Tag Archives: Health
Professor of chemical engineering urges students to go fragrance-free
Posted on Feb 03, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins
Chemical engineering professor at the University of New Hampshire encourages students to “be considerate to human canaries and help them to enjoy life to the fullest.”
Ihab Farag, professor of chemical engineering at the University of New Hampshire and member of our Canary Report community, wrote a letter to the editor at his school’s student paper to raise awareness about chemical sensitivity. And they published it! I’m a huge supporter of letters to the editor. Bravo, Ihab!
Many of us are familiar with canaries, the beautiful, colorful birds that tend to sing most of the time. Canaries also saved many human lives in coalmines. This is because canaries are much more sensitive to toxic gases than humans. Miners would take canaries with them in the coalmine. If the canary stopped singing and fell (or died), the miners knew to leave the coal mine quickly to safety.
There are individuals who have developed a very strong sensitivity to many common chemicals. These people can be very negatively affected and irritated by fumes, chemical cleaners, disinfectants, cigarette/cigar smoke, engine exhaust, solvents, etc. These people are often called “Human Canaries” of the modern world, because of the chemical sensitivity similarity to that of Canaries. Human Canaries of the 21st century tend to be very strongly irritated by everyday chemicals like perfumes, hair products, shampoos, shower gels, after shave lotions, antiperspirants, deodorants, hand sanitizers, chap sticks, finger nail polish, etc. Human canaries look the same as other people, and when you see one you probably will not recognize he or she is a human canary until an offensive toxic chemical triggers his or her sensitivity.
Please be considerate to human canaries and help them to enjoy life to the fullest. One way you can help the human canary and at the same time lower your exposure to undesirable chemicals, is to go fragrance-free: avoiding perfumes, and fragranced personal care products.
Ihab Farag
Professor, Chemical Engineering Department
Link to Dr. Farag’s home page at the University of New Hampshire.
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Short film: The Story of Food
Posted on Jan 19, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Food, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
The Story Of Food from USC Canada on Vimeo.
USC Canada’s new short, animated film will get you thinking about our broken food system.
It identifies what’s gone wrong with the modern food system, and what we can do to rebuild it.
Link to more info about the film.
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Linda Sepp launches a blog about her urgent housing needs
Posted on Jan 17, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, MCS, Susie Collins
The main purpose of Linda’s blog is to send out a clarion call for help in securing safe water, clothing and place to live. Are you able to help?
Canary Report contributor Linda Sepp launched her own blog today! I am doing the admin on the site but the writing is all Linda’s.
As many of you know, Linda suffers severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and is housebound. She faces eviction on April 4. She’s using the blog to explain her urgent housing needs in the hopes of finding people who can help her in securing safe water, clothing and place to live. Other than a limited amount of support given by Canada’s social services, Linda’s basically been abandoned by her country’s safety net, even though Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Environmental Sensitivities are fully recognized by the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
The urgency of Linda’s situation cannot be over emphasized given the looming eviction. Please visit her blog, read through the posts and pages, and if you are able to help her in any way, please do so! I’m especially interested in finding people in Toronto who can help Linda with everything from daily chores like shopping and shoveling snow, to the larger challenges such as installing a water filter and finding her a safe home.
Linda’s challenges are great but I’m convinced there are people out there who can help her. We just need to find them and enlist their help. Please do all you can to brainstorm about this, or more importantly, implement action!
From Linda’s “About” page:
I am disabled and housebound from severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivities / Environmental Sensitivities (MCS/ES) and chemically induced Fibromyalgia (FM) as well as some ElectroHyperSensitivity (EHS). My symptoms and abilities are directly, and often severely impacted by exposure to petro-chemicals, moulds, wireless technologies and high electrical fields, yet most resolve when I am able to avoid exposures. There may be some residual and permanent brain damage, but we won’t know until I have safe housing and the therapeutic supports required to repair and heal the damage.
My critical and urgent needs list includes: 1) a whole house water filtration system and installation, 2) a washing machine, 3) clothing, 4) a housing search and preparation, and 5) an advocate to help me navigate the processes to secure it all. Are you able to help me in any way?
