“I never leave home without a scarf to wrap around my face. To give me a hands free quick exit.”
~ D.R.B.
“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.
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To learn more about masks see
“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
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fragrance, Health Care, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Tagged chemical sensitivity, doctors, environmental sensitivities, Fragrance, fragrance chemicals, fragrance-free, hazardous air pollutants, masks, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, toxic trespass, VOCs
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.
From 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.
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
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).
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:
From The Canadian Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CCIAQB)
“This Module provides building owners and managers with information about the sources and effects of scents and fragrances. It also suggests ways to move toward scent-free buildings. The information covers scents and fragrances brought into a workplace by people wearing personal products such as perfume as well as those scents and fragrances that originate from custodial products such as washroom hand soap.”
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Healthy Environment, Indoor Air Quality, Policy, Precaution
Tagged allergies, asthma, cancer, Chemicals, environmental sensitivities, Fragrance, fragrance-free, hazardous air pollutants, health, Human Rights, IAQ, MCS, MCS/ES, petrochemicals, VOCs
Canada’s top medical journal, the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), says
“Artificial scents have no place in our hospitals“
“These patients may be involuntarily exposed to artificial scents from staff, other patients and visitors, resulting in worsening of their clinical condition. As patients,
family members and emergency physicians will attest, the attacks can be quite sudden and serious. There is little justification for continuing to tolerate artificial scents in our
hospitals.” …
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Health, Health Care, Hospital Protocols, Policy, Precaution, Public Health
Tagged allergies, asthma, autism, cancer, environmental sensitivities, Fragrance, fragrance-free policy, hazardous air pollutants, health care access for people with MCS/ES, Human Rights, IAQ, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivity, petrochemicals, phthalates, toxic chemicals, toxic trespass
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MyExposome has designed silicone wristbands (such as the ones worn in support of various causes) that are specially prepared to act as a sponge to absorb hundreds of different chemicals in our environment—the air, water, and even personal care products.
The possibilities!
With all the toxic VOCs in everyday products, the carcinogenic activity of the chemical cocktails we are exposed to on a daily basis, this is a great idea that can show people just how prevalent toxic chemicals have become, and how difficult it is to avoid them.
It would be really interesting to have a group of people with MCS/ES participate in some exposure measuring research, as those of us who have to practice extreme chemical avoidance for our health and well-being have some experiences that researchers will eventually find quite interesting.
Now, they would be able to see how difficult it is to avoid these chemicals, even when making great efforts due to necessity (of course, different levels of MCS/ES dictate different levels of avoidance requirements and efforts too).
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When she needed accommodation, you won’t believe the rigmarole that ensued.
(unless you have MCS/ES)
“They should not have to make significantly more effort to access or obtain service. They should also not have to accept lesser quality or more inconvenience.”
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Someone with MCS (who wishes to remain anonymous) was asked about how her efforts to receive appropriate, safe, accommodation were going, so she could see a health care provider. She is one of a growing number of people who become disabled from exposures to toxic chemicals found in many everyday products and materials, especially in fragrances.
This is pretty much how the story goes:
She contacted a health care provider by phone and talked to a receptionist.
She asked her if they had a scent-free policy and was told they didn’t.
Posted in Accessibility, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Human Rights, Indoor Air Quality, MCS/ES, Policy, Precaution
Tagged allergies, AODA, environmental sensitivities, Fragrance, fragrance-free, fragrance-free policy, health, IAQ, invisible disabilities, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, Pollution, rigmarole, smoke-free, systemic barriers, systemic discrimination, toxic chemicals
 | 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 