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- The Chambers Family From PA

We were very lucky and are forever grateful to God above for having spared us. Thank-you.

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IT WAS OCTOBER 11,2000 I WAS LYING IN BED WITH MY 3 1/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER MADYSON AND I RECEIVED THE MOST HORRIBLE PHONE CALL OF MY LIFE. MY DAUGHTERS GRANDMOTHER (HER DADS MOTHER) HAD CALLED US FROM DETROIT MICHIGAN WE LIVE IN GRAND RAPIDS, TO TELL US SHE JUST FOUND JOEY (MADYSONS DAD) IN HIS HOUSE DEAD. HE WENT TO BED THAT NIGHT WITH PROBABLY WHAT HE THOUGHT THE FLU AND NEVER WOKE UP AGAIN. HE WAS 27 YEARS OLD AND THERE ISNT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT WE DONT THINK ABOUT HIM AND HOW MUCH OUR DAUGHTER IS MISSING OUT BY NOT BEING TO SEE HIM.

CARBON MONOXIDE HAS CHANGED OUR EVERYDAY LIFE FOREVER, IT WASN'T THAT HE HAD A BAD HEATER OR ANYTHING, WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS A BIRD BUILT A BIRDS NEST IN THE VENT GOING OUTSIDE AND CLOGGED THE VENTILATION. THATS ALL IT TOOK. MY DAUGHTER WAS supposed TO BE THERE AT HIS HOUSE THAT PREVIOUS WEEKEND BUT DUE TO CONFLICT OF SCHEDULES SHE DIDNT GO. IT WAS THE 1ST TIME HE HAD TURNED ON HIS HEAT FOR THE YEAR. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN EVERY THING HAPPENS FOR A REASON AND THANK GOD MY BABY WASNT THERE THAT WEEKEND.

JOE WAS TRAINING TO BE A POLICE OFFICER AND IT SEEMS SO CRAZY THAT WITH SUCH A DANGEROUS JOB, HE DIED IN SUCH A SENSELESS WAY. THERE HAS BEEN NO SUCH CLOSER TO MY DAUGHTER AND I AND HIS FAMILY, IT HAS ALMOST BEEN 3 YEARS AGO BUT STILL IT FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY. FOR ALL OF YOU READING THIS DONT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU, GET A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR, OUR LIVES WOULD BE SO MUCH BETTER AND EASIER IF HE JUST WOULD HAVE HAD ONE.

MADYSON MISSES HER DAD EVERYDAY AND IT JUST BRAKES MY HEART TO SEE HOW MUCH SHE IS MISSING OUT ON WITH HER DADDY.
I KNOW HE IS WATCHING OVER HER EVERYDAY AND KEEPING HER SAFE, AND I FIND MUCH COMFORT IN THAT.

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Today I received the dreaded phone call from our son's school. He apparently had passed out in class. When my husband and i reached the school, the paramedics had already performed their necessary tests and said that our son seemed fine. Still panic-stricken, we decided he should be seen by a doctor because this episode was just totally out of character. Our son has always been generally healthy.

At the hospital, the doctors checked blood levels (for certain things like anemia), motor skills and asked many questions. We just couldn't figure out why this normally  healthy child fainted. He had been a little tired lately and had complained of an upset stomach, but with the many "bugs" going around we weren't overly concerned. Finally, the doctor stated that a specific nerve in our son's body had been stimulated. Thus, causing a quick decrease in his blood pressure which results in fainting. We were told that this was rather common. This, to us, still raised many questions. Something just wasn't right. You know your children.

 It wasn't until on our way home from the hospital, it occurred to me that our other children had similar complaints. Our 10 year old had headaches, upset stomach, leg pain and was just plain tired ( this kid is like Pikachu). Same goes for our daughter and our 6 year old son. The more i thought about it, the more i realized that my husband's and my headaches weren't just due to sinus problems. Nor were the upset stomachs just a "bug".  Just then something told me to have the furnace checked.