Bloggers, please add Linda’s blog to your blogroll and share her story with your readers. Please do all you can to find people who can help her secure safe water, clothing and a place to live. You can also donate funds by check or PayPal, or purchase some needed clothing for Linda.
Together, we can make this happen!
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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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Puzzles for cognitive health
Posted on Dec 06, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
Doing puzzles can improve your cognitive skills and even stave off some diseases.
We all know how Multiple Chemical Sensitivity can interfere with our cognitive abilities, especially during an exposure to toxic chemicals or phytotoxins such as toxic mold. In this TED Talk, famed puzzle designer Scott Kim takes us inside the puzzle-maker’s frame of mind. Sampling his career’s work, he introduces us to a few of the most popular types, and shares the fascinations that inspired some of his best.
Kim says electronic and online games are moving away from violent themes and trending toward games for a healthy lifestyle. He sees three distinct trends emerging: casual games, mental fitness, and social media. Kim talks about his website Shuffle Brain, which includes a game called Photograb that reminds me of those games I played as I kid where you had to find things like ladders, cats, and irons hidden in the picture– I loved those games! Photograb mixes puzzles with social photo-sharing, where you play your friends’ photos to sharpen your visual skills. It’s a very clever blend of puzzles and social networking.
Puzzles like this are an excellent way for those with MCS to exercise our brains: Use it or lose it, peeps!
Here is Scott Kim’s TED talk:
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Happy Thanksgiving, Canaries xoxo
Posted on Nov 26, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
I wish you safe air, water, clothing and shelter today and every day.
Aloha,
Susie
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H1N1 vaccine by Pandemrix® poses risk to people with known hypersensitivity
Posted on Nov 04, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, News, Susie Collins
Environmental physicians in Germany say H1N1 vaccine by Pandemrix® is unsuitable for patients with chronic multi-system illnesses.
CSN: Chemical Sensitivity Network reports the German Professional Association of Environmental Medicine advises against the H1N1 vaccine by Pandemrix® for people with chronic multi-system illnesses.
Press release of the German Professional Association of Environmental Medicine (Deutscher Berufsverband der Umweltmediziner – DBU).
From 26. October 2009.
Swine flu [H1N1] vaccine is unsuitable for patients with chronic multi-system illnesses. Pandemrix® poses substantial health risk with respect to mass immunization programs due to the lack of proof of safety. Because of the producer’s release from liability by the German Federal Government (BRD), the risk of adverse reactions and/or permanent damage due to the vaccine rests with the patient.
The German Professional Association of Environmental Medicine (DBU) has, in spite of press releases from the BRD, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, as well as the vaccine producer’s assurances of safety, serious concerns relating to Pandemrix® (GlaxoSmithKline), the only vaccine which has been approved for mass vaccination by the BRD.
The DBU discusses at this point neither the medical use of immunization in general nor the necessity of such measures in the, up until now, mild course of the swine flu pandemic.
Our criticism is directed only against the pandemic vaccine Pandemrix®.
- There exists considerable doubt as to the effectiveness of the vaccine: during the licensing phase, the vaccine tested had a 40% higher portion of virus antigen (5. 25µg) than the vaccine (3.75µg) now being delivered. An unequivocal consensus has not been reached as to whether the vaccination should be given once or twice a season.
- There exists considerable doubt concerning the safety of the adjuvanted active amplifier since it is being used for the first time. The vaccine contains 27.4mg AS03, an emulsion of polysorbate, squalene and tocopherol. Sufficient studies are lacking, because in the test phase, only the development of antibody titers was determined as a surrogate criterion, and not any potential adverse reactions.
- The producer as well as government agencies have concealed the fact that squalene, if used subcutaneously or intramuscularly is an inflammatory immune activation immunogen, unlike when ingested. (Squalene is, among other things, for example, naturally contained in olive oil.)
- Autoimmune diseases can be provoked by squalene; already existing ones can be activated. Squalene has been connected with the emergence of Guillan-Barré Syndrome (GBS) and is now considered a trigger for Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). In animal studies squalene brought on rheumatoid arthritis.
