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

Others Who Have Recovered Or Are Healing From MCS

Hello! I haven't posted in a very long time and I want to let you all know that MCS is still improving. I ride the bus regularly, go in any store I want, walk through the perfume or scented candle sections of big department stores, eat at restaurants (with some limitations due to food sensitivities still), attend appointments and socialise all without a mask!
I can also use 99% of public washrooms without a mask.

There are now so many others who are also healing or fully recovered that I've felt less pressure to post here since the internet is now rich with inspiring stories of hope and healing from MCS.

I invite you to check out a new page I've put up on my blog with a list of some of those who are healing along with some links to their success stories.
It has been so encouraging and inspiring to see the numbers of people who are healing from MCS grow over the years.
It is my belief that for every story shared on the internet, there are many more who have not created blogs or websites. So each of the people I list below stands, in my mind, for many more!

Some of these people have healed 100% and are living lives unhindered by reactions to chemicals! Others are in the process of healing and have had dramatic improvements, able to handle exposures that previously would have been devastating... and, importantly, have not experienced backsliding or relapse after these exposures.

Click here to read more:
Other stories of healing and recovery from MCS

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.

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!

EFT for MCS article by Lisa Snow

If you are interested, check out this article on Planet Thrive by EFT practitioner Lisa Snow about using EFT for MCS.
I have had sessions with Lisa by telephone and her familiarity with MCS impressed me.

EFT for MCS by Lisa Snow

You may also be interested in my past post Why EFT (and what is it anyhow?)

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!

MCS Travel Review: The Omega Institute from an MCS Perspective

This post is a departure from my usual style of sharing MCS improvements and victories. 
If you are not considering to visit the Omega Institute and you are using a healing tools such as Shifting Focus, Amygdala Retraining or Dynamic Neural Retraining, I suggest that you either skip this post entirely or read only the 'Pros' list.

In August, I visited the Rhinebeck campus of the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies.
It was a wonderful trip and a true celebration of how much I have healed.


MCS has improved for me to the point that I had few issues on this trip, however, I am still sensitive enough that I was able to take note of the things that would have been issues when I was worse.
So instead of focusing on my own improvements, like I usually do, in this post I will share lists of Pros, Cons, Tips and list of Possible Issues by Building.
I hope that it will be helpful for others with MCS who may be considering attending the Rhinebeck campus of the Omega Institute.



Pros

•  Other than the parking lot, the entire campus and lake are free from motorised vehicles.  For internal staff transport, bicycles or battery powered carts are used.  On big arrival and departure dates, a minivan was used a few times to transport items from the parking lot to accommodation - but only when they were too large to take on the carts.  The small country road that runs through the middle of the campus is extremely low traffic.  I saw about one vehicle an hour at most.
• I was pleasantly surprised at how fragrance-free most of the staff and many of the guests were.  On over 90% of the staff, I didn't smell a single scented product.  Overall, the guests were far less scented than most people I encounter.
• Linens, towels etc as well as staff clothing are cleaned with fragrance-free detergent and no fabric softener.  This was awesome because it meant that none of the staff smelled 'like laundry'.  Due to the brilliant way that wastewater is treated at this location, the laundry products used need to be as free from chemicals as possible.  As of August, 2010, there was no fabric softener used and the detergent was Seventh Generation Free and Clear.  I would check that this is still the case if it is an important factor for you.
• There is only one smoking area on the entire campus.  Other than that, the entire campus, including camping areas and trails, is smoke-free.  I only smelled smoke once, distantly, the whole time I was there.
• There are no fires or camp stoves allowed in the camping areas.  Also not allowed is the burning of mosquito coils, torches or similar.
• The Dining Hall had so many different food options available that many food sensitivities could be accommodated.  Gluten free bread was always available (but not a dedicated GF toaster).
• The food was delicious, plentiful and healthy, with many organic options.  The herbal teas are Numi brand that does not have 'flavour' as an ingredient.  Available sweeteners include stevia, agave, honey and raw sugar.  There are herbal tea, tea, milk, coffee, water and unsweetened juice available at every meal.
• There are many different drinks and snacks available at the cafe.  many of them cater to different food sensitivities with gluten free and sugar free options.
• For those who need meat due to health issues, there are meat options available at the cafe.
• You do not need to make a purchase to sit in the cafe.
• Free internet access in cafe with 3 computers available for guests.

Cons

• The most important issue for many will be that, in early spring, the grounds are treated with pesticides to kill ticks.  I know myself well enough to know that, by August, I would be totally fine with this so I didn't bother asking what was used.  If this is an issue for you, I would suggest doing more research into what pesticides are used, how long it takes them to degrade etc.
• There is not an enforced fragrance-free policy.  Some staff and guests did wear perfume or essential oils.  Other guests will smell of whatever laundry products they normally use.  This could be effected by what workshops are happening that week.
• Some people use bug spray and sunblock.
• Hilliness.  If fatigue or exercise are issues for you, this could be a big challenge.  If you are camping, the 'lake camping' involves less hill climbing to get around than the appropriately named 'hill camping'.
• The bookstore, which is full of wonderful things, smells very strongly of incense, which is sold there.  I didn't ask if they also burn it there but it definitely smelled as though they do.
• Water is chlorinated. Even the drinking water, which is well water, tasted chlorinated to me.
• Flourescent lights are used in various buildings.
• Once a week, the grounds are cut with lawnmowers and weedwackers that have exhaust fumes.  You can ask what day this happens and plan your visit around it if needed.  It's also an option to spend time in one of the safe-for-you buildings or on the trails while it is happening.
• For those with extensive food limitations, protein options are mainly soy, legumes, beans, dairy, nuts or eggs.  You can get meat dishes at the cafe if that is your only tolerated protein source.

