|
Following are a five articles regarding various aspects of living
with MCS. You'll have to cut and paste the url for each article into your web browser, if you want to view the original article.
They include:
Article #1: "Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Can Drive Sufferers Into Poverty As Well As Ill Health",
By Todd Hymas - 17 Mar 2006, Grist Mazagine http://www.grist.org/cgi-bin/printthis.pl
Article #2: "Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity (MCS) -- A Disorder Triggered by Exposures to Chemicals in the Environment", NYCAP - New York Coalition for Alternatives
to Pesticides
http://www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/nycap/mcs.htm
Article #3: "An Overview of MCS", by Cynthia Wilson,
Chemical Injury Information Network
http://ciin.org/pages/03-mcs.html
Article #4: ""PROTOCOL FOR EMS PERSONNEL
TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY ("MCS")", Ann McCampbell, M.D., The complete article is found at http://www.healsoaz.org/first_do_no_harm.htm
Article #5: "MCS Hospital Access", http://www.healsoaz.org/hospital_access.htm
Regarding All Articles Below: In
accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Sequoiasgarden.com has no affiliation
whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor is sequoiasgarden.com endorsed or sponsored by the originators.
**********************************************************
Article
#1: "Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Can Drive Sufferers Into Poverty As Well As Ill Health", By Todd Hymas - 17 Mar 2006,
Grist Mag-06-03-22,
http://www.grist.org/cgi-bin/printthis.pl
Consider the trappings of modern life: Calvin Klein
Eternity, gasoline, Gore-Tex, Aveda hairspray, paint, particle board, polyurethane iPod cases.
Now imagine that you're
allergic to virtually all of them.
Environmentalists usually think about chemical toxicity as either a dramatic local
crisis (Bhopal, Love Canal) or the simmering concern of those far away (breast-feeding mothers in the Arctic) or far in the
future (our oft-evoked grandchildren). But for people suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, the chemical crisis
is already here. Indeed, thanks to industrialization, it is already everywhere. And, like so many environment-related health
issues, it disproportionately affects the poor -- and, moreover, drives many once financially stable people into poverty.
As
a disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities doesn't have an official case definition yet (more on this soon), but rather refers
to a broad range of adverse symptoms brought on by an even more broad array of everyday chemicals. These symptoms are often
provoked at exposure levels far below those that seem to affect the rest of the population -- levels virtually always present
in our homes, workplaces, and social venues. They commonly include severe headaches, food intolerances, difficulty breathing,
nausea, irritation of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, and skin, and disorientation or confusion, but there are many more.
The
best information currently available suggests that MCS is a chronic condition with no cure. Although some treatments (such
as acupuncture) seem to help some patients, recent surveys by the Chemical Injury Information Network, a nonprofit education
and advocacy organization for people with chemical sensitivities, found that avoidance of problem chemicals was the only consistently
effective treatment.
If only avoidance were as simple as it sounds. Just as modern life almost inevitably involves
contributing greenhouse gases to the heating atmosphere, it is all but impossible to navigate the industrialized world without
being immersed in tens of thousands of potentially troublesome human-made chemicals. And just as an honest fight against global
warming would pose a huge threat to powerful energy companies, a real effort to take MCS seriously could throw a wrench into
the operations of a huge range of industries that produce chemicals and chemical-laden products.
RESEARCH YOU MAY
NOT FIND
Mainstream medicine has been slow to recognize the role environment can play in disease. With many doctors
either unaware of MCS or doubtful it's a real condition, simply getting diagnosed is a battle. Even those who recognize the
disease are often unfamiliar with treatment options. As a result, MCS patients frequently must visit multiple health-care
practitioners -- a process that is both emotionally and financially costly -- before they can put a name to their illness
and make the necessary (and often radical and pricey) lifestyle adaptations it requires.
"Prior to 1988, I was a healthy,
athletic physician who played drums in a rock band. A year later, I was severely disabled with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities,"
wrote Ann McCampbell, a member of the board of the Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Foundation and chair of the MCS Task Force
of New Mexico, in Focus magazine. "The onset was subtle, with slowly worsening food intolerances, progressing to the point
I could only eat three green vegetables. By then I was also having severe reactions to inhaled substances and had developed
headaches, fatigue, heart palpitations, abdominal pains, and nausea. Like so many others with MCS, I could no longer tolerate
where I lived and was forced to live outside in my yard, the car, or a makeshift shelter."
Despite some improvements
since then, "I go to few places outside my home," she wrote, "in order to avoid exposures to cigarette smoke, pesticides,
perfume, vehicle exhaust, cleaning products, and other toxic fumes which make me sicker."
