The Silver Lining

Hello, Friends,

Before I go a step further, I wish to highlight the fact that there is, indeed, a "silver lining" to the problem of MCS:

We "canaries in the coal mine" have the benefit of an "early warning system."

Many, many do not.

MCS sufferers are known for having an outrageous sense of smell. But many people have lost the ability to smell. The loss of the sense of smell can be a major "red flag" of systemic disaster.

MCS sufferers experience episodes of physical distress and incapacity. Other unfortunate people (those who have never felt the need to greatly limit their synthetic-chemical exposures) feel no distressing physical symptoms along the way but learn, suddenly, that their bodies have been quietly destructing due to cancer, organ failure, or some neurologically ravaging disorder, that they may have only a few weeks or months to live.

Those of us MCS'ers who have not succumbed to outright organ failure, cancer, or a major central nervous system disorder, therefore, still have the priceless benefit of responding to our "early warning system" before it is too late.

Our sensory receptors are alive and kicking (and that's an understatement!). But the sensory receptors of many are so exhausted, so depleted, they have finally just "turned off."  These tragically depleted individuals are like people walking into a raging fire (e.g., numerous chemical contaminants that may still surround them in their illness) simply because they cannot smell the smoke, feel the heat, or see the flames.

MCS sufferers have had the chance, at least, to note the patterns, the uncanny consistency of their own reactions to various chemical exposures in personal hygiene products, home cleaners, detergents, fabric softeners, scented candles, foods they've ingested (such as pesticide-treated fruits and vegetables), etc.

By contrast, there are probably many more people who are actually chemically sensitive and do not know it.  Due to a scarcity of mainstream-medical awareness and acceptance of this problem, these individuals have not so much as considered the possibility that there may be an actual pattern to their symptoms. These people, consequently, will fail to see each episode of their own MCS reactivity as the predictable event that it really is. They will, instead, consider each episode of physical distress to be a randomly occurring problem or illness. They may end up, for example, seeing five different doctors for five "different" problems.

These "randomly afflicted" individuals will vaguely attribute their symptoms to a "bad day," "stress," "hormones," etc. The pattern of their reactivity could be a strong and clear one, but they will not see it because no one has encouraged them to "step back" and take note.

People easily "consider" "reactions" to pollen and various foods. They do not easily, however, consider "reactions" to chemicals rampant in common synthetic fragrances, cleaning, and hygiene products. The very idea is uncomfortably massive and almost unthinkable. Instead, they consider things that one can get "allergy shots and medications" for. They try to liken the problem of chemical sensitivity to the typical "allergy" to a natural substance. They cannot easily comprehend that one cannot get an "allergy shot" for a reaction to a toxic chemical.

If only we could!  We cannot . . . but we retain the undeniable benefit of having been warned on a physical level about that which can truly harm us.

The basis for my optimism, therefore -- which I will return to again and again -- is that we MCS sufferers are actually "gifted" with a special systemic "radar" for the presence of many toxic chemicals around us.

Let us attempt to use this "radar" not only to protect ourselves, but to raise awareness which will also help to protect others, in the long run. Let's hold onto hope. There are some professionals out there who may have found some solutions, at least for some people afflicted with MCS. Perhaps these solutions require a great deal of money, time, extra resources, etc. in order to be implemented. Perhaps many of us cannot access these special treatments. Still, it is reassuring to know that at least some professionals out there are, in fact, putting their minds to this very unusual problem.

Always, always, there is hope. Let us work, for now, with the information we have. 

{As a good introduction to the topic of MCS, see the following link:  http://thechemicaledge.com/section-2-the-song-of-the-canary-mcs/}

Cheers!

~ Carolyn