Last week I went to see a brand new GP.
As I was walking into her office and during the usual smiles "hello & lovely to meet you" conversation, she commented "nice glasses!".
My glasses are rather stylish, quite groovy in fact. But I have to wonder: Is this what was really going through her mind when she saw me walking toward her wearing a full VOC mask of the sort used by spray painters or weed sprayers?
A friend once kindly remarked that if I were to don a high visability fluro vest & a hard hat I would be hardly conspicuous at all.
In the waiting room I had slipped from my smaller carbon filter into the "respirator" style, and while the carbon filter mask is conspicuous on its own, in a doctors waiting room I could easily be mistaken for a person with symptoms of swine or avian 'flu who is being overly considerate.
Not so The Respirator. Which is kind of like The Terminator but less cool & more scary. Although I'm pretty confident it will catch on one day.
A family member was in the waiting room when I arrived (it's a small city) and while he managed not to raise an eyebrow when I slid on the carbon filter mask, as I slipped the respirator from my handbag into my lap he ejaculated "Shit a brick! Is it that bad?!". Smooth hon.
I'm quite used to the averted gaze of adults in the waiting room & the full blown stares of the under sevens. Even the "What the...!" of the eight year olds. See "The waiting room" for more tales of fun. But "nice glasses" has to be my absolute personal favourite. At least until I start getting wolf whistles.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Mr Postman
Dear Mr Postman.
I hope you are very well. With the inclement weather I hope you are keeping as warm & dry as possible.
I have just recently moved to your route, so you don't know me, but we will be seeing a lot of each other. Or rather, I hope we will.
Last week you left 3 notes in my letterbox. Two said that you'd attempted to deliver parcels, no-one was home, there was nowhere suitable to leave the parcel & could we please pick up the parcel from the chemist in town. One said that our letterbox was not large enough to fit the parcels & could we please get a bigger letterbox, and meanwhile would we pick up our parcel from the chemist in town.
I understand you will have been doing this route a long time & I have only lived here for one month. But I am housebound. That means I am here all of the time. Unless I am at a doctors appointment, which is about once a month. The first day you left a note saying we were not at home the moving truck was in our driveway & our front door was wide open. I can assure you we were at home. The next day we were also at home.
If your inclination is not to disturb us, or to avoid our quite ferocious cat (whose terror inflicting ability is somewhat hampered by his phobia of strangers, but nonethless would be quite a tyrant but for a complete lack of courage & the fact that he is not allowed outdoors), then may I recommend the front porch, which is well sheltered, as a suitable place to leave a parcel. If you feel that the appointment of our front porch is not suitable for parcels, then may I recommend either the side porch or the rear porch as alternatives. Honestly I am not at all particular on this issue, and as you can see, we are well furnished with porches.
Regarding the note you left concerning the size of our letterbox, we have what I would consider a very large letterbox. Enormous in fact. People say "oh my, what a large letterbox". That's what I imagine they say at any rate, it certainly warrants the comment & is of all the houses on my street, the largest by far. I'm pretty sure, if there wasn't a law against it, that I could fit a small child in there. Please feel free to inspect the letterbox & advise what dimensions we will require in order for you to leave the parcel in. I'll be certain to refrain from ordering medium or large sized children in the interim.
I think it would be very helpful if we could come to an understanding. As I have mentioned, I am housebound. This means I don't go out shopping & any shopping I do is online & needs delivery to my home. Home delivery is somewhat defeated when the mail is instead taken to the pharmacy in town. Being housebound I am home at all times & am will be delighted to save you the trouble of filling in a needless card & delivering a parcel to a pharmacy. If helpful I am happy to also take my neighbours parcels & can easily pass it over the fence when I see them. Or I could pop leave a note in their letterbox & save you the trouble.
In the meantime please continue to feel free to use my driveway to pull in & turn as I notice you are in the habit of doing.
P.S. Easter is coming & we will have chocolate eggs. I have been in the habit of giving them to postmen who deliver parcels to my house. Let me know if you are diabetic, dairy intolerant, Muslim or Jewish, I am certain we can find something more suitable.
I hope you are very well. With the inclement weather I hope you are keeping as warm & dry as possible.
I have just recently moved to your route, so you don't know me, but we will be seeing a lot of each other. Or rather, I hope we will.
Last week you left 3 notes in my letterbox. Two said that you'd attempted to deliver parcels, no-one was home, there was nowhere suitable to leave the parcel & could we please pick up the parcel from the chemist in town. One said that our letterbox was not large enough to fit the parcels & could we please get a bigger letterbox, and meanwhile would we pick up our parcel from the chemist in town.