McCampbell hasn't discovered
what triggered her sensitivities, and her baffling experience is typical of many others with MCS. The few scientists studying
the disease are baffled as well, struggling to understand its etiology. Current theories range from a genetic predisposition
to chemical injury, to neurological damage, to abnormalities in detoxifying enzymes, to a so-called "toxicant-induced loss
of tolerance" to environmental stressors, in which one particular exposure to a toxic substance overwhelms a person's system
and leaves them unable to cope with exposures to a wide range of other toxins.
In fact, doctors have thus far failed
to agree on a case definition for the disease. That's created a catch-22: the lack of a definition makes it more difficult
to secure funding for MCS research, but more research is needed to better understand and define (not to mention treat and
cure) the disease. "Right now, one of the things MCS [researchers and patients] get hammered on is that there is no agreed-upon
case definition, despite the fact that three attempts have been made to get the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
to accept one," said Cynthia Wilson, executive director of the Chemical Injury Information Network.
Other activists,
like McCampbell, stress that there's a working definition of MCS, and that the lack of a standardized case definition shouldn't
be used as an excuse to halt research or deny patients crucial accommodations.
What few surveys have been conducted
on the prevalence of the disease in the U.S. paint a patchy picture, but hint that it may be relatively widespread. A 1995
survey by the California Department of Health Services found that 6 percent of state residents reported doctor-diagnosed MCS,
while a more recent survey of Atlanta, Ga., area residents published in the May 2004 issue of the American Journal of Public
Health found that 3 percent of respondents reported receiving an MCS diagnosis.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEALTH IS
If
those figures are at all representative of the nation as a whole, the number of MCS sufferers could range from 9 million to
17 million. Some of them are undoubtedly able to function with lifestyle adaptations: removing carpet from their homes, filtering
air and water, using ultra-eco-friendly cleansers and personal-care products, eating organic foods, and limiting contact with
toxic substances like pesticides and solvents. Other patients, however, are far more deeply compromised by the disease.
For
those in the latter group especially, the No. 1 issue is housing. "Because of the nature of construction materials, it's very
difficult for people [with MCS] to find safe housing," says CIIN's Wilson. And without safe refuge, it is all but impossible
to live a relatively symptom-free life.
Some people with severe MCS try to build or renovate from the ground up, using
exclusively nontoxic materials, but even under the best financial circumstances this is no small feat. Moreover, people can
only exercise so much control over their surroundings -- there are neighbors and property owners to worry about. "Even if
[people with MCS] find safe housing," says Wilson, "it doesn't mean it stays safe housing. If, for example, a bug shows up,
a landlord typically wants to spray a pesticide, [rendering] the housing no good for someone with MCS."
For many without
a significant financial safety net, the quest for a safe space is maddening -- and the first step on the road to economic
ruin. Susan Abod is a Santa Fe, N.M.-based vocal artist and filmmaker with MCS whose latest film, Homesick, documents how
people with MCS are affected by their search for safe housing. The ability to cope with the disease, she says, "has to do
with access to finances and resources.... If you do have money, you can always find another home, and you can refurbish it
with safe products. But those of us who don't have access to a lot of money or who are renters or who have assisted housing
from the government [face] a lot more limits."
CIIN's Wilson concurs. "For lower-income people who do not have the
wherewithal to move or to find safe housing, it is a big problem," she says. "Most people with MCS end up living in their
cars." Others wind up in a friend's backyard, a stripped-down RV, or a canvas tent on public land. For that reason, the housing
problem gets worse in winter, says Wilson, "because people can't just go camping, can't solve their problems by living outdoors."
Nor
can they take advantage of traditional safety nets for the homeless. People with MCS "have to stay away from most chemicals
that are on people's clothes, on people's bodies, and in buildings," says Rhonda Zwillinger, an artist and photographer who
spent close to a decade interviewing and photographing some 250 people with MCS for The Dispossessed Project, a powerful ongoing
photo essay. (That project was compiled into a book called The Dispossessed: Living With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.)
"[The
MCS homeless] are mostly not living in urban areas, they're mostly trying to live in rural areas where the air is cleaner
and the water is cleaner, and that becomes a problem because the services [for the homeless] are less available in rural areas,"
says Zwillinger. "And they can't go into shelters the way the [non-MCS] homeless can," because in a busy building they would
likely encounter any number of chemicals their bodies can't handle.
