Guest Post
A few of us in the MCS community have been burning the proverbial candle at both ends and in the middle, trying to generate public awareness and interest to persuade the NS housing authority to reconsider their 3 year battle to evict our good friend Wendy, despite no accessible alternatives being available.
Their unwillingness to understand and accommodate her disability and her medical team’s recommendations… well, it’s something a lot of us have faced and are facing.
Posted in Accessibility, Action, Disability, Environmental Health, Friendship, Housing, Human Rights, Medically Required Housing, Support
Tagged #LetWendyStay, environmental illness, environmental sensitivities, fragrance-free, homelessness, invisible disabilities, MCS, MCS housing, petrochemicals, saving lives, systemic discrimination
How many people have peanut allergies?
“In the U.S., approximately three million people report allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. Studies show the number of children living with peanut allergy appears to have tripled between 1997 and 2008.”
The rise in peanut (and other food) allergies has been linked to the rise of toxic chemicals used by the food industry. Fragrances are also full of toxic chemicals.
How many people have fragrance allergies or “sensitivities”?
This photo was taken of me at my parent’s home, to demonstrate how I attempted to protect myself to be able to visit them, 2000 miles away.
When I can’t avoid exposures, I wear a mask to try to keep as functional as possible. Exposures affect my brain, my breathing, and I get more exhausted, etc. Even without the mask, I have challenges with my brain, breathing, energy, etc. Wearing the mask weakens me but not as much as a direct exposure would.
I am sensitive to chemicals in perfume, cologne, aftershave, hair care products, hand sanitizer, sunblock, air “freshener”, chlorine, white board and markers, building materials, cleaning products, laundry soap, dryer sheets, paints, pesticides, gasoline fumes, gas appliances, some plants, new asphalt, etc.
Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Pollution, Products
Tagged chemical sensitivity, environmental sensitivities, Fragrance, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, invisible disabilities, laundry products, masks, MCS, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, toxic chemicals, toxic trespass, travel
I wear my mask when out on my ebike to protect myself from exhaust fumes and chemical sprays on residential lawns. In the warmer months I need to wear it when travelling outside of town in a car to protect myself from agricultural pesticides drift as I live in an area that grows mostly corn and beans, probably mostly GMO and sprayed liberally with pesticides. I also wear it in grocery stores, thrift stores and the mall. Even with the mask I rarely venture into a mall.
~ Brenda
For more about masks, see
“I need to wear a mask around people due to artificial fragrances, car fumes, etc. ‘Normal’ everyday activities, such as putting petrol/gas in the car, can no longer be done.
This photo represents that fact that we can often overcome things that seem impossible. Taken in California in Disneyland on our family trip from Australia to California this year thanks to ‘safe’ accommodation at a friends house, oxygen, mask, activated carbon scarfs & bedding, truck full of supplements & healthy eating. “
~ K.B.
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To learn more about masks see
Here’s a screenshot of where you all are from!
Most readers are from the US of A, followed by Canada, the UK, and Australia (which makes sense from a language perspective) and thousands more visitors are from 119 other countries!
The blog’s facebook page followers are said to be from 45 countries all around the world, and apparently communicate in 24 different languages!
Being “sensitive” to pollution is truly a global issue!
There is no away!
I wish there was no need for what I do here, that pollution wasn’t profitable, and that we could all access everything we need for health and well-being.
Living beings were not designed to withstand 24/7 exposures to toxic pollutants, toxic foods, and wireless radiation (like from wi-fi and smart meters).
Hopefully what I share with you all encourages you to eliminate toxic and harmful products and materials from your lives, and to speak up and out, so that we aren’t invisible to the world, because we are all over the world, we are all “sensitive” to pollution, and we are all in this together!
Posted in Disability, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Pollution
Tagged allergies, asthma, autism, cancer, Chemicals, environmental sensitivities, Fragrance, global, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivity, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution, toxic trespass, wireless
“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
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For more info on masks, please see Continue reading
“For me, MCS means having to wear a mask when I go out”
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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.*
Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environment, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Pollution
Tagged awareness, Chemicals, EHS, environmental sensitivities, fibromyalgia, Fragrance, hazardous air pollutants, Housing, IAQ, invisible disabilities, May 12, MCS, MCS/ES, ME/CFS, multiple chemical sensitivity, petrochemicals
 | linda @ Seriously "S… on MCS/ES |
| linda @ Seriously "S… on The CDC and MCS |
 | Tabatha Schnorr on MCS/ES |
| Tabatha Schnorr on The CDC and MCS |
| linda @ Seriously "S… on MCS and Housing |
| linda @ Seriously "S… on Hospital Protocols for People… |
Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution 