If you have chronic fatigue, you may hear responses like this from others who don't understand:
"Oh, you're tired? You should try to get more sleep."
"You shouldn't be tired since you slept all night."
"Oh come on, drink some coffee and let's get to work!"
"Can't you work on something that doesn't take much energy? You're wasting your life just laying there."
"Are you ever going to not be tired?"
"Why are you so lazy?"
"You should go to a doctor and fix the problem. Go get your health back."
"You know what your problem is? You don't eat sugar. How do you expect to have energy if you don't eat sugar?"
...and I could keep going. I've heard all of these, and more. And explaining myself so often makes me more and more exhausted.
So I want to clear this up. I don't expect those of you without chronic fatigue syndrome to understand the condition after reading this, but I hope it helps you learn compassion and patience with those of us who suffer it.
From my personal experience, I've determined that...
...Being tired is not the same thing as being fatigued.
Feeling tired means you need rest and sleep. It can mean you're hungry, it can mean you didn't get enough sleep, it can also mean you've spend all your energy already and need to rest to make more. Everyone feels tired. It's a normal, healthy human thing. If you've never felt tried, you're probably not human.
Fatigue means a loss of strength, a loss of mental energy, and a loss of physical energy. A tired person can still function normally, just more slowly and lazily. A fatigued person cannot function normally. It may be impossible for a person with severe fatigue to even walk on their own. A moderately fatigued person might be able to walk, but not far and probably can't think about what they're doing while walking. Rest isn't usually enough to recover from fatigue.
Feeling tired is like your battery being at 50% power. You have to recharge to recover energy so you can get back to work for hours upon hours. Recharging is all you need to get better.
Feeling fatigued is like your battery being at critically low power and you must recharge now or shut down completely. When fatigued, it's impossible to keep going - there's no battery power left to work with. The problem is, recharging isn't enough. It will help you gain back maybe 10-20% power, because you can't hold very much power anymore. You're like an old cell phone that has to be recharged after every phone call. A fatigued person has to be very picky about what he or she spends limited energy on, and then spend the rest of the day recharging so that they can spend limited energy on something new later on.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is extremely debilitating. In fact, it's so debilitating that this Danish study suggests that it affects quality of life more than any other chronic illness.
...And there's more to Chronic Fatigue than just the fatigue.
Fatigue affects the entire body, not just energy levels. It means blurred vision, poor circulation, ringing in the ears or loss of hearing, poor memory and concentration, aches and pains, slurred speech, and more. Organs, glands, and all your body parts require energy to function properly. If the brain can't get enough energy, of course it'll work poorly. If the stomach can't get enough energy, it's not going to digest very well. If the muscles can't get enough energy, they're not going to move well.
Friday evening, after working 3 long hard days in a row, I seriously considered going to the hospital. My throat and tongue were swollen up and I had a hard time talking and eating. My vision was very bad and my muscle tension was extreme. I had terrible insomnia the last two nights because my body was desperate for energy to keep me alive. I had to take 3x the amount of herbal sleeping pills that I normally take, and it still took me hours to fall asleep.
So next time someone complains about having chronic fatigue, don't offer them a cup of coffee. It won't help - it gives a boost now, but actually causes worse fatigue later from the crash. Help them accomplish their task so they don't have to spend all of their limited energy on it.
I have spent my whole weekend at the mercy of my fatigue. I overspent myself on Thursday and Friday at work, and now I have to spend my days doing as little as possible so that all my energy can go to healing my body. I nearly fainted at church this morning, and I actually regret going because it made me more fatigued. I need to recover so I can make it through work this week. I've discovered my limit of how many hours I can handle at work. If it wasn't super ridiculously busy on Thursday I probably would have been okay and wouldn't be so fatigued now, but I can't know how busy we'll get.
...But wait, I have chronic fatigue and I'm working? How is that possible? Yes. If you read my previous post about working with MCS, you'll see that I actually didn't work for 2 years. It would have been impossible, as my fatigue was too strong all of the time. I've recovered enough where I have enough energy to work for 12-15 hours a week. It has depleted me on occasion, but I can do it. My fear is that I won't be able to regain much more energy than I already have. 2 years of full-time healing has only brought me to this level. Which is incredible, as I started out totally bed-ridden. I've made a ton of progress with my health, and yet I'm still very weak compared to the average healthy person. Sigh. But I hold on to hope, and I'll do whatever I need to in order to continue healing.
So please. Take Chronic Fatigue seriously. Don't assume they're over exaggerating. Don't assume they're simply not taking care of themselves. Don't assume that they're lazy. Don't assume that they're supposed to be able to function as well as you. Chronic fatigue steals a person's energy, and makes living very difficult. Don't be one of the difficulties.
I also want to point out the possibility that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an auto-immune disease. The medical communities haven't agreed on this, but there's enough research showing that it acts like an auto-immune disease. If someone told you they have an auto-immune disease making them weak, would you take them more seriously than if they told you they have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
How I Work With MCS
One of the most common questions I get is: "How are you able to work when you have MCS?"
The answer: "I didn't work for about 1 3/4 years because I couldn't. I'm working now because I got well enough to."
3 years ago I took a job that I was really interested in and wanted. I lasted for 1 year at the job before I had to quit because I was too sick to manage it. I tell this story in more detail in this post.
I quit that job just after I had my first appointment with my naturopathic doctor. After hearing his assessment about my health, I admitted to myself that I really did need to devote myself to full time healing. I wasn't making money during this time, and my doctor bills have been expensive. I relied 100% on my husband to support me, which wasn't fair to him at all since he ended up needing to work well beyond full time hours. This has been a major cause of stress. If I had continued to work, however, I likely would have been fired at some point. As I explained in the post that I linked to above, I could hardly look people in the eye and talk intelligently - I was not able to function like a normal healthy person most of the time. What choice did I have?
If I wasn't able to rely 100% on my husband during that time, it would have become a serious challenge, if not impossibility. A challenge that far too many chronically ill people face. I might have tried to fight for disability, but getting disability requires an expensive legal battle that usually lasts years.
I could have tried to take a lesser part time job and prayed that I could have handled it. But it wouldn't have worked out. Why? What I didn't know at the time was that a big part of my problem was Multiple Chemical Sensitives. I was too sick back then to know what all my symptoms meant, and I was essentially in a constant reaction. I did feel better at home than at work, and I assumed it was the stress of being at work that make me feel worse. Looking back, I was present when pesticides were being sprayed in our office, harsh cleaners were used on the carpets, automatic air fresheners were installed in the bathrooms, new ink was installed in the printers, etc. I was present around a lot of routine toxins. Toxins that I never used in my house. Any other lesser job would have kept me exposed to similar chemical toxins.
I have been incredibly blessed to have my hard-working husband supporting me through all this sickness. No other scenario would have allowed me to not work so I could heal. To those of you with chronic illness who are forced to work and stay very sick, live in poverty without medical help, and suffer financially due to your illness, my heart goes out to you. It's a wonder you continue fighting for your life. Someday when I'm healthy and rich, I'm going to start some sort of benefit fund for the chronically sick who can't get help. I want to do what I can to make the world a more hospitable place for the chronically sick.
It took close to a year of full time healing before my doctor was able to see that I have MCS. I had other health concerns, of course, but MCS made perfect sense. I'd been highly reactive my entire life, especially as a child. I've had a lot of food allergies, couldn't tolerate many medicines doctors had tried to put me on, many things caused me headaches (especially gray crayons,) and I regularly had unexplained eczema or rashes. At some point, my MCS did explode into something much worse. I got very sick (even got a sinus infection) from simply being in a Staples. I got dizzy with heartburn going into my church building. I went into a rage with harsh heart palpations in a JC Penny, later to have rashes all over. And so on and so forth. I had these reaction symptoms nearly every day for the year I was working, and they gradually became worse and worse. MCS makes perfect sense for what I went through.
It's been just under a year now of addressing MCS directly, but almost 2 years of healing my whole body from all its issues, and I've made a huge improvement. My doctor is amazing! But I've also put a lot of work into my healing.
How I, over time, worked up to being able to work my 12-15 hour/ week job:
1. I was spending as much time as I needed dedicating myself to healing my entire body, not just MCS. I highly doubt my MCS would have calmed down if I didn't focus on improving my overall health. You can't rush healing. It takes years to get this sick, it's going to take years to get better.