- Squalene from food sources is mainly incorporated into membranes in the body. The production of squaline antibodies resulting from an immunization sets off chronic inflammation of the membranes, which explains diseases such as Gulf War Syndrome and also degenerative neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy and Guillan-Barré Syndrome.
- The delivery of vaccine in multiple dose ampules is obsolete. In single dose ampules the mercury used for preservation, as in thimerosal – which is included in Pandemrix – would be unnecessary. Also, mercury has been proven to set off autoimmune diseases.
- Since the vaccine has not been tested on either young children or pregnant women (Ethics Commission objection), the call to give preference in the first phase of vaccination to precisely this particularly endangered segment of the population represents an improper and totally unjustifiable field test.
- The vaccine poses a higher risk than the swine flu itself for patients with environmental illness and for patients with compromised immune systems (e.g. AIDS).
- The vaccine producer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), according to the contract with the BRD, is largely exempt from liability. In case of damage from the vaccination, the affected vaccinee would have to sue the government and therefore the country of Germany, usually a futile exercise.
- To avoid the trap of liability, the doctor giving the vaccination must meticulously inform the patient of all risks concerning the vaccination and the vaccine. It is recommended to give this information in the presence of an assistant and to have it be confirmed by the patient’s signature. The explanation should also include the liability features. Also the indication that other, lower risk vaccines are available in Europe and that due to a faulty decision by the German government, they are currently not available to the German population. This information should definitely be included in the explanation.
For general and environmental health considerations the DBU urgently advises against carrying out a vaccination with Pandemrix®.
Dr.med. Hans-Peter Donate for the board of the German Professional Association of Environmental Medicine (DBU)
Translation by CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network.
For more information on Pandemrix®, here is the manufacturer’s summary of product characteristics. Here is a quick look at one section on possible side effects:
Caution is needed when administering this vaccine to persons with a known hypersensitivity (other than anaphylactic reaction) to the active substance, to any of the excipients, to thiomersal and to residues (egg and chicken protein, ovalbumin, formaldehyde, gentamicin sulphate and sodium deoxycholate).
Editor’s Note: Content on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use this information for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment.
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New online radio station for people with Environmental Illness
Posted on Sep 12, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
DTOX Radio programming will include music, old time radio programs, radio plays, who-done-it mysteries and hilarious comedies.
A new online radio station for people with Environmental Illness and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity has just been launched. Creator of DTOX Radio is Canary Report member Rob Neis (at left). The Rob Network’s programming right now is easy listening music, but Rob plans on enriching the content with interviews, information about EI/MCS, and for those of us who can no longer read books due to outgassing issues, regular programming also will include old time radio plays and comedy sketches. Doesn’t that sound like fun? We can all listen together!
I’m very excited about the DETOX Radio project. It will enrich the overall online content available to people with Environmental Illness and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Rob has generously offered The Canary Report some air time, so I’ll be creating some five-minutes spots and possibly some hour-long programs for DTOX radio in the near future. Stay tuned!
Welcome to The Rob Network, the home of DTOX Radio
We are very pleased to bring you DTOX Radio, the worlds first 24/7 online radio dedicated to people suffering from Environmental Illnesses.
Now playing; The best non-toxic online music there is
We will soon be updating our program schedule and adding more shows dealing with the complex issues surrounding Environmental Illnesses.
For those who miss the pleasure of relaxing with a good book. We will soon be bringing back several old time radio programs featuring; radio plays, “who done it” mysteries and hilarious comedies.
Our regularly scheduled programs begin at 1pm EST and are repeated at 1am EST. We do this for our friends in different time zones and to give everyone the chance to join in and participate.
We’re always interested in hearing your feedback. Please feel free to drop us an email with your comments and suggestions. But remember, they may just be read on the radio.
Congratulations, Rob! Well done!
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Potter with chemical sensitivity goes through the fire
Posted on Jul 29, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Disability Rights, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins, Worker's Rights
Raku, a Japanese pottery technique, creates a thermal shock in the kiln that will either destroy the work or make it into something amazing.
Post by Susie Collins.