It can be even more difficult finding an MCS-safe
job. Even if a workplace itself is a tolerable environment (rare, given the ubiquity of toxic building materials), basic job-related
interactions with the general public can be impossible. "The way a typical story goes," says Zwillinger, "is that people lose
the ability to make a living because they can't be out in the public arena" without getting ill. Some MCS patients find a
way to work from home (assuming they've found safe housing) -- but that option is seldom available to poorer Americans forced
to rely on low-wage, low-skill jobs.
"Almost all of us have to make severe accommodations to [MCS], and it does take
a lot of money to successfully do that with any kind of grace," said Wilson. "Most people find themselves one day employed
and the next day unemployable. The financial upheaval that this illness causes is heartbreaking."
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED
BIRD STOPPED SINGING
Even chemical companies no longer deny that chemicals accumulate in our bodies simply by virtue
of being alive today. But they insist that the concentrations are too low to cause any harm. For MCS sufferers, at least,
that reassurance rings brutally hollow.
A well-publicized 2003 study by the Environmental Working Group and Mount
Sinai Hospital in New York found "an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants, and other chemicals in the blood and
urine of nine volunteers." Out of the 210 substances tested for, 167 showed up in at least one of the volunteers. Meanwhile,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals contains
a detailed breakdown of 148 different chemicals and substances found in a representative sample of the U.S. population --
from organochlorine pesticides to dioxins to metals like cadmium.
Very little is known about how individual chemicals
affect the human body, let alone the potential cumulative effects of dozens or hundreds of interacting chemicals. There are
over 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the United States, with up to 2,500 new ones reviewed by the U.S. EPA every year,
and government oversight is minimal when there's any at all. Manufacturers are responsible for safety-testing their own products,
and they have no incentive to look for potential problems -- quite the contrary.
The lack of chemical regulation in
the U.S. is perhaps most glaring in the case of cosmetics and personal-care products, which, given their ubiquity, are subject
to shockingly lax oversight. The Food and Drug Administration has nominal authority over them, but little actual regulatory
power. Makers of lotions and potions aren't required to file information on ingredients with the government, or report cosmetic-related
injuries. The FDA can't mandate safety studies of cosmetics, and doesn't even have the power to order product recalls.
"An
average adult is exposed to over 100 unique chemicals in personal-care products every day," says Jane Houlihan, vice president
for research at the Environmental Working Group. "These exposures add up." EWG has been sounding the alarm on carcinogenic
or otherwise worrisome cosmetic ingredients, and has built an interactive database that ranks shampoos, deodorants, and other
products on their potential harmfulness.
The ubiquity of cosmetics is just one reason people with MCS remain segregated
from society, though there have been some advancements on this front in recent years. Some workplaces and schools (like The
Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash.) have instituted no-fragrance policies-- but in general, those with MCS cannot count
on much help or protection from employers, landlords, the government, or the medical establishment.
It's a bitter
irony, since many with MCS see themselves as canaries in the modern-day coal mine. As recently as 1986, the exquisitely sensitive
yellow birds were used to detect the presence of dangerous gases in mine shafts, and when they showed signs of illness --
when they ceased to sing-- it was an unambiguous warning: evacuate.
As growing numbers of MCS sufferers are driven
from their homes and jobs, pushed to the fringes of medical science and the brink of financial ruin, made sick by industrialized
civilization itself, we would do well to heed their equally urgent warning. And fast, because this time around we can't evacuate.
There's nowhere else to go.
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
Sequoiasgarden.com has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is sequoiasgarden.com endorsed or
sponsored by the originator.
*********************************************************
Article #2: "Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity (MCS--A Disorder Triggered by Exposures to Chemicals in the Environment", NYCAP - New York Coalition
for Alternatives to Pesticides
http://www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/nycap/mcs.htm
Contents:
What is Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity?
What can cause MCS?
Treatments
The MCS controversy in the medical community
MCS is now recognized
as a disability
Accomodating individuals with MCS in the workplace
Synthetic chemicals are all around us. They're
in the products we use, in the clothes we wear, in the food we eat, in the air we breathe at work. Because chemicals are everywhere
in the environment, it's not possible to escape exposure. No wonder, then, that many people have become sensitized to the
chemicals around them. In fact, it is estimated that 15% of the population has become sensitized to common household and commercial
products.
For some people, the sensitization is not too serious a problem. They may have what appears to be a minor
allergy to one or more chemicals. Other people are much more seriously affected. They may feel tired all the time, and suffer
from mental confusion, breathing problems, sore muscles, and a weakened immune system. Such people suffer from a condition
known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).
WHAT IS MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY ("MCS")?