2. I stuck religiously to my doctor's diet for me. I made a few mistakes here and there, but I always suffered the consequences. My body has been incredibly picky about what food it will tolerate. I had no idea that my "clean organic" diet that I was eating before seeing my doctor was causing so many of my heath issues. It's not just about eating organic whole foods, it's about eating the right foods. As it turns out, I have no tolerance for grains, starches, sugars, alcohol, or dairy. I don't even tolerate brassica vegetables that well, but I will actually eat them in small amounts on occasion. Cutting out all the foods that I wasn't tolerating decreased my stress, improved my mental clarity, reduced the size of my gut, reduced the pain in my gut, reduced my inflammation, and allowed me actually gain energy from the food I could eat. Diet is so so so crucial!
3. I've been taking, and still take, my doctor's supplements and herbs. They're expensive, it's hard to take the 56+ pills a day, and my daily schedule gets tied to my ability to take them when I need to... but they have been worth it. They do help a lot. I have to heal all my organs which have become very fatigued and weak. The supplements are working for this. When organs such as the liver and kidneys aren't working well, they can't detox well. When they're overrun with toxins that they're too fatigued to push out, chemical sensitives only get stronger and stronger.
4. I've been taking my doctor's homeopathic remedy for MCS as well as his pills for MCS. I can't tell you what the remedy is - I just know it's made a big difference for me. I can tell you that taking his N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine and Reduced Glutathione have been, by far, the most helpful pills for MCS. I take 3 of each a day, but if I'm about to go somewhere with potential triggers (such as church or a store) then I'll take an extra one or two of each before going in. Glutathione is the body's natural antioxidant. N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine is the amino acid that's the precursor to glutathione, boosting natural glutathione production in the body. This antioxidant is very effective at cleaning toxins out of the body - the very toxins that cause reactions.
5. I get treatments. My doctor's clinic is set up with several treatments that promote healing. I do as many of them as I can afford. Each of them have provided me with a lot of relief. http://humannaturenaturalhealth.com/treatments
6. I give myself a couple of "treatments" at home. I invested in a portable Far Infrared Sauna, which causes me to sweat profusely, meaning my skin is pushing out a ton of toxins. I also take detox baths that promote sweating and restore some minerals in my body. I use my acupressure mat very often.
7. I regularly visit my local chiropractor and acupuncturist. (My naturopathic doctor would do these for me, but he's in a different state and I travel to see him.) I cannot emphasis enough how helpful adjustments are - they free up the nerves in your spine that go to your organs, helping the nerves to function properly so the organs can function well. Acupuncture has been incredibly beneficial to me as well, and I notice that my body slows down and reacts more harshly to things when I go a while without acupuncture.
8. I'm addressing a systemic candida overgrowth infection. Candida can cause or intensify MCS, as the candida yeast feeds on the chemical toxins. I haven't written much about this yet, but I still plan to. The candida cleanse I'm on is a big part of the reason why I haven't blogged much lately. It's taking a lot out of me.
9. I avoid as much stress as possible. I avoid as many triggers as possible. I allow my body to stay as calm as possible as often as possible. This meant installing an reverse osmosis filter on my kitchen sink, getting rid of all of my polyester clothes and blankets and replacing them with natural fabrics, replacing plastic in my kitchen with a safe substance (like glass, stainless steel, cast iron, or bamboo,) switching to only fragrance-free soaps and cleaners in my house, hiring an organic lawn care company with a safer product, hiring someone to clean the mold out of our house, and so on and so forth. It also means I no longer eat out too. I've had to alter a lot about the way I live my life in order to avoid triggers. It's a major challenge, but it's been absolutely necessary to avoid as many triggers as possible.
10. Once I felt ready and capable, I spent months searching for job openings at businesses that would have the least amounts of triggers. I found a few places in town that I can be in without getting sick, or at least not too sick. When one of them announced a job opening, I applied right away in person and tried to make a good impression. I actually ended up with a couple of offers, so I was able to choose the job that offered the least amount of hours with the most respect to my health condition, knowing I simply didn't have the energy for more than 15 hours a week. The job I chose is at a natural health products store. It's small, locally owned, and doesn't attract stinky customers that I can't be around without getting sick. The store itself is quite nice and sells foods and supplements I already knew enough about, but is challenging me to learn a lot more, which I love. The learning curve was small, it's usually a relaxed atmosphere, and it's not too often that there are stinky triggers in the store. It also keeps me on my feet moving, as opposed to at a computer all day, which would make me worse.
How I deal with triggers on the job:
This is harder to answer, but the fact is that I rely on all the healing tactics I do at home. The more I take care of myself, keeping myself clean, detoxing/ sweating regularly, makes it so I can tolerate more triggers with less harsh reactions. When I first took the job, I couldn't use the Sharpie pens without holding my breath. I got immediate headaches from them. Now I can actually use them for a short period of time without holding my breath. I'm not sure why. Did I build up a tolerance, or is it because I'm using my sauna more and taking more baths than before I started working?
There have been a couple of times when a heavily perfumed customer needs my help. In one instance I was able to have a co-worker help that customer instead of me. I just politely said "My co-worker is better able to help you with this than I am, would you mind waiting a moment and I'll have her come help you?" In the other instance, I spent the least amount of time with the customer as possible and then ran back to the break room and took a few glutathione pills. My headache, fever, heart palpitations, and gut ache calmed down in about an hour. The truly amazing part is that I did manage to help her and was able to continue working through the reaction - that's how much I've healed!
But it did get to the point two days ago where I had to go home early from getting too sick. I wasn't feeling well all day anyway as I was overly exhausted and I was suffering some abnormally bad PMS (I'm on a new anti-fungal for my candida that is quite strong,) but then it hit me like a brick wall. I had no idea what was causing the reaction, but I got hit with an anxiety attack so strong that I had to leave. I was losing control. Once I got outside and started walking to my car I found the source: one single train cart was stopped on the train tracks right behind our parking lot. It was puffing out clouds of black smoke, which the wind carried right towards the store, and me. I didn't feel much better until the next morning, so it took the majority of the day and night to recover from that one.
In conclusion:
Healing is VERY hard work! It requires a lot of time, a lot of dedication, a lot of faith, a lot of money, and a lot of self-love. I always treated myself as "worth it." If I didn't, if I would have assumed that my life wasn't worth saving because I was a leech to society, I wouldn't have gotten better. I had to believe that God was keeping me alive for a reason, and that with enough work and medical help that I could live up to His will for me.
If you're suffering with MCS, looking for answers, I hope this blog has helped you, not discouraged you. I never looked at my healing process in the big picture. It would have overwhelmed me and scared me - I would have assumed it was too much for me to handle considering how fatigued I was! I always took it one step at a time, doing what I needed to at every moment. Before I knew it, I made a lot of progress!
I also want to stress that what has been working for me may not be what works for you. What causes MCS in one person may not be the cause in another person. There are other people who have had success healing from MCS who have used different approaches. I encourage you to read other MCS blogs, talk to natural doctors, and learn your own body. But don't give up. Don't give in. MCS might rule your life, but you can find a good life within the confines of MCS.
The answer: "I didn't work for about 1 3/4 years because I couldn't. I'm working now because I got well enough to."
3 years ago I took a job that I was really interested in and wanted. I lasted for 1 year at the job before I had to quit because I was too sick to manage it. I tell this story in more detail in this post.
I quit that job just after I had my first appointment with my naturopathic doctor. After hearing his assessment about my health, I admitted to myself that I really did need to devote myself to full time healing. I wasn't making money during this time, and my doctor bills have been expensive. I relied 100% on my husband to support me, which wasn't fair to him at all since he ended up needing to work well beyond full time hours. This has been a major cause of stress. If I had continued to work, however, I likely would have been fired at some point. As I explained in the post that I linked to above, I could hardly look people in the eye and talk intelligently - I was not able to function like a normal healthy person most of the time. What choice did I have?
If I wasn't able to rely 100% on my husband during that time, it would have become a serious challenge, if not impossibility. A challenge that far too many chronically ill people face. I might have tried to fight for disability, but getting disability requires an expensive legal battle that usually lasts years.
I could have tried to take a lesser part time job and prayed that I could have handled it. But it wouldn't have worked out. Why? What I didn't know at the time was that a big part of my problem was Multiple Chemical Sensitives. I was too sick back then to know what all my symptoms meant, and I was essentially in a constant reaction. I did feel better at home than at work, and I assumed it was the stress of being at work that make me feel worse. Looking back, I was present when pesticides were being sprayed in our office, harsh cleaners were used on the carpets, automatic air fresheners were installed in the bathrooms, new ink was installed in the printers, etc. I was present around a lot of routine toxins. Toxins that I never used in my house. Any other lesser job would have kept me exposed to similar chemical toxins.
