Perfumes and cleaning solutions

[Guest guest]

On the perfume issue, that's gotten worse for me over the years too!

Makes me wonder if some people live in their own little world so they

don't know there are other people out there that can't handle their

heavy-handed perfume!

I love walking in the park across the street from me. I do lots of

people watching, especially noticing the elderly couples slowly

strolling side-by-side. The wives usually talk nonstop while the

husband gazes at the sidewalk, nodding every now and then, looking as

though he's only pretending to listen.

I know what he's probably thinking, " Can I have a moment of peace, and

holy moly! I can't breathe! Did she have to drench herself in perfume

before we left the house?! "

On inhaling chemicals: Inhaling any cleaning chemical isn't good. It's

not that Lysol Spray kills " good germs in the lungs, " but you're

inhaling chemical propellants and other chemicals that aren't meant to

be inhaled. Why do you think they evacuate areas when trucks carrying

chemicals spill on highways? Many fumes are dangerously toxic.

One time, Mike, a farmhand of ours was cleaning the dairy parlor. He

filled a 5 gallon bucket with chlorine *then* proceeded to fill the

bucket with hot water. The hot water is a dairy barn is set at *very*

hot to meet cleaning regulations, so you can imagine the steam it

produces.

Mike just wasn't thinking, and he bent down over the bucket while

filling it with water. The chlorine vapors got to him and he started

feeling ill. But he scrubbed the barn then went home. He called me

about an hour later wondering if it was anything serious.

I freaked out and told him I'd meet him at the ER. He didn't think it

was necessary, but he said he'd call his mom who is a nurse (in a town

about 2 hours away). He immediately called back saying he couldn't

reach his mom and he was feeling worse. I told him I was on my way to

get him, but he said he'd meet me at the ER since he only lived a few

blocks from it.

They drew blood levels, which were fine, and gave him a breathing

treatment, and on dismissal prescribed corticosteroid and albuterol

inhalers. I was just sick about this because I knew any respiratory

injury or illness can often trigger future asthma.

The humorous part was the pretty blond desk clerk kept coming over to

ask me questions about Mike, who was a very cute blue-eyed,

dark-haired college student with an uncommonly polite, respectful and

rather shy demeanor.

It was obvious she was trying to find out our connection -- obviously

I looked too young to be Mike's mom, but too old to be a girlfriend.

When I explained I was his employer and responsible for his medical

bill, she became even more friendlier toward me, acting very concerned

and volunteering to go to the treatment room to check on him for me.

She'd check on Mike then report back to me, then go check on Mike

again. It was sooo funny! As we were leaving, I asked Mike if he got

her phone number, and he looked totally clueless. Poor guy totally

missed her signals. He asked if I knew her name, and I think he did

end up asking her out later.

The other night I caught about 5 minutes of Oprah before turning off

the TV. Oprah showed a short public service announcement by

Preston talking about the dangers of chemicals around children. She

mentioned Kawasaki disease linked to cleaning chemicals, so I don't

know if her baby daughter got it or what. But she said that now they

only use baking soda and vinegar to clean with. Environmentalists have

advocated this for years.

But I do agree with Jan that Chlorox has it's place (I wouldn't

wash my whites without it) and food industries are required to use

it for sanitation. But you must use common sense and take precautions.

When my son son used to go to CF camp, they reminded everyone to bring

bug repellants, but emphasized these should *not* be in spray form

because of the danger of inhaling the chemicals.

Kim