Tags
blogging, chronic illness, disability, IIAW, Invisible Illness Awareness Week, Love, MCS, multiple chemical sensitivities, New Year Resolution, poisoning of the world, prevent MCS, TED Talk
This week is Invisible Illness Awareness Week. If you’re not one of the over 100 million people who have an invisible illness — and wonder what it is — it is an illness/disease/sensitivity that the symptoms are not obvious to someone else. If you seated 50 people with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) and 50 people without MCS in a room — it would be nearly impossible to pick out those with MCS. Symptoms such as migraines — chronic fatigue — chest pains — blurred vision are not obvious to some one else. Even symptoms that are external such as hives are still difficult to see when they are on your scalp or under your chin. Panic attacks or anxiety caused by toxic chemicals reacting with our brains and nervous symptoms are often incorrectly assumed to be a “mental” disorder rather than a physical one. Mood swings and fuzzy-headedness are sometimes assumed by others to mean that we are cranky and stupid — rather than people being poisoned by toxic chemicals from other people’s everyday personal care products.
MCS is not curable but it is preventable. Eliminate toxic chemicals from our everyday lives and we would eliminate new cases of MCS and alleviate the vast majority of symptoms of those who already have MCS. Today, I ask that if you are using anything in your home/life with an artificial fragrance — — you educate yourself why you should stop — NOW. The same for toxic cleaning supplies and pesticides and furniture that out-gasses toxic chemicals….
I have three categories on my blog: How to Make Your Home Less Toxic on a Budget, Invisible Illness Awareness Week, and May is MCS Awareness Month — please check out some of the posts so you will understand — why poisoning yourself, your family, and me — will not bring more love into your life.
This week, I will be posting some guest blogs from friends and family members who have agreed to write or do an art piece about what it has been like for them to learn about living with a loved one who is disabled with MCS and how it has impacted their lives.
Today, I have included a few links to fellow MCS (Invisible Illness) bloggers whose words of wisdom have helped to educate me.
Could They Be Chemically Sensitive by Stephanie.
National Invisible Illness Week by Kathryn
Wendell Berry’s World by Linda (not specifically about IIAW but destroying our world with toxic chemicals is how I got an II)
Youtube video on being a social outcast from having the II Lyme disease. When I watched it I just substituted MCS every time she said Lyme disease. Thanks Sonda for the video link and lots of other great insights.
Thank you to all my readers for your love and support.
Colleen
Life in the City with a Future 
Reblogged this on sondasmcschatter and commented:
QUOTE: “MCS is not curable but it is preventable. Eliminate toxic chemicals from our everyday lives and we would eliminate new cases of MCS and alleviate the vast majority of symptoms of those who already have MCS. Today, I ask that if you using anything in your home/life with an artificial fragrance — — you educate yourself why you should stop — NOW. The same for toxic cleaning supplies and pesticides and furniture that out-gasses toxic chemicals….”
TONS OF GOOD INFORMATION FROM MY MCS SISTER COLLEEN—-
Thanks for reblog Sonda. Keep that soap box handy — it’s time to get the word out. 😀
Thank you for sharing this Colleen. I am reblogging it as well.
❤ 😀 ❤
Reblogged this on allergictolifemybattle and commented:
Thank you Colleen for your contribution in getting the word out about Invisible Illness Week.
Dito. ❤ And thanks for the reblog.
Colleen: Thank you for bringing attention to a syndrome that is becoming more prevalent as our dependence on chemicals has grown. With the manufacture and use of chemicals, for the most part unregulated, we all participate in an undocumented experiment with serious consequences. There is hope, however, for people with MCS. Doctors of environmental medicine have learned how to treat MCS with antigens, sauna detoxification, and alternative therapies such as energy medicine. Although not all people can be “cured,” many can be taught how to live life more comfortably. I am one of the lucky ones who got to Dr. Rea’s clinic in Dallas early enough to benefit from such treatment. With more awareness of MCS, people can go into treatment earlier with a greater chance for success. Jennie
Thank you for sharing some of the treatments to detoxify that have worked for you and others. 😀 In the last two years I went from not being able to get off my couch and walk across the room to today I walked for an hour an a half in the woods taking photos. People see this I think I am cured. Last week I went very early morning to take photos of the river from the bridge. From the exhaust of the few cars that went by I was nauseated and disoriented. Doctors have to be very brilliant indeed to stay ahead of ways to detoxify our bodies — when more and more toxic chemicals are being invented — and are being combined in untested combinations with other toxic chemicals. I view my MCS like a rattle snake bite. If I am bit then the poison is in my body. Doctors know how to counter this poison if they get the treatment to me quickly. If I avoid being bit and poisoned again — I will do well. If I get bit again — I’m going to be poisoned and get sick again and if there is poison left from the previous time then I am probably going to have a tougher time after this exposure. Carrying on the analogy there are snakes that doctors have no anti-venom and is so fast acting — one will not recover. With my MCS — some chemicals I have a mild reaction — others as my throat closes off and I can’t breathe — I pray that maybe NOW people will get the message to stop contaminating our world. ❤ I'm glad there are people like you who are willing to educate and support and care — and yes EARLIER treatment is way better. I learned this the hard way.
Thanks for sharing
❤
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