I understand you will have been doing this route a long time & I have only lived here for one month. But I am housebound. That means I am here all of the time. Unless I am at a doctors appointment, which is about once a month. The first day you left a note saying we were not at home the moving truck was in our driveway & our front door was wide open. I can assure you we were at home. The next day we were also at home.
If your inclination is not to disturb us, or to avoid our quite ferocious cat (whose terror inflicting ability is somewhat hampered by his phobia of strangers, but nonethless would be quite a tyrant but for a complete lack of courage & the fact that he is not allowed outdoors), then may I recommend the front porch, which is well sheltered, as a suitable place to leave a parcel. If you feel that the appointment of our front porch is not suitable for parcels, then may I recommend either the side porch or the rear porch as alternatives. Honestly I am not at all particular on this issue, and as you can see, we are well furnished with porches.
Regarding the note you left concerning the size of our letterbox, we have what I would consider a very large letterbox. Enormous in fact. People say "oh my, what a large letterbox". That's what I imagine they say at any rate, it certainly warrants the comment & is of all the houses on my street, the largest by far. I'm pretty sure, if there wasn't a law against it, that I could fit a small child in there. Please feel free to inspect the letterbox & advise what dimensions we will require in order for you to leave the parcel in. I'll be certain to refrain from ordering medium or large sized children in the interim.
I think it would be very helpful if we could come to an understanding. As I have mentioned, I am housebound. This means I don't go out shopping & any shopping I do is online & needs delivery to my home. Home delivery is somewhat defeated when the mail is instead taken to the pharmacy in town. Being housebound I am home at all times & am will be delighted to save you the trouble of filling in a needless card & delivering a parcel to a pharmacy. If helpful I am happy to also take my neighbours parcels & can easily pass it over the fence when I see them. Or I could pop leave a note in their letterbox & save you the trouble.
In the meantime please continue to feel free to use my driveway to pull in & turn as I notice you are in the habit of doing.
P.S. Easter is coming & we will have chocolate eggs. I have been in the habit of giving them to postmen who deliver parcels to my house. Let me know if you are diabetic, dairy intolerant, Muslim or Jewish, I am certain we can find something more suitable.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Big jet plane
This note is of my experience of flying with MCS so that other people who need to fly can use the information if it is applicable to their situation.
Pre-planning:
At the airport
On the plane & off again
And Home!
Once "home" I was amazed to find that neither my clothing nor that of my husband was contaminated with scent. We'd probably been on the first flight for that plane that day & avoided scents from previous passengers. I had no MCS reaction at all to the flight.
Overall it was an incredibly positive experience. It has been two years since I last flew & while I was grateful this was a one-way flight I am absolutely thrilled with the help we were able to obtain from the airline & airport for a condition that it is fairly certain they knew nothing about.
Now here we are dealing with the challenge of a new life in a new home. The house is not MCS perfect, but few houses bar those purpose built would be & I am hopeful we'll be able to make the required changes easily. That is a story for another blog!
Meanwhile, if you have MCS & are flying all I can suggest is make a million plans, ask for help & keep asking. We got a lot of "no"s before we found our one "yes", but it was all we needed & without the help we got I would not have arrived as safely as I did.
Pre-planning:
- I purchased a MedicAlert bracelet & had the details of my illness put on file. I also bought a 'respirator' style mask & tested it several times in high exposure settings before the flight.
- My husband decided to invest in carbon blankets, both for the flight & for the bedding at the other end.
- We were extremely happy to find a direct flight to our destination. That was something we thought didn't exist, but it made a world of difference - we now only had to worry about 1 flight & 2 airports, rather than 2 flights & 3 airports. It also reduced the travel time by many hours.
- My husband phoned the airline & the airport. Initially it was difficult but finally we were put on to the manager for the airline at the particular airport from which we were departing. Once he was involved everything became comparatively simple.
- In my own case because of my ME/CFS planning included a wheelchair plus assist. It also included arranging a late check in time, and organising with staff to be boarded last. Passengers with disability are routinely boarded first.
- Towards the date of departure the airline contacted us to advise that they would be able to leave seats around us free of passengers so I would have less exposure.
- Before we left I saw my GP. She provided two letters; one detailing my medication, the other detailing my illness & what my requirements would be including the wearing of the mask, access to fragrance free bathrooms and a "fragrance free flight" :o).
- I topped up all of my prescription medications & supplements, particularly tri-salts which I use for chemical reactions.
- Clothing was planned to allow for least skin exposure possible. This included hat & gloves.
At the airport
- On arrival at the airport we were checked straight in. My air purifier was accepted as checked luggage. Because it was medical equipment & labelled such we did not pay for it as additional cargo.
- For check in I had only to shift my respirator briefly while my passport was checked, to allow confirmation of my identity.
- Due to airport redesign I did have to be taken through duty free. This is something we would have avoided previously by using a side door. Due to the renovations this was not available.
