My Garbage Can Stinks (A Haiku, sort of...)

 

Purchased new garbage can.

 

Scented. Stinks. Gag.

 

Returned it.

 

The End.

 

Autoimmune Diseases

When I first started hearing about autoimmune diseases and how the body's immune system attacks itself, it didn't make sense to me. Our bodies aren't designed to attack themselves just for the fun of it, so what is up? I concluded our immune system is attacking something that has infiltrated our bodies, something it sees as a foreign invader and must be removed. Now, what could that be? Yep. Chemicals. I've been alone with my theory for a long time, accused by anyone who didn't want to hear it that my thought processes had been taken over by anti-chemical propaganda and paranoia.

An acquaintance of mine, Heidi, has had lupus for the last fifteen years. About once a year her kidneys fail, she is hospitalized, given chemotherapy treatments, and spends months home-bound recovering her strength. The next time I see her she is unrecognizable. She doesn't expect to live very long. Heidi told me no one knows what causes our bodies to attack themselves.  Hmmm.... When I presented my chemicals-are-our-attackers theory to her, she considered it for a minute until I told her she might feel better if she gave up junk food, coffee, soft drinks, and smoking. She told me I was being ridiculous. Yeah, OK. She's had this disease for fifteen years and I've known about it for fifteen minutes so I figured maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But my theory is better than no one knows what causes it.

Heidi isn't the only person I know with an autoimmune disease. Three people I know have lupus, several have multiple sclerosis, two have Crohn's disease, one has diabetes and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis about a year ago. This is just a short sample from a much longer list of diseases considered to be autoimmune-related. Statistics show autoimmune conditions affect 50 million people and it is predicted this should increase to 75 million by 2050. Most are women (same as chemical sensitivity) and if you have one autoimmune disease, there is a high probability you will develop more. I know one woman who has had celiac disease and was recently diagnosed with both lupus and Sjögren syndrome. Triple whammy.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa, author of The Autoimmune Epidemic, believes autoimmunity is caused by...wait for it...ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, specifically heavy metals and industrial waste. I'm inclined to include ALL toxins. We are inundated with poisons through air, food, and water. They are stored in our tissues causing our immune systems to attack within in order to remove them. That's what are bodies are supposed to do, unfortunately, it creates an internal war zone making the host feel really lousy in the process.

Ms. Nakazawa's general suggestions read like any chemical sensitivity menu: organic diet, stress avoidance, no cosmetics, dark hair dyes or nail polish, and no chemical household cleaners. Avoid the poisons! The book discusses the risks of supplementation due to conflicting research so there was some indication to avoid manufactured vitamins, minerals and herbs. She implies supplementation might be contributing to the autoimmune epidemic! In addition, we all should adopt a really good detoxification protocol promoting adequate amounts of sunshine (natural Vitamin D), food-source antioxidants, and food-source essential fatty acids.

Also, avoid viruses and DO NOT get vaccines. Ms. Nakazawa presents evidence suggesting viruses are often catalysts for these autoimmune diseases so it stands to reason having viruses purposely pumped into your body is a risk. Just before I became seriously chemically sensitive, I received vaccines for a teaching position. For years I argued with my superiors because I already had all the childhood diseases in question and this natural immunity should fulfill their hoop-jumping requirements. In a moment of weakness, tired of arguing, I caved. Oops. To think we automatically vaccinate our babies before they even get a chance to argue.

The Organic Consumers Association website posted an article on February 21, 2012 about the American Medical Association pushing for mandatory vaccination trials. Are they trying to kill us? Well, yeah! There is a lot of money to be made from autoimmune diseases. This is job security for doctors.

I ran into Heidi at the grocery store the other day. Her face was swollen from the last kidney failure and her grocery cart filled to the brim with junk food.   I just want to scream, "Can't you at least TRY to eat better and make healthier choices to see if it helps!?" But I only smile and keep walking.

Disclosure

I've always been introverted. On a scale of 0 to 10 with zero being introverted and ten extroverted, I'm a negative 5. I don't like confrontation and since I prefer to leave others alone, I'd like it if people would leave me alone as well.  Unfortunately with MCS, people don't leave me alone. Their abuse of common air space suffocates me, and because of this, it's imperative to be vocal and disclose my sensitivities to anyone who plans to infiltrate my personal space.  If I don't, I risk constant exposure and illness. For an introvert, this is a pain in the ass.

Constant disclosure is an embarrassment.  
It feels like admitting 
to weakness. It is a constant reminder of your failure at basic living and it labels you as different and damaged. The reactions are insufferable. They'll look at you with blank stares either because what they are hearing is incomprehensible or they just don't care. How can anyone be sensitive to scented products if so many are able to use them with no consequence?