Well, as suspected, the gas company found a leak. Our entire family was being slowly poisoned by Carbon Monoxide. We honestly feel like terrible parents for not figuring this out sooner, but we had no idea. There is no smell and our detector didn't detect anything.  It would have been a matter of time before ...let's just be glad that it didn't happen. Thank God! It's amazing how a child's terrifying fainting spell lead this whole life-saving ordeal. We are a very fortunate family and have learned to take more serious precautions on the hazards that one can't see or smell. We strongly urge others to do the same.  Sincerely, The ******* Family

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I suffered from Carbon Monoxide poisoning from April to late July last year after moving into my new flat.  I eventually 'crashed' suffering from panic attacks and severe anxiety and went home to live with my parents.  I have never experienced such feelings before and was extremely content with my life when this happened. I was so bewildered
why this had happened.

I realised that my central heating boiler was faulty in December when my Mum collapsed and I felt very ill whilst spending an evening in my flat with the heating on.  We ended up in a hyperbaric unit the same night.

We are both ok now and although I'm back at work, I am still suffering from bouts of anxiety and panic.  Could all this be related to the poisoning and if so how long will it last?!  Is there anything I can do to shorten the life of this illness?

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This past Friday one of my parakeet's died.  On Saturday another passed away.  I was worried and called our gas company and in 15 minutes they came out to check our house.  They tested our gas oven and found it was putting out 20ppm of Carbon Monoxide over 6 feet away from the oven.  They red tagged the oven so we would not cook in it.  Then I contacted GE the manufacturer and they tested the oven today.  It was on for about 30 minutes and about 200ppm of Carbon Monoxide was coming out of the vent.  They said they would be back in a few days with some parts, but not to worry about the levels of co.  We have had headaches, sore joints, etc.  Should I be more worried that GE said I should be.  They said to continue using the oven.
Thanks,
Syracuse, New York

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I PRAY THEY DO  AS THE INSURANCE COMPANY
WHO REPRESENTS MY LANDLORD SAYS ITS THE TENNANTS FAULT AND 3 OF US ALMOST DIED  OUR HOME WAS SO FILLED WITH C/O OUR LUNG VOLUME DROPPED IN HALF
WE ALL 3 HAVE ASTHMA TOO
PLEASE HELP US IF YOU CAN
GERALDA SHARP
LUCKY TO BE ALIVE
I WISH THE US HAS THEESE LAWS

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Is it possible to have CO leak inside your car. I seem to be getting the symptoms of dizzyness and nause whenever I go to and from work. I have a 1 hour commute and I drive with the air conditioner on most of the time.  Will a CO detector work in the car?

My sister died 12 yrs. ago.  Her husband said it must have been suicide.  She was drunk, returned from buying cigarettes (driving) late at night (1 block away)and pulled into the garage.   They had been arguing earlier at a party.  Her husband said he fell asleep on the sofa while she drove to the store (drunk) and he and the 7 pound dog were asleep in the lower level of the split level home.  The police theorized that she returned home in approx. 15 minutes - as the neighbors reported - pulled in - closed the garage door and fell asleep!  How is it possible that this attatched garage did not have any Carbon Monoxide seep into the home.  He said the car was still running when he woke up 3 hours later.  Neither he or the tiny dog were affected!  Again, they were located in the house down 1/2 level just feet from the door that lead into the garage.  He turned off the car and called (1)  his attorney and (2)  the police.  Interesting he called his attorney first.  When we got there at 6:00 a.m. the house of course, smelled of car fumes - even with all the windows opened.  My sister and I have wondered for all these years - how was it that he nor the dog affected?   Each year you hear of people warming their cars in the garage and Carbon Monoxide comes into their homes and kills them.  Why was he left untouched?  How does the poison travel?   UP OR DOWN?   Thanks for your opinion. 

My name is ******* , I am a 35 year old female with children. I had a CO
poisoning accident in a house that I was renting four years ago. I have
had a lot of trouble with headaches since the accident and also I have
sores on my body that itch and hurt. The sores start out as hives at
least that is what they look like but then as they get bigger it is like
an open blister some have gotten really big the more I scratch them and
end up with a puss like stuff that comes out of them. I use
Hydrocortisone cream but it doesn't help a lot. I have been trying to
find any information on the lasting effects of CO poisoning everywhere I
can think of and there just isn't much to be found. I have several
problems and a  lot of questions. It is not that I do not trust my
doctor but he just doesn't know what else to do for me. If it is
possible can you help me with anything? I know that you are a very busy
man and I would appreciate whatever you can help me with.  Thank you for
your time. I can give you any information that I have if you can help
me.

