Re: Re: Wool Jacket Reaction

[Guest guest]

Sally,

I'm so glad you didn't hesitate too long before telling your

experience. Totally freakin' awesome! (in a good way!)

Your experience of reacting to more and more things as you got

major ones under control reminded of my own experience and

that of many of my clients. And of the concept which explains it.

It is what Dr has identified as " masking. " Masking

is when an exposure affects us but you don't detect it. It's like a

smoke filled room with cigar smokers and cigarette smokers. The

cigars overwhelm all else and we cannot detect the cigarettes.

Remove the cigars and THEN we notice what is now most

dominant, the cigarettes. Remove the cigarettes and then the

most dominant exposure is the smoke and odors absorbed into

the furniture drapes, walls, ceilings, bedding, etc. Until the cigars

and the cigarettes are removed we will no, and cannot, detect the

left over odors.

It's like peeling an onion. One layer at a time.

When I went through my experience of masking I was still

married. My wife insisted I was getting sicker not better because I

was now reacting to many, many things instead of just a couple.

We set an appointment for her to talk with my physician (an

excellent one!) to help her understand. But she cancelled. We set

another and she just didn't show up. Shortly after she asked for a

divorce.

In addition to sorting out all the complex possible sources of

exposures, masking makes it even more complicated. When Dr

developed her QEESI evaluation form she was the

only one to ever achieve statistical validation because she was

the only one to include masking. http://drclaudiamiller.com/

Thanks for your bravery and willingness to tell us your

experience. I learned from it and it reminded me of a past failure

(divorce) which was actually a success (no more unsupportive,

disbelieving, obstructionist spouse).

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

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Hello...I hesitate to offer my feedback and certainly am not in a position

to

offer either lifestyle or medical advice. I'm a " newcomer " to this

illness/challenge compared to many of you who have battled these

symptoms and

reactions for years. However, I am blessed to have a doctor who points

me in

directions that allow me to alter what I can alter in my environment.

Since

first becoming aware that my previously diagnosed illnesses of heart

failure,

emphysema, and immune system failure were due to repeated high

exposures to

mold/toxins, I have beenhyperalert topossible additionalmolds and

chemicals

thatposea threat to my health. I learned that myheart

failure/emphysema/immune system failures were caused, not by a body

that was

failing me, but by a body attempting bravely to save me from mold and

toxins in

my office at work. However, like many of you, those symptoms no longer

disappeared on the weekends or the summer vacations from my job in

the school

system. It seemed that eventually I just go so sick, I never had any relief

from the symptoms. I had escaped the mold, but I was still sick. As I

understand it, this eventual inability to " bounce back " becomes part of

the

eventual diagnosis. As it is,I haven't been able to work for over six

months

now. My symptoms no longer remained targeted tomy lungs and my

body'sincreasing difficulty with exertion; it seemed that my body

nowbegan to

view the world at large as its enemy, not just mold and VOCs.My

immune system

generalized its responses, now seeming to react to unknown,mysterious

poisons.

Whoosh!

When I read about the issue with yourwool jacket, it remindedme of a

reaction

I had. I hadn't yet seriously examined my diet or other causes for my

symptoms,

as I never had before had even a hint of food allergies and really felt that

if

I could avoid mold, I could heal. Again, that may be the answer for

some, and I

offer my experience only as a possible avenue for some.Heartburn?

Didn't even

know what it felt like! Before my exposure, Iwas one of the hardy few

who

could eat anything and never get sick, even at the age of 55.I wasn't

worried

about germs or about preservatives; I was healthy and just needed to

ensure that

mold and other airborne toxins stay away from me and my

living/working

environments. Soon, however, I was forced tobroaden my target from

the " usual

suspects. " It seemed that my body continued to react, that I was gettting

sick

even after removing mold/toxins/chemicals. What was one day a " safe

apartment "

seemed to be the very environment where I would get extremely ill the

next

day. day. The researcher self in me that remained after grad school and

its

focus on scientific method had to admit that the current causative factor

may

not be mold, at least not now; I haven't been able to work for six months

and

have eliminated sources of mold in my environment.Maybe I needed to

look

beyond the mold or toxin?One of my calves swelled to twice its size one

day,

the vision in my left eye reduced to a blur. I hadn't left my apartment; I

hadn't been exposed to anything other than what I had eaten or products

I had

used.