Tips

• You can request to be matched with an intake staff who is not scented.  You can also call ahead of time and request that there be a fragrance-free intake person on the day of your arrival and can then ask for them by name.  If they try to tell you that all of their staff are unscented, I can tell you it's not true. 
• You can request that your intake be done outside of the Main Office building (ask for the side further from the parking lot).
• If you encounter someone smoking, burning mosquito coils or torches or using a campstove, you can ask them to stop, informing them that those activities are not allowed.  If this doesn't work or you aren't comfortable doing it, you can let a staff person know it is happening and request that they put an end to it.
• They do have some degree of awareness about chemical sensitivities so if someone in your workshop is wearing something that bothers you, you can likely have it addressed.
•  If you have food sensitivities, don't forget to check the counter along the wall at the top of the room.  It often had special things like plain grains (rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth) ad unseasoned vegetables and legumes as well as fruit.
• To avoid being stuck in line near possibly scented people at meals, you can come early.  The doors never opened early for breakfast but they did for all of the other meals.
• There is a fridge for guests in the staff lunchroom.  You can ask for containers to fill with food from the buffet and then come back later to eat what you set aside.  Or you can bring small amounts of your own safe food.  Labels are with tape and permanent marker (smelly) so you may want to write your own labels ahead of time to avoid having to use the marker.
• You can use the Virtual Tool option on their website to see 3D views of the inside of many of the buildings. (click on the orange triangles)
• If you are on an R&R Retreat, you may like to plan your visits to buildings or the lake to coincide with the times that the main workshops are happening.  That way, there will be far less people there.

Possible Issues by Building (I will put 'unknown' if I didn't test it out)

Main Office/Registration: bathroom has either air freshener or fragrance oil sticks, staff may be scented.
Lake Theater: excellent 
Stillwater Yoga Pavilion: unknown
Omega Center For Sustainable Living: unknown
Bookstore: very bad incense fumes - most things bought there would be permeated with the smell.
Cafe: Wi-fi internet access, fumes from roasting coffee at times, cooking odors.  Once I smelled incense or sage (if it happens, you can ask them to stop). At other times, I found it quite good.  Hardwood floors.
Guest Services (below Cafe):  quite good
Ram Dass Library: mostly carpeted but I can't judge how bad it was because I didn't react to it.  Could not smell 'carpet' smell.  Bathroom awful - had fragrance oil sticks.  I complained so this may have been changed.  Some fumes from bathroom do travel upstairs but there are a few little balconies up there you could take books out onto.
Main Hall: carpet, padded gym mats stacked at sides of room (or spread out depending on workshop).  I was fine with both of these so am not able to judge how bad they would be for others.  I could not smell 'carpet' smell.
Dining Hall: excellent.  hardwood floor, open windows, option to take your food outside to eat either on the deck, at picnic tables or anywhere you want! 
Movement Studio: unknown
Sanctuary: unknown (but from the pictures it is carpeted).
Wellness Center: unknown but I suspect essential oils and possibly incense and/or moxibustion.  Spa and facial chemicals.
Sauna: unknown (you could ask what kind of wood was used, what is used to disinfect)
Children's Center: unknown
Dorms and Cabins: unknown
Tent 'Cabins': unknown (but there definitely could be mold)
Hill Camping: leaf mold, sites on a slant
Lake Camping: few or no places to attach a tarp
Lake: other people's sunblock (but I found much less sunblock smells than a regular beach)
Outdoors in General: mostly excellent but avoid woody areas if you react to leaf mold.

Bathrooms: at times, many of them had a smell that I later found out was fragrance oil sticks even though I didn't see any in evidence.  I didn't test the soap because I think it was scented.
Lake bath house: I think it had fragrance oil sticks in a closet.  Smells from guests' shower products, personal care products, hair products etc.  Glass doors on showers (so this may be a better shower option if you react to the vinyl curtains at the Hill bath house).
Hill bath house: Smells from guests' shower products, personal care products, hair products etc.  Heavy vinyl shower curtains (they were old and I didn't notice VOCs but could be an issue for some).  This bath house may be a better option for you if you react to fragrance in the Lake bath house.  *note* this bath house has many more open windows than the Lake bath house.  I found it much better.

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.
:-)

May is MCS Awareness Month... check out the Canary Caravan Carnival hosted on Vardo For Two!

