My wife and I moved into Stonebridge Apartments in late spring. Within a month we both began experiencing health problems, which at the time we did not associate with toxic mold since there was no mold visible in the unit and it never crossed our mind. However, shortly after we renewed our lease for an additional 8 months, large amounts of black-colored mold began appearing around the windows. We are now convinced that our afflictions were mostly associated with this mold, which we believe was toxic mold. If you value your health and the health of your family, do NOT move into Stonebridge Apartments. If you insist on living there, make sure it is a south-facing unit because mold doesn??t grow very well when exposed to sunlight all day. For further details about our experience read on.

Shortly after moving into Stonebridge Apartments, I developed a chronic problem with phlegm lodging in my throat. I found myself constantly clearing my throat and hacking up thick yellow globs of mucous, especially in the mornings when I first got up. This problem would continue at work but would eventually dissipate. When I came home at night, the problem would come back. I initially thought the problem was caused by a combination of dry air and higher elevation, as we had just moved to Colorado from Arizona, where I never had any problems with my throat. Notably, the problem largely went away when I was gone for several weeks on vacation but came back when I returned home. Upon moving out of Stonebridge Apartments, the problem with my throat cleared up within 48 hours and never came back.

Meanwhile, my wife developed different problems with her throat, especially swelling, pain, inflammation, and breathing problems. She also developed substantial edema (build up of fluids) in her shoulders and neck. The problems gradually became worse and doctors could not figure out exactly what it was. We suspected a thyroid problem, which she may in fact have. She went to an ear nose and throat doctor, who diagnosed her with severe inflammation of the throat caused by acid reflux. She had numerous blood tests done, which showed possible liver problems and possible thyroid hormone problems. She developed a nodule on her thyroid, which was lanced by a surgeon. This immediately came back, which is very unusual and was totally unexpected by her doctors. She went to an endocrinologist who prescribed thyroid replacement therapy, which alleviated some of her symptoms for a couple months. Then all the symptoms came back. She went to several more doctors, who remained baffled by what was going on. At the time we moved out of our apartment, my wife was anemic and had virtually no energy. Over the next several months after we moved, her anemia dissipated and many of her symptoms disappeared. My wife has many allergies and is highly allergic to mold. She also works from home and so was exposed to the mold all day every day.

Most doctors have little understanding of toxic mold and don??t recognize the symptoms. However, shortly after moving out of Stonebridge Apartments, my wife found information on the subject at Mayo Clinic??s website. Symptoms of toxic mold include acid reflux and rawness of the throat, swelling in the soft tissues of the neck and shoulders, and breathing problems ?? all symptoms my wife had.

While at Stonebridge Apartments, we had the owner of a window company inspect the mold problem. He said the wrong type of windows were installed for that type of construction and they were installed improperly, causing air leaks and build-ups of moisture that led to development of mold. He said the only remedy was to replace all the windows in the unit. We also had a certified health inspector from the Longmont health department inspect the problem. He said it was probably toxic mold but couldn??t be sure without lab tests, which we would have to pay for ourselves. He said the mold had gotten into the sheetrock and had been painted over many many times. We know this was the Stonebridge Apartment??s ??solution?? to the problem because they sent somebody over to clean up the mold and paint it over while we were there. When they did that, the mold immediately came back so their ??solution?? was completely ineffective. The health inspector said the only real solution was to rip out the sheetrock down to the studs and replace it all. The apartment complex was unwilling to do that due to the lost rent and substantial expense that would entail. We know that the sheetrock in our bedrooms was impregnated with mold. Due to many years of contamination, we??re also quite sure mold spores were in the carpet and everywhere else in the unit.

Rather than fight the apartment complex, we decided to move. We demanded to be let out of our lease, which we were after we arranged to have the health inspector call the apartment manager. Many, though not all, of my wife??s problems have cleared up since we moved. We know from talking to a friend who was exposed to toxic mold in an apartment in Atlanta that it can take 10 months or more for symptoms of mold to go away, and we haven??t been out of the unit that long as of yet.

During our stay at Stonebridge apartments, we both suffered numerous deleterious health effects. We had high deductible insurance coverage, so we wound up paying over $3000 in medical expenses while we were there ?? most of them resulting from symptoms we attribute to the mold problem. We had to pay over $500 to move elsewhere, a move we had never intended to make because we are in Longmont only for the duration of a temporary contract job I currently have with a local employer. During the move, my wife??s health became worse because she had to go through the stress and effort of moving while suffering from severe anemia. If you value your health, don??t live here!

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