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When I was three years old, many times during that year I use to sit and look into my future, but I never could see past the age of 30. Until I was finally willing to look at things I thought of as bad. Up to this point I was thinking perhaps I would die, not being able to see any further.
Having to know, and now willing to look at enough "bad" to see what was going to happen. I sensed I would be getting sick for a long time with little let up until 45. I couldn't really see myself getting better but I sensed a change, perhaps moving from here. (I'm 45 now)
As far as middle class women getting this illness. I'm a guy I was a import car mechanic two and a half years into my own business. Putting most money back into the business and some project cars. If I would have lasted another 6 months I could come out well ahead, as it was I had just came out of the slow winter months and was entering the busy money making time of the year. I hadn't been giving myself a pay check because I was buying more equipment, parts, advertising the business.
I had it in my mind I was going to beat this illness I had foreseen, but I was already becoming more sensitive. Avoiding the shop more, eating healthier, exercise and such, I did my best. I got exposed to a lot of things while doing my best to avoid any further exposure. Accidents happened, more poisoning happened. Still I thought I could beat it and change the future I had seen. No doubt I should have closed my business when I turned 30 and paid attention to my insight as a child, before the slow winter came.
Living at the shop, buying meals out of petty cash. Everything was going into the business in one way or another. I went in debt closing the business when I did. If I would have made it till the next winter I would come out of it with a good profit.
I couldn't wait it wasn't up to me. My body gave out with complete fatigue, I had bad reactions to almost everything and couldn't stand to be around a car much less in a shop. My body was in pain all over. MCS/CFS/FMS are very real.
I lay on my death bed and had dreams of supplements and other things to do. I have beat the FMS. But so far in 15 years I haven't beat MCS or CFS although the CFS may be a side effect of MCS.
The only thing I have figured out beside going out and getting sick, is a make shift space suit. I have done hard work to be among people, I pushed myself hard not to be completely confined. I managed to go bowling a year or two, some years ago to be around people again but exposures just kept on making me sicker.
It's easy enough to think MCS is in the mind heck everyone does it, even folk that get it think they are going crazy until they make the relationship between exposure to different things and results of the exposure.
For the first 11 years I didn't really know anyone else had this illness. I followed my own guidance as to treatment. I saw a naturopath doctor before I actually got so sick I had to close the shop. He showed me an easier way to muscle test myself for supplements.
I just have to point out some of my worst reactions have happened because I couldn't smell what chemicals I was around... in this regard it would be better if all chemicals were fragrance so we with MCS could have advanced warning that we may be in danger and clear the area.
A friend had his house sprayed for bugs and they used something they weren't supposed to use inside anymore. He invited me over right afterwards and for the 5 hours that the house should have been vacated we sat there watching movies and after the 5 hours he mentioned he was supposed to leave because of what they used ,,, we were both sick for a couple weeks afterwards. Only I was very ill and fatigued and he only had slight cold symptoms, still able to function.
I feel a bit lucky because of previous experience with meditation I am able to leave my body when it's in great pain or going through bad reactions.
Try taking a giant leap, instead of waiting on Science to prove to everyone's liking the reality of this illness. Try to listen to people and trust what they are saying. Find a little faith. I'm not asking you to expose yourself to enough toxins to develop this illness. I'm asking for you to have a little heart.
There has been some kind of brain scans that show how fragrance effects the brain. I don't remember much about it.
I like the smell of flowers, I would bet you I could stand up better in a smoky American Indian Medicine Ceremony than you can, burning cedar, sage, and sweet grass don't bother me. I handle most natural things pretty good, I'd bet better than most in some cases. I'm not really aware of natural things that are non-toxic that bother me.
It wouldn't matter to me in the least if the fragrance was taken out of after shave, the chemicals that I react to would still be there. Perhaps without the fragrance the toxins wouldn't be carried as well, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Instead of working against MCS consider working on getting a scent put into all toxic chemicals, I hate it when I have reactions and can't figure out what is getting to me.
A lot of folk with MCS haven't thought about it enough and brain fog is quite a problem with us, not even being able to add 2+2 at times. It is wrong for MCS folk to fight against fragrance, It's not really what they are going after. The are really going after the toxins carried by the fragrance. Unless as in some cases the fragrance is toxic too.
