C’mon, let’s take a walk and get some fresh air!
A Sunday afternoon stroll through the magical Savernake Forest in the amazing county of Wiltshire, in England.
Dec 262008
Germany’s Ministerium für Arbeit und Soziales removes the statement from the government’s disability guidelines that said Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is a somatoform (psychological) disorder.
This is great news for people with MCS throughout the world! The German government has struck out the statement from its MCS guidelines stating the illness is psychosomatic. This is inspiring for everyone throughout the world with MCS as a very important step toward universal recognition of MCS as a physical illness caused by chemical injury.
Here is a translation of the news received through email via Canada’s branch of the Global Recognition Campaign:
Merry Christmas for MCS patients
Silvia Mueller writes on Christmas Eve:
Here is the best message. The German Government Department for Social is the main department for disability, The Ministerium für Arbeit und Soziales. There are guidelines which are used by doctors, courts, authorities,… when it comes to a disability. In our disability guidelines MCS is a physical disease. It is registered in the part for movement disorders, because we can’t go everywhere, etc. There was one sentence in this guideline which was disturbing and used by opposition to refuse our cases and say we are psychosomatic cases. It said MCS is a somatoform disorder.
One of my people at CSN wrote to the department and asked that this nasty sentence is removed from the guidelines. Now MCS is a physical disease nothing else. We have also the ICD-10 which says MCS is a physical disease. With these two tools nobody can discriminate us anymore.
It’s a victory – It’s Christmas for chemically sensitive people over here. We gave this information and the government letter as a present to the CS people today. After we started an online party. The motto of the party is that we think also about those who have nobody and we write poems, place links to you tube videos, write fun, greetings,… If you like to send something I can place it in for you, the people will love it.
Dr. Rea and nobody else should worry. They can’t stop chemical sensitivity or declare us nuts anymore. We call it “the train is gone”.
It happened too much, and the bonds between people all over the world are too strong. Doctors find out more and more. And we all will not stop talking about it. They can’t quiet us anymore.
Bonita Poulin
Canadian Coordinator
GLOBAL RECOGNITION CAMPAIGN
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
and other Chemically Induced Illnesses, Diseases and Injury affecting civilians and military personnel
Feel free to leave some comment love on the CSN Blog based in Germany. What a beautiful and supportive community they have! I feel so very happy for them. Let’s achieve this same good news in America and throughout the world!
Thanks, Linda!
Dec 252008
Despite my being a Grinchess about Christmas, the universe gave me two beautiful gifts on Christmas Eve: I discovered that my hen Katie had laid an egg (the first in months since the girls went on what I thought was going to be a total winter vacay), and then during my evening walk at the park, I found a majiro bird nest. Majiros, also called White Eye, are a teeny-tiny green bird, and they make teeny-tiny nests into which they deposit two teeny-tiny eggs. I don’t know how they are ever successful at keeping the babies inside, and they are often blown down out of the trees when it’s windy. I am a collector of nests, so it was treasure. Here’s a (silly) composite of my gifts.
Mele Kalikimaka to me!
Dec 242008
Be well, dear flock!
Aloha Dear Canaries,
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I hope everyone in the flock gets everything they are wishing for, most especially health, happiness and prosperity now and throughout the coming year.
Take care, stay warm, and hang tough.
Aloha,
Susie xo
Photo of woman in Michigan with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
This is me blowing a kiss to my husband outside while he is doing yard work, thankful he is able to do it and wishing I could join him.
At times with my illness it’s just like looking thru glass “literally.” I can look out the windows and see neighbors being able to enjoy their yards. I can sit in the car in front of a store and watch people come and go without being able to go in myself. Eating out is sitting in the car to eat and looking thru the car window at everyone in the restaurant. So using this effect on this picture “glass” I can totally relate to it, the world can seem very distorted! I wish people knew how damaging chemicals are and what they are doing to us. I totally enjoy and am thankful for the times I don’t have to live behind the glass, not many can relate to this and the ones that can (there is hope).
Photo by Live With MCS at flickr
See the whole photostream here
About Live With MCS: I’m free spirited, love exploring and adventure, love beautiful places, people & things (such as rocks! Ha Ha!). I totally LOVE finding places with clean air, being Environmentally ill it’s getting harder and harder to find. I’m certainly not a pro photographer but photos are fun for memories, no doubt!
Dec 242008
“Nature Knows”
Here’s a simple slide show set to an original song composition I wrote and recorded back in 1999. Best viewed with headphones on, and when there’s time to relax. The song was inspired by a dream I had. The lyrics have been published by 3 different Poetic Societies! (My dear friend Marylynn La Gier assisted with some lyrics.)
Photos are mostly mine- taken over the years at various beaches up and down the Pacific coast from Mexico to Oregon; with a couple from Hawaii tossed in for good measure. The underwater photgraphs are not mine; but are in the public domain. Most are unattributed. The deep space images are from NASA.