I have had a problem with dizziness, which I notice when I go out, for several years. It is relatively mild but I am concerned and wonder if it could be from exhaust fumes from the freeway, which runs past the
apartment building where I live. It's across the street from my building.

I've lived here for 4 1/2 years, and wonder if I should be concerned. I've had the electricity company check gas levels on my appliances and they checked out OK.

 My husband drives a 1979 Chevy truck that has a bad exhaust system and has recently been suffering several of the symptoms of CO poisoning, He put a CO monitor in the truck and it went off because of the CO in there. He is stubborn and will not get rid of the truck. I am worried that one day I will get a phone call saying it's too late. He runs a snow plow busness with that truck and the last time he went out he was out for 3 hours and came home when he began vommiting. He refused to go to the hospital so I watched him all night long. He knows two men who died in similar situations and still refuses to get rid of the truck. I just want to know what to look for so that I can try to prevent anything.When he is in the truck for more than 5 minutes he begins to feel the dizziness and nausea. What can I do to change his mind? What are some of the possible side effects that we should look for as serious ones and how much exposure can he take before it is fatal? Please respond soon. Thank You for this website it was very helpful.

It was really interesting to find your web site on Carbon Monoxide poisoning.  I was poisoned at work in 1994.  I still have health problems from the poisoning.  I have been told that there is not enough research done on Carbon Monoxide poisoning to say whether there are long lasting health problems.  I knew that there were, because I am proof.  I would like to help in any that I can to find out more about this problem.  I was not compensated at all from where I work because the doctors where I am from (a small town) that know anything about Carbon Monoxide poisoning.  I would appreciate your input on  my condition.  Also, I would like to provide any assistance that I can to your research by giving my history of the poisoning.

On Wednesday and Thursday (jan 30&31 2002) Southeast Michigan experienced a
severe ice and snow storms, over 84,000 homes had no power.  My best friend
was in the process of selling her home and her power was out, her basement
was also flooded and an Inspector was coming and the house had to be in ship
shape.  It was Friday, Feb 2 and she called me to ask if I could loan her my
generator and help her get the water cleaned up in the basement.  She is my
best friend, so of course, I was right there to help her out.  We hooked up
the generator in the the garage, we placed it in the side door - leaving the
door open for ventilation.  We had been working in the basement for about 5
hours, when the power finally came on - we turned the generator off and
turned the heat on.  The CO detector had been disabled due to the power
outage.   We had been working in the crawl space of her basement, we were
exhausted and light headed, but we had been working hard, and neither one of
us was willing to say they were too tired or lightheaded to stop working - we
are both very stubborn females!  I was feeling sick to my stomache, light
headed and when she spoke to me - it sounded like she was talking under
water.......   We were both laying on the cold, muddy cement floor and we
heard the beeping start from the CO Detector -  I believe that if that alarm
had not gone off - the inspector would have found us both dead in the crawl
space of her basement.   As we got outside, we talked about what each other
had been feeling - light headed, nauseated, distorted sound, heart
palpitations, and feeling so very tired......... If the power had not come on
and the CO alarm go off, I dont think either of us would have said a word,
just kept working and maybe died there on the cold cement floor.   Carbon Monoxide CAN kill you - but a CO Detector saved our lives.    

Our mistake?  When we set up the generator, we thought we were ventilated
enough by having the side door open, but with a wind blowing the exhaust into
the garage and the inside door open because of the extension cords, we nearly
died from the exhaust.  If you are going to use a generator - be sure that it
is well ventilated and have a battery back up on your CO Detector.  We never
smelled a thing and it was almost too late for us. 