- The airline arranged for the disabled bathroom in the lounge to be cleaned only with water & bicarb for 2 days prior to our trip. On the morning of the trip, once we arrived at the lounge the door to the disabled bathroom was locked so that only I would be able to access it. At the time we were flying the lounge was reasonably empty so this would have had no impact on other travellers. Also due to the few people waiting in the lounge I was able to replace my respirator briefly with my plain carbon filter mask for a break.
On the plane & off again
- We were boarded last as arranged. On the aeroplane the staff were extremely helpful. While we had not been able to arrange a fragrance free bathroom on the plane they did arrange for us to be first off. Remarkably they also ensured that the plane was not refuelled until after we'd disembarked.
- Once off the plane I was provided again with a wheelchair plus assist. At immigration we were able to "queue jump" & once more I removed my respirator for identification. Once we'd claimed our luggage we were quickly through customs, declaring all of our "declarables".
- My father had arranged to collect us & was able to arrange to park in a disabled access carpark near the terminal exit at which point I was able to remove my respirator & replace it with a regular carbon filter mask from there on.
And Home!
Once "home" I was amazed to find that neither my clothing nor that of my husband was contaminated with scent. We'd probably been on the first flight for that plane that day & avoided scents from previous passengers. I had no MCS reaction at all to the flight.
Overall it was an incredibly positive experience. It has been two years since I last flew & while I was grateful this was a one-way flight I am absolutely thrilled with the help we were able to obtain from the airline & airport for a condition that it is fairly certain they knew nothing about.
Now here we are dealing with the challenge of a new life in a new home. The house is not MCS perfect, but few houses bar those purpose built would be & I am hopeful we'll be able to make the required changes easily. That is a story for another blog!
Meanwhile, if you have MCS & are flying all I can suggest is make a million plans, ask for help & keep asking. We got a lot of "no"s before we found our one "yes", but it was all we needed & without the help we got I would not have arrived as safely as I did.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Ink Pink - not a virtuous greenie
I am not some sort of 'alternative lifestyler'. If I did not have MCS I would have a cupboard full of beauty products, a full face of makeup & a closet full of rayon. But here is the truth.
I brush my teeth with calcium powder. There are no toothpastes natural or other I can use anymore.
My skincare consists of soap made from olive & coconut oils and not much else. On my face I use a product that has 2 ingredients: 1 is water, the other I'm pretty sure if I remember right from my psych study is from eyeballs. It's expensive & commercial & I am happy to use it as my skin is so thin & dry. I then put a layer of moisturiser made only from vege oils on top. I often joke the moisturiser (which is also use for legs, hands, body) is "salad dressing - without the vinegar".
There is no makeup - though I keep 2 tubes of lippy on the off-chance that one day I will be able to tolerate these (they are all "natural").
I wash my hair in warm water. When I've had heavy fragrance exposure I wash it with a chemical free shampoo. This happens possibly twice a month.
My clothing is all cotton or wool. I don't know why, but when I wear synthetics I get a rash.
My food is organic. The chances of reacting to non organic produced foods is high (severe tummy pains that last days) & the chance of reacting to organics is much lower. Though I still react sometimes. My foods are limited to about a dozen or so. One of which is sugar :o).
Whenever I go out I carry or wear a mask.
Whenever I have someone in I wear a mask.
If you hug me I will need to change clothes and maybe take a bath.
Whenever I have someone in it takes 2 -3 hours to get rid of the 'chem trail' with an industrial strength air purifier, and requires washing of the throw rugs they have sat on & airing the sofa. I end up isolated in 1 room while this process is ongoing.
Cleaning of the house is done with water & elbow grease. Bicarb soda is the other product & occasionally vinegar (but not often).
I am not selling this lifestyle. It is not an 'ideal' I aspire to or think others should. I guess it kind of sucks. But to be honest I don't worry about it. It is just the way things are. Who cares what I brush my teeth with - if the dentist is happy & I am happy then all is good.
There's a few of us out there though, we have to live this way, we can't pick & choose. We're not the "virtuous green". We're this way because there is no other choice.
By the way, if you meet someone with a cold, run & don't walk the other way. The one going around is vicious :S.
I brush my teeth with calcium powder. There are no toothpastes natural or other I can use anymore.
My skincare consists of soap made from olive & coconut oils and not much else. On my face I use a product that has 2 ingredients: 1 is water, the other I'm pretty sure if I remember right from my psych study is from eyeballs. It's expensive & commercial & I am happy to use it as my skin is so thin & dry. I then put a layer of moisturiser made only from vege oils on top. I often joke the moisturiser (which is also use for legs, hands, body) is "salad dressing - without the vinegar".
There is no makeup - though I keep 2 tubes of lippy on the off-chance that one day I will be able to tolerate these (they are all "natural").