Amy Pratt was unable to throw pottery for close to a year due to injuries caused to her chest wall by coughing too hard and for too long from exposure to toxic chemicals. The chemical exposures she endured at work, coupled with myriad things they were doing to her body, stopped her from doing much of anything for a long time.
“My hiccups and vocal tics were getting worse with activity,” Amy says. “The hand and arm spasms make throwing very challenging.”
But it didn’t stop her completely. Like her pottery in the kiln, Amy burned through the worst of it and is back at her craft making balls and rattles.
“It started out as something to do to practice different texture, firing, and glaze techniques,” she says. “I wanted to try to do something repetitive, to see how I could improve my skills or see how long before I got really bored from it.
“I am now planning to make fountains or some kind of outdoor sculptures out of them.”
Amy is practicing her craft in the studio at the school where she used to work. She started throwing there last spring, before she was asked to leave her job of nine years.
Amy, in her early 40s, has been throwing since she was eight years old, during her first trip to summer camp. She says she didn’t have anyone show her how to do it, she just “went at it,” sometimes spinning art across the room.
“I was able to center, and make something close to a small bowl,” she says. “There is something magical, something primal about taking a lump of clay and creating something with it.”
Amy’s first clue she had Multiple Chemical Sensitivity came in 1997 when she had two isolated exposures from which she completely recovered.
But in 2001, she was leveled by an exposure to lacquer oil, and she almost lost her job because she was too down at work and too ill for close to a year. In 2005, she was again knocked out by paints, carpet and glues, and was out of work for five months. By late 2006, she was experiencing exposures almost daily, which, when coupled with a back injury, led to further complications. She filed a total of six worker compensation claims in three years. She’s now fighting for a disability claim.
“I am often asked, ‘Why do ceramics, why expose yourself to more chemicals and dust?’” Amy says. “Why? Because it keeps me sane.”
Amy says the studio where she throws is very proactive with keeping clay dust down to a minimum, and she avoids using the glaze room when the sprayer is being used.
“I wouldn’t be able to do anything there if I didn’t have the support of the people who run the place,” she says.
So far, the worst exposures at the studio have been fumes from glues, hand lotions and perfumes. There has only been a few times when she could not enter the kiln yard due to something bothering her.
“Throwing helps me cope by getting out and being with other people,” Amy says.
She describes Raku, the Japanese pottery technique she uses, as creating thermal shock that will either destroy the work or make it into something amazing. “You have to let go and see what happens, there is only a small amount of control,” she explains. “Clay can take a lot of abuse, as long as you don’t drop it.”
The analogy of Raku to life with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is unmistakable.
“When I finish my self portrait, I plan on raku-ing it, using all of the boxes of paperwork generated from my claims to be burned in the process,” she says. “Fire, good.”
Photos by Amy Pratt.
You can view more of Amy’s pottery on her photo page at The Canary Report’s social network.
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Adventurous canary to make film about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Posted on Jul 06, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Kimberly Shaw, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
Film will delve into the often overlooked and misunderstood condition of chemical sensitivity.
Adventurous Canary Productions announces the making of a film about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Filmmaker Kimberly Shaw was diagnosed with MCS in the mid-1990s. She has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Health and is currently earning a master of science degree.
This film project will produce both short and feature-length documentaries about real people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Our purpose is to create awareness with the hope of inspiring change.
No longer confined to laboratories, chemicals today make our food prettier, our perfumes and personal care products cheaper, and our lawns and golf courses pest and weed-free. We are increasingly surrounded by authorized and unauthorized chemicals which not only impact our environment, but also directly impact us. While most are unaware, there are some who are increasingly sensitive that live as canaries among us.
This film will delve into an often overlooked and misunderstood condition of chemical sensitivity, explaining what MCS is and how it originates, what its diverse symptoms are and how people deal with it in their everyday lives. The documentary will share recent discoveries from health care professionals and MCS experts while taking a personal and compassionate look at the modern day canaries in our chemical coalmine and the “safer” havens they have created to live in.
The film’s working title is Environmentally Not Safe. The filmmakers are looking for people with MCS and experts on the subject to interview. If you would be willing to donate your time for an interview, please contact Kimberly at info@adventurouscanary.com.