I have been incredibly blessed to have my hard-working husband supporting me through all this sickness. No other scenario would have allowed me to not work so I could heal. To those of you with chronic illness who are forced to work and stay very sick, live in poverty without medical help, and suffer financially due to your illness, my heart goes out to you. It's a wonder you continue fighting for your life. Someday when I'm healthy and rich, I'm going to start some sort of benefit fund for the chronically sick who can't get help. I want to do what I can to make the world a more hospitable place for the chronically sick.
It took close to a year of full time healing before my doctor was able to see that I have MCS. I had other health concerns, of course, but MCS made perfect sense. I'd been highly reactive my entire life, especially as a child. I've had a lot of food allergies, couldn't tolerate many medicines doctors had tried to put me on, many things caused me headaches (especially gray crayons,) and I regularly had unexplained eczema or rashes. At some point, my MCS did explode into something much worse. I got very sick (even got a sinus infection) from simply being in a Staples. I got dizzy with heartburn going into my church building. I went into a rage with harsh heart palpations in a JC Penny, later to have rashes all over. And so on and so forth. I had these reaction symptoms nearly every day for the year I was working, and they gradually became worse and worse. MCS makes perfect sense for what I went through.
It's been just under a year now of addressing MCS directly, but almost 2 years of healing my whole body from all its issues, and I've made a huge improvement. My doctor is amazing! But I've also put a lot of work into my healing.
How I, over time, worked up to being able to work my 12-15 hour/ week job:
1. I was spending as much time as I needed dedicating myself to healing my entire body, not just MCS. I highly doubt my MCS would have calmed down if I didn't focus on improving my overall health. You can't rush healing. It takes years to get this sick, it's going to take years to get better.
2. I stuck religiously to my doctor's diet for me. I made a few mistakes here and there, but I always suffered the consequences. My body has been incredibly picky about what food it will tolerate. I had no idea that my "clean organic" diet that I was eating before seeing my doctor was causing so many of my heath issues. It's not just about eating organic whole foods, it's about eating the right foods. As it turns out, I have no tolerance for grains, starches, sugars, alcohol, or dairy. I don't even tolerate brassica vegetables that well, but I will actually eat them in small amounts on occasion. Cutting out all the foods that I wasn't tolerating decreased my stress, improved my mental clarity, reduced the size of my gut, reduced the pain in my gut, reduced my inflammation, and allowed me actually gain energy from the food I could eat. Diet is so so so crucial!
3. I've been taking, and still take, my doctor's supplements and herbs. They're expensive, it's hard to take the 56+ pills a day, and my daily schedule gets tied to my ability to take them when I need to... but they have been worth it. They do help a lot. I have to heal all my organs which have become very fatigued and weak. The supplements are working for this. When organs such as the liver and kidneys aren't working well, they can't detox well. When they're overrun with toxins that they're too fatigued to push out, chemical sensitives only get stronger and stronger.
4. I've been taking my doctor's homeopathic remedy for MCS as well as his pills for MCS. I can't tell you what the remedy is - I just know it's made a big difference for me. I can tell you that taking his N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine and Reduced Glutathione have been, by far, the most helpful pills for MCS. I take 3 of each a day, but if I'm about to go somewhere with potential triggers (such as church or a store) then I'll take an extra one or two of each before going in. Glutathione is the body's natural antioxidant. N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine is the amino acid that's the precursor to glutathione, boosting natural glutathione production in the body. This antioxidant is very effective at cleaning toxins out of the body - the very toxins that cause reactions.
5. I get treatments. My doctor's clinic is set up with several treatments that promote healing. I do as many of them as I can afford. Each of them have provided me with a lot of relief. http://humannaturenaturalhealth.com/treatments
6. I give myself a couple of "treatments" at home. I invested in a portable Far Infrared Sauna, which causes me to sweat profusely, meaning my skin is pushing out a ton of toxins. I also take detox baths that promote sweating and restore some minerals in my body. I use my acupressure mat very often.
7. I regularly visit my local chiropractor and acupuncturist. (My naturopathic doctor would do these for me, but he's in a different state and I travel to see him.) I cannot emphasis enough how helpful adjustments are - they free up the nerves in your spine that go to your organs, helping the nerves to function properly so the organs can function well. Acupuncture has been incredibly beneficial to me as well, and I notice that my body slows down and reacts more harshly to things when I go a while without acupuncture.
8. I'm addressing a systemic candida overgrowth infection. Candida can cause or intensify MCS, as the candida yeast feeds on the chemical toxins. I haven't written much about this yet, but I still plan to. The candida cleanse I'm on is a big part of the reason why I haven't blogged much lately. It's taking a lot out of me.
9. I avoid as much stress as possible. I avoid as many triggers as possible. I allow my body to stay as calm as possible as often as possible. This meant installing an reverse osmosis filter on my kitchen sink, getting rid of all of my polyester clothes and blankets and replacing them with natural fabrics, replacing plastic in my kitchen with a safe substance (like glass, stainless steel, cast iron, or bamboo,) switching to only fragrance-free soaps and cleaners in my house, hiring an organic lawn care company with a safer product, hiring someone to clean the mold out of our house, and so on and so forth. It also means I no longer eat out too. I've had to alter a lot about the way I live my life in order to avoid triggers. It's a major challenge, but it's been absolutely necessary to avoid as many triggers as possible.
10. Once I felt ready and capable, I spent months searching for job openings at businesses that would have the least amounts of triggers. I found a few places in town that I can be in without getting sick, or at least not too sick. When one of them announced a job opening, I applied right away in person and tried to make a good impression. I actually ended up with a couple of offers, so I was able to choose the job that offered the least amount of hours with the most respect to my health condition, knowing I simply didn't have the energy for more than 15 hours a week. The job I chose is at a natural health products store. It's small, locally owned, and doesn't attract stinky customers that I can't be around without getting sick. The store itself is quite nice and sells foods and supplements I already knew enough about, but is challenging me to learn a lot more, which I love. The learning curve was small, it's usually a relaxed atmosphere, and it's not too often that there are stinky triggers in the store. It also keeps me on my feet moving, as opposed to at a computer all day, which would make me worse.
How I deal with triggers on the job:
This is harder to answer, but the fact is that I rely on all the healing tactics I do at home. The more I take care of myself, keeping myself clean, detoxing/ sweating regularly, makes it so I can tolerate more triggers with less harsh reactions. When I first took the job, I couldn't use the Sharpie pens without holding my breath. I got immediate headaches from them. Now I can actually use them for a short period of time without holding my breath. I'm not sure why. Did I build up a tolerance, or is it because I'm using my sauna more and taking more baths than before I started working?
There have been a couple of times when a heavily perfumed customer needs my help. In one instance I was able to have a co-worker help that customer instead of me. I just politely said "My co-worker is better able to help you with this than I am, would you mind waiting a moment and I'll have her come help you?" In the other instance, I spent the least amount of time with the customer as possible and then ran back to the break room and took a few glutathione pills. My headache, fever, heart palpitations, and gut ache calmed down in about an hour. The truly amazing part is that I did manage to help her and was able to continue working through the reaction - that's how much I've healed!
But it did get to the point two days ago where I had to go home early from getting too sick. I wasn't feeling well all day anyway as I was overly exhausted and I was suffering some abnormally bad PMS (I'm on a new anti-fungal for my candida that is quite strong,) but then it hit me like a brick wall. I had no idea what was causing the reaction, but I got hit with an anxiety attack so strong that I had to leave. I was losing control. Once I got outside and started walking to my car I found the source: one single train cart was stopped on the train tracks right behind our parking lot. It was puffing out clouds of black smoke, which the wind carried right towards the store, and me. I didn't feel much better until the next morning, so it took the majority of the day and night to recover from that one.
In conclusion:
Healing is VERY hard work! It requires a lot of time, a lot of dedication, a lot of faith, a lot of money, and a lot of self-love. I always treated myself as "worth it." If I didn't, if I would have assumed that my life wasn't worth saving because I was a leech to society, I wouldn't have gotten better. I had to believe that God was keeping me alive for a reason, and that with enough work and medical help that I could live up to His will for me.
If you're suffering with MCS, looking for answers, I hope this blog has helped you, not discouraged you. I never looked at my healing process in the big picture. It would have overwhelmed me and scared me - I would have assumed it was too much for me to handle considering how fatigued I was! I always took it one step at a time, doing what I needed to at every moment. Before I knew it, I made a lot of progress!