Most of the time people have no idea what being chemically sensitive means, but don't explain too much detail or their eyes glaze over as the lights go off.  Or you'll watch them take a step away like you have some infectious disease. Wear a mask and people run!  You can see it on a person's face if they think you are just a little off your rocker, even if they don't come right out and tell you.

No one likes being told they stink even if they purposely caused the smell themselves. It doesn't matter how nice you make it sound, it's always viewed as a personal attack. I met Smelly Woman briefly at an outdoor market through a mutual acquaintance. She was the organizer and asked if I wanted to volunteer. I graciously declined and clearly although kindly informed her of my sensitivities to her perfume.

Later she whined at our mutual acquaintance, oozing the insecurity and arrogance of a perfume addict, claiming she was upset because I didn't like HER.  Our mutual acquaintance reassured Smelly Woman, "Oh no! She really, really likes you so much! It's just your perfume she doesn't like."  I looked at her in disbelief. This wasn't the first time she led me right up to a perfume wearer for an introduction and it wasn't the first time someone thought I had the option to like or not like perfume smells.

"Really?," I said, "You lied. I don't appreciate people attempting to kill me. If someone came up to you and pointed a loaded gun at your head would you say, 'Oh, of course I like you - it's just your gun I don't like?'  So next time you see her tell her it's true, I don't like her. She's an idiot. A smelly idiot. I don't appreciate the weapon she's using to poison me."

I try to make my attempts at disclosure kind, non-threatening and blame-free, but I've found being too nice gets the message ignored and that puts me at risk. After multiple disclosures to the same person, I view them as a threat and I stop being so careful with my words. Extreme annoyance makes all attempt at civility go right out the door!

Sometimes I opt to not explain myself to strangers as disclosure so often feels pointless and draining. I could have declined the invitation to volunteer and left it at that, but if I feel strong and hopeful I try to educate perfume-wearing ignorants in hope that someday they will see the errors of their ways and stop the madness.

It usually takes some personal experience to really understand what it's like to be chemically sensitive. In the early days I worked with a man who wore copious amounts of cologne. He didn't get it and when I tried to explain, his eyes glazed over. He scowled every time he'd see me. He did his best to be fragrance-free around me because management demanded it.

One day he came rushing to my side, wide-eyed and enthusiastic, "I get it! I now understand  what you mean!" He went on to tell me a customer walked into our store wearing some kind of rose perfume. His eyes swelled, his sinuses stuffed and he sneezed. The epiphany overjoyed him.

I smiled at him sweetly, and asked, "Did your throat constrict?"

"Hmmm...no."

"Did you stop breathing?"

"Hmmm...no."

"Did you run to the restroom and throw up?" 

"Hmmm...no."

"Headaches? Migraines?"

"Hmmm...no."

"Were you sick in bed for up to a week?"

He looked at me shocked and amazed, "REALLY???"

Yes, really.  It's always a relief when the light finally does come on and they finally do get it.

Of course, those who are chemically sensitive, even slightly, will greet disclosure with the bright eyes of understanding and a welcome of camaraderie. Instantaneous bonding. I GET YOU! YOU ARE MY PEOPLE! I find myself jumping into the arms of total strangers as if I've reunited with long-lost soul mates.  More often than not it is eventually determined  they are part of the 30% who have minor reactions to everyday chemicals rather than the 15% whose lives have been dramatically altered and even their understanding is limited. Still, any understanding is better than none!

I am forced to constantly disclose, constantly educate, and constantly remind everyone of my fragrance-free requirements. A necessary inconvenience and a pain in the ass. I've replaced my introversion with determined defiance. It's exhausting, but I don't have a choice. I will survive!

What kinds of responses have you received when disclosing?
Why kinds of reactions do you get if you wear a mask

Side Effects of MCS Poisoning

Studies have shown around 34% of the population react to fragrances. For this group, it could be a minor discomfort that goes relatively unnoticed or explained away like a headache, fatigue, burning eyes or nausea. About 17% are seriously affected to the point where it impacts their existence forcing them to make lifestyle adjustments. Around 5% are diagnosed with MCS. Not everyone being poisoned by common chemicals reacts the same which is why diagnosing this condition is a challenge. My list of side effects may or may not apply to each and every person. Here are some symptomatic examples (in no discernable order):

headaches

migraines

nausea

vertigo

equilibrium issues

joint and muscle pain

vomiting

skin rashes

hives

wheezing

coughing

respiratory dysfunction

anaphylaxis

fatigue         

exhaustion

skin itch

body itch

intestinal cramps

diarrhea

sinus pain

brain fog

brain bubbles

skin crawl

hearing sensitivity

back and neck pain

crying

irritability

mood swings

nightmares

spinal inflammation

numbing

ammonia smell on skin

memory loss

blurred vision

burning eyes

hyperactivity

heart beat irregularities

speech impairments

sweating

food cravings

hair loss

insomnia

urinary tract infections

depression

Do you have other symptoms not listed above? Please share.

