Tag Archives: Perfume
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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The Cloisters, where smells of the past meet the toxic chemicals of today
Posted on Jan 27, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins
A woman with chemical sensitivity tells the story of her visit to The Cloisters. “I was furious at having been yanked across centuries and continents, and back to the 21st century where strange beings beat back every aroma or scent that nature or history has to offer by engulfing it in a cloud of sprayed odor – the embodiment of ‘Better Living Through Chemistry,’ I guess.”
Faith Wurtzel reports at Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood about The Smells of the Past.
In the essay, Faith tells a story about her visiting The Cloisters in New York City, what she describes as “a medieval European monastery that pre-dated Henry Hudson’s birth by a few centuries [and] anachronistically appeared in Manhattan.” During the visit to the stone structure, Faith experiences the pleasant natural smells of “hot wax and cold stone,” and she’s flooded with childhood memories of being “dragged by my parents to every castle, museum and cathedral in Europe.”
“I remembered lofty vaulted chambers with damp and icy winds blowing through them,” she writes.
But while her mind was tripping back to her childhood in this ancient of settings, she was suddenly jolted into the 21st century when assaulted with the stench of modern perfume.
Still a little dazed, I finished the climb to the heavy wooden door that separates the stairway from the museum’s entry vestibule, and we made our way in.
As soon as we opened the door, we were engulfed in an eye-stinging miasma of air “freshener,” to which I am frighteningly allergic, and which was no doubt unleashed by some plebeian in an effort to combat the persistent smell of history inherent in the centuries-old structure.
Snatched from my visit with the past, I fled down the stairs Dracula-style, with the front of my coat draped across my nose, and then stood outside on the icy cobbles sucking in draughts of cold, clean air. I was furious at having been yanked across centuries and continents, and back to the 21st century where strange beings beat back every aroma or scent that nature or history has to offer by engulfing it in a cloud of sprayed odor – the embodiment of “Better Living Through Chemistry,” I guess.
You should go read the whole essay, it’s beautifully written.
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Perfume blogger dismisses concerns from a member of our community
Posted on Jan 19, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins
I love it when people who have absolutely no medical expertise make flippant comments about allergies and sensitivities to chemicals.
Now Smell This: A Blog About Perfume reports on Perfume is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Art World. Angela writes:
I look forward to the day when saying “perfume stinks” is seen as a sign of ignorance. Maybe, instead, that person will lean toward a friend discreetly wearing scent and say, “Your perfume is — interesting. Tell me about it.”
In the comments she writes:
“I know a few people, too, who claim to be allergic to fragrance, but I think they’ve just had a bad reaction standing next to someone soaked in something particularly loud. All of these people can wander into a Marriott or a Hilton, where fragrance is pumped through the air, without a hitch.”
Excuse me, who’s ignorant? I love it when people who have absolutely no medical expertise make sweeping, flippant comments about allergies and sensitivities to chemicals. The truth is many of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity cannot wander into a Marriott or Hilton without risking our health. Neither can we visit malls or casinos or walk through an airport without a mask. Scent marketing blocks our access to banks, office buildings and even hospitals.
Now Smell This is a popular blog, and at about comment #180, a member of our community, Elaine Willis, left a comment for Angela:
People who CLAIM to be allergic to perfume most likely are! [Commenter] Klytaemnestra does not understand that someone can develop the sensitivity over time. Although I can appreciate the discussion here, I hope it can be appreciated that for 3 out of 10 people, perfume is a health hazard; and for a smaller but growing number – perfume and other petro-chemically enhanced products, are life-threatening.
Angela obviously thought Elaine was over exaggerating, and so flippantly replied: “Oh my! 3 out of 10 people! I guess I count myself as one of the lucky ones. I’d sure hate to be allergic to perfume when the world is awash in scent–everything from cleaning products to buses to malls and hotels seems to be scented these days.”
When another commenter recommends “a more judicious approach in putting perfume or scent into everything and everywhere,” Angela pronounces,”I think a lot of people don’t even notice it anymore, yet they squawk when they smell it on a person.”