MCS is a disorder
triggered by exposures to chemicals in the environment. Individuals with MCS can have symptoms from chemical exposures at
concentrations far below the levels tolerated by most people. Symptoms occur in more than one organ system in the body, such
as the nervous system and the lungs. Exposure may be from the air, from food or water, or through skin contact. The symptoms
may look like an allergy because they tend to go with exposures, though some people's reactions may be delayed. As MCS gets
worse, reactions become more severe and increasingly chronic, often affecting more bodily functions. No single widely available
medical test can explain symptoms.
In the early stages of MCS, repeat exposure to the substance or substances that
caused the initial health effects provokes a reaction. After a time, it takes less and less exposure to this or related chemicals
to cause symptoms. As the body breaks down, an ever increasing number of chemicals, including some unrelated to the initial
exposure, are found to trigger a reaction.
MCS affects the overall health and feeling of well-being of those with
the disorder. It typically impairs many bodily functions including the nervous system and digestion. Each individual affected
by MCS has a unique set of health problems. A chemically sensitive person may also have other pre-existing health conditions.
Many affected people experience a number of symptoms, in relation to their chemical exposures. Symptoms of MCS may include:
headaches
flu-like symptoms
asthma or other breathing problems
dizziness
increased
sensitivity to odors
mental confusion
bloating or other intestinal problems
fatigue and depression
short- and long-term memory loss
chronic exhaustion
People with MCS report many other health conditions such
as:
persistent skin rashes and sores
inflammation
muscle weakness and joint pains
food allergies
numbness and tingling
visual disturbance
ear, nose, and throat problems
autoimmune disorders
cardiovascular irregularities
seizure disorders
genitourinary problems
irritability
persistent
infections, especially yeast
behavioral problems
learning disabilities in children
MCS may result from
a single massive exposure to one or more toxic substances or repeated exposures to low doses. On one hand, some people may
become chemically sensitive following a toxic chemical spill at work or in their community after being sprayed directly with
pesticides. On the other, individuals may develop this condition from spending forty hours each week in a poorly ventilated
building where they breathe a profusion of chemicals common to our modern way of life.
In many cases, MCS has been
brought on by a wide array of chemicals found at home and work. Studies show that many of the people diagnosed with MCS were
:
industrial workers
teachers, students, office, and health care workers
in tight buildings
chemical accident victims
people living near toxic waste sites
people whose air or water is highly polluted
people exposed to various chemicals in consumer
products, food, and pharmaceuticals
Gulf war veterans
Not all people with MCS fit any of these categories. For example, some may have experienced a toxic exposure from
flea or roach sprays or from (urea formaldehyde) foam insulation in their home. Other people with MCS cannot identify any
situations where they had unusual exposures to chemicals.
People with MCS may become partially or totally disabled
for several years or for life. This physical condition affects every aspect of their life. They must make dramatic changes
in lifestyle at home. Their marriages and other relationships may end from the stress off coping with this disabling condition.
As members of the workforce, they may drag themselves to work only to return home sicker and more exhausted each day. Alternatively,
they may be forced to leave their jobs and deal with the devastating loss of income and consequent poverty. However, even
in the most severe cases, some people eventually recover, at least partially.
WHAT CAN CAUSE MCS?
No one knows
for sure what causes MCS. However, in non-industrial workplaces, a number of common products and processes are often identified
as contributing to the onset of MCS:
offgassing of new carpets
gas stoves
cleaning supplies
house paints
pesticides and wood preservatives
vehicle exhaust fumes
new building materials and furnishings
toxic chemicals used in art, photography, printing,
etc.
formaldehyde in new clothes, books, and other
products
carbonless paper, inks, copying machine, and laser
printer toner
second-hand tobacco smoke
When our bodies are assaulted with levels of toxic chemicals that our systems cannot safely process, it is likely that
at some point in our lifetimes, many of us will become ill. For some, the outcome could be cancer or reproductive damage.
Others may become hypersensitive to these chemicals or develop other chronic disorders, while some people may not experience
any noticeable health effects. Even where high levels of exposure occur, generally only a small percentage of people becomes
chemically sensitive. The threshold for toxic injury is not the same for everyone because sensitivity varies greatly among
individuals.
Most chemicals in consumer products remain untested for health effects, such as cancer, reproductive
problems, and the impacts of long-term, low level exposure. How these substances affect women, children, and people with existing
conditions is also little studied.
