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Post by ruth on Nov 1, 2009 17:34:20 GMT -5
i went to lowes', fred meyer, and then ace where they had one test available. it was $11.99+tax.
i'm off to do some scrapings. i have so much stuff, where to begin?
i've got the samples in the culture. now waiting 48 hours to see what grows.
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Post by kammy on Nov 1, 2009 20:52:22 GMT -5
Try not to worry Sidney, your dish looks perfectly Morg "normal"... there's all of the usual components in it... I don't see anything out of the ordinary nor extra... so, try to relax with it, if you can? The white, fuzzy 'fungus' that reaches out and consumes everything around it. We can see where it is getting on top of the black fungus. The black and white fungus always seem to be present in the dish and sense the other one is around, even if they are not touching, they will be in a short amount of time, (quorum sensing?)... The yellow goo biofilm is also present in your dish... my-stuff-dot-com.com/LB/sidneys dish2.jpg[/img] It's getting interesting in here...
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Post by Sidney on Nov 2, 2009 0:36:28 GMT -5
Well, Kammy, time will tell. Obviously you and I are not experts in this field, so to be certain we will have to hope that the "experts" become involved to help us out. All Mold is Fungus, but not all Fungus is Mold. Incidentally, even as long ago as 1999 the Mold-fungus-slime mold information was being researched by we old timers who have been at this for many years. It was discussed extensively on the now defunct board called The Comfort Zone, the first message board built by Sandy T., as a safe place for folks exhibiting our symptoms to visit and share. I own the Domain The Comfort Zone, but it hasn't been used in a while. The National Unidentified Skin Parasite Association (NUSPA) was another Board that lasted for many years, then finally it closed after Lymebusters was started and thankfully, this Board continues to be very popular. So, in short, the molds, fungi, slime molds, have been discussed inside and out. Defined, refined and re-defined. Still worthy of serious investigation in my opinion. Self-collected is medically worthless as you know, but it's also a good start in my opinion since the growing medium was obviously formulated to test MOLD. That in itself is undeniable. On the other hand, the mold test kit was done long before I did it. I was searching for something I had read about mold-fungus causing a cutaneous stinging sensation and came across this website tonight and this post. I find it VERY reassuring. tinyurl.com/yfzlv2c Quote: Originally Posted by tigatail Has anyone had or recovered from morgellons? It's biting, stinging, small granules, black specs, feels like you are wearing a wool suit, low-grade headache, worse under flourescent lights, tiny white worms or flying insects occa. which dissappear right away? I've had it since April 2009. Please help if you can - Thanks Tigatail Hello tigtail, I have been through all of the above that you have mentioned and after many sleepless nights and tear filled day's and all my saving's being depleted, and many trips to doctor's office and Emergency Rooms trying to figure out what this was. I bought a 10.00$ Home mold Test Kit and put samples of these black specs, clear granules and white flakes that came out of my skin along with some other lesion debris and put this on there petri dish that was in this kit. I then mailed it to their Lab and for 30.00 more additional dollars they tested my SAMPLES AND SENT ME BACK MY RESULTS VIA e-mAIL AND THE RESULTS WERE SHOCKING, It showed aspergillus mold, Curvularia, Cladosporium, and non sporlating fungi. Morgellons is a fungal disease in my opinion. I had the biting, crawling and actual bugs and their larvae in my skin, I had these bugs professionally identified and for the most part they were normal garden variety bugs that were not known as predators of humans. Then why were they on me? They were on me because of the mold and fungus that was growing on my skin, at one point my whole neck had became encased with bio glue which after i was able to peel off a small portion and send it for testing I found out it was not bio glue at all, it was MOLD.. I also sent the notorious black specs to entomologist for ID and the results were they are not insect, I kept arguing with these people