I also want to stress that what has been working for me may not be what works for you. What causes MCS in one person may not be the cause in another person. There are other people who have had success healing from MCS who have used different approaches. I encourage you to read other MCS blogs, talk to natural doctors, and learn your own body. But don't give up. Don't give in. MCS might rule your life, but you can find a good life within the confines of MCS.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Back to Work
It's been about a month since my last post. This just goes to show how fatigued I've been, that I've been avoiding my computer in favor of laying on the couch doing nothing but resting.
I started working a few months ago, just 12-15 hours a week. This might sound like nothing to most people. When I was regularly working 45-50 hours a week about 3 years ago I would have scoffed at the fact that I'd be reduced to this in only a few years time. Right now this feels like a lot of hours. For a year and a half I wasn't working. I was barely working at the last job I had as a secretary, and quit before I got fired for being too sick. The fact that I'm managing to work these few hours is really impressive to me, considering all I've been though.
But I'm tired. For a while I was able to spend my limited energy on my blog, my Zazzle store, and my writing. Now I'm storing up my energy, spending it at work, and coming home and resting a lot. I'm finding that I'm playing more video games than usual, and I'm struggling to read novels again. I'm turning back to graphic novels and manga because they're much easier to read. My brain is just this tired.
My legs feel heavy, my arms feel stiff, my back is aching, and my feet feel like bricks. I haven't done an actual work out since I started my job. I've gone for my 2 mile walks on occasion, but no weight lifting or Xbox Fitness. No Tai Chi. My job keeps me on my feet the whole time, which is one of the main reasons I chose it. I knew that if I chose a desk job that I'd only make myself worse. But my job has become my work out. I haven't decided if this is a good thing or not - it just is what it is, and I think that's okay.
I'm not complaining. Yes, the job is causing my body troubles, but the fact that I'm working is absolutely amazing! Yes, it's putting me back on the fatigue roller coaster, when for a while I was finally starting to feel even/ stable most of the time, but I'm probably more active now than I was before I started working. And I hope that's actually a good thing.
There's nothing like battling chronic fatigue, or as they now call it, Myalgic Encephalopathy.
There's especially nothing like battling CFS/ ME and candida and adrenal fatigue and digestive issues and Chemical Sensitives while trying to pay the bills, have a healthy marriage, and keep friends. But I can be thankful for the fact that I'm no longer also dealing with fibromyalgia! That's gone. Thank goodness! Because when fibromyaliga was in the mix, there was no such thing as paying the bills, keeping my husband happy, or having friends.
I'm exhausted. But pretty soon my cup of Numi Organic Japanese Green Tea will kick in, give me more adrenaline than I can handle, and I'll be zipping around like a healthy person... until the caffeine wears out. And here is the problem. Caffeine definitely affects my adrenals negatively, but without the caffeine, I may not be an effective employee. My natural energy spurts don't always come when I need them. In fact, they tend to come as I'm trying to fall asleep at night. Frustration!
But it's worth it. Having some sense of "normal" in my life is making a big difference. I'm no longer isolated from people. I'm forced to participate in the world again. I can't wallow in my own problems when I'm around others. I get to spend my limited energy on people, who for the most part, are worth spending my energy on.
My fear lies in the fact that I'm not keeping enough energy to spend on myself for my own healing. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that we heal with our left over energy. Well, what left over energy? My hope is that I will continue to grow my energy so that I'll have more to spend on my own healing.
If a plane crashes into our house and kills me... well, I wouldn't complain. That said, I have no intention of living my life waiting for that plane to crash into my house. I'm going to spend my life making the best of my time before I die a hopefully more natural and peaceful death. I feel like this goal is possible now, whereas a year ago I would have welcomed death, as I had no energy to make the best of life.
Those of you with MCS who read my blog:
You're probably questioning how I'm able to work with MCS. I want to write about this soon. In short, I don't recommend it if your MCS reactions are debilitating. I chose a job at a place that doesn't have me constantly reacting, and I'm able to simple just walk away from the majority of things that do cause me to react. My reactions are so much less severe than they used to be, and my wonderful naturopathic doctor has me on a few things that are helping me survive our synthetic world. I have done a lot of healing work, which hasn't been easy, and it's helping me dramatically. A year ago I wouldn't have tolerated this job - it would have given me debilitating reactions. Then again, a year ago I was basically in a constant reaction and had no idea that it was a reaction I was experiencing.
I started working a few months ago, just 12-15 hours a week. This might sound like nothing to most people. When I was regularly working 45-50 hours a week about 3 years ago I would have scoffed at the fact that I'd be reduced to this in only a few years time. Right now this feels like a lot of hours. For a year and a half I wasn't working. I was barely working at the last job I had as a secretary, and quit before I got fired for being too sick. The fact that I'm managing to work these few hours is really impressive to me, considering all I've been though.
But I'm tired. For a while I was able to spend my limited energy on my blog, my Zazzle store, and my writing. Now I'm storing up my energy, spending it at work, and coming home and resting a lot. I'm finding that I'm playing more video games than usual, and I'm struggling to read novels again. I'm turning back to graphic novels and manga because they're much easier to read. My brain is just this tired.
My legs feel heavy, my arms feel stiff, my back is aching, and my feet feel like bricks. I haven't done an actual work out since I started my job. I've gone for my 2 mile walks on occasion, but no weight lifting or Xbox Fitness. No Tai Chi. My job keeps me on my feet the whole time, which is one of the main reasons I chose it. I knew that if I chose a desk job that I'd only make myself worse. But my job has become my work out. I haven't decided if this is a good thing or not - it just is what it is, and I think that's okay.
I'm not complaining. Yes, the job is causing my body troubles, but the fact that I'm working is absolutely amazing! Yes, it's putting me back on the fatigue roller coaster, when for a while I was finally starting to feel even/ stable most of the time, but I'm probably more active now than I was before I started working. And I hope that's actually a good thing.
There's nothing like battling chronic fatigue, or as they now call it, Myalgic Encephalopathy.
There's especially nothing like battling CFS/ ME and candida and adrenal fatigue and digestive issues and Chemical Sensitives while trying to pay the bills, have a healthy marriage, and keep friends. But I can be thankful for the fact that I'm no longer also dealing with fibromyalgia! That's gone. Thank goodness! Because when fibromyaliga was in the mix, there was no such thing as paying the bills, keeping my husband happy, or having friends.
I'm exhausted. But pretty soon my cup of Numi Organic Japanese Green Tea will kick in, give me more adrenaline than I can handle, and I'll be zipping around like a healthy person... until the caffeine wears out. And here is the problem. Caffeine definitely affects my adrenals negatively, but without the caffeine, I may not be an effective employee. My natural energy spurts don't always come when I need them. In fact, they tend to come as I'm trying to fall asleep at night. Frustration!
But it's worth it. Having some sense of "normal" in my life is making a big difference. I'm no longer isolated from people. I'm forced to participate in the world again. I can't wallow in my own problems when I'm around others. I get to spend my limited energy on people, who for the most part, are worth spending my energy on.
My fear lies in the fact that I'm not keeping enough energy to spend on myself for my own healing. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that we heal with our left over energy. Well, what left over energy? My hope is that I will continue to grow my energy so that I'll have more to spend on my own healing.
If a plane crashes into our house and kills me... well, I wouldn't complain. That said, I have no intention of living my life waiting for that plane to crash into my house. I'm going to spend my life making the best of my time before I die a hopefully more natural and peaceful death. I feel like this goal is possible now, whereas a year ago I would have welcomed death, as I had no energy to make the best of life.
Those of you with MCS who read my blog:
You're probably questioning how I'm able to work with MCS. I want to write about this soon. In short, I don't recommend it if your MCS reactions are debilitating. I chose a job at a place that doesn't have me constantly reacting, and I'm able to simple just walk away from the majority of things that do cause me to react. My reactions are so much less severe than they used to be, and my wonderful naturopathic doctor has me on a few things that are helping me survive our synthetic world. I have done a lot of healing work, which hasn't been easy, and it's helping me dramatically. A year ago I wouldn't have tolerated this job - it would have given me debilitating reactions. Then again, a year ago I was basically in a constant reaction and had no idea that it was a reaction I was experiencing.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
How I Avoid Plastic
I've made it very clear throughout this blog that plastic is a hazard. It's endocrine disruptive, doesn't biodegrade, is being eaten by fish that we later eat, etc. But looking around, plastic is everywhere! I haven't been able to go 100% plastic free, but I have reduced most of the plastic in my life. I'm also not sure I want to be 100% plastic free. I like my keyboard, computer monitor, mouse, phone, etc. My problem is with single use plastic (like straws,) plastic on our skin (like clothing,) and plastic used to store food.