Once a person's defenses have been broken down and he or she has become hypersensitive,
a wide variety of common chemical exposures can trigger a reaction. Just what products and other chemicals which cause problems
varies greatly among affected individuals. These include the same chemicals which can bring about MCS in the first place,
as well as the following :
perfumes and fragrances
dry cleaning solvents
detergents and other cleaners
anaesthesia
prescribed medications
artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives in foods,
drinks,
and drugs
TREATMENTS
MCS is difficult for physicians to define and diagnose. There is no single set of symptoms
which fit together as a syndrome, nor a single diagnostic test for MCS. Instead, physicians should take a complete patient
history which includes environmental and occupational exposures, and act as detectives in diagnosing this problematic condition.
After the onset of MCS, a person's health generally continues to deteriorate. It may only begin to improve once the chemical
sensitivity condition is uncovered. While a number of treatments may help improve the baseline health status for some patients,
at the present time, there is no single "cure" except avoidance.
Avoiding the chemicals which may trigger reactions
is an essential part of treating MCS. Those with MCS who are able to strictly avoid exposures often experience dramatic improvement
in their health over the period of a year or more. Yet the profusion of new and untested synthetic chemicals makes this extremely
difficult.
Individuals affected by MCS often create a "sanctuary" relatively free from chemical emissions in their
home, where they spend as much time as possible. Because of the serious impact of even an accidental unavoidable exposure,
MCS sufferers often spend as much time at home as possible and often must choose not to participate in society. As a result,
they may experience intense isolation, and loss of self-esteem and depression from not being able to have an active work or
social life. Therefore, supportive counseling is often a very useful form of treatment.
THE MCS CONTROVERSY IN THE
MEDICAL COMMUNITY
Many traditional allergists and other physicians discount the existence of an MCS diagnosis. They
claim that there is not yet sufficient evidence that MCS exists. Research effort regarding the mechanisms that cause MCS have
been inadequate and unfortunately are often financed and supported by the industries which benefit from chemical proliferation.
Generally medical doctors have not been trained to understand or seriously investigate conditions such as MCS. In fact, the
vast majority of physicians receive very little training (four hours or less) in occupational and environmental medicine or
in toxicology and nutrition.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many affected individuals consult with a large number
of specialists. People with MCS are often even diagnosed with serious degenerative diseases. Often baffled doctors tell their
patients with MCS that their illness is entirely psychosomatic--in their head. And many whose health is impaired by MCS have
never heard of the condition. The lack of support and understanding from physicians and the stress created by having no explanation
for symptoms tends to produce a high level of anxiety and distress in people with MCS.
At this time, conventional
medicine offers very few medical treatments for MCS besides avoiding offending products. Unfortunately, medications and other
conventional medical treatments offer little or no relief and may even prompt new sets of symptoms. Treatment with anti-depressants
masks the underlying condition and can also cause other serious problems.
Physicians who clearly recognize the MCS
phenomenon include some occupational and environmental health specialists and those MDs who specialize in the new field of
clinical ecology. A wide range of new or "alternative" treatments have been utilized by MCS sufferers with varying success.
Though some of these treatments are still experimental in nature, they seem to help some individuals with MCS. These treatments
may include a combination of the following :
nutritional programs,
immunotherapy vaccines,
food-allergy
testing,
detoxification regiments through exercise and sweating,
chelation for heavy metals,
any number
of non-Western healing methods.
Diagnosis may involve unconventional laboratory tests not customary to conventional
medicine, including tests for the presence of chemical contaminants, such as total body burden of accumulated pesticides.
Many workers have shown improvement with these treatments, though others have not. Unfortunately, these treatments are
not usually reimbursed by insurance plans, since few participating practioners support alternative approaches. Yet some disabled
workers have won reimbursement for such treatments through successful Workers' Compensation claims.
MCS IS NOW RECOGNIZED
AS A DISABILITY
Both the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Social SECURITY Administration
(SSA) have recognized MCS as a disabling condition. People with MCS have won Workers' Compensation cases. A recent human rights
lawsuit in Pennsylvania established the right of an affected person to safe living space in subsidized housing. Both the Maryland
State Legislature and New Jersey State Department of Health have officially commissioned studies of MCS. The NJ study provides
an excellent overview of medical and legal issues related to MCS.
Just as physical barriers prevent wheelchair access,
chemical use and emissions can prevent entry to those with MCS. A new federal law called the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) will protect the disabled from many types of discrimination. This law provides for reasonable access to people with
disabilities. Reasonable accommodations enable people with MCS to enjoy access to work, public facilities, and other necessary
settings. Whether and individual developed MCS at work or was already sensitized prior to employment, the right to a safe
workplace should be insured.
For injured workers who have a right to Workers' Compensation or Disability, it is necessary
to find a physician who can diagnose MCS and who will also support the patient's legitimate claims. Finding such a physician
is very important in winning such a claim and for gaining reasonable accommodation at work or in rental housing.