that they had to be because they were biting me. They took second look still no insect but when I put these specs on this mold test kit they began to grow and were positively ID'ed as a mold. Go get you a home mold test kit and start there instead of wasting all your resources on trying to get rid of the bugs. Once you get rid of the fungus you will also get rid of the bugs, they are on you due to you're fungal infection drawing them to your skin. That is what they feed off of, the fungus growing on our skin. I have been taking Itraconazole for 2 weeks and have had no biting itching or crawling sensation on my skin, but am having some problems with my lungs due to having a fungal infection there also. Hopefully with time I will make a full recovery. I wish you luck on your journey to wellness!!! P.S. you can search the old post for more of my symptoms if you like, as I have been going through this for 2 years now. But it seems like for me my nightmare is finally coming to an end or at least i now know how to treat it and am able to keep bugs off of my skin... This mold Fungus is some very bad stuff and even once you find out what it is it takes time and medicine to get rid of it. mmarsha
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Post by Sidney on Nov 2, 2009 0:50:15 GMT -5
i went to lowes', fred meyer, and then ace where they had one test available. it was $11.99+tax. i'm off to do some scrapings. i have so much stuff, where to begin? i've got the samples in the culture. now waiting 48 hours to see what grows. WOW...Ruth, seems they're in short supply around here, too, but I was told that the Lowe's way east of us has six in stock. I guess people can always order the kits from the manufacturers if all else fails....remember too we can check for suppliers of scientific equipment for schools. It's getting harder and harder for me to get enough air despite my arsenal of nasal sprays, rescue inhalers, and Advair 250. Wonder how many thousands of dollars out of pocket we've spent trying to get me diagnosed and treated? Five trips out of State, countless doctors, specialists of all kinds, prescription meds by the kazillion, OTC by the barrell, and a life devestated due to ineptitude, arrogance, and neglect. Off with their damned heads. I am so ready to start kicking butt and naming names I can barely contain myself. Sleep well, Ruth and all. We can only hang in there as we have done all this time, and hope things get better for all of us and SOON.
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Post by jeany on Nov 2, 2009 9:15:59 GMT -5
Sidney, thanks for posting Mmarsha's experience. She's a member at MDR btw..and is doing good last time I've heard from her. That was a very good idea of her to get that mold kit..She was able to rid those bugs she had all over her neck and ears and was a pretty 'bad case' but eventually got better after taking Itraconazole.
Jeany
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Post by kammy on Nov 2, 2009 9:22:12 GMT -5
Yes, I've been in close contact with MM, she is the first one to buy these Lowe's home testing kits and put her lesion debris in them to have them analyzed. I see that she believes that the insects came from outside to inside her body because the fungus chemistry attracted them, which is possible with her assortment, I suppose?
I'm just trying to ease your mind, Sidney, that's all. I'm saying that I and most Morgies have the same three things happening, the white, black and yellow that's in your dish. I had an ear culture done for fungus this summer and nothing showed up as fungus!! If the white one is Aspergillis... why didn't it show up as Aspergillis in my recent testing? I have an appointment next month, I'll try to get a list of what they tested for.
I'm beginning to wonder if our fungi/molds are not in the pathology databanks or in Internet photographs, that it is some sort of 'secret' concoction that is not public information? As a good control, since I just had my lesion debris hospital tested recently... would be for me to also purchase this Lowe's test and see what they say is present? I don't place much value on this hospital (one of the best, supposedly)... they have been totally inept all throughout my illness.
We just need to get a few people to do this and see what we all have in common to pinpoint what these black, white and yellow ones are, you guys are on the right track, good work.