In honour of May being MCS Awareness Month, Mokihana from Vardo For Two is hosting a  Canary Caravan Carnival!
She has come up with a number of creative categories and welcomed submissions that include poetry, a visualisation, prose, photography and art.

There is a wonderful diversity of entries listed below in order of appearance.  You can click on the titles to be taken directly to that entry on Vardo For Two.

The Impact of MCS on Self-Esteem
Article by Recovering EI/MCS Psychotherapist Kay McCarty

Finding your Path
A Visualisation by MCS Ally Joan Tucker

Reflections and Feelings About Life With MCS
Poetry by Katrina Kluzik

Susie Collins Writes About Her Passion

Prose by the Founder of The Canary Report

"Sad Songs Not By Elton John"

Poetry by 'Anita Freshair' (aka Daisy O)

Entertaining Angels Unawares

A True Story by MCS Ally and Astrologer cj wright

Cosmic Pie: An Astrological Tool for the Canary Carnival

Article by Mokihana using this tool to gain insight into her journey with MCS

"Portrait Of A Life With Chemical Sensitivities"

Photography by Julie Genser, Founder of Planet Thrive

Artistic Tangents: A Hidden Gift From MCS

Art and article by Liberty

Making An MCS Documentary... A Canary's Angle On The Issue
Article by MCS Filmmaker Kimberly Shaw

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?

Inspiring People With MCS - Amy Ludwigson

The website of Amy Ludwigson, Pure Habitat, is the home of her insightful blog filled with posts to get your introspective juices flowing.  I frequently find it joyful and enlightening and, perhaps even more valuable, it inspires me to get to know myself better, to go within and question myself.

A quote from her About page:

"I have laughed, I have danced, I have cried, but most importantly on this journey I have learned about Love.  Not the gushy, you are just sooo cute I wanna kiss you type of love, but the life changing, no strings attached love that breaks all boundaries."

Amy has had MCS for over a decade and has a wonderful dream that I'm sure all people with MCS/EI can appreciate!


Until the time comes for that dream to manifest, Amy is working on creating, "...an online marketplace that sells everything that you need to live consciously - aware of the interdependence of our world.  A place that revolutionizes the way that we shop.  Where we understand value meaning something sooo much deeper then price."

Amy's voice is a strong, empowered and eloquent one and is a gift to the community.
She recently wrote a wonderful piece entitled Why My Life Is better Because Of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity which was featured on The Canary Report and quickly elicited over 30 heartfelt comments!

If you like to be inspired, click here to sign up to her blog feed.

MCS and Chlorine in Paper Products - Healthier Choices

As you may know, chlorine is a chemical that most people with MCS react to.
Aside from being in treated water and laundry bleach, chlorine is also used to whiten paper products of all kinds - from writing and art paper to facial tissues aka kleenex, toilet paper, paper towel and feminine care products like tampons and pads.

Although I am now fine with it, when I was much worse than now MCS-wise, I couldn't even touch chlorine-whitened paper products without reacting.  Every paper product I used had to be chlorine-free.  Before I found chlorine-free paper, I was using chlorine-free paper towels to write on!

There are two kinds of 'chlorine-free'.  One is called Total Chlorine Free (TCF) and refers to products that have never come into contact with chlorine.  The second is called Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) and refers to products that may include recycled fibres that originally had contact with chlorine, but in the present product no chlorine was used.
Although some severe MCS people can only use TCF products, I have been okay with PCF products (which is what you will mostly find available).

Chlorine-free products that are whitened use 'oxygen bleach' to whiten - essentially a very strong potency of hydrogen peroxide.

PCF products are becoming more available as the market for 'eco' or 'green' products grows.  You can now get PCF toilet paper and paper towels at many regular stores and a few even have PCF facial tissues.  One often has to read the fine print on products to find the words "whitened without the use of chlorine" or "whitened with hydrogen peroxide/oxygen bleach".

For Writing, Drawing and Printers

Over at my creativity blog, I've written a review of Ecojot, a company that makes PCF, 100% recycled journals, sketchbooks, scrapbooks and more.  I love their products and was amazed and overjoyed to be able to use them right away after purchase!  I chose books that were sandwiched between others so that they would not have gotten scents from the store on them.  The glues and dyes used in them are vegetable based and I have never reacted to them.

I have also been okay with products by the company Pistachio though they have needed some airing out before use.  They have lined, 3-ring binder type paper that I use as well as spiral-bound notebooks.  Their dyes are also vegetable based.

Cascades makes PCF paper that works very well in printers and copiers and is super affordable at under $10 for 500 sheets (I use it as writing paper too).  They also carry things like toilet paper, paper towel and facial tissue.
 As far as I know, toilet paper that is marked as "Septic Safe" is chlorine free.


For People With Periods
If you choose only one product that is chlorine free, I urge you to choose chlorine free period products, especially if you use tampons.
The brand Natracare carries period products that are not only TCF but also made from certified organic cotton - another very important choice for those with MCS considering that cotton is one of the most heavily pesticided crops in the world.
I have had no reactions to their pads or tampons.

DIs there a chlorine-free product you like?
If so, please share in the comments area!  I love learning about new resources.
Thanks :-)

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: