No Stink!

I’ve just discovered what I consider to be one of the greatest finds of my life. A few weeks ago I caught a miserable cold. I realize that most people think colds are miserable. However, the typical cold appears to move through its stages quicker with everyone else than it does with me. Also, colds often turn into ugly sinus infections with me. Well, without getting into the nitty gritty of it all, let me just point out that I lost my sense of smell, as many do with the cold or the flu. For several days I couldn’t smell anything. I had never experienced such severe loss of smell. As one with severe chemical sensitivities, it was a scary thing not to be able to smell. I had no warning when a harmful chemical was coming my way.

After ten days of no smell, my sniff ability started to return. While the ability was continuously increasing, I noticed that there were specific substances I still couldn’t pick up on at all. It was about twelve days after losing my sense of smell when I realized I was going to completely recovery. Although my ability to smell in the past few years has been annoyingly extreme, I was so relieved.

While I was sick, I started to use baking soda for a deodorant. It wasn’t as if I would be doing anything too physical. I figured it would suffice until I was well again. I also thought it would be considerate to minimize any unpleasantness for my husband or a clerk at the grocery store. The baking soda was a little messy to pat on, but it was quick and easy. Whenever I felt a little hot, I noticed a tinge of dampness under my arms. I presumed there was an offensive odor that was accompanying this. Fortunately for me, I couldn’t smell it. But could others?

During my recovery and while I still couldn’t smell everything yet, I feared my underarm odor was one of the last things I would regain the ability to smell. I asked my husband to take a sniff. This was a first. I’m not in the habit of asking anyone to smell my underarms. He didn’t pay much attention (typical husband in that respect) and said he didn’t smell anything. At this point, I knew he wasn’t really trying and he didn’t want to upset an already overly emotional sick person. A couple of days later I was really starting to feel like myself and I thought I could finally smell everything again… except I still couldn’t smell my underarms. I asked my husband again. No, nothing. I had regained my sense of smell and I couldn’t smell my own stink. Was this a gift from God? Had I really found a solution to no underarm odor? I went online and discovered baking soda really works for many people.

Although I do experience some wetness under extreme stress or heat, the baking soda appears to be going strong. I have never had a deodorant work this well. Just one application in the morning and I am good for the entire day. Even after showering, it continues to work for me.

Some of you are asking, “Why do I care about baking soda as an alternative, if my deodorant works great for me?” Well, if you care about the health of your family and yourself, you will start looking for alternatives to the commercial deodorants that have been sold to us for decades. And you might also think twice about the need for the antiperspirant we have come to expect in our deodorants. Perspiring under the arms is not necessarily a bad thing. The chemicals in antiperspirants that are used to keep you dry block your pores and trap toxins inside your body, whereas sweating allows toxins to be expelled from your body. Many of us have been hearing about the dangers of aluminum in deodorants for the past two decades; but it’s time to investigate both the anti-perspirant and anti-odor chemicals in deodorants. They both are hazardous to our health.

To find out more on the harmful ingredients in deodorants, please check out these links:

http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/aluminum_in_deodorant

http://www.naturalnews.com/001061.html. This site suggests using baking soda mixed with corn starch (50/50) for a deodorant. It also mentions toxic chemicals found in our personal care and household products.

If you would like to discover what’s in your commercial brand of deodorant, click on: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/. When you get to the site, type the name of your deodorant in the search box. This is also a great place for looking up the toxicity level of your shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and cosmetics.

CONCLUSION: Chemicals in deodorants are not healthy and could be extremely harmful. There are all natural, non-toxic alternatives for deodorant. I'm stuck on baking soda. It is cheap, easy, and NO STINK! (Many health stores sell crystal deodorants. Some of these contain a different aluminum in them than do the commercial brands sold in grocery stores and pharmacies; potassium aluminum. I have not been able to locate conclusive data on the toxicity of deodorants with potassium aluminum.)

SUGGESTION: Give baking soda a try for at least 4-6 days. Ladies, don’t shave right before applying. It will irritate the skin. I shave at night to avoid this problem.

Air What?... Fresheners?!!!

Well, it’s been a long journey, but we think we found a house that could be modified to make it safe enough for me to live in. And when I say “live in,” that only encompasses cooking and showering. I’m not sure I will ever be able to sleep inside the house. Although small, there is a screened porch I hope to sleep on for a couple of months. After that, I will be acquiring an Airstream trailer that has been outfitted for someone with MCS. It will be good to have a safe indoor bedroom.