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Post by Sidney on Nov 2, 2009 20:27:24 GMT -5
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Post by Sidney on Nov 2, 2009 20:39:05 GMT -5
Yes, I've been in close contact with MM, she is the first one to buy these Lowe's home testing kits and put her lesion debris in them to have them analyzed. I see that she believes that the insects came from outside to inside her body because the fungus chemistry attracted them, which is possible with her assortment, I suppose? I'm just trying to ease your mind, Sidney, that's all. I'm saying that I and most Morgies have the same three things happening, the white, black and yellow that's in your dish. I had an ear culture done for fungus this summer and nothing showed up as fungus!! If the white one is Aspergillis... why didn't it show up as Aspergillis in my recent testing? I have an appointment next month, I'll try to get a list of what they tested for. I'm beginning to wonder if our fungi/molds are not in the pathology databanks or in Internet photographs, that it is some sort of 'secret' concoction that is not public information? As a good control, since I just had my lesion debris hospital tested recently... would be for me to also purchase this Lowe's test and see what they say is present? I don't place much value on this hospital (one of the best, supposedly)... they have been totally inept all throughout my illness. We just need to get a few people to do this and see what we all have in common to pinpoint what these black, white and yellow ones are, you guys are on the right track, good work. You bet it was a great idea she bought the Pro Lab kit and I just wish we had known about it earlier. How did you ever get a hospital lab to test your specimens? Were you hospitalized at the time or perhaps have a friend with an "in?" Traditionally, most of us have been brushed off so many times that we are truly blessed to get evan a simple culture done. I stupidly believed that if I had a biopsy the lab would test for "everything," including mold, fungus, different species of bacteria. Unfortunately, that isn't the case at all. Thanks, Jeany and Kammy. I hope each of you will participate in this experiment. Obviously, I wish everyone here would just do it! I haven't heard from my M.D. about seeing the other doctor. I so hope that doesn't turn out to be a disappointment, but at this point nothing surprises me. Mrcommonsense has an addition to his Blog: Morgellons – Rethinking Delusion of Parasitosis (Rethinking Delusions of Parasitosis) Jeany or Kammy, I can't remember which of you posted a youtube video at MRC's Blog, but I sent it to a Collembola expert and he tells me your critter is not a Collembolan, but is a Diptera...or is it Dipteran? Oh well, good job! Many thanks! Now, why was that little critter on your neck?
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Post by bannanny on Nov 2, 2009 20:42:31 GMT -5
I told you I'd pick one up Sid... and I will, I promise! Lately, it's just been hard for me to go to town. Mom's gonna be coming back up here in a few days and said she'd see if she can find one at Lowes. If not, I'll see if CVC has one when I go in to town next time... which I can't put off any longer than a week.
I'm right there with you guys about not wanting to go anywhere or see anyone. The good old days are a thing of the past I guess... for now anyway. Maybe this whole mold testing thing will get us further in our never ending saga... I think it will. Morgies are some pretty smart tough cookies eh? We'll get there... we will becuz we're who we are.
love ya's ~~ bannanny
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Post by Sidney on Nov 2, 2009 20:52:00 GMT -5
You bet we're tough. Morgellons is not for Sissies! But, this is what MRC sent me today to show me what we're up against. Plumb took the wind right outta my sails, it did! www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,250566,00.html
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Post by kammy on Nov 2, 2009 21:13:06 GMT -5
You bet it was a great idea she bought the Pro Lab kit and I just wish we had known about it earlier. How did you ever get a hospital lab to test your specimens? Were you hospitalized at the time or perhaps have a friend with an "in?" Traditionally, most of us have been brushed off so many times that we are truly blessed to get evan a simple culture done. I stupidly believed that if I had a biopsy the lab would test for "everything," including mold, fungus, different species of bacteria. Unfortunately, that isn't the case at all. Thanks, Jeany and Kammy. I hope each of you will participate in this experiment. Obviously, I wish everyone here would just do it! I haven't heard from my M.D. about seeing the other doctor. I so hope that doesn't turn out to be a disappointment, but at this point nothing surprises me. Mrcommonsense has an addition to his Blog: Morgellons – Rethinking Delusion of Parasitosis (Rethinking Delusions of Parasitosis) Jeany or Kammy, I can't remember which of you posted a youtube video at MRC's Blog, but I sent it to a Collembola expert and he tells me your critter is not a Collembolan, but is a Diptera...or is it Dipteran? Oh well, good job! Many thanks! Now, why was that little critter on your neck? No, I wasn't hospitalized, I went to an ENT whose office was in a Hospital and he took a culture with a long cotton Q-tip (which in itself should have grown something... ha!) and I saw him again in a week. I knew on that next visit when he said, 'nothing is showing up yet'... that there was something wrong with their experiment. I've gotten the Morgs to grow within a few hours of being in a Petri Dish. Anyway, I'm not sure which 'critter' or YouTube you're referring to, Sid, maybe Jeany knows? I've never had anything come out of my neck except debris at various times... I haven't found the Collembola on my body yet... not to say they aren't there!! ;D (Nothing surprises me anymore.) So, Sid, you're going to take your Dish to your doctor? or, are you going to mail it in to their lab?
