As it turns out, the cheap and comfy, natural and renewable straw mattress I made for my four year old son had a hidden cost that I did not even consider. Rowan has had what began as cold or flue like symptoms, that soon turned to barking dry, strained cough and recurring high fever. This strange "cold" that won't go away has had me fearing the worst on nights when his breathing became more laboured.
Strangely enough, there was a straw fire at a farm a couple miles out of town not three days ago. My mom works with a man who is severely allergic to straw who has been having adverse reactions to the particulates dispersed from the fire. My mom thought of Rowan and his bewildering ailment and suggested the possibility to me. Sure enough, I searched on-line for information on straw allergies and the symptoms were an identical match: dry, hacking cough; body aches; recurring fever
Had we not have made the connection, prolonged exposure to the allergens in the straw could have caused severe lung scarring and even death.
Before working with straw in the garden, having the kids help with straw mulching, building a straw bale living structure, or a even a measly straw mattress, find out if you or any of your children are allergic!
I have also been having inexplicable sneezing, watering eyes, and allergic skin reactions including inflamed, hot and prickly itchy arms, neck and chest--only recently attaining some relief from prickly pear infused hand-made soap. This ongoing condition has not been straw-related, but attributable to downstairs neighbors spraying Febreze! Yick! That's what's been wafting chemical fruitiness through our vents. My poor boy! His small, sensitive lungs. Now that the straw has been removed our house, all bedding washed, floors mopped, Febreze spraying thankfully stopped, I hope to God my son's fever stops coming back, and my skin stops feeling like blazing straw bales.