Domestic Terrorism and Chemical Warfare

Chemical companies own the United States. How our lives have become saturated with poisonous chemicals is an atrocity. Why we have allowed this to happen over time is a mystery. I think it's due to a lot of fancy footwork on behalf of the government and the money-making capitalistic machine, public relations misinformation and false advertising, as well as compliancy and incompetency on the part of the Food and Drug Administration. We wonder about the ethics of weapons of mass destruction and chemical warfare, apathetically relieved wars happen on other continents, but what about the garbage that is allowed in our environment in the disguise of household conveniences?


Below are just a handful of some of the most toxic chemicals we encounter everyday:

formaldehyde dimethylpolysiloxane toluene triethanolamine turpentine aspartame benzen butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) bisphenol A (BPA)  centrominium chloride  calcium carbonate  chloramine cocoamidopropyl betaine  N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide  dimethacrylate  dioxins  ethylene oxide  fluoride  glycol ethers  hydrofluorosilicic acid  hydroxybenzene  d-limonene  methychloroisothiazolinone  1-aspartyl 1-phenylalanine methyl ester  methylsulfonylmethane  monosodium glutamate  methyl tertiary-butyl ether  naphthalene nitrosamines  nonyl phenol paradichlorobenzene  perchloroethylene  petroleum  phenylmercuric acetate  polybrominated diphenyl ethers  polyvinyl chloride  saccharin  sodium dichloroisocynaurate dihydrate  sodium laureth sulfate  sodium lauryl sulfate  tetrachloroethylene  perchloroethylene  tertiary butyl hydroquinone  tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride  trihalomethanes  titanium dioxide  hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin p-dichlorobenzene




Below are some examples of where you might find these chemicals in your everyday lives:

perfumes  colognes   bleach  cleaning products  floor waxes  furniture polishes  window cleaner  carpets  mattresses  furniture  furnaces  laminated flooring  air fresheners  wood, treated  fiberglass insulation  paint thinners  plastic wrap  plastic containers  playground equipment  soaps and detergents  fabric softeners and sheets  paints, house  bug sprays and pesticides  dry cleaning  weed killers  acrylic and oil paints  ceramic glazes  copy machine toner  printer inks  felt pens  white out  car exhaust  antifreeze  automobile oil  gasoline  car interiors  clothing  fabric  sheets and linens  candles  non-organic food and drink  canned foods  food coloring and flavorings  air fresheners  prescriptions  spermicides  latex  baby lotions  baby powder  diapers baby bottles  toys  shampoo  hair conditioners  makeup  deodorants  body washes  lotions   breath sprays  toothpaste  tooth whiteners  fingernail polish  hair spray  hair gel  hair dyes  toilet paper  facial tissues  bottled water  kitty litter  pet food  flea sprays, collars and dips

 

What have I forgotten that affects you greatly?

 

Do you think the FDA is doing its job?

What is MCS?

For those of you who have no idea what MCS is, I will try to cover the basics in the next few posts. The letters stand for:

Multiple -  Affecting multiple bodily systems. The respiratory, neurological and digestive systems being the most commonly afflicted.

Chemicals - Common chemicals found in our homes and workplaces slowly or not so slowing poisoning us making those bodily systems dysfunction in different ways affecting our health and wellbeing.

Sensitivity - Not to be confused with allergies or intolerances. I've always hated the word "sensitivity". It's condescending. As in, "Oh, she's such a sensitive thing." It's misleading, and the terminology is confusing to most. MCS isn't an allergy as it doesn't indicate any kind of immunoglobulin response although telling people you have an allergy is the most comprehensive explanation as most have a basic understanding of what that might entail. However, I once read a quote from a woman frustrated by the assumptions of others and her explanation was, "If your child got hit by a truck would you say, 'Oh, he's allergic to Fords'? Chemicals are poisons.

I vote for changing "sensitivity" to "poisons". Multiple Chemical Poisons. Very clear and to the point. MCP. Also fun to say "Mmmmm...See...Pee."

How do you feel about the MCS moniker?