{"id":116308,"date":"2017-01-19T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T09:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/?p=116308"},"modified":"2017-04-10T14:26:55","modified_gmt":"2017-04-10T14:26:55","slug":"my-story-how-doctors-finally-discovered-the-root-of-my-environmental-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/2017\/01\/19\/my-story-how-doctors-finally-discovered-the-root-of-my-environmental-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"My Story: How Doctors Finally Discovered the Root of my Environmental Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I stared at the ocean outside my window in 110 Tower, my body was bathed in sweat as I struggled not to vomit. I tried my best to stay still, hoping the nausea would dissipate before I had to be at work later that afternoon. Otherwise, I\u2019d never make it through.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter what the outcome, I was determined to get to the root cause of my illness. Although I finally had to admit that I was no longer a bulletproof athlete and attorney, I remained convinced that there had to be a physician somewhere out there with the expertise to \u201cfix\u201d me.<\/span><\/p>\n

I eventually ended up at the Mayo clinic. The doctor sent me to specialist after specialist. They eventually concluded that I wasn\u2019t getting enough oxygen to feel or think normally. My severely compromised immune system meant I was vulnerable to constant viral attacks, and my liver couldn\u2019t cleanse my body of toxins.<\/span><\/p>\n

The doctor told me to go home and rest saying, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more we can do for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After returning home, someone suggested that I call the Cleveland Clinic. This time I heard something new.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something wrong with your heart,\u201d he said, reviewing my tests. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a prolapsed valve.\u201d I was still in my thirties and thinner than I\u2019d been in years. I didn\u2019t understand how that was even possible. I\u2019d had a million tests and nobody had ever said there was something wrong with my heart. \u201cOh,\u201d he said, \u201cit\u2019s possible.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The doctor then went on to say something even more astonishing…that all of my symptoms were pointing toward something environmental. He asked when I first got sick. I gave him the same date I\u2019d given every other doctor. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, what were you doing when you started to get sick? Where were you in your life?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t following the connections he was making. Then he asked, \u201cWhat building were you in?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c110 Tower,\u201d I said. \u201cI was spending most of my time either in my office there or in the Broward County Courthouse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat might be your answer, then: one of those buildings. Probably 110 Tower, since that\u2019s where you started really feeling ill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though I was capable of connecting the dots\u2014I\u2019d never been sick until I worked at 110 Tower\u2014I couldn\u2019t fully grasp what this doctor was saying. How could I have been sick because of a building? I thought it was flat out impossible. <\/span><\/p>\n

But, he was right. He referred me to yet another doctor\u2014one who specialized in environmental illnesses\u2014and the results were conclusive: I had sick building syndrome. <\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what it was, and I couldn\u2019t believe the government would approve dangerous chemicals in building materials. It turns out that there are no government regulations of most chemicals used in building products, only in foods and drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was in disbelief, yet a part of my brain was analyzing the evidence along with him. I knew in my gut that he was right.<\/span><\/p>\n

This set me on a course that led to becoming an environmental health advocate, toxic tort attorney and public speaker. Although forced by my illness to live in a \u2018bubble\u2019 in the remote Arizona desert, I founded the <\/span>Environmental Health Foundatio<\/span><\/i>n to help prevent, treat and cure environmentally-related disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you wrestling with any of the same symptoms I did? Maybe you\u2019ve seen a lot of doctors and they haven\u2019t been able to figure out your issue. Take a few moments to consider your environment. Could hidden toxins be contributing to your illness? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I stared at the ocean outside my window in 110 Tower, my body was bathed in sweat as I struggled not to vomit. I tried my best to stay still, hoping the nausea would dissipate before I had to be at work later that afternoon. Otherwise, I\u2019d never make it through. No matter what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"

As I stared at the ocean outside my window in 110 Tower, my body was bathed in sweat as I struggled not to vomit. I tried my best to stay still, hoping the nausea would dissipate before I had to be at work later that afternoon. Otherwise, I\u2019d never make it through.<\/span><\/p>

No matter what the outcome, I was determined to get to the root cause of my illness. Although I finally had to admit that I was no longer a bulletproof athlete and attorney, I remained convinced that there had to be a physician somewhere out there with the expertise to \u201cfix\u201d me.<\/span><\/p>

I eventually ended up at the Mayo clinic. The doctor sent me to specialist after specialist. They eventually concluded that I wasn\u2019t getting enough oxygen to feel or think normally. My severely compromised immune system meant I was vulnerable to constant viral attacks, and my liver couldn\u2019t cleanse my body of toxins.<\/span><\/p>

The doctor told me to go home and rest saying, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more we can do for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

After returning home, someone suggested that I call the Cleveland Clinic. This time I heard something new.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThere\u2019s something wrong with your heart,\u201d he said, reviewing my tests. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a prolapsed valve.\u201d I was still in my thirties and thinner than I\u2019d been in years. I didn\u2019t understand how that was even possible. I\u2019d had a million tests and nobody had ever said there was something wrong with my heart. \u201cOh,\u201d he said, \u201cit\u2019s possible.\u201d <\/span><\/p>

The doctor then went on to say something even more astonishing...that all of my symptoms were pointing toward something environmental. He asked when I first got sick. I gave him the same date I\u2019d given every other doctor. <\/span><\/p>

\u201cNo,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, what were you doing when you started to get sick? Where were you in your life?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

I wasn\u2019t following the connections he was making. Then he asked, \u201cWhat building were you in?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201c110 Tower,\u201d I said. \u201cI was spending most of my time either in my office there or in the Broward County Courthouse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat might be your answer, then: one of those buildings. Probably 110 Tower, since that\u2019s where you started really feeling ill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Even though I was capable of connecting the dots\u2014I\u2019d never been sick until I worked at 110 Tower\u2014I couldn\u2019t fully grasp what this doctor was saying. How could I have been sick because of a building? I thought it was flat out impossible. <\/span><\/p>

But, he was right. He referred me to yet another doctor\u2014one who specialized in environmental illnesses\u2014and the results were conclusive: I had sick building syndrome. <\/span><\/p>

I didn\u2019t know what it was, and I couldn\u2019t believe the government would approve dangerous chemicals in building materials. It turns out that there are no government regulations of most chemicals used in building products, only in foods and drugs.<\/span><\/p>

I was in disbelief, yet a part of my brain was analyzing the evidence along with him. I knew in my gut that he was right.<\/span><\/p>

This set me on a course that led to becoming an environmental health advocate, toxic tort attorney and public speaker. Although forced by my illness to live in a \u2018bubble\u2019 in the remote Arizona desert, I founded the <\/span>Environmental Health Foundatio<\/span><\/i>n to help prevent, treat and cure environmentally-related disease.<\/span><\/p>

Are you wrestling with any of the same symptoms I did? Maybe you\u2019ve seen a lot of doctors and they haven\u2019t been able to figure out your issue. Take a few moments to consider your environment. Could hidden toxins be contributing to your illness? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.<\/span><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advocacy","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116308"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116790,"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116308\/revisions\/116790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanbell.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}