Why Is A Simple Sweater Cause For Celebration?

A simple sweater is the most recent physical proof of just how much I have healed from MCS over the last few years.
The sweater is 100% acrylic 'wool' and is dyed black.

The reason it is so exciting is because (insert drum roll) I washed it once before being able to wear it.

Once!

With just a bit of my safe-for-me detergent.
Did I mention once? :-)
A few years ago it would have been questionable whether I could detox it at all because it is very thick and dyed black - both of which can be hard to detox.
Furthermore, it was sold in a grocery store and in the past it would have taken many washes just to remove the smells from the store (laundry aisle, air freshener etc) let alone the excess dyes, finishing chemicals etc.

If I had been able to detox it enough to be safe for me in the past, it would have taken at least 16-20 washes, many of which would be using various things that people with MCS use to remove scents, chemicals, dyes etc from clothing.  Things like vinegar, baking soda, TSP, borax, milk and more.

So being able to wash this thick, black, synthetic sweater sold in a grocery store only one time with just a bit of mild detergent and be 100% okay with it - no reactions at all - is a victory to me and a wonderful sign of how much I am healing!

It's very exciting :-)
And also warm and comfy!

Week-long Trip A Huge Success - MCS so much better!

Glorious view from the scenic Taconic State Parkway  - the photo doesn't do it justice.

I am back from a wonderful week long trip to New York State.
I will write a review of the Rhinebeck campus of the Omega Institute from an MCS perspective soon but if you'd like to read a bit sooner, you can view this post on my art-focused blog: Back From Omega Institute Retreat - Wonderful!

The trip was a huge success for me from an MCS standpoint.  I am so excited to have been able to go on such a big journey and not get sick!  It was totally liberating and joyful to interact with all sorts of people as myself instead of as a) a sick person or b) a person wearing a mask.

After returning home, I realised that I had spent time with people, enjoyed their company and not even thought of mentioning MCS to them!  It was/is SO COOL!

I will also be writing a review of the Bed and Breakfast I stayed at on the way there and back.  They are more MCS aware than most (though they have many areas they could improve).

Since returning I have no desire at all to sit in front of the computer so it may take me a while to get to those reviews.
The air here is whispering of autumn and I want to be outside in it!

Drawing done at Omega after an Energy Medicine healing session

2 Year Update: MCS Still Improving!

It's been just a few months longer than 2 years now that I have been steadily getting better from MCS.

I know that to a newcomer with MCS, the idea of it taking years to get better could seem disappointing... but I'm just fine with it.  I'm so grateful to be healing and am trying to be patient with the rate at which it's happening.  So when I look at how FAR I've come in 2 years... I say YAY!!!

My life has changed so dramatically that I am daunted by even trying to put it into words.
For those who have or have had severe MCS, perhaps this update list will capture it.  A list full of things that I once would have thought to be impossible!

My mask is lonely... it almost never gets used.
When I go out, if I remember to bring it, I use it in bathrooms that have strong air freshener.  If I forget, I use the bathrooms anyway!  And I'm okay.

Going out for dinner is no big deal now from an MCS standpoint, though I still have aftermath due to food sensitivities.

I close my windows if my direct next door neighbour has their dryer or lawnmower going or if neighbourhood woodsmoke is very strong but otherwise they can be open often.

New clothing takes only a few washes with just laundry soap before I can wear it (as opposed to tons of 'detox' washes with special things like vinegar, baking soda, TSP, milk, borax etc etc).

Driving in a 4 year old car that still has new car smell is something I give no thought to - zero reactions.  No mask needed.

Car exhaust, lawnmower fumes, air freshener, BBQ, cigarette smoke, dryer exhaust, essential oils,  perfume/cologne, woodsmoke, paint, new roof smell, road tarring, carpets and much more bother me less and less.  Passing exposure to any of these causes no reaction except distaste.  Prolonged exposure to most of those causes only slight reactions and very fast recovery time.

I can spend time around regular people who are covered head to toe in scented products.  I don't enjoy the smell at all.  I do find it offensive and distracting.  But my physical adverse reactions to it are far less and this has freed me up so much socially.

I can't really express just how different and wonderful it is to do something as simple as smile at a stranger in a store or doctors office!  Those small bits of human interaction are amazing and were totally interfered with my wearing a mask.

