10 year update: Still Healing! Yay!! Life Is SO Different Now.

I've recently been getting emails from readers who have found this blog and it made me realise that it's been years since I've posted!  Maybe I'll update a bit for those who find this blog and wonder if my improvements have held.
I'm a nutshell: yes. They have. And they've continued beyond my wildest hopes.

Wow. 5 years!!!

Life has been progressing and my continued healing has opened the world up to me again.
It's amazing, and what's more amazing is that this is now the norm.

I ride the bus, crowded in amongst people wearing scented products, drive with friends in their new cars, go to regular appointments and events, get togethers and parties, concerts, movies, swimming in chlorinated pools, rollerskating in rented skates that have been sprayed with air freshener, go for medical procedures including IVs, meds, medical tape, medications, etc, go to a ten-day music festival in the woods with 1500 people (many covered in bug repellent and sunscreen, much smoking around me, though thankfully there was a rule of no smoking on the dancefloors )...

... I can read brand new books, magazines, and newspapers, and use many art supplies including acrylic paint and pencil crayons (I used to be unable to be in the room with a single one due to reacting to terpenes from the wood).
I'm able to use some select mild amounts of essential oils. I can be around coffee, orange peel, fresh cut mint, vinegar, and more.

Some of those things, with long enough or intense enough exposure, still cause reactions but the symptoms are generally mild and I recover quickly.
They rarely interfere.

The are still things (eg solvents, chlorine bleach, nail polish, ammonia) that would cause more severe reactions but my experience with those has changed as well. Things that previously could have been life-threatening and landed me in the hospital or ill in bed for weeks, might instead cause mild coughing for a few days, or a tight chest and difficulty thinking clearly until I get to fresh air. I avoid these things when possible but am calm when I'm exposed.

Spending time with people who are covered in scented laundry or personal care products, or in spaces with lit incense/scented candles or air freshener are still things that I avoid when I can, and often get headaches or migraines if I do choose to expose myself, but this does not amount to a life changing limitation.
I rarely wear a mask. I can't recall the last time I did. Perhaps it was on a many hours long road trip in a car that had strong gasoline fumes inside it.
Or if I was painting an entire wall in my apartment.
The poor masks are lonely in their box and I bet the local safety supply store misses my business.  ;-)

Well, that's all for now.
Wishing you all well.

**For those asking if I used a specific protocol to heal, no. But in the upper ride hand sidebar of the blog, there is a list of links to things that were important components of my own healing journey.
We are all individuals. Maybe some of those may benefit you, maybe you'll discover your own approach! Listen to your intuition and inner wisdom. That is what guided me to my path. It can be really hard to listen when fear and suffering are almost all we know. It's okay to start with very tiny baby steps. That's what I did.

💗💙💗

Hair Salon Visit! A MCS Healing Milestone

Now that life is so busy, I have been posting very infrequently.  I wanted to let you know that my recovery from MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) is still progressing well.

A few weeks ago I got my hair cut in a hair salon for the first time since before MCS got severe in 2004!
It felt like a huge milestone on my healing journey.  No mask of course.   :-)
Here's a picture I took before going in:

I brought my own shampoo and conditioner but other than that, I made no accommodations at all to MCS.
There were people around me getting highlights and it was wonderful to be able to just relax, knowing that my body can handle that kind of exposure now, with no ill effects.

My appointment took 1 hour and 15 minutes because my hair is very thick and long.
I wore their cape, sat in their chair, was surrounded by the products used by the salon... and I was just fine.  :-)  No reactions while there or afterward!

It was so exciting to feel so 'normal' and be able to do a positive, self-esteem boosting thing like getting a nice hair cut.

For those who are not at this stage yet, and want a hair cut, many towns have hairdressers who make house calls for people who are less mobile.  It generally isn't advertised.  I have found that service by calling various hair dressers or seniors residences and asking if anyone has heard of someone who gives cuts at your house.  If you have a yard or balcony, they should be able to do the cut outside so that you don't need to bring them into your home (if you would react to scents on them).
If you are lucky enough to live in a city that has an eco-friendly or chemical-free hair salon, they may be an option for you.  Check out this great article about that type of salon on Planet Thrive here: Less Toxic Hair Salons

MCS Success Photos

A few weeks ago, I was sitting at home after having been out at Walmart and also the grocery store (both with no mask) and I had one of those surreal moments that I have sometimes since being on a healing journey.
I suddenly looked around and was aware of all of the things I was sitting near that I couldn't have even been in the room with without reacting to before I began healing from MCS. Even after I had begun healing but was still early on, many of these things caused reactions and I had to avoid them. I am now so completely nonreactive to them that it feels normal to be around them and most of the time I forget they were ever an issue!