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Post by Sidney on Nov 2, 2009 21:44:49 GMT -5
The video is described as a fungus gnat larvae transitioning. It's quite good and worth watching. It's gnawing and wiggling itself out of the membrane or outer covering. Hideous looking little bugger.
I thought it belonged to either Kammy or Jeany.
My G.P. M.D. has already seen the mold growing in the Petri Dish. He's hoping to get me in to see a doctor friend who is better qualified to be helpful concerning mold, allergies, all that sort of thing. That was last Thursday. If I don't hear something one way or the other by Tuesday (tomorrow) I will call his nurse and see what's up.
I just started the second Petri Dish and it will set up in an hour, but I'll probably leave it two hours. (covered of course)
Bananny, I so hope you will be able to pick up a kit soon. I'll help if you have trouble finding one. Actually, I suggest buying at least two.
After this second one shows signs of growing mold I may send it to the Pro-Labs folks and see what they have to say. I think that depends on whether I get in to see this other doctor.
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Post by Sidney on Nov 3, 2009 15:09:13 GMT -5
Thread after thread concerning LYME Disease and MOLD. tinyurl.com/yfvh7veThis is an excerpt from one of the links. Better Health Guy. He lists topics on the left side of his website that include parasites. Interesting site. The symptoms of mold illnesses include: •Fatigue •Headaches •Weakness •Stabbing sensations •Light sensitivity •Rashes •Memory loss •Concentration difficulties •Confusion •Joint pain and morning stiffness •Shortness of breath •Cough •Blurred vision •Sweats •Abdominal Pain •Metallic taste •Static shocks •Sinus congestion •Numbness and tingling •Skin sensitivity •Muscle aches and pains If you look closely at the symptoms of mold-related illness, they overlap very closely with those experienced by people with Lyme disease. Thus, symptoms may actually be more related to the biotoxins that are present in either condition than to a specific organism or toxin itself.
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Post by dc10801 on Nov 3, 2009 23:10:04 GMT -5
yessir...kinda stinks that you cant find a dr aggressive enough to find the underlying cause...would rather treat the symptoms...well, thats not good enough I deserve better than that we all do!
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Post by Jill on Nov 4, 2009 13:58:53 GMT -5
Interesting thread- thanks for the posts Sidney. As I've mentioned to several people, I'm currently treating for mold. I've been washing everything in my house with Thieves oil which is a blend of 5 essential oils- Clove, Cinnamon, Lemon, Rosemary and Eucalyptus. At the same time, I'm using a diffuser- with the essential oils in it- again the Thieves oil. Keep it going all day when I'm at home. The first few days, my sinuses opened up and I was breathing through my nose again for the first time in years. I'm coughing up lots of phlem but my lungs (breathing) has improved and coughing diminished. I took a specimen and put it under the scope the other day and for the first time since I got the scope (6+ years ago), the specimen had no movement at all- not the Brownian motion/movement that was common to everything that I scope- nada. Nor was there any signs of the bitty mites (or whatever) moving in the specimen. In addition- I've not felt better in years. This stuff is MAGIC! Heaven sent. Prayers answered! Purchased it via a relative who took me to a Toxic mold seminar around the first of October. Because I'm washing walls and ceilings (and everything else) with this stuff- I think that I'm getting an added boost- as opposed to just burning the oil in the diffuser. It crosses the BBB- Blood Brain Barrier. It is safe - so I don't use gloves. Best of all- it's non- toxic. Speaking of which- in good conscience- I need to mention.... 2 things.... Re: Mold tests The test to request, according to the link below, is Galactomannan. This test is specifically for invasive aspergillosis, which is the most common Toxic mold. Note the doctors advice- to a person stating that she had Lyme (doctor diagnosed) yet went on to tell about her house with black mold in the garage and white mold growing through the floor..... ((confirms your mention of the link- Lyme/mold)) www.doctorslounge.com/infections/forums/backup/topic-28487.html One caveat- I found the suggestion posted on another board- to use Chlorhexidine for fungi/biofilms. The claim is that the Chlorhexidine is effective in killing biofilm as well as killing certain nematodes- Strongyloides stercorali (c elegans). Before running out to purchase the Chlorhexidine- read this: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PDT4LI DNA damage in multiple organs after exposure to chlorhexidine in Wistar rats [An article from: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health] [HTML] (Digital) As I mentioned- because MOLD is becoming a topic on these boards of late- I don't want anyone to see the links (about the Chlorhexidine) and not be aware that it damages DNA and organs.