What most don't get is people will still use toxic after shave even if the fragrance is removed and that is going to be worse without the advanced warning of the fragrance. A lot of folk also have allergies, and it's not hard to guess some are over reacting to something they can handle, but having had such bad experiences they run without being willing to test their reactions to some scent.
For those of us with MCS it's better to run from a scent without knowing if we can handle it or not. This is why it would be good to put scents in all toxic chemicals. We are set to run to avoid harm if it's there are not. Why not scent everything that can harm. Then those that aren't allergic can smell flowers and avoid everything else.
Well enough of my rambling.
Carey Sullins 1905 Proctor Avenue Waco, Texas 76708-3443 254 754 4249
They seem to move around more, the more love I'm exposed to.
I'm Carey Sullins a 43 yr ol SWM, not bad looking, some say handsome.:-)
I'm a independent distributor because the products worked so good for me, so I want everyone to try them but I'm not here to sell anything.
I'm here looking for some support, some friends, a good time.
My interest include a lot of things but I'd really like to hear from anyone else who has lights in their eyes, I met a lady once that seemed to have some control over hers. She could bring them into the center of her eyes for others to see, and I didn't even think to talk to her before she left, cause I was so blown away that she could do that.
The most my lights do are move around at the edges of my eyes. Their was this time at a Unity retreat they were moving real fast and then like some single cell ameba they split so now I have two in each eye.
Most of the time they stay out of sight and will just make an apperance when I need to rethink something I'm thinking about. However the whole time I had my own business they never even showed up, well not untill I was ready to close the business. Maybe it was the first time I really relaxed since I opened the shop, but I was kinda surprised they were still there. Kinda interesting uh?
They came to be during a time when I was doing a lot of meditation, and I never thought much about them at first, that was back in 1978.
I've had other experiences such as seeing ghost, flying saucers, giant angels, five foot clear bubbles, auras, the future, etc.,.
I used to repair import cars but I closed shop in 85 because I became chemicaly loaded and couldn't stand to be around ,,, well most things much less the chemicals used around auto repair shops.
The ______ products have done amazing things in helping me recover from lack of energy and the chemcial sensitivity as well as a wreck I was in. So I'm doing a lot better now, and I'd like to well...Get A Life.
I plan on fixing up the home page to look all nice some day and giving some cool links and what not but untill then just email me. I got one of those free lifetime email accounts so when I change services I can still get mail.
Some of my readings include: The Bible, A Course in Miracles, Kryon, Science of Mind, Paramahansa Yogananda, Mark & Elizabeth Prophet, also some of the old Saint Germain books, The RA Material - An Ancient Astronaut Speaks, Catherine Ponder, oh and a lot of that type of thing.
I took: Inner Light Consciousness, Sliva Self Mind Control, Silver Training, and some other things like that here and there.
When I lived in Houston I went to the Golden Pryamid, and in Dallas I went to both Unity's, here in Waco I used to go to Science of Mind, and as a kid I went to Trinity Methodist.
I've been a league bowler for a few years now, and I got addicted to computers about 1990, BBS's is what did it. I had just finished pilot's ground school and thought a flying program would cut down on the actually time I needed in the air, well it did I never did get up in the air. Instead I started a BBS and lived in cyberspace for a couple of years, I wasn't able to do much else unless it was inspired, so the computer was nice to have for someone with no energy, that got sick from anything.
A Disorder Triggered by Exposures to chemicals in the Environment
Synthetic chemicals are all around us. They're in the products we use,
in the clothes we wear, in the food we eat, in the air we breathe at work.
Because chemicals are everywhere in the environment, it's not possible to escape
exposure. No wonder, then, that many people have become sensitized to the
chemicals around them. In fact, it is estimated that 15% of the population has
become sensitized to common household and commercial products.
For some people, the sensitization is not too serious a problem. They may have what appears to be a minor allergy to one or more chemicals. Other people are much more seriously affected. They may feel tired all the time, and suffer from mental confusion, breathing problems, sore muscles, and a weakened immune system. Such people suffer from a condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).