I took some photos that day and tried to identify all that I was now okay with.

Here are a few photos, followed by a list of what is shown - all of the items listed are signs of healing, signs of success! Keeping a tidy house is not one of my skills so please excuse the mess :-)

• acrylic yarn bought that day at Walmart.
• crochet hook bought that day at Walmart - it didn't occur to me to wash it.
• toilet paper bought at grocery store in same aisle as laundry products (the store smell on the plastic would have been a big issue in past).
• computer and printer in same room as me. I used to have them in another room with the cords for keyboard and monitor coming through wall into my room. They've been in the same room as me for many months now.
• table with wood exposed (used to be entirely sealed in foil due to terpenes in wood. the glass top on it now is just to protect it from cat claws - not for MCS reasons).
• package of canvas boards on table is from Michaels craft store, a very stinky place.
• you can just barely see the books on the tables - 1 new and 1 from library (inks, other people's scents etc).
• exercise ball
• what is not shown is my body and hair. I no longer need to shower or wash my hair after being out - even after hours of browsing Walmart! I simply wash my hands and change my clothing.
• the pants I'm wearing were ones I was able to wear after just one wash with my safe soap. no detox necassary.
  

Also, though you can't see it in the above photo, I was sitting a few feet from a pair of brand new boots. New leather, new rubber, new everything. They didn't bother me at all - either to be near or to wear (though sadly I did return them because the left one was too tight for some reason :)
In the left lower corner of the below photo you can see the fabric of the chair I'm sitting on. I left that in to show how nearby the boots are. I shopped for boots at almost every store I could think of, trying to find the right pair. I didn't wear a mask in any of the stores. The new shoe smell was very strong but it didn't bother me.

Great Article: Recovery From Severe Fabric Sensitivity

Julie Genser has written an excellent article that I encourage you to read.

It's so inspiring to read about how much she has improved and also very interesting to read about the approaches she used to do so!

You can check out Julie's article on the Limbic Retraining website here: My Recovery From Severe Fabric Sensitivity

Cutting The Grass With MCS (and video)

I made this short video of myself cutting my grass to give hope to others with MCS - to show that healing is possible :)

Click this link to view the video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d0SttND4DU
I didn't want to embed it and make my dial-up reader's computers freeze! :-)

Just a few years ago, I had MCS badly enough that if anyone near my house cut their lawn, I had to instantly close the windows, couldn't go outside etc for at least that whole day (or as long as the terpenes were in the air - sometimes a few days). After my partner cut our lawn, he had to remove his clothing except underwear out on the deck before coming in (including socks and shoes) and have a shower right away. I still reacted to the amount of grass terpenes on him from him walking through to the shower.

NOW... I can cut the grass myself with no mask!

I've been healing steadily from MCS for a little over 3 years and cut grass began to smell good to me about 1 year into the healing. Then I was able to cut the lawn with a mask and remove my clothing and shower.
I have been able to cut the grass with no mask and no need to change clothing or shower for the last year or so but finally videotaped it.

Healing is possible and I hope that, as more and more of us heal and share our stories, people who are new to MCS will begin the journey from a place of hope, inspired by the possibilities they see in others.

Medical Testing Easier With Improved MCS

I'm in the process of having some medical testing for non-MCS related health issues and wanted to share my successes with you.

First of all I've been just fine staying in a house that has carpets and regular furniture (including old particle board).

I can now go to doctor's offices with no mask (one of them had cigarette smoke coming in a vent and air freshener next to it trying to hide it).

I can lie on exam tables without bringing my own blanket or mylar to put under me and can wear the 'robes' they provide for me!

When I went for an ultrasound, I was fine in the waiting room crowded with over 30 people, with hand sanitiser being used regularly.