We recently had an awful ice storm and 85,000 homes were without electricity in our area. My home was also without power. We didn't feel safe having a kerosene heater heat my home, we were afraid of the fumes making our children sick. We stayed the night with our neighbors who have a generator which is hooked up in their garage. They kept it running during the day with the garage door fully opened, but closed it with an opening of about three feet at bed time. That night my husband, my youngest child, the neighbors child, and myself went to sleep in the livingroom, which is on the other side of the garage. I awoke after about two hours, I was sweating, shakey, sick to my stomach, and my brain felt like someone was squeezing it. I went into the restroom and sat on the floor for a few minutes then I began to feel better. I woke up my husband, and we woke up the kids to make sure they were o.k.. My husband then shut off the generator. Did I actually suffer Carbon Monoxide poinsoning? If so, why did it affect me first and not the children? And if so, did I do damage to my family that was in the home by not seeking medical attention? These events happened over 24hours ago, do I still need to get the children tested? Is it really that dangerous for a generator to create this kind of damage with the garage door open 3 feet? Thank you for your time.

Hi there, just after some advice. I live in a 6 bedroom student
house and i have the smallest room in addition it houses the
boiler. I have heard that these can leak monoxide is this true.
Although I rarely get headaches i do feel tired frequently (even
if i get early nights) and generally never feel 100 % i do leave
my window open as it gets hot in there anyway but sometimes i
shut the door and thinking about it this could reduce the
ventilation. PLease advice,

We recently installed a ventless gas heater in our basement. My husband spent a few hours in the basement one evening with the heater running. The next morning he awoke feeling dizzy and somewhat nauseous. He stayed home from work, ate and napped throughout the day. The next two days he went to work but now on the fourth day is complaining of lightheadedness and a queasy feeling. We have not run the heater since the first night. No one else in the house has been affected.

Could he be suffering from Carbon Monoxide and how long could the symptoms last? Or could it be the flu or an overactive imagination?

Thank you,

 I just found your website today, but did not get through it all.  It was great and the best site on CO I've seen.  What I was searching for were answers to the questions below.

I'm curious as to what happens to the CO once it's released in the air from a forklift.  I read somewhere on your site that it was an opinion that gas, propane and diesel forklifts should not be used inside an enclosed warehouse.  

What if the CO2 is 650 ppm.  How about an overhead door opening occasionally.  Would carbon dioxide level indicate you had good ventilation and the door opening up would be permitting fresh air into a building, such as a warehouse?  Is there ever a build up of CO?  Does it just dissipate?  Wouldn't the CO levels drop as soon as the forklift was turned off?  Why do they drop, where do they go?

We had a Carbon Monoxide detector go off two evenings ago.  We called the gas company, and they sent someone out.  They checked the furnace, water heater, and tested a heater vent, all were o.k.  They then tested my oven, and it made their tester go off.  It did not go off when the oven was off, but when the oven was on.  I have always understood that Carbon Monoxide is an odorless, tasteless gas.  The gas company employee told me that the smell that I smell when I turn on the oven, is actually Carbon Monoxide?  Is that true, or is it odorless?  I always remember that smell with all the gas ovens I've used, and thought it was just a gas smell.  Anyhow, I asked her if I needed a new stove, and she said I could replace it, but that she and the other employee that was with her both have new stoves, and still bake with a window wide open.  She suggested that I leave a window or even two open whenever I bake.  I don't know if that is correct, or if I should replace it, or what.  Also, would it be good to have our blood levels tested?

  We've had the detector ever since we've lived here, and it's never gone off before.  Any suggestions you might offer would be appreciated.  I have been researching as much as I can on your site.  Thank you. Sheree

Myself, son and husband has been experiencing many symptoms.
Headaches, shakiness, stomach aches, fatigue, muscle twitches, chest pain,
memory loss and lack on concentration.  My doctor has put me on zoloft.  My
son will be going on ridlin and my husband now wants to see the doctor for
anxiety as he has been experiencing anxiety attacks.  I have been wandering
for two years now if there is something in our house that can be causing
these problems. The symptoms always seem to get worse in september and
through the winter months when the house is closed up.  We use oil to heat
our house and water.  If so how can I find out if this is what is causing our
problems? 

