Hello! New Here!

[Guest guest]

Working for so long in a tightly constructed building with various

everyday toxins from blueprints, copiers, perfumes, etc. took a toll

on my immune system. That coupled with the fact that I had surgery,

which further stressed my immune system is the reason I developed MCS.

I had a total hysterectomy in February 2001 when I was 36. I noticed

shortly after I returned to work that I would wake up in the middle

of the night and when I tried to turn over I couldn't move. I had

excruciating pain in my abdomen and it was almost as if I was

paralyzed in my midsection. This would pass after a couple of minutes

and I would then be able to very slowly turn to the other side. When

I would wake up in the mornings I was very stiff and sore.

Additionally, I was getting painful electrical zaps to my brain,

which would start in either my midsection or bottom of my feet and

rocket up to my head. I was having severe night sweats that were not

related to my hysterectomy because I never had them on the weekends,

only on the weekdays. My extremities would twitch uncontrollably, I

had severe chest pain, which I was admitted to the hospital for after

leaving work one day. The only thing they found was my CPK level was

elevated. The doctor said there was damage to the chest muscle but

not the heart muscle.

Sometimes when I would be in the shower I would become very faint and

would have to stumble all wet and soapy and lie down on my bed until

the dizziness passed. Needless to say I was late a lot to work

because of this.

I started noticing that whenever I went into my work building I would

always feel like I was coming down with the flu or something and when

I left I would feel somewhat better. I kept getting very bad sinus

infections as well.

Everything became worse in May 2002 when pesticide was sprayed in the

building. The month of June I felt completely detached while I was in

the building. I always felt like I was in a dream state, I was not

really there.

On July 1, 2002 I crashed. I had entered the building that morning

and immediately had shortness of breath and the feeling like I would

pass out. I left and went to the ER and ended up in the hospital for

4 days while they ran all sorts of tests such as MRI's, CAT Scans,

Heart Echo Utltrasound, Myasthenia Gravis, etc. Two days after I was

released I was partially paralyzed from the waist down for a number

of days. During this time I saw the neurologist who had assisted my

doctor while I was in the hospital. He found nothing. He even tested

me for Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis, which is a very rare disease.

The test came back negative. After another two weeks I regained the

feeling in my legs and felt I was well enough to return to work.

The first day I went back I was only in the building for an hour

being that I had to go through the medical department, etc. which was

at another location before returning to my normal work location. The

second day as soon as I walked into the building I was immediately

slapped in the face with a horrible sulfuric acid type odor. I went

very dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out. I went into the

bathroom for a couple of minutes to try to regain myself and then

made my way back to my office. I kept telling myself it was all in my

head but I kept getting worse. I was called down to my VP's office

and it was while I was there that the neuromuscular jerking and

shaking started again. I left the building and went directly to my

doctor's office.

I was off of work for another two months. In that time they tested

the building's air quality and said they found nothing. My physician

Dr. Sheron Brown had the insight to diagnose me with MCS caused by

working in a sick building and referred me to my specialist Dr.

Epperly who is an Environmental Medicine doctor. He told me

the building, for me, was contaminated and I should try to find

another job or another location. I tried to return one more time and

this time I lasted 2 days until my legs started to give out on me

again.

Luckily I work for a great company and they moved me to a different

building that has a window that opens and no toxic cleaners are used.

My new boss even asks me to educate the staff about chemical

sensitivities, etc. He has developed a sensitivity to a particular

solvent and is very aware of how MCS develops.

Since going through detoxification therapy, identifying food

allergies and removing the allergen from my diet (wheat) and finally

making my living and work environment as non-toxic as possible, I

have found that I can still function within society by reducing

my " total load " . This allows for my body to react to unavoidable

exposures much better than before.

It's so great to have found this site that deals directly with Sick

Building Syndrome! I belong to another MCS site and also have my own,

but many people who develop MCS have done so in different ways so to

find a site that's dedicated to THE CAUSE of my illness is great!