The adventure of finding a house has been tedious and, to say the least, uncomfortable. Many people with MCS have tried unsuccessfully to find an existing house that they could remodel or modify. There is a basic list of criteria for MCS house hunting that is lengthy and overwhelming (and incomprehensible to the typical realtor). It starts something like this, “I need a house that isn’t too new (so that most of the building materials have outgassed), isn’t too old (so that it has no sign of mold or mildew), has great ventilation, has all-metal ductwork, is all tile (some wood is okay), and has no neighbors that use fabric softeners, detergents with a fragrance, fertilizer or pesticides on their lawns, have fires (even in their fireplaces)”... and the list goes on. If these basic needs for the MCS weren’t already impossible, there’s still something else that needs to be added to the list; “a house that has never had air fresheners in it.” Lately, I have read the same complaint made by MCS sufferers searching for a place to buy or rent; “I couldn’t even get in the door of the house to check it out, before I got sick from the air fresheners.”

For those who haven’t shopped for a house lately, you might not be aware that there is a mandate for air fresheners to be placed throughout a home when it first goes on the market. Okay, so I’m exaggerating… it “appears” that there is a mandate. I have looked at hundreds of homes online and seen the air fresheners in the pictures. I have actually gone to 80-90 houses. There were less than five that did not have air fresheners. The house that we hope to close on within the month did have air fresheners. I was probably the first person to see this house when it hit the market. I removed the chemical bombs and placed them outside. Throughout the next week, as the house got more and more traffic, some of the chemicals were passed to the outside. I was able to stay in the house for 20 minutes or so to discuss the home’s potential for us. I mentioned to our realtor that the listing agent needed to be informed of the air fresheners and that they should not go back inside. Several days after we signed the contract, I visited the house to find the air fresheners were returned to the inside of the house. They must have been there for at least 3-4 days. I was unable to stay one minute without a reaction. The chemicals were already stuck to the walls, flooring, vents, etc. Although we have since thrown away the air fresheners, I know the house will only air out to a degree. And even though we plan to seal all ceilings and walls and tile the whole house, I am anxious and dread going to my new house. It is very depressing to know that I could have been spared this additional health risk, if the realtors would have listened to my simple request. It will just make it more difficult to work with subcontractors until the house is sealed.

What’s the real problem here? Is it that people who are chemically sensitive will suffer whenever they go house hunting or is it that air fresheners should not be used to show homes? Please pay attention: NO ONE should EVER use an air freshener!!! Not even the ones in cars that look like cute Christmas trees. Not even those heated oils that make you feel romantic because they look seductive in a commercial. This is another example of a product that people in this country have been sold a “pile of nonsense” by the marketing machines.

Not only are air fresheners toxic, companies are getting rich by convincing people that these things work. Covering up a smell with chemicals does nothing but harm us and waste money. Some actually interfere with the ability to smell, which can cause people to believe the air is fresher, when actually their nasal passages have been coated with an oil film. Many air fresheners include highly toxic formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), phenol (an irritant that can lead to death), and/or nerve deadening chemical agents. Is Oust included in this toxic list? Absolutely! It contains very harmful chemicals, including a solvent, liquefied petroleum gases, and ingredients found in insect repellents, adhesives, caulks, and more. The product even warns that you test it in a small room first to see if anyone in the house has a reaction. What about Febreze and Renuzit? Don’t even think about it? They are all harmful.

I suspect many of you wonder how all of these air fresheners are toxic if they are everyday products sold in the USA. It is important that consumers know any product with a fragrance does not have to disclose its ingredients. It is protected by trade secret rights in this country.

For further information on air fresheners and the harm they are doing to our family and pets, please check out these links.

http://www.drbenkim.com/dangers-air-fresheners.html

http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2008/11/19/greenwash-of-the-week-febreze-its-a-breath-of-fresh-air/

CONCLUSION: Air fresheners are anything but fresheners of the air and they are highly toxic.

Suggestion: Put a bowl of lemons on a table… or anything natural that smells fresh to you. Get rid of anything moldy or musty and air out the house on days when there is clean, dry air outside. Use exhaust fans to get rid of unwanted odors as soon as they arrive.

UPDATE: On the day of the house closing we discovered we did not qualify for the tax credit that would enable us to start the remodeling on this home. This disappointment with the added knowledge that there is frequent mosquito spraying in the area made the purchase of the house an unwise choice. I am again without a home.

The Bag Lady

I frequently refer to myself as “The Bag Lady.” This is because in public I look like a homeless lady who carries or wears all of her possessions. Homeless people often layer clothing. I’m not sure if this is because they need to adapt to the range of changing temperatures throughout a full day or to have less to carry when traveling from place to place. I would think it’s both, depending on where you live.

