- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
- Interviews
Joanne's interview
How did all start?
Yrs of small exposures, then a couple exposures to a specific stain.
Do you already have a diagnosis? How long did it take you to get it?
About 4 yrs.
For what medical specialties have you been treated? What has been the most useful specialty for your?
Environmental medicine
What has been the most useful thing for you so far?
Avoidance
What have been your biggest difficulties?
So many things make me ill it’s hard to avoid them. It’s very isolating - I can’t be at my house with my family without feeling ill.
How has your social and family environment reacted? Have your social or family relationships changed?
Yes, it’s difficult & I can’t go visit my because of exposures, or parents either without getting very ill or almost anyone else either. I go around people as little as I can, because they make me ill from things they use (laundry products, shampoos, air fresheners, essential oils, etc.
What things have you stopped doing?
Working, volunteering, visiting, and having people over without feels big I’ll from it, going to social activities, classes & celebrations, most stores, or restaurants, traveling except to see parents or dr, living at my house full time.
What do you think about the future?
I don’t know what is going to happen, financially or how my family can keep together with my living away - unless I keep staying at house more than I should & keep feeling ill from it?
So far, which years have been the best years in your life? What have you done during them?
Working & raising my two boys, were the best parts of my life.
What would you like to do if you didn’t have your condition?
Work, volunteer, take some classes, visit family, have company over more & travel
If you had to describe your life in a sentence, what would it be?
It’s frustrating & upsetting that I can’t go anywhere without paying for it afterwards, it feels quite lonely & isolated.
Finally, what advice would you give to a person in a similar situation?
Avoid things that make you feel ill as soon as you realize you have a problem with them & gat help as soon as you can from a knowlegable Dr. Also get rid of as many chemicals from your house as possible & switch to less toxic cleaning & personal products. Try to educate your family & friends if they are willing to learn - some are & some aren’t, many ai just can’t talk to any more except by phone.
Try to find things you can still do, so you have some kind of life! Even if it’s not what you had planned - you need something to live for.