Here are my solutions so far:
1. Water Bottles
I invested in a few glass and stainless steel water bottles. Two of the ones I purchased are this glass bottle and this insulated stainless steel bottle (for hot or cold liquids.) Both of my glass water bottles are protected with a sleeve or silicone cover. I've put them to the test, putting them in rough situations, and they have not broken.
2. Water Filters
I installed a reverse osmosis water filter at my kitchen sink and stored the Brita pitcher away. I fill my glass and stainless steel water bottles with the RO water, which is delicious! Now, don't get me wrong, it's better to use a Brita pitcher than no filter. The Brita will filter out the harmful chlorine from your water. Even though it's storing the water in plastic, plastic is the greatest threat when it's heated. Don't heat your Brita! There are numerous reasons why an RO filter is a much better filtering method (and not much more expensive,) but a Brita is better than nothing.
3. Toothbrush
I searched high and low for non-plastic toothbrushes. What I found is that there aren't many options. I also found that there are natural teeth cleaning products that do not use a toothbrush, claiming that toothbrushes are too abrasive. I'm not linking to these products here because I'm not familiar enough with them to suggest them. I still wanted a toothbrush.
I only found two on the market that that are totally petroleum plastic free. One is made from vegetable plastics, the other from recycled materials, such as wood or paper currency. There are, however, many toothbrushes that have non-plastic handles with nylon (plastic) bristles. There are also several that use boar hair bristles with plastic handles. I have no idea why I can't find a toothbrush with a natural handle and boar hair bristles. This makes no sense to me. Apparently even natural brands buy into the theory that nylon bristles are simply the best. I disagree, because the bristles are tiny bits of plastic that will never biodegrade. Tiny plastic is the most dangerous against wildlife.
I did try natural boar bristle toothbrushes, sourced from very well-treated boars who were not hurt in the process. What I quickly found out is that they are softer than nylon. A "medium" natural bristle is equivalent to a "soft" nylon bristle. I was unable to find any "hard" natural bristle brushes. They cleaned well for about a week, then the bristles started to bend and loose their shape. It's my fault, because I tend to be a scrubber. The point, though, is that they do work!
4. Clothing
This one is easy: Simply stop buying clothing with polyester, nylon, acrylic, or spandex. All of these fabrics are made from petroleum-based plastics.
Okay, not as easy as it should be. You will most likely pay more for your clothing by avoiding plastic clothes. You also may need to get creative about where you shop. I have had great luck with TJMaxx, as they've often had organic cotton, hemp, wool, and bamboo clothing. They've occasionally even had some non-organic 100% cotton clothes. I'm starting to find that I really need to buy my clothes online to ensure I get what I need. I can find good deals on Amazon.com, SierraTradingPost.com, and Rodales.com, but I've also found that sometimes it's best to order directly from the company that makes the clothes. WearPact.com offers free shipping on only a $25 purchase!
I admit that due to the difficulty of finding affordable non-plastic clothing, I will buy natural fiber clothing with added spandex. Sometimes, that's all that's available. For instance, I wear Pact's organic cotton underwear, but it does have about 5% spandex added (and the band is elastic.) But, what choice do I have? Hanes has 100% cotton underwear... with added chemicals (anti-bacterials, fabric stiffeners, etc) and non-natural dyes. No thanks. (You might be just fine with their underwear, but these things can make my skin itchy - I'm sensitive!)
5. Trash Bags
This one is really really hard. It's also probably the most important one to change! We put our biodegradable trash inside non-biodegradable containers. Then we send it off to the landfills, which are growing bigger and bigger. We're running out of room to put our trash, and those landfills won't shrink as long as we keep putting plastic into them. Plastic never goes away.
But what's the alternative to a petroleum-based plastic trash bag? Either a biodegradable bag or a compostable bag. Both of these should be great options, but they're not good for everyone. Biodegradable bags biodegrade. Sometimes too quickly - as in, while you're trying to use it as a trash can liner. Sometimes you can't finish a roll of biodegradable bags because they started to biodegrade before you even pulled it off the roll. There are a few brands claiming they've fixed this, but until the reviews are better, I hesitate to invest in them. They're expensive bags! The problem with compostable bags are that not everyone can compost (I can't do it where I live.) The other problem is that the bags are very flimsy. They rip, tear, and fall apart pretty easily, meaning they can't take much weight. These bags are good for small trash cans that get emptied often. They're not so good in your standard 13 gallon kitchen trash can.
So what is the solution? Reduce the amount of trash you create, recycle as much as possible, and try to make one of those eco trash bags work. Or, if all of your trash is dry, you can use paper bags from the grocery store. I know that some people use cloth liners in their cans, then washing the cloth every time it gets emptied. Our city wouldn't like that, though, as they ask all residents to use plastic bags for their garbage so that the trash isn't loose. I don't have another solution.
I currently am working on finishing a box of Seventh Generation trash bags. They're made from recycled plastic, which is only slightly better than new plastic. The reason I went with them is because my husband and I create so little trash. We fill our can about once every week and a half to two weeks, and it's often filled with what the vacuum cleaner picks up. I don't think a biodegradable or compostable bag would work for us because they'd both start to break down before the bag is full.
6. Food Storage
This one is easier than you'd think. Glass, stainless steel, unbleached parchment paper, and aluminum foil all work well as alternatives. I've purchased these glass storage containers from TJMaxx and Big Lots for $6 for 3. New Wave Enviro has a few different stainless steel food containers available. Buy nut butters in glass jars and reuse the jars. Use mason jars.
But what about replacing the Ziplock bag? What I found was that I was seriously over using ziplock bags. I could use glass or stainless steel for 85% of the things I was using them for. For the other 15% of the time, I've learned to wash the ziplock bags and reuse them OR switch to cloth bags. That said, be careful not to reuse them too many times. The more they get washed, the more chemicals the plastic releases. I try to get a 2-3 uses per bag. The main thing I use Ziplock Bags for now is to freeze food. For instance, the only way for me to get organic asparagus in this town is to buy a frozen case of it. Each box I open doesn't reseal. I've been using the same Ziplock bag for this asparagus for close to a year now. I never wash it because it stays frozen all the time.
7. Menstrual Products
I've already written on this subject here and here.
The quick answer is this: Switch to a menstrual cup or use cloth pads. There is no reason to use disposable products. If you're going to a third world country without clean water to sanitize these products in, there are organic cotton tampons and pads without the added dyes and chemicals.
8. Shaving
I also already wrote about this here.
The quick answer is this: Metal safety razors not only use zero plastic, they work better than plastic razors!
9. Body Care Products and Cleaning Products
This is where it starts to get tricky. Want a bottle of shampoo? It comes in plastic. Want a window cleaner? It comes in plastic. Want liquid body wash? It comes in plastic. You get the idea. While many companies do package their products in glass or metal, such as many Badger Balm products, most use plastic.
Solving this problem requires lifestyle changes - changes that many people may not be comfortable with. But it is possible, and very liberating! There's no need to be a slave to all the products that line the shelf at the store. That said, I still buy several products that come in a plastic bottle. Why? Because I'm making my changes one step at a time. I really don't feel like making liquid bubble bath at home, and it's so much easier to just buy it and recycle the plastic container (I know, I know... there's a good chance it won't actually get recycled since recycling centers are overloaded.)
This topic requires a post to itself, as there's a lot to say. Some quick suggestions are:
-Try out soap nuts for washing your dishes, clothes, and body.
-Clean with white vinegar (you can buy it in glass jars!) It's especially great for glass, but it disinfects any surface.
-Buy or make shampoo as a bar.
-Buy soap as a bar without packaging (Sappo Hills is found in many health food stores and never comes wrapped.)
-Use baking soda to clean when you need extra scrubbing power.
...And I'm out of time! While there is more than can be said about reducing the plastic in your life, I wrote this as a way to get the conversation started. I'm challenging you to think in non-plastic ways. It's a challenging topic, but the more consumers avoid plastic by voting with our dollars, the more companies will listen. We can reduce plastic pollution in our world. We have the power.