MCS is a disorder triggered by exposures to chemicals in the environment. Individuals with MCS can have symptoms from chemical exposures at concentrations far below the levels tolerated by most people. Symptoms occur in more than one organ system in the body, such as the nervous system and the lungs. Exposure may be from the air, from food or water, or through skin contact. The symptoms may look like an allergy because they tend to go with exposures, though some people's reactions may be delayed. As MCS gets worse, reactions become more severe and increasingly chronic, often affecting more bodily functions. 2,3dpg, OP, electron microscopic inspection of red cells, and CO are available medical test.
In the early stages of MCS, repeat exposure to the substance or substances that caused the initial health effects provokes a reaction. After a time, it takes less and less exposure to this or related chemicals to cause symptoms. as the body breaks down, an ever increasing number of chemicals, including some unrelated to the initial exposure, are found to trigger a reaction.
MCS affects the overall health and feeling of well-being of those with the disorder. It typically impairs many bodily functions including the nervous system and digestion. Each individual affected by MCS has a unique set of health problems. A chemically sensitive person may also have other pre-existing health conditions. Many affected people experience a number of symptoms, in elation to their chemical exposures :
symptoms of MCS
People with MCS report many other health conditions such as :
MCS may result from a single massive exposure to one or more toxic substances or repeated exposures to low doses. On one hand, some people may become chemically sensitive following a toxic chemical spill at work or in their community after being sprayed directly with pesticides. On the other, individuals may develop this condition from spending forty hours each week in a poorly ventilated building where they breathe a profusion of chemicals common to our modern way of life.
In many cases, MCS has been brought on by a wide array of chemicals found at home and work. studies show that many of the people diagnosed with MCS were :
Not all people with MCS fit any of these categories. For example, some may have experienced a toxic exposure from flea or roach sprays or from (urea formaldehyde) foam insulation in their home. Other people with MCS cannot identify any situations where they had unusual exposures to chemicals.
People with MCS may become partially or totally disabled for several years or for life. This physical condition affects every aspect of their life. They must make dramatic changes in lifestyle at home. Their marriages and other relationships may end from the stress off coping with this disabling condition. As members of the workforce, they may drag themselves to work only to return home sicker and more exhausted each day.. Alternatively they may be forced to leave their jobs and deal with the devastating loss of income and consequent poverty. However, even in the most severe cases, some people eventually recover, at least partially.
No one knows for sure what causes MCS. However, in non-industrial workplaces, a number of common products and processes are often identified as contributing to the onset of MCS :
When our bodies are assaulted with levels of toxic chemicals that our systems cannot safely process, it is likely that at some point in our lifetimes, many of us will become ill. For some, the outcome could be cancer or reproductive damage. Others may become hypersensitive to these chemicals or develop other chronic disorders, while some people may not experience any noticeable health effects. Even where high levels of exposure occur, generally only a small percentage of people becomes chemically sensitive. The threshold for toxic injury is not the same for everyone because sensitivity varies greatly among individuals.
Most chemicals in consumer products remain untested for health effects, such as cancer, reproductive problems, and the impacts of long-term, low level exposure. How these substances affect women, children, and people with existing conditions is also little studied.
Once a person's defenses have been broken down and he or she has become hypersensitive, a wide variety of common chemical exposures can trigger a reaction. Just what products and other chemicals which cause problems varies greatly among affected individuals. These include the same chemicals which can bring about MCS in the first place, as well as the following :
MCS is difficult for physicians to define and diagnose. There is no single set of symptoms which fit together as a syndrome, nor a single diagnostic test for MCS. Instead, physicians should take a complete patient history which includes environmental and occupational exposures, and act as detectives in diagnosing this problematic condition.
After the onset of MCS, a person's health generally continues to deteriorate. It may only begin to improve once the chemical sensitivity condition is uncovered. While a number of treatments may help improve the baseline health status for some patients, at thee present time, there is no single "cure" except avoidance.
Avoiding the chemicals which may trigger reactions is an essential part of treating MCS. Those with MCS who are able to strictly avoid exposures often experience dramatic improvement in their health over the period of a year or more. Yet the profusion of new and untested synthetic chemicals makes this extremely difficult.
Individuals affected by MCS often create a "sanctuary" relatively free from chemical emissions in their home, where they spend as much time as possible. Because of the serious impact of even an accidental unavoidable exposure, MCS sufferers often spend as much time at home as possible and often must choose not to participate in society. As a result, they may experience intense isolation, and loss of self-esteem and depression from not being able to have an active work or social life. Therefore, supportive counseling is often a very useful form of treatment.
