem was outdoors: irrigation systems caused lawns, golf courses, soccer fields, and most parks with grass to be full of mold! Inside of public buildings: schools, churches, and department stores...nearly all had roof leaks during past hurricanes. Roof repairs were made without removal of wet building materials underneath. You cannot see the mold, but sometimes you will notice water stains on ceilings. The third source was outdoor A/C units of private homes and high levels of mold in duct work.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Rating: 3. Freezing temps for 4+ months and longer in the north keep outdoor mold dormant. However, most homes have basements that have had water damage and smell musty...a sure sign of mold. Outdoor A/C units often carry mold into and throughout homes.
Southern Wisconsin Rating: 3. Same description as MN, but shorter winter. I lived in a mold infested house. All four family members (kids 9 & 12) diagnosed with depression. 3 of us had sinus problems, and both kids developed asthma between ages 5 & 7. I experienced my worst physical health ever and had terrible mood swings on top of it. We lived in that house, ignorant, for 9 years.
Denver, CO. Rating: 3.5. Homes w/o basements make it easier to find a mold free home. Legalized pot adds risk of mold exposures through second hand smoke or residue on people's clothing. Springtime rain was abundant in 2015, making outdoor mold worse than usual.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Jun 24, 2015 15:58:29 GMT -5
Here is a report mentioning Minnesota that someone asked me to post for them on this board.
*
My most recent diagnosis is hypersensitivity to environmental toxins, specifically mold. I have also been diagnosed with migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic sinus infections, ear infections, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and felt like an arthritic 80 year old when I was 40. Most of those symptoms are gone due to changes in diet, moving out of moldy homes, and moving to a drier climate.
Cote d'Ivoire, in West Africa. Rating: 1 I had to leave the country within months of my arrival. I lived 4 hours inland (north) from the coast, at about 11 or 12 degrees north of the equator. The area was mainly savannah, but there was a very rainy season. Primary mold source: soil (I planted a garden.) 2nd source: airborne.
West Palm Beach, FL rating 1. There is mold everywhere! I got sick from 3 different sources. One problem was outdoors: irrigation systems caused lawns, golf courses, soccer fields, and most parks with grass to be full of mold! Inside of public buildings: schools, churches, and department stores...nearly all had roof leaks during past hurricanes. Roof repairs were made without removal of wet building materials underneath. You cannot see the mold, but sometimes you will notice water stains on ceilings. The third source was outdoor A/C units of private homes and high levels of mold in duct work.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Rating: 3. Freezing temps for 4+ months and longer in the north keep outdoor mold dormant. However, most homes have basements that have had water damage and smell musty...a sure sign of mold. Outdoor A/C units often carry mold into and throughout homes.
Southern Wisconsin Rating: 3. Same description as MN, but shorter winter. I lived in a mold infested house. All four family members (kids 9 & 12) diagnosed with depression. 3 of us had sinus problems, and both kids developed asthma between ages 5 & 7. I experienced my worst physical health ever and had terrible mood swings on top of it. We lived in that house, ignorant, for 9 years.
Denver, CO. Rating: 3.5. Homes w/o basements make it easier to find a mold free home. Legalized pot adds risk of mold exposures through second hand smoke or residue on people's clothing. Springtime rain was abundant in 2015, making outdoor mold worse than usual.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Jun 24, 2015 15:57:37 GMT -5
Here is a report mentioning Colorado that someone asked me to post for them on this board.
*
My most recent diagnosis is hypersensitivity to environmental toxins, specifically mold. I have also been diagnosed with migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic sinus infections, ear infections, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and felt like an arthritic 80 year old when I was 40. Most of those symptoms are gone due to changes in diet, moving out of moldy homes, and moving to a drier climate.
Cote d'Ivoire, in West Africa. Rating: 1 I had to leave the country within months of my arrival. I lived 4 hours inland (north) from the coast, at about 11 or 12 degrees north of the equator. The area was mainly savannah, but there was a very rainy season. Primary mold source: soil (I planted a garden.) 2nd source: airborne.
