I
was poisoned at a school where I worked. It wasn't an old school, but it's
often newer construction materials using modern chemicals that create many
"sick building" environments. First day on the job the carpets were
being replaced. New synthetic carpets and the glues used to hold them in place
are incredibly toxic and can offgas poisons for years, but old carpets
harboring a very serious mold problem are deadly. This school had both. Didn't
seem to bother me at the time, but everyone else was ranting about the stink.
The school also had ventilation problems and three times a day bus fumes would
waft through the building. Uncomfortable and making everyone sick to their
stomachs, but didn't seem to bother me other than an occasional
"ugh!". To camouflage the stink so we could all pretend it wasn't
there, air fresheners were sprayed through the halls and staff wore copious amounts
of perfume and cologne. Now THAT did me in! With the repetitive assault, my
body just gave up and started defensively attacking back.
In
addition, my history includes growing up surrounded by acres of perfectly
manicured turf grass drenched in pesticides and herbicides, a home full of
second-hand smoke, a house treated for termites, and a
perfume-saturated office job where I thought I had a very bad, lingering case
of the flu. For me it was a combination of long-term subtle exposure
culminating in a massive overexposure that pushed me over the edge.
How
did you become chemically sensitive? Share your story.
Mine started after my pregnancy with my son. 15 months after giving birth, I started falling sick, and was given a NSAID and that was when all hell started breaking loose. And things deteriorated and 35months ago, I had the anaphylaxis which almost killed me.
ReplyDeletePregnancy really throws one's body into a hyper-protective mode. I wonder what it was in your environment 15 months later that made your body interpret it as an attack? I guess it could have been anything from conventional foods, polluted air...hmmm. It's always such a mystery. Definitely the drug intensified the poisoning and pushed you over the edge. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks for telling me about your blog on MDjunction. I have always been sensitive to chemicals since I can remember. But never to the extent that I am now. My sensitivities exploded 6 months ago after a tooth being pulled leading to a fistula into my maxillary sinus or a hole between my mouth and my nose and a subsequent infection. Since then I have become so severe that I leave everywhere I go. Yes I still try to go places and do things. My biggest yucky place is the grocery store. It's a toss up between the vegetable/fruit section and the laundry/personal care products. Well crap, you can't even walk into the store because the flowers are at the entrances.
ReplyDeleteA couple of weeks ago I went to a family reunion in a regular city with grass and trees and flowers, boy what a reaction I had. It made me so thankful that I live in the desert where we don't have grass and our houses are spread out and not close together. It took me over 2 weeks to recover. All the smells threw my body into the pit. Between the sore throat, coughing up my lungs and the dreaded fatigue I could barely function.
Anyway, just a short tutorial on me. It is nice to have someone to talk with who understands. It was getting old feeling that everyone judged you and thought you were more than a little crazy.
I also just started a blog: http://wejustwanttobreathe.blogspot.com/2012/04/so-introduction.html
Feel free to check it out if you'd like. Talk to you soon.
Welcome to the blog! So glad to hear from you.
DeleteI just recently read infections are catalysts for autoimmune diseases so your experience fits right in with a whole body immune reaction to chemicals.
I moved into a new home with all the usual toxic chemicals. However, a cleaning crew put down muriatic acid on the tile to clean the grout and then closed up the house. After being in that hell of a house for several weeks, I nearly died. I looked as if I had suffered a stroke. There went my life, 45 years old, and ruined health. Devastated me. Dr.'s chased me away saying I needed a psychiatrist. So I went home "to die". I never knew what happened to me until several years later when I discovered an article in the paper about MCS. By then, too late, I already bought more toxic furniture that, at this point, has left me completely disabled/home bound, with no disability benefits. Zilch. Sometimes I wish I just wouldn't wake up in the morning. :-(
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for your story and situation. I understand completely. We are all just sitting ducks when it comes to chemical poisoning. People don't realize how dangerous they are and how quickly your life can be changed with one fatal exposure. And you are not a mental case as the stupid doctors would love for you to believe.
DeleteThere is hope, but fair warning, you don't get to live the life you had before. I hope some of my posts will give you some information to help you to heal, to alleviate your toxic body load, and make you feel better. First step is to get rid of all the toxic stuff in your house. Clean it all out! Make your home a safe place.
Good luck. If you have any questions, just ask and I'll try to help.