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Post by Sidney on Nov 4, 2009 15:09:20 GMT -5
Interesting thread- thanks for the posts Sidney. As I've mentioned to several people, I'm currently treating for mold. I've been washing everything in my house with Thieves oil which is a blend of 5 essential oils- Clove, Cinnamon, Lemon, Rosemary and Eucalyptus. At the same time, I'm using a diffuser- with the essential oils in it- again the Thieves oil. Keep it going all day when I'm at home. The first few days, my sinuses opened up and I was breathing through my nose again for the first time in years. I'm coughing up lots of phlem but my lungs (breathing) has improved and coughing diminished. I took a specimen and put it under the scope the other day and for the first time since I got the scope (6+ years ago), the specimen had no movement at all- not the Brownian motion/movement that was common to everything that I scope- nada. Nor was there any signs of the bitty mites (or whatever) moving in the specimen. In addition- I've not felt better in years. This stuff is MAGIC! Heaven sent. Prayers answered! Purchased it via a relative who took me to a Toxic mold seminar around the first of October. Because I'm washing walls and ceilings (and everything else) with this stuff- I think that I'm getting an added boost- as opposed to just burning the oil in the diffuser. It crosses the BBB- Blood Brain Barrier. It is safe - so I don't use gloves. Best of all- it's non- toxic. Speaking of which- in good conscience- I need to mention.... 2 things.... Re: Mold tests The test to request, according to the link below, is Galactomannan. This test is specifically for invasive aspergilllosis, which is the most common Toxic mold. Note the doctors advice- to a person stating that she had Lyme (doctor diagnosed) yet went on to tell about her house with black mold in the garage and white mold growing through the floor..... ((confirms your mention of the link- Lyme/mold)) www.doctorslounge.com/infections/forums/backup/topic-28487.html One caveat- I found the suggestion posted on another board- to use Chlorhexidine for fungi/biofilms. The claim is that the Chlorhexidine is effective in killing biofilm as well as killing certain nematodes- Strongyloides stercorali (c elegans). Before running out to purchase the Chlorhexidine- read this: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PDT4LI DNA damage in multiple organs after exposure to chlorhexidine in Wistar rats [An article from: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health] [HTML] (Digital) As I mentioned- because MOLD is becoming a topic on these boards of late- I don't want anyone to see the links (about the Chlorhexidine) and not be aware that it damages DNA and organs. Thank you, Jill. Great information and wonderful that you were able to attend the Toxic Mold Seminar. Were you able to purchase a large container of Thieves? A homeopathic M.D. sold me a small container of Thieves in September of 1994 when we saw Dr. Omar Amin. Interesting story behind Thieves Oil. I used Thieves, Lavendar and several other essential oils the doctor thought would help me, but they were only small containers, tiny bottles of the various oils. Thanks for the warning too on the chlorhexidine. You are sure right about MOLD being a hot topic on the message boards. What just blew me away was the Lyme-Mold relationship.
