Loneliness, Posttraumatic Growth, and Invisible Disabilities

Amelia Hill shared an eloquent post about enduring and working with loneliness (see below).  Amelia and I are both  housebound (and have been so for years), but she is currently confined to a much smaller space in her home than I am in mine.

loneliness - Amelia HillFrom Heal Amelia’s Life:

Loneliness. I’ve kinda learned to override the often relentless waves of loneliness one feels living an isolated existence like mine.I don’t deny the feelings of loneliness or push them down in an unhealthy way. But it’s more like a repetitive cycle of acknowledging it & letting it go, acknowledging it & letting it go. It’s how I survive.

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Fragrance, Flying, and “Sensitivities”

Progress is being made!

Even if you can’t actually get a fragrance-free flight, you can now get to the plane along a fragrance-free route if you are in Vancouver, BC!

from Vancouver Airport's twitter account

Maybe it needs some work to make the English language portion clear?

Right now, it could be taken to mean that they have a free route to fragrance!

So, once they get the English fixed for those who don’t understand French (where it’s clear they mean without perfume, but then again, how many people actually read their box or bottle of laundry detergent to see that there’s parfum in there? and in their deodorant? and in their shampoo?)  we can (maybe) get to the plane without being assaulted by fragrance chemicals (but, oh, it’s only “free” from the duty free shops with fragrance).  Still, I guess it IS progress… kind of…   Right?

Assuming we can actually get there without a life threatening (or merely disabling) reaction,  what happens once we are in the actual plane?

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Are You A Woman Over the Age Of 65 With MCS/ES?

IF SO, WOULD YOU PARTICIPATE IN A STUDY OF WOMEN’S NEEDS AS YOU GROW OLDER WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES?

The James Madison University Environmental Sensitivities Research Team is inviting women aged 65 and older who have experienced environmental sensitivities (chemical and/or electrical) to participate in an online study of how your needs are being met as you grow older with sensitivities.

If you are interested in participating, please click on the link below to see the consent form and learn more about the study. Continue reading

First Municipal Government Adopts Life Saving Plan for People With MCS/ES, CFS/ME, and FM

Good news for some people who have MCS/ES, CFS/ME, and FM

Tarragona SPAIN

RESCUE PLAN FOR PEOPLE WITH CENTRAL SENSITIVITY SYNDROMES:

THE CITY OF TARRAGONA (CATALONIA, SPAIN) IS THE FIRST MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT THAT IMPLEMENTS IT!

The first municipal government that has stepped forward to implement this plan, is the City of Tarragona Municipal Government (Tarragona is a major city 100 kilometres south of Barcelona). In the plenary session held last November 30th, the “Institutional Declaration of support for people with Central Sensitivity Syndromes” was approved, which consists of a concrete programme of measures. This is a historical step.

In part, the agreement includes:

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My Niece Said It Was Easy!

Guest post by Sandra McPherson

I have a niece who moved back from out west just a year or so ago. I love her dearly. Her son that she had so much difficulty to have is named Owen. I lost a son named Owen and she contacted me to tell me she wanted to name him after my son unless it would upset me. She is so thoughtful!

I was sucking it up and inviting her here to my place, (safe place) for meals and visits now and then when I was strong enough. Her laundry fragrances and personal products were hard on me but it was only every few months, though I wished it could be more. We talked often about my MCS because she saw me go from a person that was at EVERY party and kid sport gathering and family get together, etc., etc., to a hermit.

inside outside

I had not seen her in several months and she inquired about getting together again. We set up a date for lunch at my place again.

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We Know (Some of You) Try

 

Guest post poetry by Sandy Lippert

You probably think you are all fragrance free,

But it doesn’t wash away so easily.

I’m certain of all your efforts and know how hard you try,

But when you come to visit, I’m just getting by.

I probably look just fine to you Continue reading

And The Winning Answer Is…

About a year ago I decided to give away an electronic item of some value that had belonged to my kids as they no longer wanted it and it had some chemical residues that prevented me from enjoying it (more too toxic tech issues). I posted it to a community giving group that is similar to Buy Nothing or Freecycle, where there are a lot of things given and received, for free (mostly clothing, toys, and small items).

 

community

As it was permitted to ask questions of respondents, I also decided to ask a question that people had to answer to be considered as a potential recipient.

Along with the description of the item, I posted:

*Please answer one of the following questions

1. Has anyone ever told you a product you use made them sick, and if so, how did you handle it?
or
2. If it hasn’t happened yet, how would you handle it if it did happen?

The responses included:

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Can’t You Hear Me? Why Can’t You See I Need Your Help?

Guest post by Kelly N.

The Scream by Edvard Munch

The Scream by Edvard Munch

It’s the most heartbreaking thing when you realize that you have no one…. zilch zero that will help you!  All you are is a stranger in a strange land with no one hearing your plea.  All the faces look around and stare at you like you have no face, no meaning.

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2015 – A Retrospective

I was hoping to be able to share some good news with you all, and here it is. We ARE making progress! It is unfortunate that it has taken this long, but I believe we are almost at the point where we will see an “overnight” shift happen.
Here’s what Dr John Molot (the author of “12,000 Canaries Can’t Be Wrong”) has to say:

johnmolot's avatarJohn Molot

2015-summaryIt’s the end of 2015, a time to celebrate the promise of the coming year but also a time to reflect on the 12 months that have just passed. It was an incredibly exciting year for me professionally. As a physician who advocated for my patients for so many years, I no longer feel that I am paddling upstream against the hardline, medically conservative current that has discredited environmental medicine for decades. The patient groups that I work with have realistic hope for improved care in the near future.

My 2015 :: Science :: Media
Medical Profession :: Insurance Companies :: The Canaries
What’s to come?

My 2015

This year, I have had several opportunities to effectively represent the people with environmentally linked conditions. I have been actively involved with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in the development of the promised (2014) Task Force on Environmental…

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Show You Care, Clear the Air!

Apparently fragranced items (including toys) are  top sellers as Christmas gifts (and for other occasions). Unless you have told everyone you know NOT to get you anything fragranced, there’s a high likelihood that you’ve recently received something aromatic, something that you may or may not understand the consequences of having and using.

Most people have no idea that these and other products that stink contain harmful chemicals that damage our health (as well as the health of future generations). We don’t know because these ingredients are secret (unlabeled), unregulated, and we have not been educated.

For those of you who are beginning to understand there’s a problem,  and having been the unfortunate recipient of a toxic gift from a well-meaning friend or family member, but have wondered what exactly you can do about it (other than thinking of regifting it * please don’t), here is an up and coming post-gift-giving-receiving activity you can take to let vendors and manufacturers know you won’t accept their toxic secrets!

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