Kimberly is a member of The Canary Report’s social network, where she generously shares her knowledge about safe products, housing and other health issues.
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Mosquito spray, scented children’s books, and radioactive consumer goods
Posted on Jun 13, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Linda Sepp
LINDA’S LUGUBRIOUS LACHRYMALS.
Post by Linda Sepp.
The Woodlands Villager reports mosquito season prevention efforts amping up:
Spraying is done with insecticides such as Permethrin, which Cottingham says isn’t harmful to humans save for those with chemical sensitivities.
Spraying is done in the late evening or early morning to avoid people, however, and drivers are conscious of people who might still be outside and turn off the foggers when they see them.
“If you hear the mosquito truck, you should probably go inside,” Cottingham said. “If nothing else, it means there are a high number of mosquitoes or diseases in the area, and no one needs that.”
Statewide, many public officials judge spraying as largely ineffective, in part based on the findings of a Texas A&M study conducted after the first appearances of the West Nile virus in the United States in 2002.
One contributing factor is wind, which often blows the sprayed chemicals away from targeted breeding areas. Another is that entire swarms of mosquitoes flee the chemical plumes.
OC Weekly reports on Mo’s Nose, an upcoming series of high-tech children’s books written by Margaret Hyde about a dog named Mo. The books contain “new Press-2-Smell Technology, in which hidden, nontoxic, scented packets allow kids to delight in Mo’s exciting discovery of strawberries, roses and much more.” There is no mention of how “non-toxic” is defined.
Scripps reports recycled radioactive metal contaminates consumer products. “Common kitchen cheese graters, reclining chairs, women’s handbags and tableware manufactured with contaminated metals have been identified, some after having been in circulation for as long as a decade. So have fencing wire and fence posts, shovel blades, elevator buttons, airline parts and steel used in construction.”
Wiley reports on a study finding a link between Parkinson’s Disease and pesticide exposure in French farm workers.
Greenwich Citizen reports a green group urges reduction of common chemicals use. The Go Greener Greenwich environmental task force points out: “Because of the high volume of chemicals we commonly use, children growing up now are predicted to be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. That is a staggering and chilling fact.”
Science News reports pesticide may seed American infant formulas with melamine.
The Canadian Press reports new life grows in the debate over genetically modified wheat, but experts say old seeds of doubt still abound.
SF Gate food writer Michael Bauer reports on perfume in restaurants: Let’s ban perfume from restaurants, and, in 2008, Dining with Coco Chanel.
How much more do we need to know before we do the right thing?
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Chronic Healing is launched
Posted on Jun 11, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
Jeanne’s Endo Blog morphs into new blog called Chronic Healing.
Jeanne, who blogged at Jeanne’s Endo Blog for a year and is a regular here at The Canary Report, upgraded her site to a whole new format and name: Chronic Healing. Jeanne has several chronic conditions that include endometriosis, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, interstitial cystitis, Reynaud’s, irritable bowel syndrome, neuropathy and vulvodynia/vulvar vestibulitis. Though her old blog focused mostly on endometriosis, she now blogs about all her conditions and on chronic illness in general, and since infertility is so common in endometriosis patients, she also writes a lot about that.
Jeanne has become a good friend over the past year, and we email or “tweet” to each other almost daily. I admire her greatly for her enthusiasm and stamina in the face of so many chronic illnesses, many of which cause her immense pain. I also find her a role model for creating a sense of community among her readers and for supporting fellow bloggers.
Jeanne has strong sense of medical justice that permeates her insight on chronic illness, and she never fails to lift my spirits no matter no tightly I am sitting on the pity pot.
In Jeanne’s words about her new blog Chronic Healing:
In a former life, this was known as “Jeanne’s Endo Blog.” What began as primarily an endometriosis blog, that occasionally discussed conditions found to co-exist with endometriosis, has really morphed into a blog about a number of chronic conditions.
With Chronic Healing, my goal is to help patients and their loved ones find (and give) support, information, and resources in regard to chronic conditions. By networking with one another, we can learn so much. We can help each other with ideas to support one another, cope with our conditions, and maximize our quality of life.