If
you are affected and you think your employer is discriminating, then:
Get your condition diagnosed.
If you work
in a unionized workplace, consult with your union about filing a grievance or taking legal action.
Seek legal counsel.
(Your union may be able o provide an attorney or seek assistance through a legal clinic or make an appropriate referral.)
Join a support group.
For further assistance, contact one of the worker health resource groups or support groups
in your local area. These cases are difficult to win and can take a long time to resolve.
Similarly, if you have been
injured on the job, find an attorney experienced with chemical exposure cases in the Workers' Compensation system or personal
injury claims. In such cases, you will not need to pay your attorney up front; instead your attorney receives a percentage
from the settlement if you win. It costs you nothing if you lose your case.
ACCOMODATING INDIVIDUALS WITH MCS IN THE
WORKPLACE
These are some suggested ways to accommodate individuals with MCS at work. They will not be effective in
all cases. These measures will also help to prevent other workers from becoming similarly disabled, and all reductions in
toxic materials contribute to thee general health of the environment.
Reasonable Accommodations
o Windows
that open
o Well-ventilated space free of pollutants such as tobacco smoke, pesticides, toxic and fragrant-laden cleaning
products, deodorizers, and exhaust fumes
o Selection of least toxic/allergenic building furnishings and supplies
o
"Least toxic" integrated pest management (IPM) using no sprayed or volatile pesticides in and around buildings
o Pre-notification
prior to painting, pesticide application, and renovations with provisions for alternative work arrangements
o Education
of co-workers, management, and employers as to the nature of the disability to avert stigma and harassment
o Schedule
options so that affected people can work when fewer co-workers are present, when ventilation is working at its peak, or where
surroundings are least problematic
o Allow the option of working at home
MCS MAY BE A PREVENTABLE DISABILITY
People
suffering from MCS have become a driving force for improved indoor air quality and for the adoption of less toxic housekeeping
and building maintenance practices. Good indoor air quality and substitution of less toxic materials boost morale and productivity.
A healthy workplace also lowers absenteeism and injuries.
A safe working environment is always a worthwhile investment
for employers. Therefore, complaints about indoor air problems must be taken seriously by employers, labor unions, regulatory
agencies and health care providers.
Source: NYCAP - New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, 353 Hamilton
Street, Albany, New York 12210-1709, phone 518-426-8246, fax 518-426-3052
nycap@crisny.org
http://www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/nycap/nycap.htm
Capital Region Information Service of New York (CRISNY)
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107,
this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information
for research and educational purposes. sequoiasgarden.com has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article
nor is sequoiasgarden.com endorsed or sponsored by the originator.
***********************************************************
Article
#3: "An Overview of MCS", by Cynthia Wilson, Chemical Injury Information Network
http://ciin.org/pages/03-mcs.html
Back
when doctors believed their patients and before psychosomatic illness and stress became a catch-all for illnesses doctors
couldn't diagnose, there is evidence to suggest that doctors were diagnosing chemical sensitivities as vapors. Vapors were
described as an exhalation of bodily organs held to affect the physical and/or mental condition or as a depressed or hysterical
nervous condition. Then in the early 1950's, Theron Randolph, M.D., recognized that people were getting sick from their environment,
hence the original name Environmental Illness.
In the 1960's, it finally became evident to the government that pollution
was causing adverse health affects. Dr. Randolph attended that first conference on outdoor air quality. He was the only one
to question the effects of indoor air pollution, and his concerns where ignored and/or ridiculed by the medical profession
as well as the government. In 1992, EPA conservatively estimated that poor indoor air quality costs the U.S. $1 billion annually
in lost productivity. That same year, the National Academy of Sciences estimated indoor air pollution contributes $15 to $100
billion annually to health care costs.
The energy crisis of the 1970's exacerbated the problem of chemical sensitivities
but did nothing to add to the understanding of the illness itself. To conserve energy, the government encouraged weatherization
and energy efficient construction that included reducing the ventilation requirements of bringing outdoor air into new buildings.
It is this air reduction together with the increases in volatile chemicals in new, synthetic materials and products since
World War II that is being blamed for the ever increasing number of people who are being adversely impacted by chemicals.
Then
in 1981, in response to the poisoning of thousands of people by urea formaldehyde foam insulation, the National Research Council
commissioned a study called Formaldehyde And Other Aldehydes. The report estimated that 10 to 20% of the population was at
risk from low level exposure to aldehydes. Though the report's major focus was the cancer risk, it did recommend an extensive
study be done on chemical sensitivities. Nothing was done.