A phoneconsultation with my fabulous doctor encouraged me toreview

what I had

eaten or what I had been exposed to, even if it seemed normal and/or

routine.c. The only causation I could pinpoint as I discussed this, as

well

as other reactions that were bizarre and seemingly not related to mold

expsoure,

was to review what I had ingested prior to the " attacks. " I began keeping

a

diary of my symptoms and what I had eaten and/or done before any

changes.Many

of my worst reactions--once I had removed myself from the toxins at

work and had

ensured that my home was free of mold--seemed to occurafter eating

foodsI had

previously been able to eat without any problems at all or within minutes

of

using products like detergent and cleaners that had only the week posed

no

problem whatsoever!I had to revise what I had previously regarded as

" the

enemy " and had toconsider the possibility of new,

unpredictablereactions to

previously " non-toxic " ingredients of everyday life.One recent event may

illustrate this.I normally don't eat meat and for a long time,

haveavoided

fast food " joints. " However, I occasionally used to treatmyself to my

all-timefavorite treat of all time: refried beans and bean burritos from a

well-known fast-food outlet.I splurged one day about two months ago,

feeling

overwhelmed after another grueling day of labs, testing, and the

eight-hour-round tripto visit my doctor.I was feeling sorry for myself

and

decided I neededto be " good to myself. " Aha!I know! I'll get a bean

burrito

or two and some refried beans, complete with sour cream and watch a

good movie.

(I know, I know. What an exciting evening, eh?)Yum!Within minutes,

however,

of eating my goodies, I experiencedchills and watery eyes yawning

incessantly.

I thought that I was just tired from the long day, not realizing that these

can

besigns of food allergy. Within 30 minutes,itfelt as if my throat were

closing, my calves and hands had swelled beyond recognition,the chills

continued, I felt disoriented and walked as if I had had too much to

drink.Reactions to a greater and lesser extent happened over the next

few

weeks, and I wondered if I was dying of some undiagnosed disease that

caused

these discreet, aberrent symptoms.Why was I still havingsymptoms that

seemed

to be reactions, not just ongoing aspects ofan illness due to

toxins?Follow-up discussions with my doctorrevealed that many times,

folks

who have been exposed begin to develop allergic reactions to foods and

other

elements that have never before been a problem.

So, I'm wondering with you, as you attempt to find the cultprit in your

recent

reaction. Did you have any different foods/seasoningswhen you went

out to

breakfast? Did the restaurant restroom have an air freshener? I'm glad

you

brought up the detergent. I learned that I could not longer use

detergents,

toothpaste, etc.--a whole list of products and labels which I have used--

safely,

I thought--for decades. This whole syndrome can create new reactions

by our

bodies; again, I would never presume that all of us face the same

challenges or

even suffer the same consequences. We are as individual in our

reactions as our

fingerprints, in my opinion.I'm wondering, as I read your heartfelt and

familiar plea for help, as well as those of other SBS folks, if the reactions

and sensitivities are growing, and if you, like me, are experiencing this

aspect

of our evolving struggle. I have to say I wish I could just avoid mold and

toxins rather than having to evaluate my diet and other lifestyle

ingredients.

I miss my bean burritos! I miss my Friday-night martinis! However, I

am

discovering that, even though I continue to suffer from the wide-ranging

symptoms of this inflammatory response disorder, I have managed to

use dietary

restrictions to avoidsomesevere and painful allergic reactions I had

developedto food and other products!

I began this challenge with a target and focus on eliminating

my " enemies " :

mold and chemical toxins. I haven't gone back into the officefrom which

I

begged to be moved and which repeatedly caused exposures to mold and

toxins,

creating a vulnerable, fragile bodyin whatonce housed a

healthy,vibrant

athlete. I haven't been able to work for over six months and cannot even

think

about the future, as I don't know what it will bring.However, I do know

that I

have today, as filled with pain and fatigie as it is.I now accept that my

body

now regardspreviously benign parts of my lifeas " attackers " and sets in

action

a series of serious, frightening immune responses. I cannot afford to

bemoan my

body's responses but do know that a diary of reactions/illnesses better

helped

me determine the causes of illness. Never a " detail " person before, I

carefully

monitor my feelings of health and/or illness. When do I start yawning

for no

apparent reason? When do I get chills or hot flashes?Does my heart rate

increase after eating something? I once blamed these reactions on

hormones or

stress. Now I know that they can beindications ofpossible food

allergy.Bummer! I can no longer eat gluten, preservatives of any kind,

have a

celebratory martini, use my favorite mascara or shampoo, or bathe my

dog ina

shampoo designed to reduce flea/ticks. So many aspects of my life have

had to

be revisited. However, Iagree with those who have shared that a

tunnel-visioned focus on mold and only mold allows us to overlook other

threats

to our health that we can more quickly and effectively determine and

then

modify.

Again, I'm new here and in no way want anyone to think I'm telling you

how to

live with this. Living with the consequences of mold/toxic exposure

presents

huge challenges, but it also has helped me to focus on what I can control

and

let go of what I cannot control. My support goes out to all who also live

with

this far-reaching, frustrating syndrome.

Good thoughts,

sally