Need help in Phoenix

[Guest guest]

I am MCS, something in my mobile home is making me so ill, it started last Sat

and is getting stronger. I hope I won't have to leave my house (mobile home)

AGAIN. I am getting to the point where I am having trouble thinking what to do.

I got a bad headache, all the usual burning, think it might be my wind pipe in

my throat that is burning so bad in addition to my esophagus. I am scared for

my health. I have no family here, the few friends I had that would help me no

longer live here.

Are there any MCSrs here in Phoenix that have the time and patience to talk to

me on the phone and try to figure out just what is causing the ? fumes and how

to get rid of it?

Also, I am considering moving to NW Tucson. Does anyone know of any MCS-safe

apts there to rent?

Situation: Last Fri I was trying to download Microsoft updates from

Microsoft.com (just found out the updates are no longer available since I have

Windows 2000). When I got the prompt that to restart my computer I clicked to

do so. So, from Fri 10:00 AM until Mon AM I had the blue screen that said

windows is shutting down. But it did not, so I turned my computer off at the

CPU.

Sat I took down the cotton-like, mesh-like sheers (left by former owner) in my

spare room (where I have my computer). I think it was when I was taking them

down that I got a foul taste on my tongue and figured it was dust. I took the

sheers to our mobile home park laundromat, drove home and put baking soda in

warm water to wash the window. Instead of washing the window with a rag, I used

the squeegee I use on my truck windshield. A lot of water got on the

windowsill, I wiped it up with a rag. I had baking soda on the 1975 wood

paneled windowsill—in case spiders try to get in the window (spider bites have

put me in the hospital).

Since Sat I have not been able to stay in my spare room. Since Mon I have been

running one of my Austin air cleaners in the spare room and 3 other air cleaners

(one IQ) in the rest of the house non-stop. I can't say that the air cleaners

are doing any good.

Possible Causes of fumes:

1) Dust only. Is it possible that dust can travel through all the rooms my

mobile home and cause these symptoms for almost a week? I went to my

chiropractor yesterday and his assistant said since I am so sensitive it could

give me the symptoms, but did not think it would last more than a day or go

through the whole house.

2) I usually use my computer a few hours at a time. Since it was running from

Fri AM to Mon AM, could my 7-year-old computer have produced some offgassing and

that spread though the house?

3) My worse fear is that the fumes are coming from the baking soda on the

window sill – Four years ago I was forced to leave my other mobile home, it had

the wood paneling. I had found mold on my windows, a man at the State Dept of

Health said to mix a teaspoon of bleach in a gallon of water and spray the

windows. I did, got fumes so bad that I had to go to a motel and moved 3 times

in 2 years because I could not find safe housing. I was desperate and bought

this MH. I am so sensitive to motels now (pesticides, their bleach compound

cleaners, etc.). Back then I called the Chlorox company. They told me I

probably got the bleach on the wood paneling around the window/windowsill, and

that there is not way to stop the fumes without replacing all the wood around

the window. I am going to call Arm & Hammer today and ask if the water and

baking soda is causing the fumes. Of course, sometimes the companies won't

admit their product is harmful.

4) My chiropractor developed MCS, was symptom-free for 6 months. Told me he

and a number of his other patients are having symptoms—that there has been

spraying going on around the city, and even with the windows closed it can get

into the house. He thinks it could be the spray. Hard for me to tell as the

usual pollution here is so bad for me that the burning and headache starts 5 min

after I leave the house.

Would so appreciate phone calls to help me figure this out. My name is Corky,

phone number is (602) 277-1252. (I don't expect to be on my computer any time

soon.)