Unfortunately, the medical/biologic understanding of chemical
injuries breaks down because of a lack of knowledge created by a lack of basic research. The lack of research is further hampered
by a lack of a case definition for the illness. There are several theories as to how these low level exposures are poisoning
people, and research into detoxification enzymes found in veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome have provided some clues
into how the body's inability to process toxics may be playing a critical role in the initial sensitization process as well
as other long-term health problems.
Chemical sensitivity was once thought to be an immune system dysfunction or related
to allergies. The latest research strongly suggests that chemical sensitivity is most probably some combination of central
nervous system and blood-brain barrier damage, low-level porphyrin abnormalities, and detoxification enzyme deficiencies.
Chemical sensitivity is more often than not characterized by real, verifiable damage to the body, though the implications
of these anomalies are poorly understood and need research. MCS is also usually accompanied by other diagnosable types of
chemically-induced injuries.
The government has been woefully slow to respond with research money, not only for chemical
sensitivities, but to study many of the adverse, non-cancer health affects being associated with toxic chemicals in general.
The chemical companies have a vested interest in promoting the belief that chemically induced health problems are more psychiatric
in nature than a physical response to their products. It is the Chemical Manufacturer's Association that stated in its 1991
briefing paper, "The primary impact on society would be the huge cost associated with legitimization of environmental illness."
However, with 15% of the population now suffering from some form of chemical intolerance, we may be fast approaching the time
when the government will not be able to support the cost of those suffering the health effects caused by poorly regulated
consumer products.
Two other factors help complicate the process of unraveling chemical sensitivity. They are masking
(adaptation) and spreading (cross sensitization). A very simplistic explanation of the very complicated process of masking
is that the body forms an addiction to a chemical so that if a person doesn't get a regular dose of the chemical, the body
will go into withdrawal much like that associated with drug or alcohol addiction. While overt symptoms are being controlled
by the masking, internal damage continues unchecked. Spreading can turn chemical sensitivity into a progressive condition.
Once a person is sensitized to one chemical, the sensitivity can spread to include other unrelated compounds. Once that happens,
repeat exposures reduce the body's tolerance level by an as yet unknown mechanism so the body becomes more easily reactive
to more and more chemicals at lower and lower levels until it finally reaches the point where the person is sick all the time.
If this illness reaches that point, the person can kiss a life of casual convenience good-bye.
While most MCS research
has focused on an immune system mechanism, MCS critics have repeatedly pointed out that much of what MCS sufferers claim simply
cannot be immune system mediated. Especially controversial has been immediate reactions to chemicals or upon the cessation
of an exposure. With the exception of a histamine response and some IgE-mediated responses such as anaphylactic shock, the
immune system is not generally capable of reacting as fast as the symptoms appear. This has led some researchers to look at
the central nervous system because it can and does have the capacity to respond within the time-frame most patients' experience.
The best hypothesis for these fast responses comes from triggering research into neurogenic inflammation. Reactions such as
nausea or vomiting are being neurologically mediated unless the patients also have indigestion.
Neurologic testing
is finally proving subtle nervous system dysfunction and damage. While it may be years before the full implications of these
tests are understood, at least they are available to objectively show abnormalities. With the use of challenge QEEG evoked
potentials, SPECT scans, and PET scans, great strides are being made in documenting the effects of chemicals on the nervous
system. However, the lack of controlled blind studies on the central nervous system effects of MCS patients is problematic.
The
neurological phenomenon known as time-dependent sensitization (TDS), which has been primarily studied in animals for the last
20 years, has an amazing and uncanny similarity to MCS and not only helps to explain how the brain becomes sensitized to low-level
chemical exposures in the first place, but the role that stress plays in adverse reactions. It also provides a mechanism for
cross sensitization to unrelated chemicals. Until TDS was discovered and applied to MCS, this cross sensitization phenomenon
was thought to be impossible by MCS adversaries because no immune system mechanism has even been established for it. Because
classical toxicology makes no allowances for cross sensitization either, the impossibility of cross sensitization became a
critical element in most theories of why MCS had to be a psychological rather than a physiological disorder.
In 1963,
research conducted by Eloise Kailin, M.D., strongly suggested that MCS was a metabolic (enzyme deficiency) disorder. Dr. Kailin's
findings were rejected by both clinical ecologists and MCS adversaries because both sides maintained that to exist at all,
MCS had to be immune system mediated. Follow-up research on metabolic problems in MCS sufferers was not conducted for 31 years.