There is so much we can learn from fellow patients. In addition to Traditional Western Medicine, there are wonderful alternative medicine options available. These options are not often discussed by Traditional Western medical doctors. Integrative medicine (taking the best Traditional Western Medicine has to offer and the best alternative medicine has to offer) has worked best for me. Drugs and surgery have their place but they are not always the answer.
I had the pleasure to win Jeanne’s first giveaway at the launch of Chronic Healing: a CD by Jannie Funster. YAY! Thanks! Always fun to win something. A cute story about that: Jannie wrote to tell me she was packing up the CD for mailing, and wanted to know if I wanted it scented with jasmine moonbeams, lemon verbena, or chocolate macadamia nuts. I thought, “Oh great, I win something and now I’ll never be able to listen to it because it’s scented!” I had just read an article about the publishing industry starting to put scent in books, so the idea of scented CDs was not too much of a stretch. Come to find out, Jannie was offering imaginary scent! Ooooo, we MCSers LUVS imaginary scent! I picked moonbeams, YUM.
Also, Jeanne went way over board on a post highlighting yours truly. I am truly humbled. It’s very kind of Jeanne to include me in her “posse” and say such nice things about The Canary Report and my work. Thank you, Jeanne, for the kind and generous words, the feeling is mutual!
Keep up the good work, Jeanne!
Link to Chronic Healing.
Link to follow Jeanne on Twitter.
Link to follow Jannie on Twitter.
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Letter to neighbors about toxic fumes
Posted on May 20, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Keith Carlson, MCS, Susie Collins
A template for a letter you may use when asking your neighbors to stop using toxic products.
Editor’s Note: Here’s a template for a letter you may use when asking your neighbors to stop using toxic products that drift fumes onto your property and into your home. This letter was written by The Canary Report contributor Keith Carlson, aka Nurse Keith, who blogs at Digital Doorway. Keith and his wife Mary have graciously allowed it to be shared. Thanks, Keith and Mary!
Dear Neighbors,
March greetings! As we look toward the weather finally warming up and Spring settling over New England (yes, Spring is more than just a rumor, folks!), most of us turn our attention to spending more time outdoors, opening our windows, airing out our homes, and preparing for the long-awaited Summer!
For the two of us, the coming of Spring is ever so welcome, but it also brings with it certain health challenges. Some of you may recall a letter that we sent around to some of our abutting neighbors about a year ago. In that letter, we described how we both have developed Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)– also known as Environmental Illness (EI) and Chemical Injury– and how it has impacted our lives.
For the uninitiated, MCS is a syndrome that causes the affected individual to be extra sensitive to chemicals, fragrances and other toxins in the environment. While people with MCS are sometimes affected by different substances, the most commonly used chemicals that can severely impact the health of a person with MCS are dryer sheets, laundry detergents, car exhaust, smoke, petroleum products, perfumes, and fragranced personal products of various kinds. Symptoms can range from headache, fatigue and sore throat to respiratory distress, nausea, and neurological disturbances like memory loss, confusion, and emotional distress.
While we are both under treatment for our condition by a medical doctor, the best way to treat MCS is with avoidance of the offending substances, and you can imagine how very difficult that can be in this fragrance- and chemical-saturated world.
You may be wondering why we are writing to you, our neighbors, about this issue. The reason we are writing is that we have found that the fumes emitted from dryer vents can actually cause both of us rather severe symptoms, and those fumes, of course, carry the vaporized and heated fragrances and chemicals that are part and parcel of the dryer sheets that most Americans use when they dry their clothes.
Here is where the science speaks for itself. Unbeknownst to most Americans, the chemical and fragrance industries (which, by the way, are basically the same entity) have been wholly unregulated since World War II. The FDA does not regulate the ingredients in dryer sheets, laundry detergent and other household cleaners and personal care products.
Also, the companies that produce these products are not required to disclose their chemical contents. Next time you pick up a bottle of Tide, see if the ingredients are listed on the bottle. Chances are, the ingredients in Tide that are known carcinogens and neurotoxins have been conveniently left off of the list!