I would like to bring your attention, again, to my friend's project in India. Please support him. Every little bit helps! His plan will reduce the plastic pollution in India by turning the plastic into roofs:
https://kriticalmass.com/p/ecoblocks
Here are my solutions so far:
1. Water Bottles
I invested in a few glass and stainless steel water bottles. Two of the ones I purchased are this glass bottle and this insulated stainless steel bottle (for hot or cold liquids.) Both of my glass water bottles are protected with a sleeve or silicone cover. I've put them to the test, putting them in rough situations, and they have not broken.
2. Water Filters
I installed a reverse osmosis water filter at my kitchen sink and stored the Brita pitcher away. I fill my glass and stainless steel water bottles with the RO water, which is delicious! Now, don't get me wrong, it's better to use a Brita pitcher than no filter. The Brita will filter out the harmful chlorine from your water. Even though it's storing the water in plastic, plastic is the greatest threat when it's heated. Don't heat your Brita! There are numerous reasons why an RO filter is a much better filtering method (and not much more expensive,) but a Brita is better than nothing.
3. Toothbrush
I searched high and low for non-plastic toothbrushes. What I found is that there aren't many options. I also found that there are natural teeth cleaning products that do not use a toothbrush, claiming that toothbrushes are too abrasive. I'm not linking to these products here because I'm not familiar enough with them to suggest them. I still wanted a toothbrush.
I only found two on the market that that are totally petroleum plastic free. One is made from vegetable plastics, the other from recycled materials, such as wood or paper currency. There are, however, many toothbrushes that have non-plastic handles with nylon (plastic) bristles. There are also several that use boar hair bristles with plastic handles. I have no idea why I can't find a toothbrush with a natural handle and boar hair bristles. This makes no sense to me. Apparently even natural brands buy into the theory that nylon bristles are simply the best. I disagree, because the bristles are tiny bits of plastic that will never biodegrade. Tiny plastic is the most dangerous against wildlife.
I did try natural boar bristle toothbrushes, sourced from very well-treated boars who were not hurt in the process. What I quickly found out is that they are softer than nylon. A "medium" natural bristle is equivalent to a "soft" nylon bristle. I was unable to find any "hard" natural bristle brushes. They cleaned well for about a week, then the bristles started to bend and loose their shape. It's my fault, because I tend to be a scrubber. The point, though, is that they do work!
4. Clothing
This one is easy: Simply stop buying clothing with polyester, nylon, acrylic, or spandex. All of these fabrics are made from petroleum-based plastics.
Okay, not as easy as it should be. You will most likely pay more for your clothing by avoiding plastic clothes. You also may need to get creative about where you shop. I have had great luck with TJMaxx, as they've often had organic cotton, hemp, wool, and bamboo clothing. They've occasionally even had some non-organic 100% cotton clothes. I'm starting to find that I really need to buy my clothes online to ensure I get what I need. I can find good deals on Amazon.com, SierraTradingPost.com, and Rodales.com, but I've also found that sometimes it's best to order directly from the company that makes the clothes. WearPact.com offers free shipping on only a $25 purchase!
I admit that due to the difficulty of finding affordable non-plastic clothing, I will buy natural fiber clothing with added spandex. Sometimes, that's all that's available. For instance, I wear Pact's organic cotton underwear, but it does have about 5% spandex added (and the band is elastic.) But, what choice do I have? Hanes has 100% cotton underwear... with added chemicals (anti-bacterials, fabric stiffeners, etc) and non-natural dyes. No thanks. (You might be just fine with their underwear, but these things can make my skin itchy - I'm sensitive!)
5. Trash Bags
This one is really really hard. It's also probably the most important one to change! We put our biodegradable trash inside non-biodegradable containers. Then we send it off to the landfills, which are growing bigger and bigger. We're running out of room to put our trash, and those landfills won't shrink as long as we keep putting plastic into them. Plastic never goes away.
But what's the alternative to a petroleum-based plastic trash bag? Either a biodegradable bag or a compostable bag. Both of these should be great options, but they're not good for everyone. Biodegradable bags biodegrade. Sometimes too quickly - as in, while you're trying to use it as a trash can liner. Sometimes you can't finish a roll of biodegradable bags because they started to biodegrade before you even pulled it off the roll. There are a few brands claiming they've fixed this, but until the reviews are better, I hesitate to invest in them. They're expensive bags! The problem with compostable bags are that not everyone can compost (I can't do it where I live.) The other problem is that the bags are very flimsy. They rip, tear, and fall apart pretty easily, meaning they can't take much weight. These bags are good for small trash cans that get emptied often. They're not so good in your standard 13 gallon kitchen trash can.
So what is the solution? Reduce the amount of trash you create, recycle as much as possible, and try to make one of those eco trash bags work. Or, if all of your trash is dry, you can use paper bags from the grocery store. I know that some people use cloth liners in their cans, then washing the cloth every time it gets emptied. Our city wouldn't like that, though, as they ask all residents to use plastic bags for their garbage so that the trash isn't loose. I don't have another solution.
I currently am working on finishing a box of Seventh Generation trash bags. They're made from recycled plastic, which is only slightly better than new plastic. The reason I went with them is because my husband and I create so little trash. We fill our can about once every week and a half to two weeks, and it's often filled with what the vacuum cleaner picks up. I don't think a biodegradable or compostable bag would work for us because they'd both start to break down before the bag is full.
6. Food Storage
This one is easier than you'd think. Glass, stainless steel, unbleached parchment paper, and aluminum foil all work well as alternatives. I've purchased these glass storage containers from TJMaxx and Big Lots for $6 for 3. New Wave Enviro has a few different stainless steel food containers available. Buy nut butters in glass jars and reuse the jars. Use mason jars.
But what about replacing the Ziplock bag? What I found was that I was seriously over using ziplock bags. I could use glass or stainless steel for 85% of the things I was using them for. For the other 15% of the time, I've learned to wash the ziplock bags and reuse them OR switch to cloth bags. That said, be careful not to reuse them too many times. The more they get washed, the more chemicals the plastic releases. I try to get a 2-3 uses per bag. The main thing I use Ziplock Bags for now is to freeze food. For instance, the only way for me to get organic asparagus in this town is to buy a frozen case of it. Each box I open doesn't reseal. I've been using the same Ziplock bag for this asparagus for close to a year now. I never wash it because it stays frozen all the time.
7. Menstrual Products
I've already written on this subject here and here.
The quick answer is this: Switch to a menstrual cup or use cloth pads. There is no reason to use disposable products. If you're going to a third world country without clean water to sanitize these products in, there are organic cotton tampons and pads without the added dyes and chemicals.
8. Shaving
I also already wrote about this here.
The quick answer is this: Metal safety razors not only use zero plastic, they work better than plastic razors!
9. Body Care Products and Cleaning Products
This is where it starts to get tricky. Want a bottle of shampoo? It comes in plastic. Want a window cleaner? It comes in plastic. Want liquid body wash? It comes in plastic. You get the idea. While many companies do package their products in glass or metal, such as many Badger Balm products, most use plastic.
Solving this problem requires lifestyle changes - changes that many people may not be comfortable with. But it is possible, and very liberating! There's no need to be a slave to all the products that line the shelf at the store. That said, I still buy several products that come in a plastic bottle. Why? Because I'm making my changes one step at a time. I really don't feel like making liquid bubble bath at home, and it's so much easier to just buy it and recycle the plastic container (I know, I know... there's a good chance it won't actually get recycled since recycling centers are overloaded.)
This topic requires a post to itself, as there's a lot to say. Some quick suggestions are:
-Try out soap nuts for washing your dishes, clothes, and body.
-Clean with white vinegar (you can buy it in glass jars!) It's especially great for glass, but it disinfects any surface.
-Buy or make shampoo as a bar.
-Buy soap as a bar without packaging (Sappo Hills is found in many health food stores and never comes wrapped.)
-Use baking soda to clean when you need extra scrubbing power.
...And I'm out of time! While there is more than can be said about reducing the plastic in your life, I wrote this as a way to get the conversation started. I'm challenging you to think in non-plastic ways. It's a challenging topic, but the more consumers avoid plastic by voting with our dollars, the more companies will listen. We can reduce plastic pollution in our world. We have the power.
I would like to bring your attention, again, to my friend's project in India. Please support him. Every little bit helps! His plan will reduce the plastic pollution in India by turning the plastic into roofs:
https://kriticalmass.com/p/ecoblocks
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Teeth and Tongue Part 1
A couple of weeks ago my teeth started to grow sensitive... again. The sensitivity has come in waves for a few years, and the wave have picked up the pace and intensity since starting the Candida cleanse. I also noticed that the inside of my two bottom front teeth were turning black. Black like cavities, without the decay or sensitivity (it's my molars that grow sensitive.) I thought about what I could do. I know that oil pulling does work with sensitivity and whitening to some degree, but it's so inconvenient. I wanted to try a different method. I looked at my container of hydrogen peroxide and remembered that it used to help with any tooth issue when I used it years ago.
