Tag Archives: invisible disabilities

What I Wear in Bad Air :: Melanie

Posted on May 28, 2016 | 3 comments

2016 Melanie and Jaiden 1Melanie and Jaiden

When I wear my mask I noticed people couldn’t see me smile at them and would avert their eyes and not smile at me.

I will usually speak and say hello. Most people will nod or say hello back even if they don’t smile or look at my eyes. Some will shrink away like I have Ebola. I’ve felt like a leper when that happens. I just hate that my kids are learning that lesson about humanity so young. I hope it will help instill a more compassionate nature in them as they see how not to be.

I started using fabric stickers on my mask sometimes and noticed that people would smile at them. I felt less invisible even if it was my stickers they smiled at more than me. I have several different ones including penguins, crosses, and holiday relevant ones I wear around Christmas time.

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Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fashion, Fragrance, Pollution

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What I Wear in Bad Air :: Lisa T

Posted on May 26, 2016 | 4 comments

2016 Lisa Mary T

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.

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Pollution, Products

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Wendy

Posted on May 24, 2016 | Leave a comment

 

2016 Wendy Kearley

“I use my mask any time someone comes to my door, when maintenance people come in my home, when a nurse comes to take my blood. In an emergency I have to wear it going to & in the hospital, and any time chemicals infiltrate from outside, like wood smoke, Northern Pulp Mill, lawn mower exhaust,  snow blower exhaust, and vehicle exhaust, and laundry products. 

I’ve also had to wear it for a few days inside because they used plastic plumbing parts that made me very ill.”

~ Wendy Kearley

Wendy uses a 3M series 7502 silicone half mask with a 60926 filter.

For more info on masks, please see Continue reading →

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Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, Housing, Pollution

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Brenda

Posted on May 20, 2016 | 2 comments

 

2016 Brenda

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

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Health, Pesticides, Products

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: E.P.

Posted on May 18, 2016 | 1 comment

 

2016 E.P.

“I wear this whenever I leave the house, like when taking my child to the park, or walking by people and homes. I had to wear it indoors as well when I lived in an apartment building, because I get sick from exposure to wafting perfume, and dryer vent laundry scents in the air. Even outside it is impossible to avoid these scents blowing in the air and from people walking by.”

~ E.P.

For more info on masks see:

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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, Housing, Pollution

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Heather D.

Posted on May 13, 2016 | 4 comments

 

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

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For more info on masks, please see Continue reading →

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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Fashion, Pollution, Products

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For Me, MCS Means …

Posted on May 12, 2016 | 6 comments

mcs es invisible disability framed“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.*

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Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environment, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Pollution

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MCS/ES Symptoms

Posted on May 11, 2016 | 9 comments

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

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MCS ES symptoms include:

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Posted in Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, MCS/ES, Public Health

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Ellie

Posted on May 10, 2016 | 4 comments

 

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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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Health, Pollution, Products

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When We HAVE to Wear A Mask to Breathe and Function

Posted on May 2, 2016 | 24 comments

When breathing the air hurts…

When we have to filter and “purify” the air just to breathe…

What options do we have?

2016 MCS-ES Awareness Month Compilation

The Courageous Canaries of MCS/ES (and mask) Awareness Month 2016

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Having an invisible disability is difficult, especially when many of the adverse effects are delayed and we have to deal with them in isolation.  Some people feel  self conscious about wearing a mask, especially if we can’t find a “pretty” one that we are able to use, despite how they can reduce adverse effects. If there’s any good that comes from wearing one (in addition to protecting our health a bit) wearing a mask when we have an invisible disability helps make us visible.

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The type of mask we benefit most from will depend on our “sensitivities” and circumstances. Masks will filter the air we breathe in various degrees, but unless we have a full face respirator and wear a hazmat suit, our eyes and skin will still absorb chemicals that can have an adverse effect on our health and well-being. For this reason, they should not be thought of as complete protection from pollution, and are therefore best used only when absolutely necessary.

Information and resources about masks that filter out some of the different types of daily pollutants we are subjected to, and what kinds of filter materials are needed to purify what kinds of pollutants follows.

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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Health Care, Pollution, Products

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