When I make a decision to face the world, I have to plan my attack. Okay, so it’s more like a survival plan. I put all my necessary gear in my backpack: water bottle, ocean spray (nasal spray), tissues, cotton mask, overshirt, hat, and an “away from home too long” snack. Then, I think like the average person and I include my cell phone and my shopping list. I often forget the list because I am so concerned about having my survival stuff. Unfortunately, the whole purpose of the outing is to get what is on the list.

In addition to carrying half of my worldly possessions, I also look homeless because I wear a frayed old hat and a torn men's shirt. These cloths are shredded because I wash them often and I’ve had them so long. What no one knows is that most of the time I look quite presentable underneath my homeless attire.

I’m used to the stares. And the only times I get embarrassed is if I run into a family member out in public and they look uncomfortable while been seen talking to “The Bag Lady.” Sometimes I get looks as if people suspect I may be a celebrity trying to look really homely and go unnoticed. I think that is because of the lack of makeup and desperately needed hair styling. I believe their logic is that one would not look the way I do on purpose, unless trying to fool people. Since no one has tried to take my picture or ask for an autograph, I’m probably off the mark here.

“So why do I layer?” some may ask. I do this to protect my hair and clothes from becoming saturated with fragrances and chemicals. Once I’ve survived a visit in a store, I remove the hat and outer clothes (I can cover them up in the car). Otherwise, I will get in my car and be trapped in a very small space with the chemicals, or worse, have these chemicals stuck on me until the moment I can shower.

And some may wonder, why no make-up and no hair treatments. Well, I do wear a little Clinique makeup that doesn’t irritate me. But there is no way I can breathe the chemicals from having my hair bleached, dyed, or permed… I can’t even tolerate walking into a salon, much less having toxic products on my head. My husband has been cutting my hair for the last three years… but he is certainly no beautician. (It’s a good thing it is stuffed up in a hat when I’m in public.)

CONCLUSION: People with MCS are still people underneath the masks and strange outerwear. We really aren’t trying to get attention and strange looks… well, not most of us (there’s always an odd bird or two in every flock). We just do what has to be done to survive.

Home for the Holidays

It’s that time of year when we hear psychologists on the radio or TV reminding us that the holidays can be stressful. When I hear these warnings, I think to myself, “Oh, REALLY?!”

Whether it’s the obligation or desire to connect, most people will make an effort to be with their family sometime during the holidays. This includes the growing number with the strange illness called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, of which I am one.

We all yearn for those magical memories of holidays past. We each have an ideal image that comes to mind for every special holiday. Take Christmas for example. For some, it might look like this. A freshly cut Christmas tree stands tall in the corner of a well decorated family room. The lights are dimmed and candles are lit. There are shiny wrapped presents under the tree. A crackling fire is aglow. Relatives and friends are dressed up in holiday attire. Mouth watering aromas are coming from the general direction of the kitchen. Around the corner is an elegantly set dining table. In the center of the table is a festive floral arrangement. A dog runs through the house with bells tied around his neck, as children follow behind. To some this sounds like picture perfect!

As one with MCS, my version of that same holiday scene is dramatically different. When I first enter this postcard picture scene, my heart is warmed by the sight of family and friends, the beautiful decorations, and the excitement in the air. However, at this same moment, my mind starts to reel, because my body starts to scream. I am hit from all directions. It’s as if I am in the center of a firing squad. My eyes dart around the room to detect where the bullets (chemical emissions) are coming from.

There’s a fire blazing. The wood smoke irritates my throat and lungs and I suppress the coughing that is about to erupt. Stepping into the living room, I admire the real Christmas tree and its trimmings. I detect the chemicals in the pesticide that was sprayed on the tree before it was chopped and sold. There is a tightening in my chest and I start to feel queasy. I creep forward, as I wait for my husband to deliver our dish to the kitchen and return to my side. Then I practically throw our gifts at him and motion for him to put them under the tree. An artificial spice scent is overpowering the room. I suspect it is either an air freshener or a scented candle. My head begins to pound and the discomfort in my throat and chest continues to worsen. A distant relative runs up to me and gives me a hug before I can say, “Please don’t. You are wearing perfume.” It is too late. I now have a sickening perfume stuck on my clothes and in some of my hair. This is when I start to panic. I realize I can’t get away from the perfume on me. The chemicals in the scent are irritating my throat even more and now my tongue is feeling weird. I’m also feeling lightheaded. Other family members come to greet me slowly. Some know to keep their distance, because they are wearing perfume or fragranced products (deodorants, shampoos, conditioners). But what they don’t know is that I also react to the dry cleaning chemicals on their favorite Christmas jacket or outfit. I manage to slip into the dining room hoping to get fresher air. I admire the beautiful table and flowers. But after stepping only a few feet into the room, my throat starts to feel thick, as if it wants to close up. I detect the strong fragrances emitted from the flowers in the centerpiece on the table and the potpourri in the crystal bowl on the buffet nearby. Any desire to partake in a Christmas feast has left me. At this point, I want to run. I dash from the room, my mind searching for answers to the already overwhelming concerns facing me during this visit. From this point on, I stumble from room to room trying to find the space with the least amount of irritants. I decide to go outside for a while. On my way to the door, a happy dog runs past and clips me on the leg. I smile… until the flea shampoo hits me. I feel as if I have been poisoned. I am lightheaded, nauseous, and feel extremely weak. Quickly, I open the door and escape. Hoping that no one has missed me, I remain as long as it takes to feel better. Eventually my husband locates me. I ask him to let me know when dinner has been served. Feeling sad, I stand alone outside awaiting the return of my husband. In what seems like eternity, he calls for me from the door.

