What is here being called Strategy1 includes all that can be remembered of important things tried and learned in the process of getting to the current stage,  that of Strategy2  (middle of December 2014).  The implication is that Strategy1,  even in its final form,  did not seem to measure up.  It seemed I was losing the battle to mold,  and needed change if I was to continue living an acceptable life.  What seemed evident was that I was becoming more sensitive to mold as time went on.  In retrospect,  other possiblities exist,  including the accumulation of mold in clothes and other possessions,  and the ability to detect mold onsets earlier in the attack.

Additionally,  from reading accounts from other mold sufferers,  and from advisement of Ritchie Shoemaker,  MD,  one can easily be fooled concerning what is really happening by judging from one's feelings.  Shoemaker advises that during the initial process of cleansing one's self of toxins,  one can feel worse along the way,  even while getting better.  This is consistent with what we hear about those trying to detox from drugs or alcohol.  They seem to have a substantial period during which they  (at least psychologically)  feel worse while on the way to recovering their health.  So we must be careful about what to conclude from our feelings.  We need objective measures.

There is a great deal to be learned when one develops a sensitivity to a mold.  The most surprising thing was to be told by my doctor that I was  'on my own'  here.  He would not be helping me in any major way.  This because there are so many molds,  because they keep morphing,  and because they affect different persons in different ways.  The version of mold allergy  (mold sensitivity)  which I had and which I still have was not something practical to be addressed by the medical community.

More aggressive forms of mold illness such as Sick Building Syndrome,  Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,  Valley Fever etc.,  and mold allergies that can cause anaphalaxis (severe possible reactions,  including death) are increasingly drawing attention and resources because these illnesses have causes and cures common to many people.  Thus,  they can be dealt with in a practical manner.  Not so with mold sensitivity.  This must be an individual effort.

My intitial effort,  associated with my initial mold event  (see My Story),  resulting in the purchase and use of:

• two particle filter machines
• a laser particle meter
• HEPA-Compliant vacuum cleaner
• a respirator,  with charcoal-activated filters
• particle masks
• creation of a special sleeping compartment in my bedroom

Of the above items,  the filter machines and the vacuum cleaner are of the most value.  I still use these every day to clean the air and floow of mold spores and dust particles in the different spaces in my trailer house.  The particle meter is still used in conjuction with the filters.  The meter has value in assessing the condition of air,  and its improvement,  before and during filtering.  A limitation of both machines is that one doesn't know what one is measuring or filtering.  One is guessing,  and knows only the sizes of airborne particles involved.

My respirator,  even with charcoal filters,  does not fully prevent irritation from some chemicals.  I do not know if it protects fully against mycotoxins and VOC's.  Using a respirator is very claustrophobic for me while lying down and trying to sleep.  The one I have would only be used as a very last resort.  Particle masks do not provide enough blockage in my opinion to be useful in most cases.

The sleeping compartment has become increasingly important in my effort at mold avoidance.  It was only partially successful in this effort by the end of Strategy1,  and needed some revised thinking;  a realization that I may be getting worse.

There are several general things one can say about having a sensitivity or allergy reaction to mold:

• The agents which will do us harm we can't see,  and generally can't predict when they will come
• In all our experiments trying to find what works,  we are the guinea pig;  we must suffer to learn
• We waste a lot of time and effort doing things that we think will work,  but don't
• Sometimes,  it is hard to tell what worked and what didn't work  (we do a lot of guessing)
• Almost none of our friends and relatives who do care about our health,  don't know enough about mold to be of help
• Those persons  (specialists/experts)  who might have the knowledge to help us  (we might not know until we tried them)  don't have the time
• Some of the things we try in our efforts against mold can make our condition worse  (E.G. chlorine-based bleach)
• Many of the things we try we must use subjective measures of their success,  as opposed to objective measures

For myself,  the primary problem with mold is during a sleeping or napping situation.  It appears there are 3 primary things that happen that cause the problem:

• warm moist air coming from my nostrils directed to any fairly close sleeping materials that can support mold growth (blankets,  sleeping bag,  pillow,  etc.)
• warmth and moisture from my upper body,  which could generate mold growth in a garment (like a t-shirt(
• drooling and slobbering while sleeping  (largely unconscious emissions from the mouth)

I like to sleep in sleeping bags,  except when it is too hot,  so the upper part of the bag must be protected from my breath and body heat,  and nighttime slobbering or drooling  (can contain food for mold).  During the  'Strategy1'  period,  I tried a number of different material types to serve as a  'bib'  for the ends of the sleeping bag near my head,  holding the bibs in place with safety pins.  Materials tried included nylon,  plastic,  vinyl,  and polyester.  Off-gassing of some offensive chemical was a common problem with each of these materials.  See Strategy2 for a continuation of attempts to find satisfactory  'bibs'  for my sleeping bags.  The use of bibs in my case still seems an important part of a successful nighttime/sleeping strategy.