Severe Black Mold Exposure... Should I Be Going to the Doctor?!

If it is "black mold" you need a professional company to remove it from your home. Unfortunately, it will be VERY costly and it IS very dangerous.
My BFF had a tiny spot on the wall of her basement in Georgia and had to move out while the work was being done. And it was $$$$$$
Yes--especially if your furnace & some duct work are in your basement, your kids are very possibly at risk. Do NOT mess around with this...you probably shouldn't have been "shoveling out" true black mold. Call your doc asap.
That mold could have traveled up and through your walls!
Not trying to alarm you but if is IS toxic black mold, you've got potentially a lot more at stake than losing some sentimental items--your health!
You might start by calling your health department. You need a company trained in how to eradicate this. If it can be. Some homes are lost completely to black mold.
Good luck!

I looked up "Black Mold Symptoms" on google and the last line said....
"Especially in the case of toxic molds you may want to consult them before attempting to do anything on your own. In some instances adequate removal may require professionals. Improper procedures may lead to the spread of mold and make the problem worse in the long-run".
I hope that you consulted someone before you started removing it yourself. You don't want to spread the mold! What you had stated are your symptoms were on this website. You may want to call your doctor. Are you covering your mouth and nose as you remove this stuff?
L.

Oh my goodness, do NOT deal with this mold yourself!! By messing with it, you are absolutely spreading the spores. Seriously. It's SO dangerous, to even be poking around at it. Yes, I think you should at the very least, consult your Dr. You could be having symptoms from the mold exposure. (I really hope not!) Also, get a professional company to clean the mold. You are really in danger doing this yourself. If you are renting...in some states, it is legally required that the landlord take care of this, AND possible pay any medical related costs.

I'm so sorry :(

Not only do you need to go to your doctor, you and especially your children need to be out of the house immediately. Get a hotel room tonight or find a friend to live with...seriously, you are all in danger staying in that house.

Black mold isn't something you can tackle by yourself. You need specialists to come in immediately and do an abatement. The longer you let it fester, the higher the likelihood your house WILL be condemned as unlivable. Do not waste anymore time and contact your insurance agent to have someone come out and analyze the situation. This is a very expensive problem that you'll need to have covered by insurance. The longer you wait, the more you do by yourself, the greater the likelihood you won't get covered. Either way, your house can get condemned.

I had black mold in my finished basement. It spread within 4 days from a corner of the basement to the entire lower level after a pipe burst. It was close to 40 grand in damages, and our basement had to be entirely gutted and rebuilt from scratch. All of our furniture and belongings on that level had to go because of contamination...even if it wasn't visible. It took 6 months to remedy the situation and we couldn't live in our home for 3 of those months until the mold was deemed gone by a specialist. We were lucky we found and stopped it in time to save the house. Some people's homes get condemned and bulldozed if the mold gets too far gone.

Read up on black mold. People can contract deadly illness and worse if left untreated and exposed. In a short period of time (weeks) you can develop paralysis, cancer, and death. Kids and those with weak immune systems go down faster than adults

If you are renting, you may have a case for a lawsuit.

R.:

Call your landlords. This is a serious situation.

The mold spores CAN travel. You need to make sure you are taking a shower and rinsing your nose out with the Medi-Rinse solution since you didn't wear the mask the first few days.

make sure you put EVERYTHING that was contaminated into a black bag and seal it. Tell Rob to take it out of the house.

Call me.

Call the Dr asap! You already seem to know the dangers, so please make sure you know if it's "just a cold" or due to mold exposure.

Mold spores only go into the air when you upset them, which you did. I'd definitely be wearing one of those masks while messing with mold. Not sure what docs can do about it, I think your body will fix it on its own once you get away from it.
You guys need to figure out a way to dry out your basement, mold wont grow if you keep it dry.
All people are not sensitive to mold, it only affects people that are actually allergic to it, just like peanuts.... the rest of your family might be fine, it might just be YOU Rach ;)

Hi, R.:
Hope you have gone to the Doc by now.
Get a mold specialist to take care of
this situation.
Good luck.
D.