I was able to get an ultrasound done without needing to ask the ingredients of the conducting gel used on my skin - and without fear that I'd react to it even if it had been scented!

And with all of these experiences (spread over 2 days), I was able to go out after the appointments and shop in regular stores - including dollar stores and Michaels which is a huge craft store that has large scented candle displays.

Although I'm not enjoying dealing with medical 'stuff', it sure is so much easier without having to worry about MCS.

Healing is possible and to all of my readers, I'd like to say that I wish for you even more healing than I've experienced so far!

Author Recovers From MCS Using Brain Retraining

Els Valkenburg is the author of the book Understanding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and I am so happy to know of her healing from MCS!

You can read very helpful detailed questions and answers on Els' website here: MCS Recovery

It's very inspiring reading :-)

Els healed using the Gupta Amygdala Retraining Programme, a DVD program that many with MCS are using and reporting improvements from.

A big thank you to Julie from Planet Thrive for sharing this wonderful recovery story. You are a gift to our community Julie ☺

Woodsmoke Success Story

Woodsmoke used to be the bane of my existence (or at least near the top of the list).
I won't stress you out with the details of just how sensitive I was to it and how much I reacted. Basically - very, very much.

The reactions and degree of sensitivity have been improving over the last few years to the point that it has made my life a lot easier - especially living in a neighbourhood where a number of people heat with wood from October to April and many more have fires in their yards the rest of the year.


Yesterday I had my biggest wood smoke exposure so far and did so well!
I was gardening at a friends house for 2 hours. We had agreed to trade garden in barter for a healing service she offers so I had a specific 2 hours scheduled.
I began weeding in the area she directed me to and within a few minutes, the neighbour started a fire about 12 feet away from me on the other side of a chain link fence. My initial reaction was very stressed because even though woodsmoke has bothered me less for a while, I still choose to remove myself from it's presence if it's very strong. I didn't know how I would react.

It was great! I disliked the smoke but didn't react physically or emotionally (one the ways I used to always react to woodsmoke was intense, sudden anger). I continued gardening for the full 2 hours with woodsmoke wafting through the yard - at times enough to make the air visibly smoky. In addition, the neighbour was periodically smoking a cigarette. I didn't have any reactions to either.

I did have a bath when I got home many hours later but didn't bother washing my hair and was able to sleep the entire night with no reaction and wake up feeling good. I can still smell the smoke in my hair today and am fine with it!

For me, this is a huge success and I wanted to share it here with you.

Healing is possible :-)

3 Year Healing Anniversary and Blog Name Change

Three years ago, I made the decision to trust my own intuition about the ability of my body to heal from MCS.
I used EFT to reprogram some of the limiting beliefs that I had (MCS is forever, impossible to heal, incurable etc).
Almost immediately, I became more open to listening to my intuition about what could help me. This led me to try the supplement Schizandra, which helped immensely(though I no longer need it now), and also to me developing my personal style of what I call Shifting Focus. That technique, combined with avoiding negative people as much as possible and having a hobby that brought me joy, quickly brought about healing and proved to me that it was, in fact, possible for me to heal. Constitutional homeopathy has also played it's part.
About 9 months into the healing journey, I suddenly knew that it would be beneficial for me to start celebrating the improvements I was experiencing, sharing them with others so they could be witnessed.
I was still feeling a bit tentative about healing so I chose a blog name, Moving Beyond MCS, that reflected that tentative place I was in.

In celebration of 3 years of steady healing, I've changed the name of this blog from Moving Beyond MCS to Healing From MCS. The blog URL/web address is still the same so this name change should not effect any links made to this blog or any of your bookmarks.

Today there is no tentativeness within me.
I feel confident and comfortable with saying that I am, in fact, "healing from MCS"!
Over the last three years this healing has remained steady and continues to happen faster as my body gets healthier.
I have every confidence that one day I will be able to say I am healed, recovered.
I am so happy to be able to type those words and to have been able to share with you all here over the last few years.

Thank you for continuing to visit even as my posts have gotten less frequent as I am busier with having a life outside my home.
I will be posting soon about what an average week is like for me (it would have shocked the me of 3 years ago, that's for sure :).

Happy Earth Day!

