Lung Fungus

[braceforgod]

Back in 2003 I was diagnoised with COPD. Stopped smoking and over the past years since I have been very functional. I work in a healthfood store. In November of 2009 we moved our store location and found a month or so after moving that there was black mold in the basement. Over the course of a year I became sick and fatigued to the point of leaving my place of work until she moved to anew building. I filed Workmens Comp. My question is because I already had COPD they are saying that it is emphysema progressing in my lungs. My question is how can you find out if the mold is in your lungs, and down the road will show up as Cancer. Would the exposure over the period of a year cause the emphysema to progress?

[braceforgod]

Thank you so much for your information and experience. Will take your advice about the lawyer.

[bsmsl]

Insist on a sputum sample test or a bronchoscopy.  They should go for the sputum sample.  It will take about 4 - 6 weeks to grow, but if it is mold, it will grow.  

Black mold is a very dangerous mold to be exposed to. Since you already have lung disease, you are more susceptible to it than other people because your lungs can't clear mucous as well, but the mold is still the problem (if it is there), and the mold came from the basement.  Definite workman's comp if you test positive for black mold.  You may need to get a good lawyer though.  The company should pay for the testing and treatment.  Believe me, you want someone else picking up that bill.  My course of antifungal was $2730.09 before insurance at 2 pills per day for 30 days.  That is $45+ per pill.

If you do have a black mold infection, it can be treated and after treatment you should see improvement in your symptoms.  This is not a progression of COPD, but a disease to be treated.


Take care and good luck.