I swished hydrogen peroxide for about 3 days before I noticed that my tongue had turned black. Yes, black:
If you're not too grossed out, expand the photo. You'll see that the black is actually fuzzy hairs. I immediately got a hold of my doctor, but I didn't think to tell him about the hydrogen peroxide at first. It was my mother who told me that the same thing happened to her tongue when her dentist told her to swish hydrogen peroxide in her mouth. Apparently hydrogen peroxide draws bacteria out of the mouth in such a way that these hairs form, collecting more bacteria and dirt, essentially turning them black. A bit later, I had noticed that I was developing some mild thrush on my tongue too. I never noticed that I had thrush in the past, which is one reason that I assumed I didn't have Candida before. This was the first time I saw it on my tongue, and I can only assume that the hydrogen peroxide pulled out some candida too, causing it.
My doctor had me swish plain yogurt once a day in my mouth for a week so the good bacteria in the yogurt could replenish my mouth. This was the first time I'd had dairy in my mouth in about 2 years (I quit dairy before I started working with my doctor.) This was the most disgusting thing I've done in a very long time!! Why did I use dairy? Frankly, because I live a town that doesn't sell any dairy alternative yogurt without added sugar. Dairy was my only choice, so I used grass-fed whole fat plain dairy yogurt. It tasted so disgusting that I've now lost all interest in dairy products ever again - not even cheese sounds appealing. How can any of you stand the taste?! I digress. The immediate problem was that it made me congested in my sinuses and throat (I never swallowed the yogurt.) Again, because I couldn't find an alternative yogurt, I kept using this, despite the allergic reaction it caused. The later problem was that my acne increased around my mouth. I can only assume this is in relation to the yogurt. All problems aside, it worked. My tongue is back to normal again! Well, normal for me, anyway.
But what about the black on the back of my teeth? No change. It's still there.
I have a few theories about what's causing it, but my guess is the quality of our water. When we used to live in a very old industrial building that was converted into an apartment, the water came through old pipes. We brushed our teeth with this water and it turned our teeth colors. I strongly question the quality of the water in out house at times, which is why I use filters on the water for drinking, showering, and bathing. Teeth brushing is the only time I use unfiltered water. I'm going to try to come up with a solution.
In the mean time, the next thing I'm trying is something that might seem very strange to those of you who don't already know this trick. I'm brushing my teeth with clay and charcoal. Here's the recipe:
-1 part bentonite clay
Optional:
-1/8th part pure stevia powder for sweetness
Directions:
Mix together in a glass bowl. Do not use a metal bowl, which will deactivate the clay. (Plastic is technically fine, but I do not advise using plastic for any reason when a sustainable non-petroleum based product is available.) Wet your toothbrush, then dip it into the powder mixture. Scrub your teeth. Yes, it turns black! But it does not stain - I promise! It rinses with water very easily. For extra disinfecting and whitening power, leave in your mouth for 5 minutes after you're done brushing before you rinse with water.
In my experiment I'm just using the clay and charcoal. This isn't much different from the toothpaste I've been using and love: Redmond Earthpaste. The difference is that their toothpaste is a bit abrasive and does not contain charcoal. My DIY toothpaste is significantly cheaper and is not abrasive against the teeth at all, protecting the enamel. My hope is that the charcoal is gong to bring an extra level of cleaning power and help draw out whatever is making my bottom two front teeth black.
(This is "Part 1" because I'm going to say more about oral care and toothbrushes in another post. I plan to update this blog with the results of this toothpaste, as I've only brushed with it once.)
I swished hydrogen peroxide for about 3 days before I noticed that my tongue had turned black. Yes, black:
My doctor had me swish plain yogurt once a day in my mouth for a week so the good bacteria in the yogurt could replenish my mouth. This was the first time I'd had dairy in my mouth in about 2 years (I quit dairy before I started working with my doctor.) This was the most disgusting thing I've done in a very long time!! Why did I use dairy? Frankly, because I live a town that doesn't sell any dairy alternative yogurt without added sugar. Dairy was my only choice, so I used grass-fed whole fat plain dairy yogurt. It tasted so disgusting that I've now lost all interest in dairy products ever again - not even cheese sounds appealing. How can any of you stand the taste?! I digress. The immediate problem was that it made me congested in my sinuses and throat (I never swallowed the yogurt.) Again, because I couldn't find an alternative yogurt, I kept using this, despite the allergic reaction it caused. The later problem was that my acne increased around my mouth. I can only assume this is in relation to the yogurt. All problems aside, it worked. My tongue is back to normal again! Well, normal for me, anyway.
But what about the black on the back of my teeth? No change. It's still there.
I have a few theories about what's causing it, but my guess is the quality of our water. When we used to live in a very old industrial building that was converted into an apartment, the water came through old pipes. We brushed our teeth with this water and it turned our teeth colors. I strongly question the quality of the water in out house at times, which is why I use filters on the water for drinking, showering, and bathing. Teeth brushing is the only time I use unfiltered water. I'm going to try to come up with a solution.
In the mean time, the next thing I'm trying is something that might seem very strange to those of you who don't already know this trick. I'm brushing my teeth with clay and charcoal. Here's the recipe:
Clay Toothpaste:
-1 part bentonite clay
-1/3rd part activated charcoal
Optional:
-1/8th part pure stevia powder for sweetness
-Ground cloves (For calming sensitive or painful teeth)
-Ground mint or cinnamon (for astringent properties and flavor)
Directions:
Mix together in a glass bowl. Do not use a metal bowl, which will deactivate the clay. (Plastic is technically fine, but I do not advise using plastic for any reason when a sustainable non-petroleum based product is available.) Wet your toothbrush, then dip it into the powder mixture. Scrub your teeth. Yes, it turns black! But it does not stain - I promise! It rinses with water very easily. For extra disinfecting and whitening power, leave in your mouth for 5 minutes after you're done brushing before you rinse with water.
 |
| (Non-petroleum plastic toothbrush) |
(This is "Part 1" because I'm going to say more about oral care and toothbrushes in another post. I plan to update this blog with the results of this toothpaste, as I've only brushed with it once.)
Monday, June 15, 2015
MCS Memes
My goal was to sit down and write a post. I have plenty to write about.
Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and crashed. Now my brain feels numb and my body feels heavy. I don't really feel like doing anything. And this feeling has been becoming more and more regular in the last month.
So instead, I'm going to leave you with this (it's on Facebook, but it's public):
https://www.facebook.com/laurajmac/media_set?set=a.10153330506660883&type=3
These are memes with quotes from people diagnosed with MCS. Each person quoted finished the sentence "For me, MCS mean______."
Thankfully, I'm not as reactive as many of these people are. In fact, I've been improving since starting my doctor's homeopathic remedy and his candida cleanse. Just today I went to the salon for a haircut. Someone just had a perm, so the air was very thick with horrible sticky chemically residue. I couldn't wait in the waiting area, as I got immediate heart palpitations and stomach pain from being in there. When I went back with my stylist, I had to walk through that area, holding my breath. I was expecting I'd be really sick for the rest of the day after that. Her area of the salon is right next to a window and is far away from everyone else, so I had much better air during my cut. And you know what? I was okay. Not great, but I was okay. My heart palpitated, my head ached mildly, my lungs felt worn out and weak, and my stomach hurt. But I survived. Granted, I did take extra glutathione and NAC before going in. But I survived. Yes, I'm definitely getting better. This is closer to how I was with chemicals before my big breakdown. I never liked them and they always bothered me to some degree, but it wasn't debilitating.
Now that I'm home and took more glutathione and NAC, I'm okay. I'm just down to heavy fatigue, brain fog, and muscle pain now. If I were in that situation 2 months ago, I'd be much much much sicker!
What I should do is get in my Far Infrared Sauna to detox from the salon (it helps a ton!!), but I think I'm honestly too worn out to survive it.
Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and crashed. Now my brain feels numb and my body feels heavy. I don't really feel like doing anything. And this feeling has been becoming more and more regular in the last month.
So instead, I'm going to leave you with this (it's on Facebook, but it's public):
https://www.facebook.com/laurajmac/media_set?set=a.10153330506660883&type=3
These are memes with quotes from people diagnosed with MCS. Each person quoted finished the sentence "For me, MCS mean______."
