Introduction
Timeline
Discovery
From Bad, to Worse
Why Should I Be worried?
Can Mold Cause Cancer?
Summary
FAQ
Appendices
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I had moved into Sumter Square apartments in Raleigh, NC (managed by Drucker and
Falk) with my girlfriend in May of 1996. I was working on my PhD in Engineering
and my girlfriend was also working on her PhD. I was in excellent shape. I
don't drink, I don't smoke, I eat healthy and I swim a mile a day for exercise.
Here are the details of my stay with Drucker and Falk.
(I would like to mention that, although Wake Sewer is mentioned here, they did
nothing wrong. Wake Sewer arrived promptly and performed their job efficiently.
Wake Sewer does not clean up buildings and are not in any way responsible for
the cleanup of my apartment. If my new place had a problem, I would not
hesitate to call them).
| 5-8-96 |
I moved into 5100 Fort Sumter Rd with my girlfriend. We had chosen Sumter
Square for the location and price. Sumter Square had one of the better
reputations among the other students.
|
| 5-12-96 |
The first sign of trouble was my girlfriend screaming "Emergency, emergency, get
down here now!" Water was leaking into the apartment from around the base of
the toilet bowl. We immediately called maintenance. After maintenance
determined that the water was in fact sewage backing up from the main sewer
line, Wake Sewer was called to unclog the line and Wall to Wall Carpet was
called to clean up inside the apartment. Wake Sewer arrived promptly and in 10
minutes unclogged the sewer. Wall to Wall Carpet arrived next. They sucked up
all of the standing sewage by placing the vacuum attachment at the deepest part
of the sewage. Wall to Wall Carpet then vacuumed the carpet and the parts of
the closet and pantry they could reach. After cleaning up the standing sewage,
they shampooed the carpet and left a large fan to dry it. After Wall to Wall
Carpet left, there was a disgusting brown film covering the kitchen floor and
the baseboards. The film cleaned up easily with a mop and a little 409. When I
was finished cleaning up, the apartment looked as if nothing had happened. The
next day a maintenance man from Drucker and Falk arrived and removed the fan.
Our furniture at this point consisted of one bed, so there was not any damage to
our property.
|
9-96
(The week after Hurricane
Fran, one of the worst
hurricanes in Raleigh history) |
2nd sewer backup. I don't have an exact date for this sewer backup, because my
neighbor called it in when it flooded across to her apartment (I wasn't allowed
to see her maintenance records). Since we weren't home for most of it, I don't
remember much. Some people I knew lost everything during Hurricane Fran, so we
counted ourselves lucky.
|
| 3-15-97 |
3rd sewer backup. While my (now) fiancée and I were upstairs studying, we heard
a loud knock at the door. It was our next-door neighbor telling us that the
sewer was backed up and flooding her place again. By this time there was
approximately 1" of raw sewage in our apartment and it was still rising. I
immediately called Drucker and Falk. By this time furniture in the living room
consisted of a TV stand, stereo cabinet, (both on casters) and 2 bookshelves
full of textbooks. I immediately set to work moving the books from the bottom
shelves upstairs. Since I did not have any boots and was not about to ruin my
nice running shoes, I decided to go barefoot. I didn't have any cuts or scrapes
on my feet and I knew there wasn't any glass on the floor. I figured I'd just
wash up real good afterwards.
Just as I had finished moving the TV stand and stereo cabinet, the maintenance
guy arrived. By this time the sewage was approximately 2" deep near the
bathroom and almost 1" deep at the front of the apartment. The entire first
floor was flooded with sewage and the sewage was running over the sill of the
back door and onto the back patio (this kept it from going higher). The
maintenance guy did not say anything to me about walking around in the sewage.
Just as before, Wake Sewer and Wall to Wall Carpet were called. I talked to the
plumber from Wake Sewer and asked him what was causing the sewer to back up. He
told me that it was probably a root from one of the trees. He explained that
the tree roots would grow into the sewer pipe looking for moisture and clog the
pipe. Wall to Wall Carpet cleaned up the same as before, except this time, the
carpet had a large black stain leading out from the bathroom. The shampooing
did not remove the stain. Wall to Wall stuck the fan under the carpet anyway.
