The Canary Report

The myth of a “safe place”

Posted on Jun 16, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, Kimberly Shaw, MCS

I have come to a personal conclusion through research, interviewing others with MCS, and my own personal experience, that there is no such thing as a totally “safe place.”

By contributor Kimberly Shaw.

In this modern age, a "safe" area of the world has basically become an illusion.

Having lived and/or visited eighteen states and seven countries since I was diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, I know quite a bit about searching for a safe place to live. I have come to a personal conclusion through research, interviewing others with MCS, and my own personal experience, that there is no such thing as a totally “safe place.”

Even when we have found a “safer” area to live, circumstances can change around us. These circumstances can be situations we have no control over like a wildfire, an oil spill, a new road being put in, a neighbor spraying pesticide or volcanic smog.

In this modern age, a “safe” area of the world has basically become an illusion. Not trying to burst anyone’s bubble, but it saddens me when I meet people who believe if they could just move to utopia they would finally heal. When they may find the tools for their healing process right where they currently live.

Several months after I was first diagnosed with MCS, I was able (through nothing short of a miracle) to move to a “safer” house. The house was just a city over from the previous home, but it had hardwood floors, no new construction or paint, a whole house water system and a detached garage. We had the ducts cleaned and bought some air purifiers and it became my healing place. It also became my “safe bubble” from which I was first unable and later afraid to leave.

About that time I read a quote from Helen Keller, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.” While the quote does not apply to those with MCS in the sense that we can (and should) avoid many exposures and dangers, it did show me that my feeling of security was just that, a feeling. I would eventually need to risk and leave the house. That there are no guarantees of safety. All I can do is make the wisest decisions I can make, have the safest house possible and try to plan for the unexpected. In the meantime, I also need to live! Which means sometimes I’ll be at risk when I leave my home. Then again, just staying at home could become risky. One summer in my “safer” house wildfire smoke came into the area and I had to leave my home for several weeks.

Since that first “safer” house, I have moved many times and traveled more than I ever dreamed possible. I have come to realize that the safest place for me is one I create. While I have found there is no “safe place” in terms of an area of the world, there are certainly areas that are far “safer” than others. I feel we need to pick the safest area possible for our situation (taking into account jobs, family, friends, finances, medical care, transportation, etc.) Then we need to find the “safest” place in that area. At that point we can create a “safe” haven in that place.

We can largely control what goes into our house and our bodies. I have found much of my healing has come from being able to control those areas. Most of us with MCS spend a lot of time in our homes, so our homes need to become the safest place possible.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet many with MCS during my travels and interviews to make a documentary film about MCS. One thing that has become very clear is that we are all so very different. What works well for one person may or may not work well for another. However, those with “safer” homes regardless of where they live seem to do better than those living in homes that have chemical or mold issues. It seems to better to have a safer home in a more polluted area than live in a less polluted area in a home with issues.

For me, the question has become, “How can I make where I live the safest place possible?” Rather than, “Where is the safest place to live?”

Disclaimer: I am not suggesting anyone ever stay in a bad situation or area. Some places cannot be made better. If you are in a high risk place, leave as soon as possible. I am only suggesting that there is no “utopia.” Some places do seem to work better for most than others though.

Learn more about my documentary film on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity at Adventurous Canary Productions. Come visit me at my blogs Adventurous Canary and Serendipity.

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Tags: Environment, Healthy Living, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

MCS and the search for a safe community

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, Keith Carlson, MCS

Based on our research and experience thus far, our conclusion is that intentional communities are not a safe bet for those with MCS and environmental illnesses, and the learning curve remains steep even for those who claim to be living a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.

By contributor Keith Carlson, RN, and Mary Rives.

Keith

In honor of MCS Awareness Month, my wife, Mary Rives, and I are posting this co-written article in order to share more deeply regarding one of the most significant reasons that we undertook our current journey around the country.

Because we both live with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), finding a safe place to call home is paramount to us, and those who have MCS understand what it’s like to live like a “canary in the coal mine” in a world saturated with substances that undermine our health and impair our ability to function effectively.

Mary

With recent reports showing that even ADHD may be linked to pesticide use, there is a crucial necessity for us to be more public about our MCS, our search for safe housing, and the need for greater awareness about the effects of chemicals, pesticides, and manufactured fragrances on the health of humans and the environment. That said, many hospitals and other health care facilities are now becoming fragrance-free in an effort to support the health of patients, thus awareness is indeed growing about this important public (and personal) health issue.

We offer this article as a missive of support and hope to other canaries, as well as a plea to those without MCS—especially intentional communities—to more deeply understand our plight.