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Post by Jill on Nov 4, 2009 15:39:32 GMT -5
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Post by Jill on Nov 4, 2009 16:32:46 GMT -5
Sidney and all, I purchased a kit- the Thieves Oil Kit which contained 1 bottle of the Thieves oil, 2 bottles of Thieves Oil household cleaner, 2 pump bottles of Thieves foamy hand cleaner, Thieves toothpaste, Thieves mouthwash and the Thieves hand sanitizers (2). I'm good to go for a while. It was less expensive for me to become a distributor- so that is what I did. The stuff is not cheap- but it is effective. For me, I think washing walls and other surfaces in my house has been the most beneficial. They claim that the oils cross the Blood Brain Barrier and it would appear that is true. At first, I felt as if I had a tight band around my forehead- but that went away. I'm feeling pretty good. Better than I have in years. No itching- despite the fact that I'm raking leaves - it's that time of the year. Traditionally, I would get the little bugs (springtails or gnats) on me when raking leaves that started the itching. Not this year. No problems at all. Lots of debris- purged the first few days. Keeping the diffuser going when I'm home helps a lot as well. The air in the house is fresh. Smells good- clean. The diffuser is what the Doctor used to detoxify buildings. There was a lengthy video of a Dr Close at the Toxic Mold seminar. He explained that the Thieves oil actually consumes (eats) the mold. Will see if I can find a you tube by the doc. www.secretofthieves.com/mold.cfmDisappearing Toxic Mold Spores 10,667 to 13 in 48 hours 75,000 to 0 in 72 hours The oils even kill candida albicans (which I believe is a huge problem for us), MRSA- 100% and more. More: Fair use The Black Plague and the Secret of 4 Thieves Oil As the bubonic plague decimated Europe in the year 1413, four thieves were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims. When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts. They explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and told of a special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples. *** The proprietary Thieves oil blend was created based on research into the concoction used by the thieves of the 15th century. In 1997, studies conducted at Weber State University showed it to have a 99.96% success rate against airborne bacteria. The bacteria cultures were sprayed in an enclosed area, and Thieves oil blend was diffused for a given amount of time. After only 10 minutes of exposure, there was a reduction of 82% in Micrococcus luteus 96% in Pseudomonas aeruginosa 44% in Staphylococcus aureus More later....
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Post by fritolay66 on Nov 4, 2009 20:03:00 GMT -5
I have two kits. Can I get some details on how and what you all did, so that what I do is similar. Like, did you all do particles, skin flakes,....?
Say if you send in more than petri dish, would it then be thirty bucks each? Do they process multiple petri's?
Thanks you guys.
Frito
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Post by Sidney on Nov 4, 2009 22:38:13 GMT -5
Frito, below is what I did:
I took the petri dish to my bathroom, closed the door, made sure the ceiling gadget where hot or cold air comes out was closed. Actually, I didn't even have the heat on at the time as we've had mild weather other than a cold snap earlier.
I started the culture on October 23, 2009 in the evening.
The specimens had been on double slides and I scraped the slides into the petri dish. The fresh ones were hairs I plucked from above my upper lip and pickings, and razor blade skin scrapings I did on the spot. The lid went on the Petri Dish and the Petri dish was placed in a Zip Lock bag and placed in a kitchen cabinet which has glass fronts.
I haven't sent my kit back and won't be sending it. My doctor asked me to hold onto it until he can get me an appointment with someone better qualified to help.
I've started a second dish, again, not sending it anywhere. I want to see if it grows what I'm seeing in the first Petri Dish.
If you're going to send it to Pro Labs wait until you are able to see mold growing (per the instructionw with the kit which Ruth posted on the first page of this link. Much easier to read than the small print on the printed instructions that came with the kit.
The second kit in the works now I again did a scraping of my jaw line, the wrinkled horrible area where the worst lesion has been, the area between my nose and upper lip. I plucked some facial hairs from above my upper lip, removed a little ear wax I collected, and two or three nose hairs I plucked with tweezers. The instructions indicate don't send the kit in for analysis until we see positive mold growth.
Hope this will help.
Toni-Sue has an excellent idea for ease in identifying the areas of our face. This would of course be for our own use, not to send to Pro-Labs. By using her suggestions we'll easily know what part of our face (like skin fragments from upper lip, or around a lesion, or plucked nose hairs, etc.)
Again for now, this is what I'm doing for my own curiousity, not to send in for analysis.
I think if you allow a little time for the mold to begin to grow the mold will cover the specimens enough for you to send it in with a $30 payment, but I may be wrong.
Observe first, see what grows.
I think she'll post her idea Thursday morning.
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