Many traditional allergists and other physicians discount the existence of an MCS diagnosis. They claim that there is not yet sufficient evidence that MCS exists. Research effort regarding the mechanisms that cause MCS have been inadequate and unfortunately are often financed and supported by the industries which benefit from chemical proliferation. Generally medical doctors have not been trained to understand or seriously investigate conditions such as MCS. In fact, the vast majority of physicians receive very little training (four hours or less) in occupational and environmental medicine or in toxicology and nutrition.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many affected individuals consult with a large number of specialists. People with MCS are often even diagnosed with serious degenerative diseases. Often baffled doctors tell their patients with MCS that their illness is entirely psychosomatic -- in their head. And many whose health is impaired by MCS have never heard of the condition. The lack of support and understanding from physicians and the stress created by having no explanation for symptoms tends to produce a high level of anxiety and distress in people with MCS.
At this time, conventional medicine offers very few medical treatments for MCS besides avoiding offending products. Unfortunately, medications and other conventional medical treatments offer little or no relief and may even prompt new sets of symptoms. Treatment with anti-depressants masks the underlying condition and can also cause other serious problems.
Physicians who clearly recognize the MCS phenomenon include some occupational and environmental health specialists and those MDs who specialize in the new field of clinical ecology. A wide range of new or "alternative" treatments have been utilized by MCS sufferers with varying success. Though some of these treatments are still experimental in nature, they seem to help some individuals with MCS. These treatments may include a combination of the following :
nutritional programs, immunotherapy vaccines, food-allergy testing, detoxification regiments through exercise and sweating, chelation for heavy metals, any number of non-Western healing methods. Diagnosis may involve unconventional laboratory tests not customary to conventional medicine, including tests for thee presence of chemical contaminants, such as total body burden of accumulated pesticides.
Many workers have shown improvement with these treatments, though others have not. Unfortunately, these treatments are not usually reimbursed by insurance plans, since few participating practioners support alternative approaches. Yet some disabled workers have won reimbursement for such treatments through successful Workers' Compensation claims.
Both the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Social SECURITY Administration (SSA) have recognized MCS as a disabling condition. people with MCS have won Workers' Compensation cases. A recent human rights lawsuit in Pennsylvania established the right of an affected person to safe living space in subsidized housing. Both the Maryland State Legislature and New Jersey State Department of Health have officially commissioned studies of MCS. The NJ study provides an excellent overview of medical and legal issues related to MCS.
Just as physical barriers prevent wheelchair access, chemical use and emissions can prevent entry to those with MCS. a new federal law called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will protect the disabled from many types of discrimination. This law provides for reasonable access to people with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations enable people with MCS to enjoy access to work, public facilities, and other necessary settings. Whether and individual developed MCS at work or was already sensitized prior to employment, the right to a safe workplace should be insured.
For injured workers who have a right to Workers' Compensation or Disability, it is necessary to find a physician who can diagnose MCS and who will also support the patient's legitimate claims. Finding such a physician is very important in winning such a claim and for gaining reasonable accommodation at work or in rental housing.
and you think your employer is discriminating
For further assistance, contact one of the worker health resource groups or support groups in your local area. These cases are difficult to win and can take a long time to resolve.
Similarly, if you have been injured on the job, find an attorney experienced with chemical exposure cases in the Workers' Compensation system or personal injury claims. In such cases, you will not need to pay your attorney up front; instead your attorney receives a percentage from the settlement if you win. It costs you nothing if you lose your case.
These are some suggested ways to accommodate individuals with MCS at work. They will not be effective in all cases. These measures will also help to prevent other workers from becoming similarly disabled, and all reductions in toxic materials contribute to the general health of the environment.
Reasonable Accommodations
People suffering from MCS have become a driving force for improved indoor air quality and for the adoption of less toxic housekeeping and building maintenance practices. Good indoor air quality and substitution of less toxic materials boost morale and productivity. A healthy workplace also lowers absenteeism and injuries.
A safe working environment is always a worthwhile investment for employers. Therefore, complaints about indoor air problems must be taken seriously by employers, labor unions, regulatory agencies and health care providers.
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