The Joy of Peeling an Orange - Celebrating MCS Improvements

For the first many years of having MCS, I reacted very badly to high VOC terpenes from any sources. I reacted to wood(especially coniferous like pine, cedar etc), cut grass, mint, thyme, essential oils, citrus and more.
Citrus fruit peel contains a terpene called Limonene that gets released easily into the air when the peel is broken such as when an orange is peeled. Limonene is also present in highly concentrated form in citrus 'cleaners', degreasers and solvents which, as any person with MCS knows, can cause severe reactions even in tiny amounts. It may also be used as an insecticide and pest repellent. It can be listed as the ingredient 'citrus oil' or 'orange oil'.

For many years, I could not be in a room where citrus had been peeled for many hours after the peeling. If any pieces of peel were left out, I couldn't go in the room. If the door to that room was open, I couldn't be in any adjoining room either and I reacted to the orange oil left on the hands of whoever peeled it.

As I began to heal, I was able to peel an orange under cold running water, with gloves and mask on.
In time I was able to remove the mask but still had to use cold running water and gloves and could not leave any of the peel out.

I hadn't tried it for almost a year until 2 months ago when I had a sudden craving for an orange and I decided to try peeling it like a normal person and see how I did.

Those are my hands! Peeling the orange right in my kitchen! ☺

I was fine!
What's more, I enjoyed the smell!
Also a surprise to me were the facts that I could leave the orange peel out without reacting and that I didn't react to the orange oil left on my hands.

This was all incredibly exciting to me (and still is :).
I love oranges and it's totally liberating to be able to peel one for myself, in my own home, with no ill effects! I've repeated the experiment a number of times since I first tried it a few months ago and I've been fine each time - actually enjoying the wonderfully fresh smell.


FYI:
I believe that concentrated orange oil 'cleaners', degreasers and solvents and essential oils are not safe to use. Unfortunately they are often marketed as 'natural', 'green' and 'non-toxic'.
You can read about the health risks of Limonene here on the Skin Deep website: Limonene score - moderate hazard.

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

I'm Going On A Trip!

I'm very excited to have healed enough that traveling is now possible!

I am going to the Omega Institute next week (I wrote a bit more about it on my other blog here).

On the way there and back I will be staying for one night at a Bed and Breakfast that is MCS aware.  It has been used by patients of Dr. Sherry Rogers.  I will post a review of both the B&B and the Omega Institute some time after I get back. 

I'm also working on a post that has tips on having an MRI when you have MCS (I had 2 in June).  Writing is slow this summer so I'm not sure when these posts will happen but hopefully soon!

My summer is going well so far.  I am loving spending time in my gardens and morning walks and bicycling.
I am happy to be able to bike in traffic without reacting and ride on city buses!

I hope you are doing things you enjoy this summer! 

:-)

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 10: 3 Days of Outings

I find that my improvements are becoming something I'm used to and I want to make sure I keep posting them to keep track of the kinds of things I can do now and be okay.
During these exposures I sometimes feel tired or spaced out but am still functional.
*note* I get hormonal migraines and so there's about one week in the month when I try not to do 3 days in a row like this or it's more likely I will get a migraine.


Friday

• spent 4 hours waiting in a free tax clinic at the local community centre
• walked to and from the centre (I'm slowly building up my exercise tolerance)

Saturday

• went for walk in some woods in town
• went for non-organic dinner at Mexican restaurant
• went shopping at large chain grocery store for about an hour and a half

Sunday

• took city bus... BUS! (actually 2 buses) to small book sale at a cafe. Coffee fumes used to knock me flat in minutes. This is a photo I actually took on the bus (on a different day). You can see I'm sitting near people.
  
• browsed books, used bathroom twice (reed fragrance oil diffuser)
• ordered delicious creamed vegetable and curry soup, sat for an hour drawing
• went next door to a used book store, browsed for 30 minutes
• got ride to Giant Tiger (kind of like a cross between a teensy Walmart and a dollar store - very stinky) shopped for about 45 minutes

All of this was with no mask except for a few minutes at the bus stop when I held it to my face while someone smoked a cigarette.

The really neat thing about this is that it was 3 days in a row - I used to have very long recovery times but now they are generally very fast and I can go out the next day again.

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.