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Possible acute exposure to lead and never ending brain fog; need help!

I’ve recently been very worried I have permanently damaged my brain. About a year and a half ago, my father made me sand 3 bedroom floors in a house made in the 1950s. Two rooms had the floors redone in 1967 and one was original. I had nothing but toilet paper in my ears and a window open; no respiratory protection what so ever. I asked my dad for a dust mask and he told me that he did this all the time and I didn’t need one and that lead is only used in white paint, not floor varnish. So off I went sanding 3 bed room floors while he scraped up asbestos tiles in the basement, again with no respiratory protection… lol
I, about 6 months, later started having problems with memory and cognition and had a constant brain fog that never let up. I never really had any of the physical symptoms for lead poisoning but mentally, I was having serious problems. I went to many doctors and had a plethora of testing done with no conclusive evidence that there was anything wrong. I had 2 blood lead tests and one urine which I don’t think was an evoked test. Both of which came back normal. MRIs, millions of blood tests, and even a spinal tap later and nothing was found. Doctors came to the conclusion that I was nuts and it was all in my head and that I was looking for attention. It wasn’t until recently that I found out that lead can be found in any kind of glaze, varnish, stain, and paint before the 1970s…
So, I was wondering, what kind of damage could I have done to my body? Will have live with this problem for the rest of my life? I’m really scared right now because I don’t know what to do. Is there any way for doctors to see if I have ever been exposed to a large amount of lead in the past year? I was thinking about using one of those lead test kits to test inside the closet, an area where I didn’t sand, and see if it comes back positive for lead. If it does, what should I do? Is there anything I can do at this point?

Thank you anyone who reads this. I greatly appreciate it.
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Avatar universal
I have had the same symptoms as you since I turned 15. I am now 18 and have had brain fog for 3 years without it ever going away. Now that I remember, I could have possibly been exposed to lead in our backyard when I was around 5. However, I am not sure if this is the cause of my brain fog since it began when I turned 15. The lack of cognitive clarity with this condition is a ***** so I understand what you are going through, hopefully there is a cure or treatment out there.
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Avatar universal
I'm 17 currently and was 16 when I did the renovation with my father. Your saying that lead exposure could cause multiple chemical sensitivities?
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4189974 tn?1434787793
You don't mention your age, but lead is most damaging to the very young developing brain, so at least you have that going in your favor. May I suggest that you find and consult with a physician who is a clinical ecologist, who practices environmental medicine? In the U.S. you can contact the AAEM, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, for a referral. One of the top specialists in lead exposure is Alfred Johnson, DO in Richardson, Texas.

http://www.johnsonmedicalassociates.com

No one in this field will think you are crazy, and if the problem is not lead, they will be able to help you find out what is causing your symptoms. For many, it may begin with one thing, but quickly become multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), which I suggest you search on the Internet.
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