I guess they figured the carpet would change color when it dried. The next day,
the maintenance man came to remove the fan, but the carpet was still damp.
The next morning we went to the office to complain. This was the third time in
less than a year that the sewer had backed up. Drucker and Falk gave us the
option of moving to another apartment, but were not going to pay any expenses
associated with the move. The apartment they showed us was unacceptable. Where
our current apartment was far away from the busy road and had nice grass on
either side, the apartment they showed us had thick woods on one side, a parking
lot on the other, and was right next to a busy road (not good if you want a
puppy). In addition, I had my PhD qualifier (similar to medical boards or bar
exam) coming up and I could not afford to take 2 weeks to move. We were
promised that the plumber would routinely come and clear the lines so that the
sewer would not back up again.
The maintenance guy returned on 3-19-97 to remove the fan. The carpet was dry
by then, but the stain was very dark. The maintenance guy told me he would try
to get the carpet replaced by that afternoon. When I got home that evening, the
carpet had been replaced.
|
| 3-22-97 |
My fiancée, a friend, and I went to North Carolina's Outer Banks to check out
the Hale Bopp comet and go camping on Ocrakoke Island. We returned on Sunday
the 23rd. By that evening I started to develop a vicious itch on the lower part
of my legs just above the ankles. On previous trips to Ocrakoke, I had served
as food for the local insect population. I was sure that some kind of insect
had bitten, stung, or burrowed into me. The itching got worse rather than
better. Within a month, the itch had spread all over my body. The itch was so
bad that I scratched off some of the hair follicles on my lower legs. At the
insistence of my fiancé I went to the doctor on 4-14-97. I explained to the
doctor that something had bitten me while I was camping on Ocrakoke. It did not
occur to me to mention the sewage backup in the apartment. Additional visits on
6-3-97, 6-30-97, and 7-22-97 did not abate the itching. Doctors suspected
everything from allergies to mange. Although antihistamines seemed to help,
nothing relieved the itching.
|
| (Early April 1998) |
4th sewer backup. I don't have an exact date for this sewer backup, it was not
in the maintenance records and the secretary could not find it in the billing
records. I distinctly remember sitting in bed with my fiancée and hearing a
blood-chilling cry from our new puppy. The cries became louder and more and
more desperate. "What is wrong with the dog?" I asked my fiancée. When we got
downstairs, we found the sewage rising. The puppy was at the very back of her
crate shivering uncontrollably and crying. This puts the date of the flood
somewhere between 8-97 (when we got the puppy) and 5-98 (when my fiancée broke
up with me and moved out). I took some friends flying shortly afterwards and
the logbook entry indicates early April. The sewer was clogged in the same
place as before. Cleanup from Wall to Wall Carpet was also the same as before.
The next morning, we complained to Drucker and Falk again. Although they
refused to replace the carpet, I did get a promise that they would clear the
sewer line every 6 months instead of every year. I was upset, but I had finals
coming up and did not have time to move.
|
| 4-13-98 |
I found a small lump at the base of my neck where it joins the shoulder. It was
hard and movable but did not hurt. The next day, I went to the NCSU infirmary.
The doctor said it was a swollen lymph node. An X-ray showed additional swollen
lymph nodes in my chest. Fearing lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), the
doctor scheduled an immediate biopsy on 4-23-98. The biopsy did not show
lymphoma, but the doctor's still didn't know what was causing the lymph nodes to
swell. Once again, I did not think to mention the sewage backup.
|
| 5-11-98 |
After a month of tests and still not being able to find a cause for the swelling
lymph nodes, the doctors issued a diagnosis of Sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is
diagnosed when there is no other obvious cause for the symptoms. Doctors told
me that the disease normally goes away on its own within 6 months.
|
| 9-22-98 |
Swelling in my lymph nodes gets worse over the summer instead of better.