The truth is that the toxicity of modern fragrance formulations is a serious health issue for everyone, not just people with Environmental Illness and/or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
Saying “I think a lot of people don’t even notice it anymore” about what is a serious disability rights issue is 15-20 years behind the times. In America, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, which include sensitivity to modern perfume and fragrance, is recognized as a disability by the Social Security Administration, Housing and Urban Development, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, among others. Click here for a list of published peer-reviewed articles documenting the “realness” of MCS.
This chemical sensitivity condition is not rare and the numbers of people who have it are growing. A national survey found 11.2% of respondents reported increased sensitivities to common chemicals and 2.5% had been medically diagnosed with MCS. Perhaps even more relevant to this discussion here is that this same survey found 31.1% of respondents said that sitting next to someone who was wearing a scented product was “irritating.” So going without perfume in schools, hotels, banks, airports and other public places is a good idea because it improves air quality and reduces potential harm to others as well as yourself.
Toxic modern fragrance is a health issue that affects everyone and a disability rights issue that affects people with respiratory illness including people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Clean air is everybody’s business, and seeing this issue as a fundamental health issue is the only way we will ever get consensus on taking the necessary action to protect everyone.
Now Smell This is a blog with a lot of readers, why not go an tell Angela how you feel about a product made from unregulated toxic chemicals choked with phthalates known to cause reproductive harm and petrochemicals known to trigger asthma, migraines, respiratory distress, central nervous system problems and more. Tell her how you feel when your body is exposed to perfumes in public places and your eyes burn and itch, your throat and limbs swell up, your skin burns, or a migraine is triggered.
I would have forgiven Angela her blog topic had she not been so flippant when Elaine told her that perfume can indeed be life threatening. I wish Angela could experience Multiple Chemical Sensitivity for just one day, it might make her have second thoughts about flipping off someone trying to tell her perfume can be extremely dangerous for a large part of the population.
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New website launched on fragrance-free living
Posted on Jan 15, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins
New website warns of the dangers of toxic fragrance in personal care products and other consumer goods.
A new website just came up on my radar about Fragrance-Free Living. It’s run by former auto mechanic David Tywoniuk, who now owns an auto body shop in Edmonton, Canada. He and Judy Sterling put the website together.
Here is a really good reason as to why you might want to try “Fragrance Free Living”. Did you know that the ingredient “Fragrance” used in most of the above products can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate, mostly man-made ingredients? Many compounds in fragrance are human toxins and suspected or proven to cause cancer. Symptoms reported include: headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discolorations, violent coughing and vomiting and allergic skin irritation. Observations by medical doctors have shown that exposure to fragrance can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes. 100% of perfumes contain toluene, which can cause liver, kidney and brain damage as well as damage to a developing fetus.
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The woes of public restrooms
Posted on Dec 28, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Keith Carlson, MCS
Living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity can make it an enormous challenge to use a public restroom.
Post by Keith Carlson.
Living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), it can be an enormous challenge to be in a public place and simply need to use a bathroom. These days, public restrooms in the United States seem to have been permanently inoculated with so-called “air-fresheners” that make relieving one’s self an adventure in being actively poisoned.
For me personally, my struggles with public restrooms are exacerbated by the fact that I have an underlying medical condition (enlarged prostate) that necessitates fairly frequent urination, and this, my friends, can lead to some exceedingly challenging scenarios.
Just the other day, I was in a Trader Joe’s store here in Atlanta, where we’re visiting for the holidays. Feeling the urge, I sauntered warily towards the men’s room, hesitant to open that door but feeling that I had no real choice in the matter. Pushing the door open, I was hit with that disappointing, maddening and altogether overwhelmingly frustrating sensation that I had discovered—yet again—another public rest room that is simply verboten for my use. Sigh.
While I have no problem with peeing outdoors (which, in fact, is altogether preferable on so many levels), there are numerous situations in which doing so could lead to embarrassment, dirty looks, and—worst of all—a permanent label as a sex offender. Bearing in mind that many states do indeed prosecute public urination as a sexual offense, I frequently find myself at a loss as to what to do in order to heed nature’s (increasingly urgent) call.
You may then be led to ask, “Why not just use the stinky bathroom anyway, Keith? What could possibly happen to you?”