~Keith Carlson and Mary Rives

~~~

When it comes to finding safe housing, everyone with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) will agree that this is one of the most daunting challenges of living with this most highly inconvenient and disheartening medical condition.

After living in New England for 20 years and becoming chemically injured in the process (most likely due to hidden mold in our home), it was no longer safe for us to live in our beloved neighborhood or continue to work in our meaningful jobs.

Our lovely arboreal homeowners’ association provided what at first appeared to be a healthy sanctuary for our family of three, but our blissful existence was often impeded by the imposition of a variety of common household toxins, including the fumes of lighter fluid, charcoal, dryer sheets, and lawnmower and vehicle exhaust. Lying in hammocks or eating home-cooked meals on our custom-made screened-in porch, we were often driven indoors by clouds of the aforementioned toxins filtering through the forest and onto our property.

When exposed to various chemicals and environmental toxins, we each experience a similar yet somewhat different constellation of symptoms, including headache, confusion, sore throat, irritability, asthma, hives, joint pain, muscle pain, and burning eyes. When mold was discovered in our attic after our house was put on the market, the potential culprit of our mutual MCS only added to our intense desire and need for a safe refuge.

In our workplaces which had fragrance-free policies, we were both exposed to environmental insults that exacerbated our condition and underscored the need to radically change our lives. Policies are virtually ineffective without enforcement, often driving wedges between people of varying cultures and levels of acceptance, support and awareness. The commitment to educating others can be exhausting, and workplace exposures impair job performance and strain professional relationships. Thus, we canaries often find ourselves frequently leaving otherwise satisfying and meaningful jobs in order to preserve our health and sanity.

Having lived in an intentional community early in our relationship, we decided that ecologically-minded intentional communities with a focus and commitment to sustainability would offer the greatest potential for finding a safe home. We hoped that this form of community would use earth-friendly, biodegradable and non-toxic products in keeping with that vision of sustainable living, and provide for us a safe place to live our lives in peace and health.

Hitting the proverbial road in a 29-foot mobile home, we began to scour the country for an intentional community or eco-village that offered an opportunity for healthy living. Traversing the East Coast, Deep South, Gulf Coast and Southwestern United States, we visited over two-dozen intentional communities in more than twenty states over the course of seven months.

Many of these communities profess to live close to the earth by using sustainable building and permaculture techniques, renewable energy sources, organic gardening, and other well-meaning practices. In our naivete, we did indeed assume that “sustainable living” would include the use of earth-friendly and non-toxic products, but we’ve sadly found that many such communities simply reach for the cheapest common denominator, with Tide, Bounce, Palmolive, Cascade and other products being the easy mainstream fix.

Our disappointment and disillusionment were great when many visits to such communities revealed that people were often unwilling to “walk the talk” when it came to using safe and healthy products. As to the issue of being fragrance-free and MCS-friendly, most communities appeared oblivious at best, much to our dismay.

Earthaven Ecovillage in Asheville, North Carolina, Sunflower River Community in Albuquerque, New Mexico and The Commons on the Alameda Cohousing Community in Santa Fe, New Mexico are the three communities that we have found in our travels to best embody earth-friendliness and consideration for those living with MCS.

While people at Earthaven do indeed burn a great deal of wood for winter heat and state that they are not well-equipped to have people with severe MCS join them, many of the residents appear to embrace true sustainability. Sunflower River has no openings for new members at this time but they are a growing community that truly walks their talk. Twins Oaks and Acorn communities in Southern Virginia are runners up, but they use lavender scented natural detergent which neither of us can tolerate without becoming symptomatic.

Although the numbers are few (and we have only visited a fraction of the intentional communities in the United States), we are grateful to have found a few that seem to understand how important it is to use biodegradable products that are healthy and earth-friendly. And of these few, the Commons on the Alameda is the only one who uses all fragrance-free products!

We are planning to live at The Commons this summer in order to test the waters and see how their experiment in MCS-friendly community is going. The Commons is an established cohousing community with 28 homes and a common house located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Commons on the Alameda Cohousing Community in Santa Fe is an extremely MCS-friendly community that has adopted a strict fragrance-free policy in an effort to create a safe haven for residents with environmental illness. Championed by an medical doctor specializing in environmental medicine who lives at the community, the shared spaces at The Commons are for all intents and purposes fragrance-free, and guests and residents are urged to comply with the policies. We are actually planning to live at The Commons this summer in order to test the waters and see how their experiment in MCS-friendly community is going, bringing with us great hopes that we will find it to be a safe haven where we can, at long last, feel comfortable and at peace.

For canaries considering looking into intentional community as a possible source of safe housing, we would like to warn those with MCS that even eco-villages and communities that espouse sustainable living as a way of life so often overlook the very products that people put on their bodies, into the water, and onto the ground. As many of us already know, mainstream products are often cheap, readily accessible, and have brand recognition that even the most alternative individuals cannot resist. The tendency (can we even say addiction?) to purchase such products is rampant, and even those who live in intentional communities often choose to drive to Wal-Mart and buy whatever cleaning products are on sale. We understand that communitarians also have to make ends meet, but when one’s habits as a consumer fly in the face of one’s proclaimed ecological lifestyle, questions are raised as to whether that community or individual is truly thinking clearly about their choices as a consumer and their commitment to the earth (and their health).

Based on our research and experience thus far, our conclusion is that intentional communities are not a safe bet for those with MCS and environmental illnesses, and the learning curve remains steep even for those who claim to be living a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.

Meanwhile, many of our fellow canaries live with severe MCS which prevents them from exploratory adventures like the one we’ve undertaken. They are unable to risk the dangers–and expenses–of the unknown, despite the fact that they have so much to contribute. Living with MCS sadly often necessitates social isolation in order to minimize symptoms which only worsen with subsequent exposures to the most basic of chemicals. Adding to the isolation are the common financial hardships caused by the medical need to let go of jobs in toxic work places. Employees with MCS are also frequently discriminated against by employers who are unwilling to make reasonable accommodations, despite the fact that MCS is recognized as a disability by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Having MCS inconveniently interrupted our careers and engendered enormous out-of-pocket medical expenses in order to prevent our illness from worsening. Even with good health insurance, access to treatment has been very expensive and limited, and the fact that the AMA refuses to recognize MCS as a physiological illness makes finding sympathetic medical providers an additional challenge. Avoidance is the best medicine, thus our radical lifestyle change and quest for safe community living.

Our hope for the future is that more and more intentional communities will realize the importance of the need for safe housing, including across-the-board use of fragrance-free, environmentally friendly products. May they become safe havens for canaries of the coal-mine while taking their commitment to the earth and her inhabitants even further. Meanwhile, perhaps a few MCS communities will even be born from our collective desire for a safe place to rest our weary heads!

We remain hopeful that we will find a place to call home for the long-term where we can live safely and in better health. We also remain realistic that uphill battles and further education will be needed for those with whom we share living and breathing space, perhaps for the rest of our lives. For now, the two of us will continue to explore whether intentional community will fit thebill when it comes to healthy living as we land in our temporary nest with great hopes for a healthy future for all.