I have been working at  a local automobile dealership for the past four years. During that time, I have felt the worse as far as health that I have felt in a long time.
In 1989, I had a disarticulation at my right knee, which was the result of a bad automobile accident in December 1988. I would like to say that I am 43 years old. I don't drink or smoke, and have been fairly active until my accident.
I have worked in offices for the past 12 years if not more. I have sat on my rear, sat in front of a typewriter, computer, etc. and completed various tasks throughout my days. Needless to say, there were days that I could have done w/o my job, due to many frustrations that would occur, but none as "lasting" and should I say, "problem causing" as I have experienced working at the dealership.
This brings me to my questions and concerns:
I have read through the questionnaire. If I was to answer each and every one, I think it's scary. Probably about 85-90% of the questions can be answered with "yes". My concern is, I'm not sure whether or not my answers or how I feel are from exhaust fumes that I have breathed in over the past four years, or from other experiences I have had in my past, such as the accident.
Let me give you a few examples---first of all, I do have alot of aches and pains, muscle aches, joints, etc. I have just assumed that most of these are from sitting, the prosthetic that I have, (which I have a new one that fits better), my chair being out of alignment, etc. I have taken flexaril for the sharp so-called phantom pains and aches, but I have new ones since this job. Ones that feel different. Thus, I was given the prescription flexaril.
I have experienced dizziness, or a vertigo feeling, which I have mentioned to co-workers, which I have assumed it to be sinuses acting up. Add to this, headaches.
I have had diarrhea, which I assumed was associated with job stress.
As far as chills, sweats, fever, I figured it was my body going thru changes or the start of menopause.
Shaking? I assumed diabetic symptoms, which is part of family history.
Heart conditions, strokes, blod clots, heart attacks, also a part of family history. Thus, any numbness or tingling, shortness of breath at times, I only assumed that this was possibly a start of  heart trouble.
Shortness of breath occurs at times even when I talk. During the winter months, I had a week-end headache. I work M-F, and come Friday night or Saturday night, I would have a headache that would not stop. Almost a migraine. My week-ends were shot, unless I took something strong enough, rested and tried to overcome it just to spend time with my family.
Only very few times, I have coughed and had some urination. Not alot, but enough to be uncomfortable. Again, I assumed that I was getting older.
To summarize some of the rest, I used to be able to do quite a few things at one time. Now multi-tasks only frustrate me, and I only want to deal with one thing at a time.
I can smell things that I have not smelled as clearly before, as I have not smoked for over a year. I thought that any trouble that I had with smells, was due to smoking. Any odors that are very strong make me ill. I get nauseated just sitting at work, let alone odors. Perfumes, exhaust in general, gasoline smells, especially diesels, sometimes only food make me feel like I want to gag. In fact, I have come very close to grabbing my waste basket when I smell these odors. Cigarette smoke takes my breath away any more.
I used to work in an office right in the "holding area" of the service department. The dealership has been remodeled and the cashier's office has been moved in this area. I started at the time this office "opened" up. I work 8-9 hours each day. I have sat and not only contended with the heat, humidity, cold, but also the fumes from the vehicles that are driven in.
They are brought in, turned off, repairs wrote up, and then driven to the back for service. The only time any air is circulated, is when the large dock doors are opened. No exhaust fans are installed. Precautions have been taken in the back for the techs to "let out" the fumes. My office was all open to the service department, with only glass around me. No roof, No fans, Only an open area to take care of customers.
I don't want to sound nieve, but since I have worked at my job, I have felt considerably ill. There are days I don't think I'm going to make it. I'm having some problems that I think most people don't have until they're much older.
I have been checked by doctors for aches, pains, mostly associated with my leg, especially in the cold temperatures and very humid temperatures. My blood pressure has always been okay. Anything else that has been checked out, always comes back as fine, okay, nothing wrong.
All of this does not even touch the irritability, anxiety, depression that I have felt many days. Again, I just figured most of this was either related to having an off day, "blue" day from my accident, any related mood changes related to monthly cycles, or just plain tired out!
See, I felt there have been so many other things that each could be the result of. I had headaches so very bad, when I would leave for lunch, they would almost start to relieve. I wouldn't even have an appetite. I only wanted to get out of there for whatever time was allowed. Even to this day, I can be irritable right before lunch. I leave, come back and feel like a new person! I am happier, almost even glad to be back to work. And with only two hours to go before my shift is over.
Any other girls that cover for me during lunch are only there for one hour. That's "if" they sit in my office. If not, they are in the front office with closed doors. They haven't experienced the "full effects", and nowhere near the duration.
I have even been to the point of crying, thinking that my co-workers were all out to get me. Trying to figure out a way to blame me for something in order for me to be fired.
Mood changes are bad. I have been taking herbs to try to regulate my moods. From One-A-Day Tension & Mood tablets, to Black Cohosh, Kava Kava, St. John's Wort, etc. Now, Black Cohosh. It seemed to "assist" with the moods, but I still have that feeling that the irritability is inside my chest and it wants to explode!!!
All the symptoms on this questionnaire, sounds like me. I have torn the first page from the questionnaire, given it to my kids, my sister and husband. I told them to read through them, and tell me what their results were from their answers about me.
Scary? Yes! Their results were almost a copy of mine.
Carbon Monoxide fumes/poisoning is the only thing I can come close to, regarding most or all the things I have been experiencing and feeling. It's a scary thought to me that something may be wrong with me, and I cannot change it, only because someone didn't want to spend the money or time to install the right equipment for health and safety.
I I don't know what to do. I have decided that maybe it's time for me to get tested and see where to turn next. I am asking for your advice, as far as ........ what do you think? Where should I turn from here?
Thank you for your time and assistance. I do appreciate it.