And I would reply, “Well, first of all, the clothes that I’m wearing can very quickly become saturated with the toxic smell of the substance in question. Although I do not develop respiratory symptoms like my wife does, I will find myself incredibly irritable, often with confusion, dulled mental faculties, and a difficulty finding words when speaking. A secondary and unfortunate sequela of my exposure to such a substance is that my wife will then react to the aura of chemical toxicity surrounding me, and she will then begin to have bronchospams, headaches, and a host of other symptoms which would have been otherwise preventable had I not entered that rest room in the first place.”
As you can see, the fallout from a simple visit to a men’s room can have far-reaching health consequences for both myself and my wife, and now that we are traveling, it is even more crucial for us to continue to use the toilet in our chemically safe mobile home when we can. Still, we often find ourselves in situations where we are far from our mobile haven, in need of a rest room, and unable to do what so many other people take for granted on a daily basis.
A “rest room” should truly embody the literal meaning of its name—a place for rest, to relieve one’s self and emerge refreshed and ready for the next chapter of one’s day. For those of us who are canaries in the coal mine of the toxic world around us, they are far from a restful place of repose. From the scented sprayers on the wall to the deodorizers in men’s urinals, public rest rooms are dangerous, exasperating, poisonous places to be avoided at all costs. When a safe rest room is found, it is cause for celebration and relief (both mental and physical). But when one needs to go and there’s nowhere to do so, it is a maddening moment of living in a toxic world.
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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!
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Dutch book on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity now published in English
Posted on Nov 13, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
English version of MCS book is now launched worldwide by McFarland.
Els Valkenburg of the Netherlands reports that her book entitled Understanding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Causes, Effects, Personal Experiences and Resources has just been published in English. The book is now published in three languages, this time in the US worldwide version by publisher McFarland. I should be receiving a copy to review very soon!
This personal view of multiple chemical sensitivity and environmental illness is supported by research. In a question-and-answer format, the effects of exposure to perfume, smoke, air fresheners, cleaning products, exhaust, and other air contaminants are examined and linked to symptoms such as headaches, allergies, asthma, and fatigue. The book contains additional testimony and reports from 37 sufferers, as well as listings of resources and an index of related scientific articles.
Els Valkenburg wrote the first Dutch book on multiple chemical sensitivity, and this is the English-language edition. She operates the resource Web site www.the-abc-of-mcs.com.
She lives in the Netherlands.
Congratulations, Els! I look forward to reviewing your book.
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The nocebo effect, burn laws, and explosives detectors
Posted on Nov 07, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, News
Canary’s Cry.
Post by Linda Sepp.
Don’t read this unless you want your blood to boil: The American Council on Science and Health reports on the Nocebo Effect: Think Sick and You’ll Be Sick.
The Herald Bulletin reports that fall is a very busy time for burning leaves and that burn laws may vary. Ann Swartz, who lives in an unincorporated area near Chesterfield, Indiana, said open burning has caused
health problems for her over several years. Swartz suffers from fibromyalgia and multiple chemical sensitivity, she said, conditions that are worsened each time she is exposed to smoke from open fires, including fatigue and depression.
The New York Times reports on check points in Baghdad where new detectors designed to discover explosive materials are picking up on perfume, air fresheners and soap, but not guns.
Vickie Ashwill at The Des Moines Register reports that she’s a “smell-aholic.” She writes, “The closest I’ve been able to artificially recreate that fresh Midwest scent is by doing a load of whites with Clorox bleach. I’d love to carry a damp, just-washed, very-white towel around with me for those moments when I need a whiff of something great.”
Insurance Headlines reports insurers are fighting claims over toxic Chinese drywall.
And some useful tidbits:
The Center for Social Gerontology reports on The Federal Fair Housing Act and the protection of persons who are disabled by secondhand smoke in most private and public housing.
Chemists at McMaster University say they have developed an inexpensive “dipstick” test to detect pesticides in foods.
Horticulturists at the University of Georgia tested ornamental indoor plants for their ability to remove harmful VOCs from indoor air and came up with five super ornamentals identified for cleaner indoor air. That’s Hemigraphis alternata at left, or purple waffle plant, one of the highest rated ornamentals for removing indoor air pollutants.
Borax.com reports that the inclusion of about 1wt.% sodium perborate in laundry detergent powders results in destruction of chlorine bleach.
