Monthly Archives: May 2016

What I Wear In Bad Air :: Bearnairdine


2016 Bearnairdine Beaumont

Here’s my picture on board an aircraft, to protect me from contaminated cabin air.

~ Bearnairdine Beaumont

You can visit Bearnairdine’s fb page to learn more about her story and about aerotoxic syndrome:

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Debbie

 

2016 Debbie Clark Seely

“This is me in my mask. I keep it right next to me in case I have to put it on quickly. I used to only use it when I went to the grocery store, but I haven’t been inside a store since July 2015.  I still end up needing it for when people come in my home or my neighbor’s laundry scent comes in.”

~ Debbie Clark Seely

 

For more info on masks, please see Continue reading

What I Wear In Bad Air :: Heather D.

 

2016 Heather Drakonis in VOG mask

“I never leave home without it. I picked the fun looking Space Invaders to try and make others more comfortable with me. I take the bus once or twice a month to Seattle for my medicine. With my mask I have reduced my pneumonia by almost 60%. I do feel like people think I’m going to make them sick. Some cross the street with their children. It saves my life, but hurts my feelings. I just want society to understand that my mask is no threat to them.”

~ Heather Drakonis

For more info on masks, please see Continue reading

For Me, MCS Means …

mcs es invisible disability framed“For me, MCS means having to wear a mask when I go out”

MCS Awareness Month Guest Post from Laura J Mac

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MCS (also known as Environmental Sensitivities) is a chronic and disabling condition characterized by symptoms from low-level exposures to common chemicals. To put it simply, really common chemical exposures are disabling to some people, even in very small amounts.

ES has been recognized as a disability in Ontario since 2000, and federally (in Canada) since 2007, yet most people, and in fact many medical professionals, have never heard of it.

May is MCS Awareness Month, though I promise you, we are aware of it all year!

Instead of asking others to imagine something so unimaginable, we asked 1500 people with MCS to share what life is like with MCS. These memes are some of the responses.*

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MCS/ES Symptoms

MCS/ES and EHS symptom lists resemble several other symptom lists.

There are many symptoms. Not all are immediate. Some can be delayed.

MCS Definition Criteria 1999

1999 Consensus Definition Criteria:

1. MCS is a chronic condition.
2. Symptoms recur reproducibly.
3. Symptoms recur in response to low levels of chemical exposure.
4. Symptoms occur when exposed to multiple unrelated chemicals.
5. Symptoms improve or resolve when trigger chemicals (incitants) are removed.
6. Multiple organ systems are affected.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: a 1999 Consensus.
Archives of Environmental Health. 54: No 3, May/June 1999; 147-149.

EHS symptoms WEEPEHS symptom chart from WEEP

MCS ES symptoms include:

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Ellie

 

2016 Ellie

“Instead of cancer, I got MCS, meaning I stop breathing on contact with your everyday chemicals (plus a multitude of other symptoms.) Hey, there’s another perk! You might finally have the excuse you need to buy an expensive gas mask that can also be used with costumes! After all, once you get MCS, you can’t leave the house without one, so you’ll always be dressed for an adventure! #GoNatural”

Ellie uses this mask:

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: D.R.B. and M.C.

2016 D.R.B.

“I never leave home without a scarf to wrap around my face. To give me a hands free quick exit.”

~ D.R.B.

2016 M.C.

“This is me cleaning a mouldy wall in my apartment after a flood in February.  I was wearing all 3 – nasal filters, a disposable R95 (mostly to keep gas mask plastic off skin), plus the P100!  Thankfully, I didn’t have to stay and was able to move into a mold-free unit, as one became available.”

~ M.C.

To learn more about masks see

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Rolf


2016 Rolf Aerssens

“This is me wearing a half face ABEK-P3 respirator with multi-gas filters.

I wear my “ALLERGY PATIENT” vest to identify my mask as a “medical necessity”. It helps a lot with preventing unkind comments and odd looks from people,  and hopefully will help people ask before shooting in times of terrorist threats.

I’m holding my clean air helmet in my right hand. The blower unit is normally worn on the back and is only in front for the photo.

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Lisa M.

 

2016 Lisa M

“At one point I had to sleep in the mask when in a rental unit. There was smoke coming from a surrounding unit and toxicity from finish that was used on the floor. I typically use avoidance, but for situations where that is not completely possible the mask is used to help with some symptoms. One of the biggest issues I deal with is the impact of environmental triggers causing instant inflammation of my eyes. Since the mask does not help with that it has been necessary to wear it with glasses when avoidance is not possible.”

~ Lisa M.

For more info on masks see:

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Marie

2016 Marie LeBlanc 1

“I have to  wear my mask to do laundry in the basement because of mustiness and other people’s fragrances.”

~ Marie LeBlanc

Marie also shared an artistically altered image of her wearing her mask while waiting to see a doctor, because people were ignoring the fragrance-free signs on the wall behind her. Continue reading