Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is such a complicated disease. Stuff comes in under the radar sometimes without a person noticing, and it is so hard fighting an invisible enemy all the time.
Mold, on the other hand, appears to cause reactions immediately. For most people who are mold-sensitized, they can tell right away if a building or environment is bad. This is a very good thing!
The mold exception is someone who has been living in mold. They have become used to it and may not be able to detect the mold danger elsewhere. For most, though, it does not seem to take long to become “unmasked” to mold once away from it. Then, going back to it, especially in the original environment, the body will immediately sense danger. Most people can sense the mold danger in other places as well.
In contrast, chemicals can be sneaky.
I have been recovering from extremely severe MCS—almost the worst MCS I have ever read or heard about.
But even with my severity, and being unmasked in my low-tox built house, I have experienced set-backs by chemicals sneaking in.
One example is an item I brought into my bedroom. I did not react to it. I thought it was fine. But over the next weeks, I began to have more and more digestion trouble. It was so slight, so subtle, so slow that I did not think much of it. Finally though, I got to where I knew something in my environment must be wrong, and my stomach was not good. The item came to mind. I put my face in it, and now I reacted. I suddenly realized by logic it was probably contaminated with herbicide.
As soon as I removed the object from my room, I felt better. But unfortunately by this time the damage to my stomach and system was enough that it took several weeks and treatment (probiotics) to recover.
I do not want to cause panic; if you are doing fine, don’t worry about what may be lurking around. 🙂
I do think it is a good idea to lower toxins and man-made items wherever we can, but yet living in fear is not good, either.
So it is a delicate line we walk.
Just know that if you seem fine with something and later have trouble, maybe even LOTS of trouble, you are not crazy. 🙂
Christa Upton Black Hills Picture Books Edgemont, SD 57735
Yes, well written story of the way it is from my perspective, too. I am not particularly mold sensitive, but have known others who are. It’s those damn sneaky chemicals that may not be noticed at first vs. not wanting to be in constant fear of everything around you.
Such a tightrope to walk. 🙁 I get SO frustrated at times. Sorry you face this, too. But thank you for the empathy!!!