Showing posts with label Pamela Gibson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pamela Gibson. Show all posts

December 23, 2008

50-page guide: Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Independent Living


As I mentioned before, Pamela Reed Gibson's book is one I found quite helpful.
Unfortunately, due to finances, it is often not an option for people with MCS to buy it.

I just noticed that a 50 page booklet written by her can be viewed online and can be reproduced (for noncommercial use) for free without permission. This guide may be useful to share with health care providers we see who are open to learning/understanding.

Many thanks to Pamela Reed Gibson and ILRU for providing free access to the guide:

Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Independent Living

http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/bookshelf/MCS.html

The 50-page guide is written by Pamela Reed Gibson, Ph.D. published by IL NET, a cooperative National Training and Technical Assistance Project of the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program and the National Council on Independent Living.

ILRU is a program of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), a nationally recognized, freestanding medical rehabilitation facility for persons with physical and cognitive disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, which is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities.

"This guide may be reproduced for noncommercial use without prior permission if the author and ILRU are cited."





December 14, 2008

Some Books I Have Found Helpful

I had MCS mildly for a number of years before the crash that left me unemployable and housebound in 2004.
During the first few years after the crash, it was almost impossible for me to even be in the same room as a book without reacting to the inks and the chlorine-bleached paper.
During that time, if I wanted to read, I had a home-made reading box but it was quite a pain so I rarely read.

The exception to this was Pamela Gibson's book about MCS which, to my joy, was printed with soy-based inks on chlorine-free paper! The copy I came across was already a few years old so I don't know how safe it would have been for me if brand new.

Although I didn't personally resonate with everything in it, I still found it a very helpful book.

The second edition was released in 2006. I haven't read it yet and don't know if it used the same safer printing techniques.

Pamela Gibson's book is:.


MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY: A SURVIVAL GUIDE, SECOND EDITION 2006

Pamela Reed Gibson, Ph.D. from Earthrive Books

There is a link for an order form on this page: http://www.earthrivebooks.com/


*Please note*

Even if this book is printed with the same safer techniques as the first edition, there is no guarantee that an individual will not react to it. We all vary greatly in our sensitivities.

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After I had improved somewhat and was able to read again, a book I found excellent was Dr. Martin Pall's book exploring a new disease paradigm that may explain so-called 'unexplained' illnesses including MCS.

Dr. Pall's book is:

Explaining "Unexplained Illnesses": Disease Paradigm for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Gulf War Syndrome and Others

by Martin L. Pall, PhD


When I first got this book, my cognitive functioning was still suffering enough that I found it unreadable. It is very scientific and, as someone with no scientific background, I found it confusing, overwhelming and downright difficult.
However, as I have slowly healed, my cognitive functioning has also slowly improved and I am now able to read this book, albeit slowly.
The parts of most interest to me personally were the chapters on PTSD and MCS.
I found the arguments against MCS being psychosomatic really helpful and encouraging.
If I had my journey to live over again, I'd show copies of that part of the book to any of the health care professionals who implied MCS was all on one's head.
I also read with great interest the list of supplements he reviewed.

Haworth Press seems to be in the process of joining with another company and I was unable to access information on the book directly at the publisher's website.
However, it is available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and similar sites.

*Note*
This book is printed with normal inks and does smell.

__________________


*Please note*
I have no financial interest in either of these books.