~~~

This post was originally published on my blog Digital Doorway, a digital venue for creative expression, nursing adventures, reflections, thoughtful reverie, thoughtless repose, and other flotsam and jetsam. You can also visit me at Mary and Keith’s Excellent Adventure, where my wife and I blog about living full-time in our new RV, traveling the highways and byways of America, visiting intentional communities, and bringing Laughter Yoga and the benefits of health and wellness coaching to new and old friends along the way! ~Keith

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Tags: Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Healthy Living, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

This is progress!

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, Healthy Living, MCS

I am about to talk about the most hotly debated and taboo topic in the MCS crowd– and that is about healing and possibly being cured. Since I am always on a steady upswing and will never give up, I thought I would just jot down the things I felt were helpful to me– no matter how controversial they may be.

By guestblogger Leslie Richard.

I am trying to learn to drive a car again after five years of being house bound!

People who have never experienced a chemical injury or some kind of health breakdown that causes a person to get Multiple Chemical Sensitivities may find this post a little weird… So be forewarned, let your judgments and confusion take a nap while ya keep on reading.

For those of you who have MCS, ya might have to let your judgments go, too, cause I am about to talk about the most hotly debated and taboo topic in the MCS crowd– and that is about healing & possibly being cured. Yeah, I said the “C” word, and now I am gonna tell you what I really think…

Some of us who developed MCS know exactly what happened, you might have been exposed to chemical in your workplace and then watched your health take a spiral into a housebound hell, you may have been renovating your home and didn’t recover, you may have been a Gulf War veteran who was lied to until recently about pills you were administered, or a 911 victim… or maybe an average person like me who was exposed to various things over time and happen to have an auto immune disease that caused enough damage to make the normal body functions take a dive six feet under.

However you got to the stage of MCS, no matter how hard you had to fight to be understood and never truly were by everyone… there is also this point of acceptance and letting go– letting the label of being “sensitive” be as big a deal as having brown hair.

Over the years, my symptoms of MCS kinda took up and down dives, with being only generally sick when going into K-mart (who isn’t sick in that place?), or when exposed directly to fresh paint, or loud amounts of perfume. These things bordered on normal, and didn’t stop me from at least hanging out at thrift stores. But nearly five years ago I got pregnant, and very sick– when I lost the baby my mild MCS turned into raging impossible to deal with every smell makes me wanna pass out and kill people so I must hide in the woods MCS. It was so intolerable that I could no longer drive without having seizures, I could not stand for my X-boyfriend to come home from the store and get near me with his smelly clothes, I could not hang out with or visit any other humans, or go anywhere in public. After nearly a year of this kind of hell-ish reclusive life, I ventured out…

I didn’t go sticking my head inside of paint cans or huff glue, but I decided if the world was going to kill me, then Fuck It! Let it kill me while I am living my life and doing what I want–

This is the healthier me AT A PARTY recently that included a lot of people, bonfire, some people smoking.

I started off slow and made small goals. Each time I reached a small goal (like buy a lottery ticket at a gas station two blocks away), I would set the bar higher and further ’til I was working on a more functional level. Four years later… look at the picture, that is me AT A PARTY that included a lot of people, bonfire, some people smoking, etc…

Two things I noticed over these years:

1. MCS is not in your head, people react to nasty shit in our environment as a natural part of our body’s function.

2. I (my body) was so used to reacting, there was some auto-anxiety involved… not “in my head” but anxiety that was learned and out of control. Anxiety bad enough to be confused – like was it a symptom or anxiety causes me discomfort?

The reason I bring this up is ’cause there are a few things I have done over the years that I believe have helped me improve. I am not cured, but since I am always on a steady upswing and will never give up, I thought I would just jot down the things I felt were helpful to me– no matter how controversial they may be (and knowing everyone’s body will need their own personal combo of things to heal!)

1. I got on the macrobiotic diet. I did not eat bad before that, in fact I have eaten all organic & whole foods long before health problems, but this diet has some really helpful ways to keep your foods appropriate for your ailments, the seasons, your body temperature, and healing in general. Over time I branched out and added back in some whole foods not strictly on this diet, but ones that help improve my energy and give me a greater variety of nutrients.

2. I got outta my head. This one will undoubtedly make some people with MCS upset ’cause it’s not a head disease, but with any health problems sometimes the best thing we can do is get the heck outta our own way and STOP for da’ love of gawd thinking about sickness, what causes sickness, how we got sick, being mad we got sick, blaming the world we got sick… etc. (you know the thoughts I am talking about!). I had to start thinking about life and my dreams, and not about “sickness” stopping my life.

3. Risks. I am not recommending anyone with MCS do anything to put themselves in harms way, but for me I had to take some risks to find out what my real limits were. With all the other helpful things I was doing for my health (clean house, clean diet, homeopathic detox, being nice to myself) there would come a time when new limits needed to be tested if I was to ever be able to branch out and do anything beyond my own backyard. Each time I took a successful risk (no matter how many were unsuccessful) I was able to do that much more and that did wonders for my mental health, too.

4. Homeopathic/Medicinal stuff. I tried about a billion things, but the only stuff I used that worked for helping detox my body in a gentle way were homeopathic pills for kids (Newton brand) and eating shiitake mushrooms (takes out heavy metal and junk real gentle, easy and tastes good, too!). I don’t like taking pills of any kind, and I did best when I stopped taking all the pills recommended to me and just took the one homeopathic or nothing at all.

5. I got a therapist! Hell yeah I did, because being sick is not easy to deal with and it turned out I learned amazing skills and coping methods that reduced tons of stress in my life and I only had to go for a short period of time before I learned to support myself emotionally and forgive and live again. What I learned in therapy about how to deal with being sick, rolled over into every relationship for the better.

6. Exercise!! No matter what, even if it’s hard and makes ya fatigued. I did this even when bed ridden and at my worst, getting the body moving and the blood circulating is your ticket to wellness.

7. Nice Home Environment. It never needed to be the Taj Mahal for MCSers, just had to not be freshly painted or super disgusting– I moved around more times than I can count on two hands and generally my house plants cleaned the air good enough each time. The really important part for me was not living right in a city (too much pollution), to have fresh air outside, to open my windows, to walk in the woods, to grow my own food, and have animals around me.