I know there are so many little things I am forgetting because the changes and improvements are becoming 'normal' to me.  I'm trying to relax and let myself just enjoy the ride, the journey, instead of feeling the need to catalogue or keep track of all of the improvements.
:-)

Lilacs Smell Good Again!

The lilacs are in bloom in southern Ontario - an event that used to keep me inside at this time of year.  They used to smell very strong to me and I would get bad headaches and brain fog if I was exposed for more than a few seconds.  With MCS, one can react to VOCs from any source - even naturally occurring ones in plants and flowers.


Now lilacs smell wonderful to me!  I was out gardening for a few hours today and the wind was blowing a neighbour's lilac blossom scent my way.  I loved every minute of it and had no negative reactions  :-)
It is such a joy for me to be able to enjoy these natural smells again.
I've also been enjoying it when fresh cut grass smell wafts my way - something that a few years ago I would have thought impossible due to the high terpene level in grass.

I'm not yet at the point where I'd bring strong flowers like lilacs, hyacinths or lily-of-the-valley inside though I do bring some more mildly scented flowers in.

What flowers do you love?

Do you react to natural sources of VOCs?

MCS Improvements Part 9: MCS and Magazines - not usually a good mix but...

The title says it all!
For most of my journey with MCS, I couldn't even be in the same room as a magazine, flyer or newspaper without negative reactions.
To my delight, I've noticed that those reactions are getting less and less lately.
I can read through most newsprint flyers or newspapers in small doses with no reactions although I dislike the smell.
I can also look through glossy magazines for longer periods of time - longer than newsprint and much longer than was possible even 6 months ago!

This is particularly exciting to me because I love making collages which magazines, seed catalogues etc are great for.

Here's a happy-that-it's-spring collage I did recently:

MCS Improvements Part 8: Walmart, mall, dollar store, library, Chapters, restaurant

I finally polished off this post and I'd like to share something very inspiring.
I recently went on a number of outings over 2 consecutive days that went SO well it was wonderful!

I was on a quest for unscented glue sticks (surprisingly hard to find) and got dropped off at Walmart (I don't drive).  This is the 3rd time in a few months that I've done Walmart without a mask. I had to bold that because that's a statement I thought I'd never see!

1. The first time was a few months ago for about 45 minutes and although not terrible, was not good - really bad brain fog, then emotional breakdown later with unexplained sobbing and fatigue.
2. The second time was a few months later - 15-20 minutes - and I had slight brain fog but was otherwise fine.
3. The third time was last week and it went great.  I was in there for at least 45 minutes, in all different departments, sniffing glue sticks of all things, and the only symptom was mild brain fog and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  No fatigue or neuro reactions later.

Not only that but after Walmart, I walked through the mall and went to Dollarama (I big, chain dollar store - lots of VOCs).  I was in there for about 30 minutes and was fine!  A dollar store is another place I thought I'd never be able to go without a mask.

After that, I walked through the mall and went to the library for a while and then walked 20 minutes home.  By that time I was very tired because I'd been on my feet for over 2 hours and I am not in good shape due to little exercise.
But other than normal tiredness, I was totally fine MCS-reaction-wise.

I woke up the next day feeling fine - no chemical hangover - and ended up going out again!

 funky tree from walk!

I went for a nature walk, browsed in Chapters for at least an hour (large chain bookstore that carries scented candles and has a Starbucks in it - fumes) and had dinner at Swiss Chalet.  The restaurant was so busy that I ended up being there for about 2 hours in total what with waiting in line, waiting to order, waiting for food to come and eating.  I got a mild headache which left as soon as I ate - likely blood sugar-related.


So that's 2 days in a row of huge, hours-long, unmasked outings with few ill effects.
And I was fine the next day and the day after that etc.

Awesome :-)

MCS Improvements Part 7: Tolerating Markers, Pens and Papers

It's very exciting to now be able to use pretty much any pen or non-permanent marker!

I can now use sparkly pens, metallic pens, ball point pens, gel pens etc etc.
Ball point pens in particular I never thought I would be able to use again and am now totally fine with.

I'm loving all the new colours that are opening up to me.
Being able to do more artistic things is increasing my energy and improving  my mood... and it's SO healing for me!

I'm also now fine with regular paper, watercolour paper, construction paper and various coloured and craft papers!  Yay!!

