“I lost over a decade of my life to this, but I’m getting it back and I hope my story helps others do the same,“
Forged in the fire of chronic illness.
Healing my body & mind 
Story by Alyce Collins
Mom struggles with unexplainable symptoms for 12 years—Then gets diagnosis, woman who spent over a decade struggling with painful symptoms and had to wait helplessly as her health declined has finally discovered the cause—she never would have predicted it.
Laura Schaeffer was excited to start a new chapter 12 years ago, as she moved into a 100-year-old farmhouse and was also starting a new job. But that joy was quickly curtailed when she began experiencing symptoms of a urinary tract infection (without having an infection), unexplained fevers, fatigue, and mental fog.
She was in her early twenties at the time, and yet she felt utterly debilitated. Just one alcoholic drink would leave her feeling violently ill, and she kept catching viruses. She couldn’t work out why she felt so ill, but Schaeffer, of Pennsylvania, told Newsweek that she “blamed stress, a new job, and just life.”
People often talk about how drained they feel in their twenties, so perhaps this was just her reality. Schaeffer, now 34, said: “After about a year, I moved out of that farmhouse, and while some symptoms eased, over the next several years (during pregnancies, breastfeeding, more moves, and career changes), my health continued to decline.
By 2018, after moving to a small farm, things took a major downturn.”
The list of symptoms expanded to include excruciating periods, rectal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, palpitations, food sensitivities, air hunger, weight loss, and neurological symptoms.
The list kept growing, and yet, Schaeffer couldn’t understand what was happening.
She was in and out of the hospital and seen by urologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, OBGYNs, and yet nobody could “connect the dots.”
Over the years, Schaeffer underwent two colonoscopies, an endoscopy, stool tests, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, bloodwork, hormone panels, an endometriosis excision surgery, appendectomy, and perhaps most regretfully, a hysterectomy.
“I underwent excision surgery with a specialist who believed my symptoms and swollen kidney were caused by endometriosis and adenomyosis. Based on scans, she recommended removing my uterus and appendix as well. Unfortunately, the findings didn’t align with expectations,” Schaeffer said.
She continued: “I deeply regret that surgery. Unfortunately, having the hysterectomy has compounded my hormonal issues and made things even more challenging, but I’m hopeful that through treatment I will be able to get things under control. I made the best decisions I could at the time and tried to have faith in the doctors guiding me.”
Medications Schaeffer was prescribed included antibiotics, beta-blockers, suppositories, supplements, and she was urged to change her diet too. But nothing gave her any sense of relief. Understanding Biotoxins and Chronic Illness Causes | TikTok
Laura Schaeffer having tests and treatments for suspected endometriosis at the time. Laura Mae (@heylauramae) | TikTok
But in the fall of 2024, at last, things started to change.
“During a particularly bad flare, my functional doctor finally asked where I’d been for the last couple of days. I mentioned my home and a family member’s 200-year-old house. He suggested we test for mold—something I’d never considered. To my surprise, my mycotoxin levels were through the roof. Every major toxin was elevated,” she said.
Schaeffer was initially skeptical that mold was the cause, so she spent a few months experimenting with potential triggers. While she controlled everything except for her environment, it became clear that her symptoms got worse when she was in her historic home or the barn.
She’d notice rectal bleeding, bladder pain, fatigue, and brain fog all reappear within hours.
“That was the turning point,” she told Newsweek.
It’s believed that exposure began in the farmhouse 12 years ago, leading to a colonization of mold from inhaled spores. That in turn created a “constant source of mycotoxins” within her body, fueled further by the farm she now lives on, barns, hay, and animal bedding.
Dr. Ehsan Ali, board-certified in internal and geriatric medicine, explained to Newsweek that mold toxicity “flies under the radar for years” because it’s so hard to diagnose. It can affect people in so many ways, and it mimics so many other illnesses or complications.
“One patient might feel like they’re dealing with an autoimmune disease, another might be told it’s anxiety,” Ali, The Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor, said. “Unless someone is specifically thinking about mold and asks the right questions, environmental history, water damage in the home, musty smells, exposure, it rarely comes up in traditional medical workups.”
While there are urine mycotoxin tests and labs that check for inflammatory markers, Ali notes that they’re “not always perfect.” If medical tests don’t show anything, he suggests that sometimes the best thing for a doctor to do is zoom out and ask bigger picture questions about the patient.
“Mold toxicity is real. It doesn’t always look dramatic, but it can completely derail someone’s life,” Ali said. Since her diagnosis of mold toxicity, Schaeffer has avoided going into the barn, uses air purifiers, dehumidifiers, eats a whole foods diet, and ensures her home is always clean and dry.
Laura Schaeffer in her home and picturing hiking on the skyline trail. We’re having fun on vacation. #motherson #healingjourney #laughte… | TikTok
“Avoiding mold has brought unbelievable relief. I haven’t had a single rectal bleeding flare in three months—after years of nearly constant suffering. I feel mentally present, my energy is better, and I finally feel like I have control over my health,” she said.
Recovery will take time, especially given how much toxin has been inside Schaeffer’s body until now. However, the progress she’s made so far is “nothing short of incredible,” and she’s finally getting her life back.
Schaeffer started documenting her experience on social media (@back.acre.iron on TikTok), and a video revealing her shock diagnosis has gone viral with over 244,100 views and 2,800 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. She has continued to share updates about the condition to raise awareness and educate others.
The online response is beyond anything she imagined, enabling her to connect with so many others who found themselves in similar situations. Now, Schaeffer’s hope is that others will be able to get a diagnosis much faster than she did.
Schaeffer said: “If you’re struggling with mystery symptoms or chronic health issues, don’t overlook your environment. Mold is the missing piece for so many people, especially when it comes to unexplained gut, bladder, hormone, neurological, or immune issues. I lost over a decade of my life to this, but I’m getting it back and I hope my story helps others do the same.”
Source: Mom Struggles With Unexplainable Symptoms for 12 Years—Then Gets Diagnosis – Newsweek
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