University of Michigan researchers say chronically ill people may be happier if they give up hope. Study shows that colostomy patients who felt their condition was irreversible reported better quality of life than those with faith that they would be cured. “We think they were happier because they got on with their lives. They realized the cards they were dealt, and recognized that they had no choice but to play with those cards,” says researcher and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine.
The health and ability for those with environmental sensitivities rests with the choices and actions of others. For more information, see The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities.
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Perfume, poisoning, and green spaces
Posted on Oct 22, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, News
Canary’s Cry.
Post by Linda Sepp.
Green and Save reports on Perfume and Colognes: Dangerously Chemical.
CTV News reports that getting the recommended treatment for severe carbon-monoxide poisoning depends on where you live in Canada and who your doctor is.
CBC News reports green spaces boost the body and the mind.
Reuters reports polluted air may give you a headache.
Building Green reports on an EPA warning: Older buildings may harbor PCBs.
The Canadian Center for Occupational Safety reports a webinar will be held on ototoxic industrial chemicals and potentially harmful exposure. Dr. Thais Morata of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will discusses the effects of chemical agents, the interaction between these agents and noise, and strategies for preventing work-related hearing loss.
The Star reports Web surfing boosts brain circuitry in older adults.
King’s College London reports on research showing pesticides exposure is linked to suicidal thoughts. Full article here.
The Wall Street Journal reports a bill backed by industry and environmental groups would set federal limits on a potentially dangerous chemical inside your home: formaldehyde.
Best selling author Barbara Ehrenreich has a new book out, Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. I just saw her talking about it on the Daily Show and she was brilliant. She said there’s an empathy deficit (no kidding). She also said, “I never think delusion is ok.” YAY for speaking up!
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Barbara Ehrenreich | ||||
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The health and ability for those with environmental sensitivities rests with the choices and actions of others. For more information, see The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities.
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How to green your campus
Posted on Oct 14, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
Share with your favorite student!
And how about encouraging them to add organic cleaning and fragrance-free policies to their campus’s green initiatives?
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Sex and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Safe sex
Posted on Oct 12, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden, Kimberly Shaw
When it comes to MCS, “safe sex” has a whole new meaning!
Post by Kimberly Shaw.
Part I: Safe Sex.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity experts recommend your bedroom be the safest room in your house. Sleep experts strongly suggest your bedroom only be used for sleep and sex. When we are overwhelmed or over stimulated by our surroundings, we are not in a receptive place to enjoy sexual intimacy or a good night’s sleep. It’s important the bedroom be a safe place, a place for your body to rest, be nurtured and enjoy pleasure. This may mean purchasing an air purifier, an organic bed, organic sheets and organic pillows. It also means keeping anything toxic far away from the bedroom. Not just chemicals, but emotionally toxic conversations or attitudes. Consider your bedroom your healing sanctuary and only allow items into it that are essential, nurturing, healing and lovely.
Having a safe partner is also very important. Hopefully, they understand MCS and are well aware of the need to be fragrance- and chemical-free. If you have any severe food allergies, your partner should also avoid eating them. Kissing someone who recently ate something you are severely allergic to may cause reactions.
Birth control is a difficult topic for those with MCS. Hormonal contraception, spermicidal methods, intrauterine contraceptives, condoms and other barrier methods all can cause issues for someone with sensitivities. There are some alternatives like natural family planning, natural lambskin condoms, vasectomy and, of course, menopause. This topic is something you want to discuss with your medical care provider if you are in a situation where birth control is an issue.
Unless you are in a monogamous relationship where you know both of you are free of sexually transmitted disease (STD), you need to consider how to protect yourself. Latex condoms often cause severe reactions. Some people do better with natural latex condoms verses synthetic latex. Lambskin condoms may not protect against STDs. Non-latex condoms are generally made out of polyurethane or polyisoprene. Again, another area you want to discuss carefully with a medical care professional that understands MCS. The last thing you want with MCS is to also have to deal with an STD!