 

You can view more creativity-focused posts on my blog Divinity Withinity.

MCS Improvements Part 6: Tracking Over 3 Months (3 dentist appts)

I had a neat opportunity to track improvements recently.

In 3 months, I went to the dentist 3 times - with each visit almost exactly one month apart.

The dentist is a number of hours away and each trip in total took over 8 hours at the shortest.

on the last 2 visits, I also went out for lunch at the same restaurant after the dentist.


I found it much easier to assess the level and rate of improvement with those visits compared to somewhere I go once or twice a week around town.

Exposures:

same hours long drive there

in same newer, smelly vehicle

inhaling the same exhaust fumes

walking through the same parking garage,

air freshenered elevator,

cleaning producted bathroom,

chemical-filled dentist office,

scented serving person, carpeted restaurant

eating the same delicious but non-organic food

same hours long drive home

in same newer, smelly vehicle

inhaling the same exhaust fumes

Reactions:

with each trip my reactions were WAY less than the one before, my recovery time was faster (with trip 3 recovery time being none at all really because I pretty much didn't react all day!)

I should put that in it's own sentence.

I am improving fast enough that although Trip 1 felt like hell and Trip 2 still felt like an ordeal (though not a hellish one), Trip 3 produced pretty much NO negative reactions and therefore didn't require any recovery time.

 I was slightly tired a bit after eating which happens to me anyway when I digest a large meal.  I still disliked the various things I smelled but did not physically or cognitively react to them.

I also hade slightly sore shoulders which came up about 2 hours after getting home.

After finally washing perfume and etc fumes out of my hair that went away.

If someone had told me 3 years ago that this would ever be possible for me, I would not have believed them.

In Other Improvement News:

In other news, going out to stores, malls, etc with no mask is now the norm for me.  I carry a mask in case I need to use a washroom that is ridiculously air freshenered but rarely use it.
The reactions from those 'out in public' places are lessening steadily and recovery time is almost instant after getting home.
It used to be that recovery time couldn't even start until I had showered and changed into clean clothing but now it begins the second I am in cleaner air.

Celebrating MCS Improvements Part 5: Healing Faster and Faster!

My improvements are happening very fast now.

Every week I seem to have things I can tolerate (or am reacting less to) that I could not just one week before. It's so exciting!

I have now had a number of weeks in a row where I have gone in public with no mask for hours at a time each week - often twice a week - and each time my reactions are less and less!

Last week I went for a medical appointment/exam in a regular clinic that took over 90 minutes total (including wait time) with no mask, then shopping for over 2-3 hours afterwards.
I did take a blanket for over the exam table and asked for a disposable paper robe instead of laundered one.  I was bothered most by the flourescent lights - far more than by chemicals.
My reactions while out were mild and I recovered as fast as it took me to shower after getting home.

I recently went ot Walmart without a mask (something I thought would never happen).
It was not a pleasant experience but far better than it would have been in the past.  I have been to Zellers (for non-Canadians that is like a small version of Walmart - not quite as stinky but still awful) many times maskless now and am fine.  Haven't yet done harware stores.

Yesterday I was in various grocery stores for 2 hours, then in a MALL, amidst the holiday shopping craziness, for about an hour and a half, all with no mask.
I came home, showered, ate and was well enough to go out to a cafe that was having free tarot readings!

With these outings I get slight sore throat and slight brain fog and sometiems some fatigue but it all passes so fast and is SO mild compared to how it used to be. I used to have more symptoms than those and far worse. A few years ago an outing maskless even a fraction of that length would have had me sick for weeks or more. And each time I did one would have taken longer to recover.

My favourite thing is being able to smile at people :-)
:-)

Touch For Health Experience

Today I had my first session with a healer who just completed level 1 Touch For Health. I have the opportunity to be a volunteer client for a number of sessions.

I have never done Touch For Health (T4H for short) before though I do some Eden Energy Medicine on my own that has a number of similarities.  I hadn't known what to expect.

It ended up being a very positive experience!

The focus today was my body being in harmony with the food I eat.  It's too soon to say what effect T4H has had  on that issue but by the end of the session I was feeling really good.
Positive, energised and strong!