A few years ago now we found what seemed to be the ideal country cottage to rent - a conversion of two old cottages and a lean-to kitchen/diner extension that offered views of two Severn bridges and lots of green Welsh farmland.  I was working from home a lot,  and boasted freely about our ability to have lunch on a patio next to a paddock that housed two retired horses.

The cottage was heated  by a fan-assisted gravity solid-fuel boiler in the kitchen which ran hot water and central heating,  and a big wood burner front room heater which effectively backed on to the kitchen hearth.

(The house was shaped like a 'U' with two long rooms joined at one end by a sort of utility area that I used for a study.  The heaters were at the open end back-to-back through the dividing wall.)

We had some careful instructions from the landlord about how to operate the boiler - emptying ashes and clearing out the flues at the back.  "Otherwise it'll smell", he said.

In our first year there the boiler started to smell,  and we asked the landlord to investigate.  He said the chimney probably needed sweeping,  and we were a little surprised when he came around to do it himself,  but thought he was just saving pennies.  The chimney was swept and the smell went away.

That pattern repeated the next year - smell / swept / gone.  Janet (my wife) was complaining about headaches from time to time,  but I argued it couldn't be the heating - the smells had gone.

Toward the next Christmas the boiler seemed to go wrong.  A fan should cut in from time to time to keep the boiler in,  then go out when it had warmed up the coals.  It seemed that the fan took a long time to come on,  then would not cut out until the brass flue in the kitchen was so hot you couldn't stand near it - I touched it with a sheet of paper (fingers would have been suicidal) which charred immediately.

We advised / complained to the landlord,  who told us to pay special attention to the flue cleaning - "obviously" the flues were clogged up and the boiler couldn't regulate itself properly.  We nagged until he came around to clean the boiler himself,  and told us to try it again.

During the time of the super-hot flue we got used to a variety of combustion smells - by this time I was out more during the day,  but Janet stayed in the house - she doesn't drive and in Winter there's no great incentive to open windows or spend time outside. 

She got more headaches,  increasingly depressed (or at least 'subdued'),  and over late 1999 early 2000 began to have problems keeping meals down.

We have a dog and cat who both sleep downstairs,  and coincidentally the cat also started being very sick - sometimes so suddenly she would just wake up and throw up in place.

About this time I also started getting headaches.  -Told like this,  it seems astonishing that we didn't put clues together,  but we were both feeling like low-grade flue sufferers;  tired,  depressed,  always under pressure,  unable to get any energy or coherence together to do anything constructive. 

