I am taking to the internet to share my bed bug horror story. In hopes to find some empathy from others who are going through this same nightmare. Someone out there please tell me that there's an end/light at the end of this dark, actually pitch black, tunnel!
I came back from vacation about 2 months ago, and within 2 days of returning my husband and I started to get bit. (Let me also preface this story as well by emphasizing how clean our apartment is, the mattress, headboard and box spring were new, and the building is only 1 year old!) So anyways, as a rational person I think these bites are just from mosquitoes. In conversation about these bites with my my mother in law, she asks if it could be bed bugs. To the disgusted thought of bed bugs, I responded in such shock and laughter, "Hah! BED BUGS? NO WAY". Fast forward a week more of getting bit occasionally, the thought started to grow bigger and bigger in my mind, "could it really be bed bugs"? I called in the professionals fast, and they did 3 weeks of consistent inspections with nothing coming up. They sprayed for fleas, just in case, and the week after that I slept like a baby. "At last, the problem was over, it was nothing" is what I told myself on a Sunday night. Then comes Monday (how I forever dread that Monday) because as I got ready for bed that night, I turned my pillow over and there in plain (disgusting brown) sight was a bed bug on my sheet. I could not believe it and totally freaked out. My husband thought I was over reacting but I had read enough horror stories online by that point to understand what a big issue this was! I called in the professionals and they treated 2 days later. On a side note, can we all agree the prep work required before a treatment is BEYOND labor intensive. I mean my God, washing/drying every piece of fabric in your house/closet? I must have done 20 loads of laundry. But I pushed myself through it knowing this will all be over soon! Treatment happened and I was told by my building that the issue has been resolved. Thanking God for this, I proceed for the next 6 hours with setting our place back up, and putting all my clothes back in the drawers and closets. Literally within 5 hours of putting it all back, to my utter shock, my husband spots a live crawling bed bug on the couch! I just start to cry at this point, like just a complete melt down. So much work had been done and mentally I was over this!!! Then to hear we need a second treatment and do it all over again. I just could not handle the stress. I left the apartment for an entire day just to unwind, I could not put more thought into this, but even if I tried, I couldn't help it. The stress and paranoia haunted me. But after taking a break I came back and started prepping the place alll over again. This time even more thoroughly than the first. So I kid you not, there are prob 50 sealead plastic bags sitting in my tiny 1 bedroom apartment right now. I mean literally, every thing we own that is not furntiure is practically in a bag. They're treating again today, and I am hoping/praying to God that this will be the end of it. But how do I know??? They are only using chemicals and not thermal treatment. I asked for them to heat the place up but they said being its in an apartment building, it would not be feasible. How long should I wait before unpacking my stuff again? Should I panic if I see another one after this?
All of this has also resulted in your typical, paranoia, being constantly tied to a flashlight, social hermit, itching all the time, anxiety type of behavior. I can't live like this any longer, so please someone tell me there's hope!