West Palm Beach, FL rating 1. There is mold everywhere! I got sick from 3 different sources. One problem was outdoors: irrigation systems caused lawns, golf courses, soccer fields, and most parks with grass to be full of mold! Inside of public buildings: schools, churches, and department stores...nearly all had roof leaks during past hurricanes. Roof repairs were made without removal of wet building materials underneath. You cannot see the mold, but sometimes you will notice water stains on ceilings. The third source was outdoor A/C units of private homes and high levels of mold in duct work.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Rating: 3. Freezing temps for 4+ months and longer in the north keep outdoor mold dormant. However, most homes have basements that have had water damage and smell musty...a sure sign of mold. Outdoor A/C units often carry mold into and throughout homes.
Southern Wisconsin Rating: 3. Same description as MN, but shorter winter. I lived in a mold infested house. All four family members (kids 9 & 12) diagnosed with depression. 3 of us had sinus problems, and both kids developed asthma between ages 5 & 7. I experienced my worst physical health ever and had terrible mood swings on top of it. We lived in that house, ignorant, for 9 years.
Denver, CO. Rating: 3.5. Homes w/o basements make it easier to find a mold free home. Legalized pot adds risk of mold exposures through second hand smoke or residue on people's clothing. Springtime rain was abundant in 2015, making outdoor mold worse than usual.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Jun 24, 2015 15:55:51 GMT -5
Here is a report mentioning Wisconsin that someone asked me to post for them.
*
My most recent diagnosis is hypersensitivity to environmental toxins, specifically mold. I have also been diagnosed with migraines, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic sinus infections, ear infections, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and felt like an arthritic 80 year old when I was 40. Most of those symptoms are gone due to changes in diet, moving out of moldy homes, and moving to a drier climate.
Cote d'Ivoire, in West Africa. Rating: 1 I had to leave the country within months of my arrival. I lived 4 hours inland (north) from the coast, at about 11 or 12 degrees north of the equator. The area was mainly savannah, but there was a very rainy season. Primary mold source: soil (I planted a garden.) 2nd source: airborne.
West Palm Beach, FL rating 1. There is mold everywhere! I got sick from 3 different sources. One problem was outdoors: irrigation systems caused lawns, golf courses, soccer fields, and most parks with grass to be full of mold! Inside of public buildings: schools, churches, and department stores...nearly all had roof leaks during past hurricanes. Roof repairs were made without removal of wet building materials underneath. You cannot see the mold, but sometimes you will notice water stains on ceilings. The third source was outdoor A/C units of private homes and high levels of mold in duct work.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Rating: 3. Freezing temps for 4+ months and longer in the north keep outdoor mold dormant. However, most homes have basements that have had water damage and smell musty...a sure sign of mold. Outdoor A/C units often carry mold into and throughout homes.
Southern Wisconsin Rating: 3. Same description as MN, but shorter winter. I lived in a mold infested house. All four family members (kids 9 & 12) diagnosed with depression. 3 of us had sinus problems, and both kids developed asthma between ages 5 & 7. I experienced my worst physical health ever and had terrible mood swings on top of it. We lived in that house, ignorant, for 9 years.
Denver, CO. Rating: 3.5. Homes w/o basements make it easier to find a mold free home. Legalized pot adds risk of mold exposures through second hand smoke or residue on people's clothing. Springtime rain was abundant in 2015, making outdoor mold worse than usual.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Jun 24, 2015 15:35:31 GMT -5
I received a particularly negative review of Petaluma, California, last summer (2014) from an experienced mold avoider. I wonder what is going on up there. 1- Awful.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Feb 1, 2015 0:52:32 GMT -5
Scores for some buildings in northern New Mexico.
TAOS, NM:
9/1/14. Cid's (organic grocery store) - Taos (NM) - 4 (Good).
9/1/14. Five Star Burgers (restaurant) - Taos (NM) - 3 (Fair).
9/1/14. Farmhouse Cafe & Bakery (restaurant) - Taos (NM) - 5 (Excellent).
9/1/14. Walmart (store) - Taos (NM) - 2 (Poor).