8. Brain re-training. I KNOW, this is the one people in the MCS community have been either seething with hate over, praising, arguing, or banning… but I tried it. Let me just tell ya’ll, I didn’t even watch all the CD’s for the Gupta Program but only up until the specific exercise to re-train your brain and I started doing the exercise immediately everyday. Did I do it like 20 times a day like he suggests? NO way maybe like once a day… nor did I do any of his meditations and all those suggestions on how to breathe ’cause I already had enough self help like that in my bag of tricks. But when I had a majorly bad thought about being sick, or bad symptoms, I did the exercise and then moved on. Brain re-training helped me, I can’t put my finger on it but once I started thinking in a positive direction and got my brain outta auto-sick mind, my bravery and ability to do things doubled up ten fold times 100!

This method has helped me tons with my newest challenge, and that is I am trying to learn to drive a car again after five years of being house bound! (See pic at top!)

I remember when I could not breathe in a small enclosed space with any other human unless they were totally decontaminated, chem free … but this picture below is me and my dad recently in my bathroom hanging a mirror together and the only reason my face looks like it does is cause he was calling the mirror a “f-en bastard” and scaring me with his perfectionism.

My Dad and me hanging a mirror together.

I am not in perfect health, I still have trouble breathing in certain places, I still feel ill to smell the fragrance detergents, I still know I am not reliable or well enough to go out and get a regular job… BUT I am much more functional. Functional enough to begin enjoying my life again and I wanted to put this out into the world– for those with MCS or any disease do not give up, ever! The body always is working towards healing itself, the body always wants to get better and so do you… do not give up on the miracle of healing– even if it’s slow and takes many years. Just know none of ya’ll are alone, I am over here at my little cabin in the woods believing everyday that we all can be healthy– no matter what anyone says!

Xoxoxo

~~~

This post was originally published at The Oko Box, where Leslie blogs an eco-friendly interactive commentary on organic clothing, DIY, environment, pollution, health, organic food, organic farming and wildlife adventures.

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Tags: Environmental Health, Health, Healthy Living, Home, Support

Celebrating new life and healthy choices

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, Healthy Living

I’m much too young to be a grandmother, so I am Nanny Franny. And with it comes responsibility to life and good health.

By contributor Franny Armstrong.

Me with my new grandson Brock William Daniel, born April 22.

For the first time since I became ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, I feel there is light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train barreling towards me. Keep up the faith and WILL yourself to be well. I, for one, envision myself celebrating good health and happiness. This has begun with the birth of my grandson. I’m now Nanny Franny (because of course I’m much too young to be a grandmother at 39).

My daugher Christina with Brock just moments after he was born.

Pepsi or Coke? I get asked that question a lot as an author. It’s just one of the interview questions people like to ask. I have been drinking Pepsi for decades and sometimes Coke when the other isn’t available. My hubby always says, “It’s bad for you.” Yet, he doesn’t think twice about eating chicken wings while drinking beer. Hmmm…high cholesterol and high blood pressure mixed with toxins?

We all make choices to better or harm our health. I believe it’s called “free will.” I’ve decided once again to give up pop and any alcohol then keep working one day at a time to continue on the road to wellness.

I’m happy to say that I’ve begun to react less harshly to fragrances and other contaminants after nearly ten years of “avoidance” and eating healthy. I live in the country next to a golf course but hubby doesn’t want to move. After calling the clubhouse to ask for a warning a day or two in advance of when they spray the FUNGICIDES to keep their lawns beautiful, I never received a reply.

Brock with his sister Alexis.

The first time I became ill, I dropped like a rock into poor health and could barely talk, shook like a leaf all the time, and slept nearly TWENTY HOURS A DAY! I was diagnosed as Bipolar II, yet my psychiatrist, who by the way says I’m NOT crazy (whew), agreed that moving away from pesticides that affect the brain neurologically, not to mention cause cancer, was a great idea in improving my health.

Alas, if you have an “alpha male” like I do, it’s like trying to move the Rock Of Gibraltar with a toothpick. Most of the time I stay indoors typing on my beloved laptop, pouring out the stories from my overactive imagination in the world of paranormal romantic suspense. I even write about environmental illness but those particular books are taking a long time to create. It’s difficult to write what you live, while at the same time also writing about what other people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity live, too.

Joy goes a long way in promoting good health. My daughter is thoughtful to make sure the baby and I are not exposed to toxic chemicals. No baby powder, no Ivory Snow, no other fragrances either. She’s a gem.

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!

NEVER SURRENDER! NEVER GIVE UP!

Hugs,
Franny Armstrong-ParaNovelGirl

Come visit me at ParaNovelGirls and my website.