I wash my hair in warm water. When I've had heavy fragrance exposure I wash it with a chemical free shampoo. This happens possibly twice a month.
My clothing is all cotton or wool. I don't know why, but when I wear synthetics I get a rash.
My food is organic. The chances of reacting to non organic produced foods is high (severe tummy pains that last days) & the chance of reacting to organics is much lower. Though I still react sometimes. My foods are limited to about a dozen or so. One of which is sugar :o).
Whenever I go out I carry or wear a mask.
Whenever I have someone in I wear a mask.
If you hug me I will need to change clothes and maybe take a bath.
Whenever I have someone in it takes 2 -3 hours to get rid of the 'chem trail' with an industrial strength air purifier, and requires washing of the throw rugs they have sat on & airing the sofa. I end up isolated in 1 room while this process is ongoing.
Cleaning of the house is done with water & elbow grease. Bicarb soda is the other product & occasionally vinegar (but not often).
I am not selling this lifestyle. It is not an 'ideal' I aspire to or think others should. I guess it kind of sucks. But to be honest I don't worry about it. It is just the way things are. Who cares what I brush my teeth with - if the dentist is happy & I am happy then all is good.
There's a few of us out there though, we have to live this way, we can't pick & choose. We're not the "virtuous green". We're this way because there is no other choice.
By the way, if you meet someone with a cold, run & don't walk the other way. The one going around is vicious :S.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Avoiding chemicals in everyday life
From one carbon based life form to another, avoiding chemicals in everyday life is pretty darn difficult.
Just in this last moment I've poured myself a 75% silica vessel of H2O. There's just no getting away from it.
Just to clarify, chemical minimalists don't think this way. For me it's mainly the ones marked "toxic" that I'm concerned about. If it should be kept out of reach of small children & animals I really don't think that cleaning your windows, clothing or dishes in it is a good idea. I would also be loathe to have it on my food or in my beverages - or in my air.
But that's just me. Of course having chemical sensitivities makes this a lot more of an issue for me. Someone else on the other hand might not notice any effect from the many products that would knock me flat.
That said, there are certain products out there that I really think we haven't thought through. Sure anything that shouldn't be used around your pet canary (fly sprays, teflon pans) is a worry, but who had the brilliant thought that we could develop products to spray cockroaches in our own homes while we pop out for a few hours & that it wouldn't cause us any problems.
Yep. Roaches are going to survive a nuclear holocaust, but bug bomb the house honey, that'll sort them. And then don't forget to pick the kiddies up from day care on the way home. Nervous system damage anyone?
Boy we are dumber than we look.
Meanwhile I've got ME/CFS & a cold. There definitely ought to be a rule about having more than one illness at a time. Make an orderly queue. Wait until I get over the other ones & then I'll do the colds.
Just in this last moment I've poured myself a 75% silica vessel of H2O. There's just no getting away from it.
Just to clarify, chemical minimalists don't think this way. For me it's mainly the ones marked "toxic" that I'm concerned about. If it should be kept out of reach of small children & animals I really don't think that cleaning your windows, clothing or dishes in it is a good idea. I would also be loathe to have it on my food or in my beverages - or in my air.
But that's just me. Of course having chemical sensitivities makes this a lot more of an issue for me. Someone else on the other hand might not notice any effect from the many products that would knock me flat.
That said, there are certain products out there that I really think we haven't thought through. Sure anything that shouldn't be used around your pet canary (fly sprays, teflon pans) is a worry, but who had the brilliant thought that we could develop products to spray cockroaches in our own homes while we pop out for a few hours & that it wouldn't cause us any problems.
Yep. Roaches are going to survive a nuclear holocaust, but bug bomb the house honey, that'll sort them. And then don't forget to pick the kiddies up from day care on the way home. Nervous system damage anyone?
Boy we are dumber than we look.
Meanwhile I've got ME/CFS & a cold. There definitely ought to be a rule about having more than one illness at a time. Make an orderly queue. Wait until I get over the other ones & then I'll do the colds.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Miss August
I'm supporting these because they support me in my day to day life as someone with chemical sensitivities. Buy a calendar.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
How's the weather?
The other day I went out for a little walk - I can manage to get around the block ok.
I was wearing my t shirt that says "How's the weather?"
Walking down the street I began to feel self conscious as some young guy was clearly looking at me while mucking about getting into his vehicle (is it my mask? It's the mask, isn't it?).
As I got closer, he gave me a big grin...& the weather report.
:o)
I was wearing my t shirt that says "How's the weather?"
Walking down the street I began to feel self conscious as some young guy was clearly looking at me while mucking about getting into his vehicle (is it my mask? It's the mask, isn't it?).
As I got closer, he gave me a big grin...& the weather report.
:o)
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