Afterward

It's has been about 10 months since our remediation project finished, and was thinking people might want an update on how it went.

The good stuff: I think we did a great job on the remediation. The AC is working great, all electrical looks great, and the kids can get over colds like normal children. The house looks great! No corrosion on any of the copper or silver, and the fixtures are holding up perfectly - unlike previous. And yes, 10 months is a long time for these corrosion processes. I think all in all, the remediation has been a great success.

The bad stuff. There has been one development worth noting. I was diagnosed with a mass on my kidney this June (2011), and when it was removed in August, it turned out to be papillary renal cell carcinoma (cancer). Stage 1, grade 2. It was 6cm in size. The good news is it is out, and I'm cancer free with a great prognosis. No additional therapies, just monitoring for the rest of my life. The question that remains is did toxic Chinese Drywall cause my cancer? That remains to be seen. I'm 35 with no family history, so a bit outside the normal bounds of those who might develop it naturally, maybe I'm just unlucky to have gotten it. Maybe there is a connection. Regardless, it is a fact that I had it, and thought it was relevant enough to share for other victims of Chinese Drywall to consider along with everything else. Did remediation cause this? Also don't know - I tend to doubt it based on its size, unlikely to me it grew that large in a single year, but what do I know. That said, I do think it originated within 5 years, meaning since I moved into my toxic home. Again, just my opinion.

In the end, I have no regrets for taking on the project. I sleep well knowing I did the best I could for my family, and they are in a safe environment now. The finances will work themselves out in time - and while waiting, we are back together, in a great home. In the end, I do consider myself lucky - to have beaten Chinese Drywall and cancer both, and am on a path to put all of this behind me. If you're reading this considering options for your Chinese Drywall nightmare, I hope this has offered some degree of help to you.