I've been sick a lot too. I'm fighting a virus right now. During my remodel I had a hyperactive thyroid and didn't know it. I was always tired and thought it was from the project. Now I finally know the reason for the fatigue.
Donna

Oh boy I totally agree! I think here (in MA) its been a bad winter for illness anyway but then having all the dust and cold and drafts and the strange people in and out of the house all day long I think it's bound to happen that we get sick. AND thinking about how stressed most of us are it's just no wonder we get sick.

I was sick for about 6 months after we moved into the new house. I believe it was caused by off-gassing. Sore throat, stuffy nose and congestion, mild cough.

Yes I often woke up with an ill feeling in my tummy and a terrible headache.

But that might have been attributed to the wine I consumed to avoid thinking of the remodel.... :oP

We built an addition 12 yr ago & the spring after we had opened up the walls, etc etc my oldest child developed asthma.

Ironically, this is the first winter in about 7 years that I have not been sick.......yet? crossing my fingers.

We are building, not remodeling so I'm not living in the construction, but I've discovered this process to be a great weight loss plan. I almost never have an appetite because of the constant pit of nausea in my stomach, oh and did I mention the migraines and insomnia....

I am with igloochic....bottle flu.

YES. I have been sick for 2 weeks and DH and the kids were sick before that. Resistance is down with poor eating, lack of routine, etc.

Feel better.

Funny you should ask this question.

Some of you may remember me.

Our remodel, which lasted five months, concluded in November. In late October I saw my doctor because I was worried about my weight loss, dropped from 106 to 96 lbs since about the spring. At that time the doc didnÂt think much of it, since IÂve always been a petite person. Recommended multi-vitamins and occasional high protein shakes. By early December IÂd lost another 6 lbs. Since then, my doc has referred me to a pulmonologist and a gastroenterologist and IÂve had numerous x-rays and scans ruling out (thankfully) cancer. No thyroid or anemia issues either. Just last week my doc (internist) has finally concluded, as I suspected all along, that stress is behind the weight loss. And today my periodontist recommended gum surgery and bone replacement for my bone loss, which, he said, can be caused by extreme stress.

During the summer, at the height of the mess the remodel was creating, I began to use an inhaler daily. Only now, looking back on these months, do I realize that all the dust and CR*P that was raised around the house had ill effects on me physically.

Some of us can manage stress. During the planning and execution stages of our remodel, I thought I was "handling" the stress, too. But I was also aware of the heavy onus that came with all the research and shopping and decision-making that was truly mine alone -- hubby agreed with things in theory but not specificity. We had a GC who handled the build-portion of our remodel, but I acted as my own GC for everything else we did in the renovation. I was (as I know many of you are/were, too) the Point of Contact for every flippin detail. It was an especially difficult load in conjunction with holding on to a fulltime job.

ThereÂs still more to do in and around the house. We just started our landscaping overhaul project last week. We hired out the project, and IÂm trying to assert my unwillingness to be the POC for the job. Fortunately, it doesnÂt take the toll on me that our 500 sf addition and remodel did  the actual construction time was five months on the house, and the yard work should be complete in another couple of weeks. Next project is to repaint the second floor, pull up all the carpeting and have new floors laid. WeÂll do the painting ourselves (um, like our budget is shot!).

At first itÂs so exciting, and you do get caught up in your own enthusiasm, but it was terribly, terribly draining. I wouldnÂt do it again under the same circumstances. It transformed me into a skinny malink, and for the life of me I canÂt get my weight back. Clothing sizes that fit completely elude me.

This was taken in Dec '07 in Loreto, Mexico.

"It transformed me into a skinny malink, and for the life of me I canÂt get my weight back."

Words you will never hear from Sue36!

Yes, it wore me out and I've lost a few pounds.

As for the flue, this year is one of the worse flue season reported. There's a new virus that was not in the flue shot.

With all the renovation, I got hit with the flue twice!!!

Now, I'm taking it easy with the cleaning and putting stuff back.

Interesting question. I've had flu twice this year (ughhhhh), but I hadn't associated it with construction work as much as the fact that we're in the middle of a full blown epidemic in our area!

I will say that preschool children are like a biochem experiment - when DD was preschool-1st we were sick ALL THE TIME. As soon as it would go round the family once, she'd bring a new one home. Rinse, lather repeat. I've heard that some districts even give new pk-1 teachers extra sick days because they're still building up their own immunity to all the kid bugs!

All that said, I HAVE had a persistent allergic cough all season, and I do attribute that to the building work - dust, fumes from stains/paints etc. My GC was very sensitive to this, however, and ventilated with a big ole industrial fan out the window whenever possible, and we had built-in "down time" for periods when I knew I needed to be as healthy as possibly for work reasons.

Now if I can just kick the final stages of this Flu Bug #2.... ugh - it's ENDLESS it seems :(

unh - don't tell me it's endless! This is definitely the flu. Wish I could respond to all, but how about just a virtual hug? (((( ))))))

Well, maybe after I'm not contagious...

Same here...constantly congested for about 6 months after the renovation. And we tried to be environemental and healthy...zero emissions paint, etc.

The worse was the carpet...as soon as that went in, I couldn't breathe and was exhausted all the time. And it was only a small portion of the house! I can't imagine being there with total wall to wall carpeting.

brunosonio-- Did you buy "regular" carpet or a greener version?

Cate -- I hope you feel better soon!

I have to agree with oofasis about the stress; it's hard and I know I'm not sleeping as well. My New Year's resolution was to exercise every single day which I now do (while my youngest naps in the a.m.): it's been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I feel better about myself, but a curse because any "me" time (by which I mean paying bills, filing, cleaning toilets -- you know, the FUN stuff) has now completely vanished. Poof! (because I now am exercising and then bathing in a mad dash before he awakes) And often while I'm on my elliptical a tradesperson will pop down to the basement to ask me a question and scare the crap out of me. So I guess it's a good thing I'm exercising to make my heart stronger so they won't give me a heart attack!

Monday a.m. while on my machine I somehow lost my balance and fell, spraining my ankle. I was telling the GC today that every time I think: "That's IT! I cannot take any more" something else happens to show me "yes, you can and will take some more!"

I wouldn't doubt for a moment that the viruses your children bring home concomitant to the stress and fatigue from your project have left your body defenseless. I'm sending you soothing, calm, sleepy thoughts, and I'm going to keep my fingers crossed your children agree to nap at the same time or will sleep in one weekend morning. (I know how unlikely that is, but I'm really going to hope for you.)

Please take care,
-Brooke

sjerin, we got the regular nylon carpet, Tactesse fibers, but we did upgrade and got the low emission pad made of memory foam. The regular carpet pads are supposed to be one of the worst off-gassers in the home.

When I would feel congested and ill, all I had to do was to open some windows and air the place out and I'd feel better. Very strange.

Very strange, indeed. I'm so leary of all the insulation that we are now required to install that makes our houses ultra-airtight; I think there can be too much of a good thing. Thanks for the explanation, bruno.

I did so much work myself (on our remodel) and stayed up late every night trying to meet deadlines. Before we finished I got sick and I am just now getting better-months later. I have caught every virus. Usually I never get sick. Now I know I have to take better care of myself. My husband lost 15 pounds during the remodel...I didn't loose a pound. Stress makes me fat.