For your information, here are just some of the undisclosed ingredients in most commercial dryer sheets: formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, benzyl acetate, methyl benzoate, and many others, almost all of which cause neurological or other symptoms.
So, again, why should we be writing to you about this issue, aside from warning you of the potential health risks to you and your family when you use these products? Well, the fact is that we are in the very difficult position wherein we must inhale the fumes from our immediate neighbors’ dryer vents, and those fumes have a very unfortunate impact on our health. And as Spring comes and we open the windows of our home to let in the fresh air, our home is then filled with the chemical fumes that make us feel sick. How do we enjoy the benefit of opening our windows to the fresh air when we are then subject to fumes that make us sick?
Adding to the conundrum, we are often unable to spend time in our yard or on our porch due to the chemical fragrances wafting into our yard from nearby homes, including fresh lighter fluid being used to light charcoal. Sometimes we are made ill just by getting out of our car and walking to our homes due to dryer exhaust. It is a sad reality that we have been dealing with for some time now in “the Fields.”
So, dear neighbors , we are not expressly asking that you cease the use of your favorite fragranced laundry products, since it is indeed your right and choice to use them or not. We are, however, asking as your neighbors to please consider the possibility of switching to fragrance-free dryer sheets or even Trader Joes’ lavender dryer sheets, certainly a lesser evil as far as we’re concerned.
We do not wish to infringe on your individual or collective privacy, but we do ask that you consider that a ubiquitously used product is causing two of your physical symptoms and illness that we simply cannot control (and, of course, wish we could make disappear altogether!)
Also, if you use charcoal lighter fluid, we beg you to call us and notify us before you light up so we can close up our home, otherwise those toxic fumes cause a red alert for us, the results of which can zap our health for days.
Thank you for your attention and your patience in reading this long letter, and please feel free to contact us with questions or comments. We also attach recent research regarding the dangers of air fresheners that may be silently impacting your own family’s health. We’ve included additional information that we hope will be educational.
Yours Sincerely,
Keith and Mary
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Junk food, baby showers, and Snuggles dryer sheets
Posted on May 13, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp
LINDA’S LUGUBRIOUS LACHRYMALS.
Post by Linda.
Rachel’s Precaution Reporter is now under a change in management but always a good source of information.
CBC News reports Health Canada weighs fortifying junk foods.
Examiner reports Is the FDA to blame for U.S. health woes?
Science News reports Nonstick chemical pollutes water at notable levels. Concentrations approach those shown to have adverse effects in laboratory animals.
WebMD reports on The ABC’s of a Healthy and Green Baby Shower:
Especially during pregnancy, it’s usually best to keep it simple, healthy, and pure. Here’s our simple approach – with help from the ABC’s – to plan a baby shower that celebrates the life and health of the baby, as well as the Earth she’ll be living on.
Ask everyone to forgo fragrance. Avoid exposure to phthalates by making it clear in your invitations that this event is scent-free.
Buy eco-friendly decorations. Use potted plants, artfully arranged twigs, rocks and shells or even crystal bowls filled with seasonal fruit (a la Martha Stewart) for lovely, natural decorations.
Clean up using eco-friendly supplies. Look for natural products or use kitchen ingredients like baking soda and vinegar.
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Seminar on Live Blood Cell Analysis to be held in Ottawa
Posted on May 12, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, MCS
Dr. Carri Drzyzga, Emerine Wellness Solutions, will discuss various treatments for environmental sensitivities including foot baths and muscle testing.
Post by guest blogger Bonita Poulin.
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Welcome to The Canary Report!
The Canary Report is a blog and social network about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
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Susie Collins
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Hilo, Hawaii
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The Canary Report releases its 2010 wall calendar
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The false promise of miracle cures for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
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Warning: Avoid ozone generating air machines
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The dangers of aroma technology
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A statement from Lourdes Salvador about recent ad hominem attacks on Facebook
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DIY: Skip the chemicals, get a buzz
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The naked truth about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
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Perfume blogger dismisses concerns from a member of our community
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International Multiple Chemical Sensitivity awareness project is launched
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