8/1/13. Ace Hardware (store) - Taos (NM) - 3 (Fair).
5/1/14. Smith's (grocery) - Taos (NM) - 2 (Poor).
5/1/14. Essential Massage and Spa Therapies (massage) - Taos (NM) - 1 (Awful).
5/1/14. Overland Sheepskin Company (clothing shop) - Taos (NM) - 4 (Good).
5/1/14. Blue Fish Clothing (clothing shop) - Taos (NM) - 1 (Awful).
1/1/14. Harwood Museum of Art (museum) - Taos (NM) - 4 (Good).
SANTA FE, NM:
3/1/14. Lenscrafters (store) - Santa Fe (NM) - 3 (Fair).
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Dec 25, 2014 12:01:10 GMT -5
I lived for several years in a Casita, and eventually it seemed to develop a mold problem near the bathroom. My guess is that a leak penetrated the fiberglass coating of the plywood floor. It is not super-toxic mold, but I am thinking that I am going to sell the unit. Casitas have pretty good resale value as long as they are still intact - that is one reason that I chose that brand to begin with.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Sept 20, 2014 2:29:36 GMT -5
The newest section of this board allows participants to share information about how particular buildings felt to them. Please check it out!
Lisa
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Sept 20, 2014 2:23:46 GMT -5
Please also check out the website for Paradigm Change, a new not-for-profit organization focusing on the role of environmental toxins (especially biotoxins) in neuroimmune illness. www.paradigmchange.meBest regards, Lisa Petrison, Ph.D. Executive Director Paradigm Change
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Sept 19, 2014 16:54:47 GMT -5
The main goal of the board is for us to share evaluations of different locations with one another. Hopefully we will be able to calculate average ratings for different places as well as to collect in-depth information about our experiences.
Rating locations is easy! All we need are three pieces of information for each place:
* Where you went * When you were there (month/year) * Your numerical rating
Please use the following scale to rate locations on how you felt (compared to how you feel on average):
5 - Excellent 4 - Good 3 - Fair 2 - Poor 1 - Awful
So a 5-star locations is a terrific one, and a 1-star location is a terrible one.
Because this is an exploratory project, knowing your diagnosis is important. Please share that as part of your report, or include it in a post in the "Introduce Yourself" section (at the bottom of the board). It also would be helpful to know other places you have lived or traveled, as a comparison point.
If you have time and are willing, it would be great if you were to provide as much other information as you can about the places you've been, including:
* exactly where you went * what you did * where you stayed * specifics of how you felt
Details may turn out to be important, so please share!
However, if all you can provide is just a numerical score, that would be great too.
If you felt particularly good or particularly bad in a location, but think that it was likely due to something other than the Locations Effect, please make a note of it.
Thanks very much for your contributions!
Best,
Paul (Pol) Beith Lisa Petrison
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 8:59:55 GMT -5
An experienced mold avoider just gave me a very negative review of Pasadena that sounded similar to what I experienced there. It is a little odd that it would be so much worse than the rest of the L.A. area. It seems like a good place to avoid though.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 3:29:38 GMT -5
I've spent much of 2013 and 2014 in northern NM. It's pretty variable and only very scattered tiny sections of the area between Albuquerque and Taos is anything close to excellent.
Albuquerque: Pretty good for a city, especially if you can get above the rim of the "bowl" there. Fair/Good - 3.5.
Santa Fe: Air quality is quite problematic, plus there are many moldy buildings. Poor - 2.
Tesuque (near Santa Fe Opera). Excellent - 5.
Espanola. Poor/Fair - 2.5
Ojo Caliente. Unfortunately, poor. 2.
Taos. Good - 4. Better in winter than summer.
The other towns in the Enchanted Circle (e.g. Angel Fire) all have felt good or excellent to me - 4-5.
Arroyo Seco and Arroyo Honda. Excellent - 5.
Area to west and northwest of Taos (to the Colorado border), such as Chama. Excellent - 5.
Highway 40 east of Albuquerque (such as Tucumcari) is great. Excellent - 5.