Thankfully, I'm not as reactive as many of these people are. In fact, I've been improving since starting my doctor's homeopathic remedy and his candida cleanse. Just today I went to the salon for a haircut. Someone just had a perm, so the air was very thick with horrible sticky chemically residue. I couldn't wait in the waiting area, as I got immediate heart palpitations and stomach pain from being in there. When I went back with my stylist, I had to walk through that area, holding my breath. I was expecting I'd be really sick for the rest of the day after that. Her area of the salon is right next to a window and is far away from everyone else, so I had much better air during my cut. And you know what? I was okay. Not great, but I was okay. My heart palpitated, my head ached mildly, my lungs felt worn out and weak, and my stomach hurt. But I survived. Granted, I did take extra glutathione and NAC before going in. But I survived. Yes, I'm definitely getting better. This is closer to how I was with chemicals before my big breakdown. I never liked them and they always bothered me to some degree, but it wasn't debilitating.
Now that I'm home and took more glutathione and NAC, I'm okay. I'm just down to heavy fatigue, brain fog, and muscle pain now. If I were in that situation 2 months ago, I'd be much much much sicker!
What I should do is get in my Far Infrared Sauna to detox from the salon (it helps a ton!!), but I think I'm honestly too worn out to survive it.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
PMS
Right now, my brain feels like: "Bbblllaaaaahhhhhhh."
It has felt this way for the past 3 days. I've been uninterested in anything, not feeling up to taking on a project, and a little too bored to sit around doing nothing. This feeling is torment. I can't simply just "push through it" and get work done, because I'll just discover that I don't have the physical energy for it either.
What's causing this? I wish I could blame it on an MCS reaction, which can cause this type of prolonged brain fog, but that isn't the case this time. It's that my energy has been overspent, then my body was further taxed by the start of my period. Blah. I just want to melt into the floor and stay a liquid puddle there until I find the strength to put myself back together.
For most of my adolescent life, I had no idea that my periods were not normal. I thought every woman suffered tremendously each month. The older I get, the more comfortable I've grown talking about my monthly substantial torment, the more I've come to learn that my periods have not been "normal" at all. It isn't normal to suffer so much each month! Thankfully, I'm no longer suffering to the degree I used to. It's taken a lot of work and effort, but my periods are actually manageable now. I still can't go to work on the first day of my cycle, but I'm no longer staying in bed screaming for hours. I'm continuing to get better as time goes on.
I'm not up to writing "Menstrual Solutions Part 2." I don't have that kind of energy to spend. I do, however, want to talk a bit about PMS. I do not understand it, and this is not an advice-giving post.
PMS is stereotyped as "getting overly moody the week before a woman's period." I never thought I had PMS because this was hardly ever an issue for me. Of course, I have suffered terrible acne (as in so much acne that it was hard to see my face's skin color,) bloating, tenderness and skin sensitivities, fatigue, and chocolate cravings. I didn't know this through my teen years and early 20's, but those were all PMS symptoms. If I had to have PMS at all, I'm grateful that I had these type of symptoms rather than the mood symptoms. (I'll never be grateful for the amount of acne I've suffered, of course.)
That was then. About 3 years ago, when my menstrual issues got so bad that I was finally willing to see a doctor about it, my PMS symptoms had grown worse. I was feeling moody most of the month (both the very good moods and the very sour moods,) but I didn't quite recognize just how bad I was until my moods started to even out after getting help. My acne wasn't as bad as it was when I was 16, but I was an adult trying to hide teenage-like breakouts every so often. My breasts would grow so tender that it was painful to touch them. My bloat would get so large that I would need to go up a pant size on the day or two before my period started. I wanted chocolate all the time.
But after getting help from my Naturopathic doctor, my symptoms gradually changed. My periods slowly, but surely, eased up as the months went on. During this time, my PMS started to change. My chocolate cravings gradually went away, but my mood swings gradually got worse. I eventually got to the stereotypical point of being easily irritable the week before my period started. This lasted for several months, and then my PMS started to swing back towards being about acne breakouts and chocolate cravings again. And then it swung back to to being moody without the chocolate cravings. Let's fast forward to today. I now know that my PMS symptoms will either bring chocolate cravings or mood swings, but I don't know what type of PMS I'm going to get until I get it. Some months I get acne breakouts, other months I do not. It isn't in the least bit predictable!
What I have noticed, however, is that my acne breakouts have been big during both periods I've suffered since starting the Candida cleanse 41 days ago. My mood swings are substantially worse now too. I was so angry the week before the period I'm currently on that even my husband was feeling stressed about my stress levels.
And so I have a theory: Candida makes PMS worse, and causes it to fluctuate.
I hope to find that my PMS symptoms disappear after this candida overgrowth is gone. Please message me on Facebook or leave a comment here if you have a PMS story to share.
(I do appreciate all the Facebook messages I've received - I've had quite a few from readers who also suffer menstrual issues! While it's not normal for our periods to make us suffer, it's clearly a common problem among women.)
It has felt this way for the past 3 days. I've been uninterested in anything, not feeling up to taking on a project, and a little too bored to sit around doing nothing. This feeling is torment. I can't simply just "push through it" and get work done, because I'll just discover that I don't have the physical energy for it either.
What's causing this? I wish I could blame it on an MCS reaction, which can cause this type of prolonged brain fog, but that isn't the case this time. It's that my energy has been overspent, then my body was further taxed by the start of my period. Blah. I just want to melt into the floor and stay a liquid puddle there until I find the strength to put myself back together.
For most of my adolescent life, I had no idea that my periods were not normal. I thought every woman suffered tremendously each month. The older I get, the more comfortable I've grown talking about my monthly substantial torment, the more I've come to learn that my periods have not been "normal" at all. It isn't normal to suffer so much each month! Thankfully, I'm no longer suffering to the degree I used to. It's taken a lot of work and effort, but my periods are actually manageable now. I still can't go to work on the first day of my cycle, but I'm no longer staying in bed screaming for hours. I'm continuing to get better as time goes on.
I'm not up to writing "Menstrual Solutions Part 2." I don't have that kind of energy to spend. I do, however, want to talk a bit about PMS. I do not understand it, and this is not an advice-giving post.
PMS is stereotyped as "getting overly moody the week before a woman's period." I never thought I had PMS because this was hardly ever an issue for me. Of course, I have suffered terrible acne (as in so much acne that it was hard to see my face's skin color,) bloating, tenderness and skin sensitivities, fatigue, and chocolate cravings. I didn't know this through my teen years and early 20's, but those were all PMS symptoms. If I had to have PMS at all, I'm grateful that I had these type of symptoms rather than the mood symptoms. (I'll never be grateful for the amount of acne I've suffered, of course.)
That was then. About 3 years ago, when my menstrual issues got so bad that I was finally willing to see a doctor about it, my PMS symptoms had grown worse. I was feeling moody most of the month (both the very good moods and the very sour moods,) but I didn't quite recognize just how bad I was until my moods started to even out after getting help. My acne wasn't as bad as it was when I was 16, but I was an adult trying to hide teenage-like breakouts every so often. My breasts would grow so tender that it was painful to touch them. My bloat would get so large that I would need to go up a pant size on the day or two before my period started. I wanted chocolate all the time.
But after getting help from my Naturopathic doctor, my symptoms gradually changed. My periods slowly, but surely, eased up as the months went on. During this time, my PMS started to change. My chocolate cravings gradually went away, but my mood swings gradually got worse. I eventually got to the stereotypical point of being easily irritable the week before my period started. This lasted for several months, and then my PMS started to swing back towards being about acne breakouts and chocolate cravings again. And then it swung back to to being moody without the chocolate cravings. Let's fast forward to today. I now know that my PMS symptoms will either bring chocolate cravings or mood swings, but I don't know what type of PMS I'm going to get until I get it. Some months I get acne breakouts, other months I do not. It isn't in the least bit predictable!
What I have noticed, however, is that my acne breakouts have been big during both periods I've suffered since starting the Candida cleanse 41 days ago. My mood swings are substantially worse now too. I was so angry the week before the period I'm currently on that even my husband was feeling stressed about my stress levels.
And so I have a theory: Candida makes PMS worse, and causes it to fluctuate.
I hope to find that my PMS symptoms disappear after this candida overgrowth is gone. Please message me on Facebook or leave a comment here if you have a PMS story to share.
(I do appreciate all the Facebook messages I've received - I've had quite a few from readers who also suffer menstrual issues! While it's not normal for our periods to make us suffer, it's clearly a common problem among women.)
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