“…Footprints side by side provide the proof,
With every stride they’re nearer to the Truth…
All things paired, for Life’s to be shared, and so it goes,
It’s right it’s real, it’s Love that you feel, Nature knows…”All right now, Deep breath… heavy sigh… Okay, you’re good to go. Hit the play button.
D
Paul
Dec 242008
A letter to the editor in the Peterborough Examiner argues that regional pesticide bans give a big boost to the local economy. Excerpt:
“The Ontario government’s new lawn pesticide ban – which should come into effect in early 2009 – will do much to protect human and environmental health. But it’s also becoming clear the legislation will be a boon to our economy-boosting business and creating green jobs.”
-GIDEON FORMAN Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
Photo by sissi de kroon
Nontoxic laundry balls, easy to make!
Bumble Beans has a really cute post on “Making Your Own Household Cleaners.”
It really is easy to do. Trust me. You only use a few of the same ingredients. Most if which is VINEGAR. Cheap. easy, and if you don’t like that smell, add some essential oils…)
Its always been a pet peeve of mine that “convenience” products are such a rip off, And bad for you. Once you have the basic products listed below you can make everything you need to clean your house.
BASIC INGREDIENTS FOR NON-TOXIC CLEANER RECIPES
Five basic ingredients serve as the building blocks for many safe home cleaning needs:
- Baking Soda – Cleans and deodorizes. Softens water to increase sudsing and cleaning power of soap. Good scouring powder.
- Borax – Cleans and deodorizes. Excellent disinfectant. Softens water. Available in laundry section of grocery store.
- Soap – Biodegrades safely and completely and is non-toxic. Available in grocery stores and health food stores. Sold as liquid, flakes, powder or in bars. Bars can be grated to dissolve more easily in hot water. Insist on soap without synthetic scents, colors or other additives.
- Washing Soda – Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Available in laundry section of grocery store or in pure form from chemical supply houses as “sodium carbonate.”
- White Vinegar or Lemon Juice – Cuts grease and freshens.
There are links to a bunch of recipes and formulas for all kinds of uses. I thought I knew about all the best nontoxic concoctions, but I learned about two new things in the post (new to me anyway!). One is Wool Felted Laundry Balls, and the other is a Laundry Soap Recipe.
I know some peeps with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity won’t be able to use these products, but I might give the laundry soap recipe a try because I think I can find substitutes that will work for me (I can use Bronner’s soap for instance).
Does anyone know about Washing Soda? Is that safe for us?
Photo from goodmama
Australia’s Office of Health asks for public input on draft report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
For all you readers in Oz, and an FYI for everyone else:
The Australian Office of Health and Office of Chemical Safety has released for public comment a working draft of a report entitled, “A Scientific Review of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Identifying Key Research Needs.”
The report’s authors are asking for input to ensure all available scientific literature and technical information is included in the document to better identify the priority areas for research on MCS.
Here’s the Australian MCS Network’s thoughts on the Draft Report:
We feel it is important for the final document to be well informed and reflective of the current state of scientific research and thinking.
We are concerned that, despite current research evidence strongly supporting a physiological basis for MCS, the draft report appears to place emphasis on a psychogenic aetiology.
The final report will have a significant impact on the way Australians with MCS are treated and whether they get adequate access to health care and other services.
The report may be used as a key document by Government, hospitals and non government agencies, within Australia and internationally, to develop policies and services relating to MCS.
We would be grateful if you could find the time to make a submission to NICNAS on this report as it will affect the funding and direction of research into MCS.
Submissions can be emailed to:
MCS[at]nicnas.gov.auor posted to:
MCS Report
NICNAS
GPO Box 58,
Sydney NSW 2001The closing date is 30 January 2009.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Members of the Australian MCS Network
ASEHA Qld Inc
PO Box 96
Margate QLD 4019Dr Geoff Pain
Scientific Advisor
Environmental Chemical Hypersensitivity Organisation
PO Box 529
Harvey WA 6220Peter Evans, RN (formerly), Grad Dip Health Counseling Convenor
South Australian Task Force on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
PO Box 3308
Port Adelaide SA 5015Tanya Lockett
General Manger/Community Leader
PocketWomen
PO Box 26
Rosewater SA 5013Alexa McLaughlin
President
AIRA Inc (Allergies & Intolerant Reactions Association)
C/- 6A Gymea Street
Narrabundah ACT 2604Julian Robinson
62/44 Jerrabomberra Ave
Narrabundah ACT 2604Kerryn Ryan
Fragrance And Chemical Sensitivity Support Group
PO Box 162
Strathdale VIC 3550Ann Want
Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance
309 East Bonville Road
Bonville NSW 2441
Link to information sheet on the Draft Report process
Link to full Draft Report
Thanks, Linda!
Dec 222008