As of 2013, Highway 40 west of Albuquerque also was great. Excellent - 5.
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Texas
Aug 8, 2014 2:46:05 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:46:05 GMT -5
I drove across the panhandle of Texas on I-40 in August 2014. It felt great to me this time. I camped at Lake McClelland, and it was a nice place with decent free showers. Amarillo of course is a little polluted, but not too bad. For Amarillo, 3.5 = Fair/Good. For everything else, 5 = excellent.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:41:49 GMT -5
In August 2014, I drove across Oklahoma on I-40. It was sunny and not too windy, and the whole state felt okay to me. Even Oklahoma City was okay. 4 - Good.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:37:07 GMT -5
I drove from Memphis to Oklahoma City in August 2014, going through Arkansas on I-40. I stayed overnight at a KOA in the northwest part of the state. The southeast part felt fair (3). The northwest part felt better (4). Driving through Little Rock, it felt polluted but not too bad (3).
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:34:24 GMT -5
I went to Memphis in August 2014. The city seemed polluted to me but not that bad mold-wise.
I spent the night at the T.O. Fuller State Park on the southwest side of the city, and it actually felt pretty good. That is not surrounded by a good neighborhood but I felt pretty safe there, except for getting attacked by wasps. The bathrooms there had showers and were fine.
The south side of the city where Graceland is had better air than downtown. Graceland itself, including all the related buildings, felt fine to me, mold-wise. (Note that my reactivity is not super-high anymore though.)
As cities go, I think that Memphis is better than most, at least in summer. 4 - Good, for a city.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:28:41 GMT -5
I spent a couple of days in Indiana in August 2014. I spent the night at the KOA in Terre Haute, then drove to Indianapolis. That KOA was not awful in terms of outdoor air, though I was disappointed that the cabin that was available felt yucky to me (mothballs maybe?). In general, Indiana is not an easy state for me. 2 = Poor.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:24:05 GMT -5
I drove through southern Illinois in August 2014. I started at St. Louis and ended up in Terre Haute (IN). I didn't run into anything really terrible, but the Midwest is in general not easy for me. Fair/Poor (2.5).
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:21:34 GMT -5
I drove from Kansas City to St. Louis in August 2014.
St. Louis was really bad, though I don't think it was with the Tahoe toxin (at least not when I was there). I would not do well if I had to live there rather than just driving through. Poor (1.5).
Kansas City and the rest of that drive were problematic but not nearly as much as St. Louis. Poor/Fair (2.5).
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Kansas
Aug 8, 2014 2:16:07 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Aug 8, 2014 2:16:07 GMT -5
I drove through Kansas in July 2014. I started in the southwestern part of the state and stayed overnight in Dodge City, then drove from Wichita to Topeka and then through Kansas City. Unlike on my previous trips, I wasn't crazy about any of it. It just didn't feel as great to me as it used to. (Plus as a bonus negative, southwest Kansas is full of factory cattle farms.) Not terrible, certainly, but not what I remember. I'd give it all a 3.5. Kansas City included.
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Spain
Jul 14, 2014 13:02:12 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Jul 14, 2014 13:02:12 GMT -5
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Romania
Jul 14, 2014 13:00:20 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Jul 14, 2014 13:00:20 GMT -5
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Mar 23, 2014 20:57:19 GMT -5
Thanks for your nice note, Chasmyn! Please do share information about the site.
I will look into adding that Pinterest button and some more images.
Best, Lisa
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Feb 21, 2014 12:24:19 GMT -5
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Feb 10, 2014 23:39:41 GMT -5
Thanks, Gail. That sounds like a good trip to me!
Note though that these threads in the upper section of the board are not for discussions but just for reports. Discussions go in the lower part of the board, such as in the "Locations Experiences" or "Member Questions" sections.
So I will leave this comment here for a while and then move it to that section.
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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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Montana
Jul 10, 2013 8:03:45 GMT -5
Post by Lisa Petrison on Jul 10, 2013 8:03:45 GMT -5
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Jun 5, 2013 9:40:11 GMT -5
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