~~~

Franny Armstrong is a writer of “paranormal romantic suspense” novels filled with private investigators, police, and even Royal Canadian Mounted Police who use their amazing psychic abilities to catch the villains. Franny also uses her technical and journalistic skills to create helpful, upbeat stories and articles to enlighten and motivate people.

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Tags: Children's Health, Healthy Living, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Leslie’s Land and Luck Cabin, a green dream come true

Posted on Apr 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, Susie Collins

Leslie Richard from The Oko Box bought a beautiful piece of wild land with a tiny Luck Cabin, where she’s found a little slice of heaven! Come take a walk with her and a friend.

It’s always wonderful to see a canary’s dreams come true. I met Leslie online two years ago, shortly after starting The Canary Report. We enjoyed each other’s blogs from the get go and she’s a founding member of our Canary Community. Her love of nature and knowledge about living a nontoxic life is inspirational, and she does it all with smarts, determination, creativity, and a wicked sense of humor. She’s an eco-warrior goddess who walks the walk.

Leslie checking up on tadpoles.

Leslie’s chemical sensitivities are acute, and I’ve watched her struggle to keep her good health in various environments. Well, I’m happy to report that she’s recently bought a beautiful piece of wild land with a tiny Luck Cabin, where she’s found a little slice of heaven! With the help of friends, she’s putting in new flooring, a claw foot tub, compost toilet, a kitchen and more.

A friend of hers came to visit and made the above video tape during their walk in the woods. It’s great fun to hear Leslie’s voice for the first time– and of course it’s great fun to see Leslie in action tracking rabbits, deer, and even birds soaring high above.

Leslie blogs all about life as an eco-girl, so be sure to visit The Oko Box Blog for details about the Luck Cabin and more. If you’re like me, you’ll get hooked in an instant and want to go fetch your Oko Box fix first thing every morning!

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Tags: Healthy Living

Finishing wood with walnut oil and beeswax

Posted on Mar 18, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, Healthy Living, Products

Walnut oil is a great nontoxic choice for finishing wood, and you can easily make your own mixture with beeswax.

By guestblogger Erik Schimek.

Walnut oil is a great choice when creating your own oil and wax mixture due to its safety and low rancidity (it does not spoil easily, when compared with other common oils). It should be combined with beeswax, using the process outlined below.

Finding Walnut Oil and Beeswax

Walnut oil can be purchased in many grocery stores and food co-ops; there’s little difference between organic walnut oil and conventional walnut oil as the oil will not be consumed.

Beeswax can be purchased in bulk at many farmers markets, or in block form on ebay.

Creating the Oil and Wax Mixture

Walnut oil makes a great nontoxic finish for your wood furniture.

Add the walnut oil into the top of a double boiler, on low-to-medium heat. Boil it lightly; do not overheat.

Add beeswax to the double boiler, in a ratio of 2 (beeswax) to 1 (walnut oil). Heat the mixture to the melting point of wax, then stir to combine the oil & wax together.

When completed, the mixture should be solid enough to apply easily with a rag without being “drippy” or liquid. Add additional beeswax or walnut oil as needed.

Note: The leftover mixture can be stored for several years; it will harden into a block and can be reheated for later use.

Applying the Oil & Wax Mixture

Step 1:

The initial coat of oil and wax should contain a higher proportion of oil, to assist in the application process.

Rub the mixture into the wood with a rag. Let it set for a few hours.

Step 2:

A second coat is recommended, with a higher proportion of wax than the first layer. The second coat should also be allowed to set for a few hours.

Step 3:

Take a second (clean) rag and buff off the excess oil & wax.

Step 4:

The oil and wax should be re-applied at least once a year, more often for high-traffic surface areas like floors or desktops.

Guarding Against Rancidity

Although walnut oil is resistant to rancidity, all natural oils will develop a foul odor if they are not boiled, if they are exposed to constant moisture of high humidity, or if they not mixed with enough wax.

Homemade oil and wax, by its very nature, is a natural product and can react differently in various climates.

~~~

This post was originally published at Erik Organic Blog.

Erik has been designing custom cabinets and furniture for nearly a decade. When he became ill due to solvent exposure several years ago, he became acutely aware of hidden toxins in the home which slow down the healing process. Erik Organic was founded in 2007 to provide safe, high quality home improvement options.

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Tags: Healthy Living, Home, Nontoxic, Products

Jacki and John are married!

Posted on Feb 14, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, Susie Collins

Jacki reports she and John married yesterday in the midst of a snow-covered forest! Their dear friend Coleen officiated.

The ceremony

Exciting news from Jacki!

Coleen did a great job making it very special and full of love. Thank you to all my friends that wrote a email for her to read during the wedding. You were all there in love and words. THANK YOU for making John & my day so special…

LOVE,
j & j

Videos to follow soon! Read more about Jacki and John’s story of love here.

Congratulations, Jacki and John! The Canary Report community wishes you both all the happiness in the world in your new life as husband and canary! xoxo

~~~

02/17/10 UPDATE: Video now posted here.