I'd also started feeling unhappy with food.  We were both suffering more or less in silence,  both assuming the other must be ill,  but feeling somehow different symptoms.

I also had private fears about heart problems - a few times walking around during the day I'd got to 'normal' flights of steps and after a few paces suddenly had major doubts about ever making it to the top.  I was getting very out of breath,  weak and forgetful.

Being often busy and preoccupied I was used to forgetting something and then having a mental light go on when I was reminded.  The 'so that's where I left the keys' reaction.  But now I was being reminded of things I had absolutely no memory of doing.  I rang someone to ask if I could drop in on him while I was in London,  and was told I'd written the previous week to make an appointment.  No light went on at all.

I kept any fears to myself - it was only imagination and I didn't want to worry Janet.  I finally got it together enough to insist that we had to go to the doctor when she started complaining of chest pains. 

I volunteered to go with her mainly for moral support in case of bad news.  We made a joint appointment,  and I was surprised when everything that Janet described applied exactly to me.  I made some comment about the coincidence and 'even the cat gets sick'.

Fortunately we had a doctor who saw a connection.  His advice was 'shut down the heating NOW,  and get an expert in to advise you.'  He asked us to come back a day or so later to have a blood test done.

We switched the boiler off and (in a cold February) tried to ventilate the house as much as possible.  With a half load of coal the boiler took a good 12-18 hours to cool down,  and despite everything we couldn't somehow believe that going home could kill us. 

We went for a blood test a day or so later,  but did not get the results for a week.  These eventually showed an elevated COH level,  but (by that time) one that was out of any critical range.  I'd done some research by the time the results arrived,  and to have got to the nausea/ chest pains level it seemed that the only thing we had to look forward to was not waking up .

We also did not know how long we'd been exposed - it seemed a safe bet that the boiler had been leaking CO whilst it was obviously faulty,  but perhaps it had always been faulty..

(Back to the chronology) 

We had an expert in to look at the boiler,  very reluctantly arranged by the landlord.

He spent 10 minutes checking the flues in the kitchen and main room and slapped 'do not use' stickers on both.  He commented "I'm surprised you're not dead" and seemed to mean it.

After a very great deal of aggravation we found that the boiler in the kitchen had *not* been installed following the manufacturer's  specifications.  Apart from anything else it shared the previous (unlined) cottage chimney with the flue from the front room heater. 

And both heater flues stopped just inside the chimney space after going through a plate at ground floor ceiling level. 

By an unhappy coincidence the tops of both flues were level with our bedroom floor.  There were all sorts of gaps between our room and the kitchen boiler area.  We'd lived in a gas oven for 3+ years.

Our GP mentioned while we were doing follow up visits that he'd sat next to a heating engineer at a local dinner.  He was told a 'you wouldn't believe how bad it was' story that was us.

We gathered that the effects of CO poisoning could take several months to appear,  so spent the rest of last year waiting for the other shoe to drop.

We're both in our 50's,  and Janet is having sleeping,  weight and depression problems.  She had a slightly higher COH reading, and have had more exposure and is about half my body weight.

I'm having similar problems,  and trouble with words.  I'm sort of a writer and talker by original trade - a financial services consultant and media relations type.  In my copious free time I also help run a self-help group for bank and insurance customers.  Yet I seem to have problems remembering some standard financial words and phrases. 

I had to use a spell-check to get 'Wednesday' right a little while ago.  The feeling is like walking along a familiar pathway and coming to a large hole where you used to walk.

We've got balance problems - Janet fell in the bath the other day and cracked a rib.  I can sit on a chair and feel it swerve.  I've also got some numbness and skin problems.

We're at 12 months or thereabouts from our last CO exposure and still waiting.

We fell out rather grandly with our landlord - reported him to our local environmental health agency and withheld rent for a while since he didn't bother to repair the boiler for several weeks.  He served us with a 30 day repossession because he wanted to 'reoccupy' the premises.  This is apparently a sure-fire repossession.  We moved anyway to find a home with heat.

Remembered