low.... This paragraph is my UPDATE! I have now fled back to California. My life has been destroyed by this situation to the point that I could no longer stay in New York and I'm so depressed that some days I can't even get dressed, come my hair anything. I have attached pictures and please understand, I was bitten by bed bugs as well as ticks (there were a myriad of bugs in this room) and they now think I have Lyme disease so I have included pictures of both. The bottom line is the landlord wants all of my personal belongings I had to leave due to the infestation out of the apartment, is blaming me for bringing it there which is insane, when he admitted they had had bed bugs in this particular apartment. I saw bed bugs from the first night I arrived at the apt., I just didn't know what they were!! My roommate went to my old room to look for something and was eaten alive as well. PLEASE HELP ME. All of my contact information is below. Thank you for your consideration.



My life has become a nightmare! I moved to NY from California 4 months ago to look for work and apply for school and my life has been forever changed. The first or second night I moved in with roommates including my middle son, I noticed little bugs crawling on my computer. My lights were off and window was open, so I figured they were just little bugs that naturally come through the screen in the summer. It never dawned on me initially that these were bed bugs!! The irony is that when I lived in California and would see the horror reports of infestations in New York... I would pray they would NEVER touch my life or my children's...............flash forward and I am now living my worst nightmare!!

Approximately a week after I noticed these bugs, I became ill. I thought it was the flu because I had a fever & aches and pains.......general flu symptoms, which I now understand can be attributed to the initial bites from bed bugs. Shortly thereafter, I developed welts/bites with a red center..... in a linear pattern.............. it still didn't dawn on me that these were bed bugs. I showed them to the main roommate who has lived in the apartment for 4 plus years and she looked sad but knowing, but never said these could be bed bugs. She said they were probably mosquitoes and her mother first agreed and then said it was probably chicken poxs!!!!!!!!!!!!! Having worked in the medical profession............. I knew this wasn't possible as I had already had chicken pox as a child and none of the symptoms were indicative of this. I had a light bulb go off, an AH HA moment telling me my roommate knew but just never said anything. To further solidify this, she had a nearly empty industrial sized container of bed bug insecticide in her kitchen and the bedroom I was in had been empty for a couple of years which I never understood since her 73 year old mother slept in the bed in her room with her when there was an empty room... but it all makes since now. She also indicated that a previous roommate in that room had encased his bed in a bed bug resistant mattress cover.

Now... you must understand I am a clean and neat freak by nature................. this COMPLETELY freaked me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course research made it evident to me that this was a bed bug infestation. I don't think I will ever feel clean again!!!!!!

To backtrack a bit, before I realized what was going on, I continued to sleep in this bed.... and SURPRISE SURPRISE.... the bites multiplied. I at this point was depressed, crying and beside myself. I came from California and I had never even SEEN a bedbug much less lived with one!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At this point I went to an emergency room (the 1st time) and took a few of the "bagged bugs" with me. Of course................ my worst fears were confirmed:(!!!!! I was treated like a leper to begin with............. sitting in the ER waiting room.........people stared at me and moved away from me. When I was called back for my vitals.... one of the nurses yelled at me... "Don't touch anything and don't sit in that chair"!!!..... to which she proceeded to get a sheet and put on the chair before I could sit down..............POINT TAKEN!!!!!!! She paraded me back............. ahead of everyone else........... to the Head of Er.... who looked at my bites.....the bugs in my bag and concluded (along with another ER nurse) that these were bed bug bites.................. Because they didn't want me to have contact with anyone else.... they took me back to another part of the ER..... another sheet was placed on a chair and I was made to wait for the ER Dr. to bring prescriptions, advice, etc........ of course by this time, people were asking to be moved away from me............. I didn't blame them.............. the Dr. came out with prescriptions including a course of antibiotics..... anti itch medication both oral and topical.... etc......... I continued on to the pharmacy to the tune of money I couldn't afford...... FLASH FORWARD A FEW DAYS............. I let my roommates know.... who still insisted they weren't bed bugs and didn't want to tell the manager of the building due to other issues they were having............... ultimately...........the manager was told and OF COURSE..... he argued with me and HUMILIATED ME all over again INSISTING .................... these weren't bed bugs EVEN THOUGH I told him of the Drs. diagnosis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!............... and thus MY NIGHTMARE INTENSIFIED............ I was being called on the carpet and questioned like I was the bad guy.................. still being questioned as to the legitimacy of my diagnosis and being made to feel like this was all in my head EXCEPT.......................... I had physical proof and tons of pics to the tune of 50 or more...............of my bed, bites etc etc etc................the manager then tried to put the blame on me....asking if I lived in motels............. I explained, I came from my CLEAN apartment in Los Angeles, California and I had never even seen a bed bug. He then tried to say the bugs weren't bed bugs............despite what the Drs. said............... long story short..........he as well as a roommate finally admitted that they had a history of bed bugs in the room I was staying in. The landlord said he sprayed once a couple of years ago.......even I, as a lay person, know this isn't something that can be eradicated with one treatment!!!!!!!! At that point I decided to take my own action. I stripped the bed to a white sheet and monitored it over the next 3 days.................. hundreds of bugs(bed bugs, mosquitoes and other unidentifiable bugs) YUK!!! I've had 2 courses of antibiotics and on the second trip to the ER I had to have a steroid shot, oral meds on the spot and went home with 7 prescriptions. 3 different Drs. examined me and said I was severely allergic to these bites and they even took pictures with their cell cameras. I couldn't afford to see a Dr. for follow ups because I have no job and I've spent so much money due to ... this situation on top of the fact I am now for all intents and purposes homeless... I'm staying with my daughter until I can figure out what to do. Before moving out of the infested apt.I wound up sleeping in my sons room upright in a lawn chair for nearly 3 weeks. The landlord said I had to leave because there were too many roommates... and this is after he had told my son it was okay for me to stay for the summer...................... No one wants to accept responsibility for this!!!!!!!!!!!!! They made me leave so they wouldn't have to deal with this but I have clothes, papers, etc etc etc that have been contaminated................I WANT JUSTICE..... I DID NOTHING WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regardless of what the outcome is for me............... I don't want ANYONE else to have to go through this. When I asked how they can live with themselves not telling other tenants in this building............. I get no answer.............. someone should have to answer for this.

The bottom line is I am looking for compensation for my medical bills & prescriptions. I am seeking restitution for everything I've lost materially and mentally. I had to get rid of my computer as it was always on the bed and it's difficult to treat electronics..... I couldn't take a risk of taking them with me, I had to leave all of my winter clothes, shoes..... everything I owned and irreplaceable things such as all of my family pictures. I want the pictures and papers treated because they are the only family pictures I have. ....and above all, I want to be compensated for the trauma this has caused me. I can't sleep even though I'm in a clean nice environment, I feel things crawling on me when they aren't, I don't want to leave my daughters apt. because I'm afraid to even come in contact with anyone or anything, I have panic attacks and I can't stay in NY. Just the thought of it makes me physically ill and that is such a shame since I have 2 children who live here. This experience has changed me forever. Please help me. I will be leaving NY at the end of the month and anything I can't accomplish before I leave I am happy to do once I settle wherever I'm going. Please let me know if maybe a demand letter for x amount of money might work? Thank you in advance and I have many pictures that I am happy to send you.