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Tags: Healthy Living, Support

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity housing survey

Posted on Jan 21, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, MCS, Products, Susie Collins

Home renovation expert launches survey to discover the housing needs of people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Please take a moment to participate!

James Van Raden, doing home renovation services under the name Paragon Renovations in North Dakota and Minnesota is starting a new “energy efficient affordable housing” business called Building Impressions. He’s expressed interest in including safe homes for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity as part of his services. To that end, he’s currently conducting an exploratory survey to discover the needs of people with MCS.

James is a member of our Canary Report social network and I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with him. I think he’s genuinely interested in exploring the housing needs of people with chemical sensitivity and sees as his goal the creation of safe housing for people with MCS. I hope you’ll join me in supporting his efforts.

Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey so James has the information he needs to develop this aspect of his business.

Hello Everyone!

The housing study is ready and can be accessed by visiting

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A53MHW7T7

Thanks everyone for your willingness to participate and the survey is limited to 100 responses and I hope that there are many more that wish to take the survey than that!

If there is more interest in participating than 100 I will create another study so PLEASE visit the study page and answer as many questions as you are willing.

Also, for those NOT afflicted with MCS please leave the study for those that are and I appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Warmest regards,

James Van Raden

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Tags: Environmental Health, Home, Housing, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Products, Support

Love in a blue moon

Posted on Dec 28, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, Healthy Living, MCS

On Thursday, I will wed under the full blue moon.

Post by guest blogger Jacki.

Here is our story:

At around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, JB and I will be married by my friend Coleen, an organic non fu fu great lady friend. She got her license to perform weddings in March of this year just for me, knowing I could not go into a public building or church setting. She is so excited that she will now be able to use her license.

My sister Laurie will be my witness. She is just starting to learn to be fu fu free. She loves using vinegar and baking soda on her clothes and Dr Bronners on her skin, and coconut oil on her food and body. She has come a long way, baby. Out of three sisters, she is the only one that has “made adjustments to her life” to accommodate my Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and to live a healthier lifestyle herself. She loves the change.

Laurie is now noticing dryer sheets in the neighborhoods, and automatic air fresheners in public restrooms. It is cute ‘cause now she calls me “complaining” about toxic items people use. It makes me feel so much more connected with her. I am so lucky after 10 years she finally “gets it.” Now if only the other two sisters would.

Today, JB and I went to the city to get our marriage license. JB did all the work, went into the public building, 6th floor, and filled out all the paper work. I’d called and begged the licensing officials to let me sign the papers outside due to my MCS, but they didn’t seem very cooperative so I brought my big respirator mask with me.

Sitting in the car waiting for JB to call me up to the 6th floor, I was so pleasantly surprised to see him walking a woman out to the car, in a blizzard snow storm! She was kind enough and compassionate enough to come outside in the blizzard to let me sign all the paper work outside. I was willing to meet her at the door but she said the building is full of scented air fresheners and sanitizers.

She recognized my name and remembered me from the old neighborhood where she lived two doors down from my sister. She said she wanted to help me out and not get me ill, so she came out with JB in a blizzard and let me sign all the papers from the safety of our car. I had tears of joy and gratitude streaming down my face to think she was so compassionate to let me sign my marriage papers from my car instead of the 6th floor of a toxic public building… wow. There is such a thing as compassion and kindness left in this world, and JB and I witnessed it today.

So on Dec 31st, at around 7:30 p.m., at the very spot where we met, JB and I will wed under the full blue moon. Snow, rain, sleet, clouds, or a clear night, we will be in the woods in the fresh air, with the heavens above and the wild creatures as our witnesses. But mostly we will be in love’s light and God’s light to start the new year, the new decade, 2010, as one in unity
as Mr. and Mrs.

Fifty-two years old and I am a blushing bride-to-be, amazing.

This is the lesson:

To write your own happy story even when all the odds are against you and all the challenges seem too big to take.

To take a deep breath and believe that all things happen for a reason to learn, to grow, to become better and more spiritual and more simple and more LOVE.

To re-write your story to have a HAPPY ending.

To remember it is your story and you are the creature of the illusion; some things we cannot change, but we can always change our attitude and our eyes about how we see things.

