I jumped on Google and got more information than I probably cared to know within the following couple days. I was mortified. And I was in denial. This could not be happening to me! Things like that happen to other people... The unfortunate ones I read about in the news all the time.
Sure, there's an odor in my house. But I really only smell it when I return home after being away for a few days. I've always associated it with the smell of new construction and figured that, in time, it would go away. Yes, my A/C went out at the end of the first year -- I had it repaired under the warranty. Hmmm... And funny enough, both my plasma TVs went bad within months of each other. One was fairly new, so it was repaired under its warranty (I had to kick in $450 for the labor). I will have to replace the other one. My cordless phones and DVD player are on the blink. I often have to replace my light bulbs. Oh man, and my silver jewelry keeps tarnishing. I was beginning to think something was wrong with me, like maybe my pH balance was off or something!
As for health problems... I do get a lot of headaches. I always wondered why they happen more on the weekends when I'm at home relaxing. I cough a lot, especially at night when the A/C runs the most. I lose hours and hours of sleep that way! And my eyes often burn and itch. I usually take that as a sign of too many hours in contact lenses.
I wondered, could all of these seemingly random things be attributed to defective Chinese drywall? No way!! Well, within another couple days, it was confirmed. Another neighbor came by and showed me the tell-tale signs: A/C copper coils corroded black, blackened electrical wires, corroded plumbing and fixtures.
Well, a lot has happened since then. Or rather, my neighbors and I have been busy. I created this blog to detail every step of this journey toward what I hope is a successful resolution for me, my neighbors, and others across the state, the country, and even the other countries that are dealing with this nightmare.