There are many natural and/or organic lubricants on the market, but most contain some type of preservative. Read labels carefully! Many people with chemical sensitivities enjoy using organic coconut oil, organic jojoba oil, organic aloe vera, organic cocoa butter, organic almond oil, organic apricot oil, Vitamin E oil or organic plain yogurt, but proceed with caution when using for the first time. You might want to test first for any sensitivity by applying a small amount to the inside of your arm for a few days. (Note: Do not use these oils with condoms.) If you are a female and have trouble with vaginal dryness, you might also consider changes to your diet. Adding more essential fatty acids (EFAs), organic vegetable and fruit oils (like olive) to your diet, drinking more water, supplementing with vitamin E and vitamin A help many women.
Sex toys can enhance your sexual experience. In recent years, they started making vibrators and other sexual enhancement items out of safer materials. For example, you can now find vibrators made out of glass. Earth Erotics is one company that sells glass sex toys. They also sell organic bedroom linens and other safer products. (Many of their items would not be safe for people with MCS though.)
Practice sex safe, MCS style!
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Watch for more upcoming blogs on sex and MCS. I plan to cover health and sexuality in relation to MCS, dealing with disabilities in a sexual relationship, how to handle sex with a non-MCS partner, being single and other topics we with MCS deal with in our sexual lives.
I also blog at Serendipity, come visit!
Disclaimer: None of this information is meant to replace medical advice. Your sexual life is very important and any decisions that could affect your health need to be discussed with your health care provider.
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10/18/09 Editor’s Note: This post is now translated into Spanish at Eva Caballé’s blog NO FUN. Thanks, Eva!
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On babies and husbands
Posted on Sep 25, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, MCS
A grandchild is on the way and a husband is staying put.
Post by Franny Armstrong.
Yes, Nanny Franny’s having a grandbaby in the spring. Thankfully, I don’t have to carry it until AFTER it’s born. LOL.
The first concern that crossed my mind was about baby powder, baby oil, Ivory Snow and so on. With all those chemically, fragrance enhanced products, will I get to hold him? (I’ve decided it’s a boy…for now.)
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity doesn’t allow you to choose if you will react to chemicals from birth, but does it start in the womb? Perhaps it will eventually link to genetics, this sensitivity that others don’t seem to get. Who knows?
It isn’t all about making sure the house is childproofed with locks, small toys for the correct age groups, and even keeping pennies out of the way of small hands and mouths (my nephew seems to have misplaced one… ahem) yet what about the chemicals in the locked cupboards? Do they vaporize from their containers and fill the tender lungs of infants to start the whole process?
Hmmm, it makes me wonder if my parent’s smoking around me when I was growing up might have weakened my immune system and made me more libel to become chemically sensitive.
I’m unable to talk my husband into moving out of our mold infested house after twenty years of living here. My doctor said that since we live beside a new golf course (we were here first I tell ya!) it is possible that the pesticides started the whole ball of wax… uh… MCS. He highly recommends moving is all I’m going to say.
Hubby is replacing walls, spraying concrobium to kill the mold, and doing a number of things around the house that just never seem to get done. I suppose that’s his way of saying he doesn’t want to move. SIGH.
Health wise, as long as I remain at home and stay out of populated areas, including vehicles on the road, I’m doing great, from the neck down anyway. It’s nice to be able to breathe again this week after three weeks of setbacks. I’m back up to writing full steam ahead and look forward to finishing yet another book (paranormal romantic suspense).
I’m revving up for an online writer’s conference in October that will keep me spellbound to the computer for weeks on end, even though it’s only for one week. So much to learn.
To Your Good Health.
Cavewoman-Franny Armstrong-ParaNovelGirl
Come visit me at ParaNovelGirls and at my MCS site.
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Sometimes loving your family STINKS!
Posted on Sep 22, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, MCS
Since Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is an invisible illness, it must be all in my head… shouldn’t it?
Post by Franny Armstrong.
Sept. 7– I had to rewrite this post this morning after the emotional anger had passed from severe reactions during a family/friends visit yesterday. This morning, my brain fog is clearer, though my head and face are still pounding like drums during a war dance.
We had family and friends come for a visit on Sunday. I cleaned my home with my chemical free cleaners, vinegar, unscented, color-free… almost everything free soap, baking soda, and a large dose of elbow-grease (petroleum-free).
