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 Healing Tools: Shifting Focus

One of the most valuable tools on my healing journey from chronic illness has been a willingness to shift my attitude and focus.

The process that has worked best for me goes something like this:

1. Find things that bring me joy to do or think about (gardening, art, cats, nature)
2. Do them as often as I can
3. When I can't do them, think of doing them - imagine and envision it as richly as I can

and also, very importantly:

1. Note what does not bring me joy (thinking about MCS stuff, limitations)
2. Refrain from doing or thinking about it whenever possible
3. When I notice myself thinking about something that doesn't bring me joy, STOP
4. ... and consciously choose to think about (or better yet do) one of the things that does bring me joy

This may seem extremely simplistic or sound like those irritating people who tell us to 'think positive' but it has done wonders for me on my healing journey.

There is a real mind/body connection - and not in a 'new-agey' sense.
When we do things that feed our joy, a whole bunch of positive things happen physiologically in our bodies - making them much more able to heal or deal with stressors, exposures etc.
When we feed our pain, a whole bunch of negative things happen in the body - encouraging illness.
I have read that when we simply think of doing something, similar things happen in the brain and body.  So if we cannot actually DO the things that bring us joy, merely thinking of doing them can have wonderful physical effects - not to mention the great effect on our mood!

A critical part of Shifting Focus is avoiding thoughts that have what I call 'negative hooks'.
I have written more about this, including some more detailed instructions, in this post: Technique to Tap the Healing Power of Love

I'd love to hear what brings you joy to do or think of!
Please feel free to share in the comments area.

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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 :-)

Manifesting A Happy Home

There's a really wonderful post by a Leslie (who has MCS) on her blog about how she drew a picture of her dream sustainable, safe-for-her house... and less than 6 months later found a home that is so close to her picture that it's almost eerie (but very cool)!
A very inspiring read!  You can see it here: Creating A Sustainable Dream Part 3.

It got me thinking about how much I yearn to live in the country, surrounded by nature, in a funky, MCS-safe house.  But I haven't done much to work towards manifesting it.
I want to make a list like Leslie did.
I've been taking part in a neat 'creative every day' challenge via my blog Divinity Withinity and the theme for February is 'Home'.  So without intending it as a manifestation exercise, I have already drawn a picture of my happy home and I wanted to share it with you here just because it's so light-hearted and fun:

(all drawn and coloured with art supplies intolerable to me a year ago)

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.

Feeding The Sacred Spark

I've been thinking, for a while now, of how much I'd like to have more positive focuses in my life so I've decided to take the plunge and participate in this neat creativity challenge.
I love the art of the woman who runs CED and have been following her blog for many months, feeling inspired each time I read.  Her name is Leah Piken Kolidas and she provides monthly themes to help creative juices flow.
It's a very laid back 'challenge' and basically any participant can take part in whatever way feels right to them.

I love it!

I know how much healthier and happier I feel when I am creative and I think being part of this will motivate me to do it more often.

I've started a new blog called Divinity Withinity to be my new 'home' where I share creativity and celebrate things I enjoy - unrelated to illness.
A place to have fun, be silly, and connect with the sacred spark inside of myself - the spark that flares into a flame when in 2 situations - when I am in nature and when I am being creative.

I believe it can be healthy to break free from identifying too deeply with a label or diagnosis and this step feels like a positive one on my healing path.

So if you're a person who enjoys sharing of creativity or artsiness, please feel free to check out the new blog!  (I will still post MCS improvements in this blog.)

What are some non-MCS related positive things that are in focus in your life?
I'd love it if you shared in the comments area. 
☺

please note: the new blog will have photos so for dial up users, it may be slow to load.  I've tried to keep this MCS blog low on photos and videos for that very reason but I really want to celebrate on the creativity blog by sharing photos.  I apologise for any inconvenience it may cause.

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.