To make sure your glass is always half full, and the sky mostly sunny.

And to be grateful for every breath on this earth, no matter what.

Love,
jj

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Tags: Healthy Living, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Support

Film review: Chemerical

Posted on Dec 26, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos

Review by Linda Sepp.

I would give a copy of this film to everyone if I could afford it.

I received a copy of the new documentary film Chemerical and wanted to share a few thoughts with you about it. The film shows how a family detoxifies and survives to tell the tale, AND not only that, they save money by cooking up some of their own products.

This is a really good film for people who haven’t thought about how they are poisoning themselves and just buy chemicals off the shelf for their kitchen, bathroom, cleaning and personal care use, either because they don’t believe there is a problem or they think buying healthy products is too inconvenient.

The film isn’t heavy, even though the subject is, and encourages the viewer to make changes instead of just hitting you on the head.

I would have made a few more points, including some info on neuro-toxins and endocrine disruptors, as well as hammered in that air “fresheners” are poison instead of just not fresheners. The microbiologist made a comment about air fresheners, which showed he wasn’t a chemist. That should have been edited, but his other stuff was good. They didn’t mention that essential oils have to be USDA certified organic to be safe, and that EO need to be used carefully as they can be sensitizers even if organic. I might also have mentioned that not all soap is created equal, but that might be in the documentation that can be downloaded if you join the Chemerical Community from their website. (All the site’s pages might not be up and running quite yet.)

The film has a segment with a woman with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and Dr. Lynn Marshall from the Environmental Health Institute in Ontario. Stacy Malkan is also there for a bit, as is Dr. Rick Smith from Environmental Defence. They mention the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetics safety database, too. And a few other experts, like one who tests their indoor air quality before and after they embark on detoxifying their lives from unnecessary chemical use.

I would give a copy of this film to everyone if I could afford it.

In Sweden a number of years ago, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, a Swedish doctor and cancer scientist, wanted to create a consensus among governments, business people and environmentalists as to what must at least be agreed to safe guard prosperous life.

“With the support of His Majesty the King of Sweden, Karl XVI Gustaf, this ‘consensus document’ and accompanying audio tape was sent to every household and school in Sweden.”

This eventually went on to become The Natural Step.

If only we had a King Gustaf who would help deliver films like Chemerical, we would soon have a safer world for all living beings.

Link to purchase Chemerical.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Environmental Health, Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Personal Care, Products, Sick Building, Video

Surviving the holidays: Guidelines for visiting people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Posted on Dec 24, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, MCS, Susie Collins

Your home may be your only safe haven from chemical exposures. Here are some guidelines to give family and friends before they visit over the holidays.

The holidays are strewn with toxic chemical landmines for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Some of our biggest problems can be brought to us by visitors who truly love us– family and friends– but who do not understand MCS or why we are put on the defensive during holiday visits. They don’t understand why we just don’t get over ourselves, welcome them with open arms and big hugs, and join the merriment. Meanwhile, we are overwhelmed with perfumes, freshly dyed and coiffed hairdos, laundry products and dryer sheet residues on people’s clothing, holiday potpourris, scented candles, food that can make us sick, new products brought as gifts that knock us on our butts, and tons more toxic products.

The Allergy, Sensitivity, and Environmental Health Association of Australia has some excellent information to educate family, friends and other people on what may be needed in order to visit people who have MCS. Individuals will vary as to what is acceptable or not, but ASEHA’s “Guidelines for visiting a person with MCS” gives a good starting point on the types of things that need to be considered.

It has in many cases taken years for someone with MCS to clear their homes of products that contain chemicals that adversely affect their health. This is no mean feat, try maintaining a home without being able to use commercially available paints, wallpapers, cleaning products, insulating products etc. Even after years of dealing with the challenges there are difficulties. The home of a person with MCS may be their only SAFE HAVEN from chemical exposures. Please respect this space; it has often taken a long time to make it happen.

If your visit brings with it a number of chemical contaminants, the person may:

* Become total disabled,
* Suffer an asthma attack that is difficult to resolve as the person cannot use medications normally used to treat attacks,
* Have a major life threatening reaction (anaphylaxis)
* Experience a permanent deterioration in their health, a greater degree of sensitivity to chemicals, and probably to an even larger range of products and chemicals.
* Be afflicted by pain, disorientation, discomfort, migraine etc.

If you have any questions about chemical sensitivity and the needs of the person you are planning to visit please ask – BEFORE YOU VISIT.

Link to full copy of the Guidelines.

Thanks, Linda!

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Tags: Chemicals, Environmental Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Products, Toxic