With that done, hubby and I sat out on the deck and shucked corn together and talked. My hubby called to caution everyone not to wear fragrances because I was “severely allergic” to them, bless his heart. Hey, it’s what people understand, the word ALLERGY.
One family member told me to strive for some “normalcy” and not talk about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity! Though I seldom see them, and listened to them talk about health issues such as cancer, I was stunned. It’s been my mission for the past year to let people know what MCS is all about so they will understand what they can’t see.
I don’t wear a body cast, nor do I use a walker or leg braces, or even a bandage around my entire head, face, and lungs. Since it’s an invisible illness, it must be all in my head… shouldn’t it? In a sense, it is. It’s in my sinuses, headache, sore throat, plugged ears, aching chest and muscles and so on…
The friends were interested in finding out about MCS; what makes me ill and what doesn’t, so I carefully explained, though stuttering over my words due to the “hit” of fragrances I got the minute they arrived (not perfume or cologne, they all assured me). I was glad that the woman was finishing my sentences for me because my brain had stopped functioning properly. I had thrown on my mask right away but the damage was already done. The “hit” got me outside in the so-called fresh air!
The final straw that sent me off to hide in my room with a migraine was when someone lit the birthday cake with SPARKLERS! Gee, who’d-a-thunk they were made from CHEMICALS! Since I was now too ill to even sing Happy Birthday, let alone eat cake, I didn’t have a chance to protest before they were lit.
Going for a short walk down the driveway to clear my head didn’t work, so off to bed I went. I didn’t even say goodbye, goodnight, or kiss my… um… cheek (it was hidden behind the mask after all).
Dealing with family can be even more painful than dealing with strangers who at least are interested enough to ask me WHY I wear the mask. I believe having to sit beside me wearing a mask was an embarrassment to some of my family members, though not all.
Someone asked, “Why not leave the mask off? We are all sitting outside, after all.” I rest my case…
Come visit me at ParaNovelGirls
Self-portrait photo by Franny Armstrong.
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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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A chemical nightmare at work
Posted on Jul 28, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Keith Carlson, MCS, Worker's Rights
There are poisons and toxins everywhere that can damage our health and cause us temporary or permanently debilitating symptoms that directly impact our ability to fully function in the world.
Post by Keith Carlson.
Last week, I was sitting in my office and began to notice an odd smell, sort of sickly sweet. Ignoring it against my better judgment for several days, I was even told by my astute boss—who is well aware that I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)—that something seemed amiss.
Since last week, I’ve been noticing increased confusion, memory loss, and a marked increase in my level of stress and anxiety. Granted, we are in the midst of selling our home and radically changing our lives, but this past week my emotional life has been over the top and I have been feeling physically unwell.
Today, my (chemically sensitive) wife came to visit my office, remarking immediately that my office seemed incredibly toxic to her and that I should leave immediately. Just prior to her arrival, I had literally been crawling around on the floor, trying to “sniff out” where the offending odor was coming from, an odor that had by now become almost overpowering in its sweet disgustingness.
With my nose on the top of the heat register, I detected the source of the odor emanating directly from the heater, even though it wasn’t on.
Bringing two colleagues into the office, they both agreed that the smell was very strong and that I should leave for the day and we would try to get to the bottom of it. Just then, one colleague mentioned that someone had moved into the office directly below mine last Tuesday, and perhaps there was a connection. Looking back, it was indeed Tuesday or Wednesday of last week that I began to feel unwell and that the faint smell had begun to make itself known.
Running down to the first floor with my wife, we quickly located the office directly below mine (which I had never before noticed), and although the door was closed and locked, the smell coming through the cracks was absolutely the same odor now filling my office on the second floor, although the intensity of it as it emanated through the door was enough to send us reeling.
My guess is that the new resident of this office installed a “Plug-In” on the day she moved in, the sort of plug-in that is filled with noxious liquid fragrance that is heated via an electrical outlet. These insidious and ubiquitous devices have taken over, with Americans of all economic stripes convinced that their homes will not smell “clean” without such unhealthy trash that poisons the very air that they and their children breathe.
Since the building manager was out, I sent him an urgent email explaining the situation, left work early (with dizziness and confusion continuing), and will not return to my office until the space has off-gassed for several days.
