Consumed with fear

Two and a half weeks ago my daughters had their routine doctor check-ups. Emma's 3yr and Abby's 2yr. I thought it would be like any other appt. they've had and for the most part it was. Emma still tends to walk on her tippy toes for some reason and so the Dr. felt an appt. with a specialist should be made just to check her out more in that area. I was told not to worry and that most kids grow out of that habit just fine without doing any actual damage. Both the girls had their finger pick for lead levels and I wasn't concerned - they've had this done before and levels were normal. Well the next day, the office called to reschedule Abby for another lead level test. They said her level was still within normal range but a little on the high side and that the finger pick sometimes gets contaminated and they just want to repeat the test. So, not to worry they tell me. The office gives me another appt. in two days and we hang up the phone. PANIC starts to set in and of course the first thing I do is call my mother and cry. By this point, I'm already on the computer doing as much research on Lead Poisoning as I possibly can. I never thought I would have to worry about something like this. Yes, we live in an old house. We rent from my Aunt and Uncle and it needs a lot of work but they reassured us that the house was deleaded before they purchased it some 20 something years ago. Other children lived in this house and they were fine. Now Abby is by far the most "oral" child I have ever seen. I cannot take my eyes off of her for a second. And well the past month, she has been so good. Barely anything goes into her mouth. This baby girl of mine would put everything in her mouth before - rocks, leaves, sand, paper, stickers, markers, crayons - if she could get to it, it went straight into her mouth. She's licked windows, bitten windowsills, she's even licked the floors. Very strange I know - I always stopped her and tried my best to avoid all of these instances. She's also a thumb sucker which I've always thought was the cutest thing in the world until now. So I try my best to calm myself down and put it in the back of my mind. My mother comes to the lab with me and they draw Abby's blood. She did so good!!!! Some tears, a little whimper and that was it. She wanted nothing to do with me of course because I was the one they had hold her down. So, her "Mema" comforted her and Abby pouted the whole ride home. I bought her a balloon and she loved me again. All was forgiven. The next day I get the phone call. The phone call I did not want - the test results were worse this time. So, the nurse tells me that they can't have higher than a 9 with the finger pick and Abby's was a 10 and then when they did the blood draw it was a 17. WHAT?!!!!! Now I have to worry, now I feel unsafe in my own home, now I feel like I can't protect my own child. They assured me it's not that bad and it can be taken care of. I have to give her extra iron drops 2x's a day plus her regular vitamin. The iron should eventually cancel out the lead and chances are good that there will be no harm done to her. They say it's good we caught it this early. I'm still freaking out. The State Lead Program will be contacted with her results and they will follow up with me. Someone will be contacting me to check the house for lead so that the source will be found. The nurses have been wonderful providing me with so many suggestions on what to do. I have never been so paranoid in my life - every time one of my girls goes near a window I'm a wreck. I've done everything to keep them away from anywhere there might be lead. Well, then I find out that the child doesn't necessarily have to bite the object - they could just touch it and then if they put their fingers in their mouths that's how they ingest it. Like I said Abby's been getting better about putting things in her mouth but she still sucks her thumb. And let's face it - 2 year olds want to touch everything! So wash her hands - all the time they tell me. I WANT TO MOVE. That's the first thing that pops into my head. I don't want to live here anymore - it's not safe. The Board of Health called me back today - I was tired of waiting to be contacted by someone, so I called around yesterday and left messages. Abby's case has been assigned and they reassured me that I'm doing everything I possibly can and until they find the source of the lead that's all I can do. I have to wait again. Someone will call me back to set up an inspection of the house. Don't do anything else until then, I'm told. I've been frantically trying to figure out if we can move. Even when the source of the lead is found, then how much longer before it's removed? And well it has already been removed once before, so who is to say they'll get all of it this time? I don't feel safe anymore and I don't know what to do about it.