--- In GreenCanary@yahoogroups.com, "susan <sfaison@s...>" > I have
MCS/CFS and believe in the detoxification of the body as many
> of you do. I had joined a Fibromyalgia/CFS group recently in an
> attempt to find a new home, but they seemed not to understand me
> bringing up the chemical connection, so I started looking elsewhere
> and found this group.


Hi Susan, and hello to everyone else, also, since I just joined the
group today. I can really relate to what Susan just wrote -- I used
to belong to a "chronic illness support group" in the small town I
live in. It was started by someone with Fibro, and most of the
people in the group had FM or some variation of it. There was also
someone with CFS (from the original Incline Village group), and there
was myself, with MCS. I remarked in the group one time that I'm
usually sick the next day after the meetings, even though they all
agreed not to wear perfumes/ colognes (I'd be sick due to the fresh
paint, cosmetics and shampoo's, etc.). They asked me what my
symptoms were when I was sick, and I listed all of the same things
that they were complaining about dealing with all day, every day.
The only difference between them and me, is that due to my
understanding the chemical connection, I was able to live a
relatively symptom-free life as long as I stayed home and didn't go
anywhere. However, even though their daily symptoms were essentially
the same as my after-exposure symptoms, not a single person out of 20
in the group wanted to learn more about mcs, about how chems can
affect the brain, how to clean up their house and their spouse, etc.

I guess the concept of trace amounts of chemicals or fragrances,
having a major effect on someone's health, is just too much for
people to take in. And in all fairness, it was a little much for me,
too, when I was first diagnosed. I sometimes tell people that
I'm "lucky" that I was so sick, that I had no choice about cleaning
up my space and my products, and my diet, etc.

Best wishes, Richard