Feeling better, I re-enter the house and beg my husband to get me a small plate of food. I make my way to the couch and try to talk with the nearest person, so as not to seem antisocial. Very soon I notice a new burning in my throat and I glance around the room (yet again). The irritant smells like ink. I then notice the pretty packages sprawling out from under the tree. In order to know for sure if they are the culprits of this new chemical reaction, I slowly move toward a pile of presents next to the tree. As the scent is getting stronger, I lean close to the presents and take a sniff. Oh, that’s it. The ink (or finishes) on the wrapping papers are causing both my nose and throat to burn. I ask myself, why did I check out the presents and subject myself to more discomfort, if I thought that was the cause of the reaction? This is the same question my husband often asks me. Then the answer came, as it always does. I would rather be certain of the source and get away from it, than risk my reaction getting worse.

And so, my Christmas celebration with family is spent moving in and out of rooms and going outside frequently. I do this while trying to nibble on the food so thoughtfully prepared by many and visiting with my family as long as possible before getting sick. If I knew that all my symptoms would disappear when I left, I could better enjoy every moment of the gathering. However, many symptoms last for hours. And occasionally, a reaction can have symptoms lasting for days.

CONCLUSION:

Yes, Christmas is very stressful. But we manage to ignore the stress, because the effort we invest usually brings joy to us, our families, and our friends. I would like to conclude that for me Christmas remains the most special of holidays. Just like many, I dream of those same ideals we had as children. Although most are unrealistic for me, I still yearn for them and I wish you all the merriest Christmas ever.

UPDATED COMMENT (2010):

It has been a year since I wrote this article. My outlook on Christmas has changed. I dread Christmas and all the family gatherings I will either miss or have to hide from while they take place around me. I can no longer tolerate the airborne food particles that most of the world calls "pleasant aromas". Spices and certain foods that are prevalent at parties/meals are too dangerous for me. I have many neurological reactions, in addition to those I have been having throughout the past few years. Many are from the cosmetic and hair care products others wear. Others are from the list below.

NOTES:

There is a mental list that scrolls through the mind of one with MCS, when preparing for a visit home. For those unaware of this list, reading mine might explain why we laugh (with fear) at the warnings of holiday stress?

My List of What to Avoid to Survive a Holiday without Leaving Sick

Perfumes and Colognes

Fragranced Shampoos, Conditioners, and Styling Products

Makeup with fragrances or sunscreen

Hairspray

Fragranced Detergents (on clothes or in the laundry area)

Fabric Softeners (on clothes or in the laundry area)

Hand, Face, or Body Lotions (most are fragranced)

Aftershave

Fragranced Deodorants

Furniture that has just been polished

Fresh Flowers

Scented Candles or Potpourri

Air Fresheners (one should be shot for using one of these – more later)

Alcoholic Beverages in Open Containers

Greeting Cards or Wrapping Paper containing certain inks or finishes

Gifts that contain either plastic or rubber (like the cord on new appliances or electronics)

Spices: especially all peppers, garlic, and onions (used in preparing/cooking food in the house or

just reheated)

Gasoline seeping into house from a motorcycle recently parked in the garage.

Insect Repellant (if in a warm climate)

Sunscreen (if in a warm climate)

There are many symptoms that one with MCS can experience from exposure to the items on this list. Not everyone has the same reactions. I don’t even have the same reaction to the same type of product. For example: one perfume can make my nose, throat, and lung irritated, while another perfume can cause a severe headache, or another affect my sense of balance.