So, although I have fought for a fragrance-free workplace, low-VOC paints, “green” cleaning products, and other accommodations, this employee who moved into the office downstairs unwittingly created a toxic environment for me that has subsequently caused me a week of distress, confusion, and other neurological symptoms that will, I hope, decrease as the next few days allow me to detox from its deleterious effects.
When one has MCS (or even if one does not), there are poisons and toxins everywhere that can damage our health and cause us temporary or permanently debilitating symptoms that directly impact our ability to fully function in the world.
I was glad to get to the bottom of this situation, and hope that it will be rectified shortly and that I can recover from the impact of this unfortunate chemical event.
This post was originally published at Digital Doorway.
Link to image at NoFragrance.org.
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Cave dwelling with MCS: A life of avoidance
Posted on Jul 21, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, MCS
For eight years, I’ve done a cave dweller dance: Staying at home, avoiding people, places, and even nature.
Post by Franny Armstrong.
(Editor’s note: Please help me welcome Franny Armstrong as a contributor at The Canary Report! Franny 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. She’ll share at The Canary Report her life with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and other adventures. Read Franny’s full bio here.)
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Having Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) truly limits your life. The best advice that my doctor, allergist, ear-nose-and-throat specialist, and even psychiatrist had for me was to avoid running into fragrances. Yeah, right, like I couldn’t figure that one out! LOL. Easy to say. Sure. Easy to do? Not so much.
For the past eight years, I’ve done a cave dweller dance and stayed at home, avoiding people, places, and even nature! I seemed to be allergic to EVERYTHING! The allergist tested me… no allergies found. He sent me for asthma testing… perfect lungs (non-smoker). He even sent me for a cat scan, but by that time I was too ill to travel the one-hour distance to my appointment to find out the results. I was just plain ill, so ill that I couldn’t drive myself anywhere.
For me, MCS meant extreme fatigue, mass confusion, loss of mental focus, irritability (who wouldn’t be grumpy in this shell we live in?) and so many other symptoms I can’t even list them all. Yet, was I safe in my cave? Nope!
My loving family, though supportive, didn’t truly understand what was happening to my body. They’d buy scented laundry detergent, fabric softener sheets for the dryer, scented shampoos for themselves, deodorants, cleaning products, and so on, bringing these harmful chemicals into my cave, leaving me nowhere to hide.
To live in a cave as a family, we have to learn to compromise. For instance: I won’t squeeze the toothpaste in the middle of the tube or leave socks rolled into balls, if hubby doesn’t leave his newspapers in the middle of the room, on the floor, or beside the bed and toilet… grrrr!
In the case of fragrances and other chemicals, since I couldn’t do the shopping, I had to depend on my loved ones to buy the products that didn’t make me choke, cough, have sinus infections, or make me hit my pillow for up to twenty hours a day. It’s a never-ending learning experience.
Change is not a four letter word, yet that’s what must happen in order to allow us cave dwellers to survive in this toxic environment.
Today, I feel better than I have in years. I’m taking vitamins and minerals that don’t harm me, cleaning with only scent-free, color-free, soap and vinegar, and use lots of petroleum-free elbow grease. FREE, FREE, FREE!!!
Just the other day, my hubby wasn’t even thinking about it when he oiled the hinges on the squeaky door using a spray that sent me into a massive coughing fit. He was stunned, completely forgetting about MCS since he uses the product for work every day (and he’s an asthmatic, too!).
As cave dwellers, we must educate not only ourselves but our families, friends, and even strangers who come to our doors (a “Caution: Severe Reactions To Fragrances” sign in the window might help.)
Many people don’t even realize they are wearing a scent when they come near. I tend to hold up my hand before they get to close, halting their approach, then ask if they are wearing a fragrance. This is very unsettling for some, not a problem for others, when you explain you’re allergic to them. (You and I know that “allergic” doesn’t describe the difference between MCS and allergies.)
Education is the key. That’s why blogs like The Canary Report and other MCS websites are key forces in making others aware of this debilitating illness. It took many years before governments and medical associations acknowledged Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, so take hope. Teach those you live with or who walk in your door about MCS, since knowledge is the best defense against it.
I wish you health.
Photo of and by Franny Armstrong.
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Hilo, Hawaii
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