The session was done in my home and shortly after it, I was listening to music and suddenly was filled with energy and just had to get up and dance.  I was feeling so good that I started laughing!
A few minutes into the song, I realised that I was dancing normally (and vigorously) even though I have had a hurt foot that's had me limping for days.  I tested out the foot and discovered there was no pain left!  It had been hurting at the start of the T4H session but less than 90 minutes later, the pain was totally gone!  Very exciting and I'm happy to be able to dance again.

I danced with much more energy than usual and am still feeling energised and happy almost an hour later.

If any readers have tried T4H I would love to hear your experiences.

~

In other news, I am working on getting an interview up on the blog with the inspiring performance artist Julie Laffin (who just happens to also have MCS) and have been working on some holiday season crafts including making a fabric 'xmas' tree that will hang on the wall.
Hope to have posts on those things soon!

I hope you are all keeping as warm and cozy as possible.
:-)

Inspiring People with MCS - Kimberly Shaw

Kimberly is an author, educator, filmmaker and natural health consultant who was diagnosed with MCS in 1995.  I first heard about Kimberly a while back when someone was discussing her MCS Documentary.
I encourage you to visit her site and let her know if you're interested in being interviews just in case she is in your area filming!

She also blogs at Adventurous Canary and Serendipity.
I've been really enjoying her Serendipity blog and finding it very inspiring!
I love reading about her going on journeys and my spirits are lifted by how often she finds people very accomodating about her food and chemical sensitivities.

What I love most about the blog is her gorgeous photos - often of nature.

.

Celebrating MCS Improvements Part 3

Along with all of it's many gifts, Spring has brought me many opportunities to notice ways in which my health is improving and moving forward!

With MCS, one can react to any source of VOC (Volatile Organic Compond) - even a 'natural' source such as flowers, mold, fresh cut grass, wood etc.


All of the things on this list caused very bad reactions only 2 years ago - bad enough that I had to avoid all of them. Last year I was much better than the year before but still quite restrictive however... this year is dramatically better than last year and I feel no restrictions at all to these four things listed below! This is absolutely wonderful and feels like such a gift and blessing. I'm outside for hours each day and it's so good for my soul.

Gardening: rarely, if ever, do I react to mold from soil now. I garden every day! I used to have to wear a mask and gloves. I garden maskless now but do sometimes wear gloves if my eczema is acting up.


Fresh cut grass in the neighbourhood smells fresh and lovely to me! This blows my mind since only a few years ago, the terpenes and other VOCs released from fresh cut grass felt like poison to me and I had run and close the windows if I heard anyone mowing their lawn. As long as the grass smell was in the air (often days) I had to keep the windows closed and stay inside or only go out wearing a mask.
*note* there is an interesting PDF file paper here that shares results of research done on VOCs emitted from grass - it gives the actual VOCs and amounts after specific time periods (includes formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and more! ack!).
If PDF form is a problem, you can view it in text form here (hope that link worked!)

Fragrant flowers blooming in the neighbourhood such as Lilac, Hyacinth, apple etc are enjoyable instead of making me nauseous and terribly sick (and necessitating the same frantic run for indoors and battening of the hatches as cut grass used to). What a joy to be able to appreciate a pretty, natural smell instead of feeling it's the enemy. I still don't bring fragrant flowers into the house but can envision a day when that will be possible!

Raking leaves: mild to no reaction to leaf mold (I used to get 'stoned', exhausted and incoherent).



As a wonderful added bonus, my reactions to the following chemicals have also dramatically improved. I suspect it's been happening gradually over the winter and spring is giving me the chance to notice it since I'm outside more and wanting to open windows.
When I say 'reaction' I'm also including recovery time improving.
It takes more of a substance to cause a reaction, even then the reaction is much milder than in the past and my recovery time is much shorter. Yay!!! ☺

• dryer exhaust
• lawnmower fumes
• BBQ fumes
• car exhaust
• cigarette smoke
• tar (including new roof smell - a neighbour just got a new roof)
  
• wood smoke
• perfume, cologne and body spray
• laundry products on people's clothing, scented products on their hair and skin (I've actually been able to meet some of my neighbours after living here for a few years!)
  

I get so much hope and inspiration when I catalogue these improvements!
If any readers have noticed improvements, I love hearing about them - please share them in the comments section if you'd like to.

If this post was of interest to you, you might also like:

Moving Forward... Noticing The Positive Part 1

and

Celebrating Improvements - Noticing The Positive Part 2