Doctors proscribe Prednisone to try to bring down the swelling in the lymph
nodes. Prednisone also seems to greatly help the itch (thank god)!
|
| 10-24-98 |
5th sewer backup. This date was not in the maintenance record, but when
prodded, the secretary found the date in the billing records for Wake Sewer and
Wall to Wall Carpet. By this time, I am getting quite frustrated. Although my
ex-fiancée is no longer living with me, I have a roommate who also has to put up
with this. The next day I complain to Drucker and Falk. Once again, they
refuse to replace the carpet, but promise to clear the sewer line every 3 months
instead of every 6 months.
|
| 11-10-98 |
I go to the NCSU infirmary for a sharp pain in my groin. I figure that I have
pulled a muscle. Much to my surprise, the doctor finds a 2.5 inch! (exclamation
point actually in the medical records) diameter swollen lymph node in my groin.
Apparently, the lymph node is pinching a nerve. Doctors proscribe Tylenol w/
codeine for the pain.
|
| 6-14-99 |
By now, the apartment has developed a distinct musty smell. Apparently I have
gotten used to it, but people coming to look at the apartment (I was looking for
a new roommate) definitely notice the smell. I go to the office determined to
get Drucker and Falk to replace the carpet. The smell is costing me serious
money, as I am now paying 100% of the rent. After complaining vehemently about
the smell, the apartment manager herself personally inspects the carpet. She
stands in the middle of my carpet that was soaked with raw sewage in 4-98 and
10-98 and declares, "There's no stain. I don't smell anything. There is
nothing wrong with this carpet." A further 10 minutes of argument gets me
nowhere.
The maintenance log reads: "Check to see if carpet needs replacing-doesn't"
|
| 7-11-99 |
(Another date that is present in the billing records but missing from the
maintenance log). Just as I am about to move out, I find a roommate. A week
before the roommate moves in, there is, (you guessed it) a 6th sewer backup.
After Wake Sewer clears the sewer, Wall to Wall Carpet cleans up, and I clean up
what's left. When I complain at the office the next day, I am assured that the
sewer will now be cleared once a month. I don't even fight about the carpet --
I am not feeling well and not in the mood.
|
| 7-30-99 |
I show up at NCSU infirmary with severely swollen lymph nodes in my neck,
shoulder, armpit and groin. Given more Tylenol w/ codeine, and referred to
another specialist.
|
| 7-8-00 |
Since early spring, I have been feeling progressively worse. The lymph nodes
have been gradually but continuously swelling larger and larger. Several of my
doctors are becoming alarmed. Sarcoidosis can be fatal in up to 10% of cases.
One doctor tells me that I am in the worst 2% of Sarcoidosis patients. Doctors
increase my Prednisone dose to 60mg per day, which is dangerously high. I have
to be very careful because I have almost no immune response at this point. One
of my doctors describes my case as very atypical and tells me that he thinks
there may be some environmental cause.
I decide to replace my air filter with an electrostatic filter. The filter the
apartment provided is one of the cheap fiber ones that sell for $0.37 at Home
Depot, and block about 5% of contaminants. Electrostatic filters block 90% and
cost about $25. When I open the A/C to change the filter, I notice that the
filter is not seated all the way against the evaporator coil. Dust had gotten
around the edge of the filter and directly on to the coil. The dust was wet and
had what appeared to be mold growing on it. I vacuumed up all of the dust that
I could reach with the vacuum cleaner. I then mixed up a squirt bottle of
dilute bleach and soaked all of the dust that the vacuum missed. By that
evening, the lymph node under my chin had gotten very swollen and painful.
I called the specialist and told him I found the problem. I must be allergic to
mold. The allergic reaction to the mold in the A/C was making the Sarcoidosis
worse. The specialist pointed out that there were two problems with my
reasoning. First, earlier allergy tests had shown that I was NOT allergic to
mold. Second, he asked me,
| "Did your eyes water?" | "No." |
| "Did your nose run?" | "No." |
| "Did you sneeze?" | "No." |
The specialist replied: "I don't know what happened, but it was not an allergic
reaction."
That night, I got a flashlight and looked into the airbox that feeds the entire
A/C system. The airbox is located on the floor and feeds upwards to the A/C.
When I looked inside the airbox, I could see a distinct dark stain about 2"
high. THE SEWAGE HAD GOTTEN INTO THE AIRBOX! I had been breathing raw sewage
for more than 4 years -- no wonder I was sick. Unfortunately for me, this was
only the tip of the iceberg.
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