Then
in 1994, testing showed that over 90% of MCS sufferers have developed a condition known as Disorders of Porphyrinopathy (an
acquired form of the porphyrias). The porphyrias are a group of rare metabolic, enzyme deficiency disorders involving the
production of heme (a component of blood) and liver and/or bone marrow damage and have many symptoms in common with MCS. The
most significant symptom MCS shares with the porphyrias are chemical intolerance/sensitivity and any estrogen mimicking chemical
or drug can trigger an attack.
Disorders of Porphyrinopathy are also showing up in people with chronic fatigue, fibromylagia,
amalgam problems, and silicone implants.
Estrogen load may be one reason females (human and animals) are more susceptible
than males to metabolic disorders, time-dependent sensitization, and MCS. In addition, a study on Gulf War veterans discovered
the plasma butyrylcholinesterase deficiencies may play a significant role in how people get poisoned. A Danish study found
that women in their 30s and 40s are at an all time low for the production of this scavenger detoxification enzyme that protects
the central nervous system.
Autoimmune disorders are also a major problem for the chemically sensitive. Autoimmunity
is not suspected as the triggering mechanism for MCS, but rather it is a consequence of the body's inability to convert toxins
in to harmless by-products fast enough. Toxic exposures can and do trigger autoimmune responses which MCS sufferers must deal
with on a regular basis. Being chemically sensitive makes a person more vulnerable to all the possible health consequences
associated with chemical exposures -- only for MCS sufferers these toxic responses are occurring at extremely low (thought
to be safe) levels.
In spite of these medical advances, product warning labels that advise of adverse reactions such
as headaches, nausea, blurred vision, etc., mounting animal research that links specific reactions to specific chemicals,
and numerous double-blind clinical studies with humans that demonstrate a direct connection between exposure and symptoms;
our subjective symptoms still remain highly controversial. Double-blind studies are routinely discounted by critics because
there is no way to verify if a patient is nauseous. In science, humans are still not considered reliable indicators. With
TDS and enzyme deficiencies, animal models are now available to study MCS, however, lack of funding for basic research is
still a major problem and getting what research is available into an established medical journal is even more difficult. For
example, the Journal for Occupational Medicine is controlled by doctors employed by Dow Chemical Company, Eastman-Kodak, General
Motors, and ITT Corporation.
While things are changing, chemical injuries resulting in chemical sensitivities are still
controversial. So given the controversial nature of this illness, the best advice I can offer you is the same advice I got
from one of my doctors. He told me I had to become the expert on me. And you need to become the expert on you.
Two
books to consider in looking for information on explaining chemical injuries and protecting yourself:
The Human Consequences
of the Chemical Problem by Cindy Duehring and Cynthia Wilson, $7.20, TT Publishing, PO Box T, White Sulphur Springs MT 59645
Human Exposure and Human Health by Cynthia Wilson, $55.00 plus shipping, McFarland & Co., PO Box 611, Jefferson NC
28640; 800-253-2187.
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit
to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
sequoiasgarden.com has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is sequoiasgarden.com endorsed or
sponsored by the originator.
***********************************************************
Article #4: "PROTOCOL
FOR EMS PERSONNEL TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY ("MCS")"
There is an excellent article article
written by Ann McCampbell, M.D.,(505) 466-3622 (Santa Fe,NM), a physician who has developed MCS. She is mentioned in Article
#1 (above), the Grist article. This complete article is found at:
http://www.healsoaz.org/first_do_no_harm.htm.
It
contains a great deal of important and useful information. But, I wanted a more concise summary directed specifically at
EMT Personnel that I could keep in the glovebox in my car, in the event of an accident or emergency requiring prompt medical
assistance.
Following is what I extracted from Dr. McCampbell's article and customized to my personal information,
and now keep in my car, in case of emergency. I also have a copy in my home. Article #5 (below) will contain the link and
text of Dr. McCampbell's suggestions for MCS Patients in a Hospital setting.
I suggest you copy the text of this information
and put it on your computer to customize by inserting your personal information, as well as to format the text, highlighting
in red and bold and underline pertinent sections which relate to your personal MCS medical condition.
Sequoia
PROTOCOL
FOR EMS PERSONNEL TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY ("MCS")
I, (Fill In Your Name) suffer from severe
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity ("MCS"). I am SEVERELY ALLERGIC TO ALL ANTIBIOTICS, ANESTHESIA, DISINFECTANTS, SCENTED SUBSTANCES,
ETC. (Customize your form to describe your personalized limitations and allergies.)
My Physician is (Fill in your
Physician's name and contact information). Also, if you have previously ever received treatment from your local Emergency
Room, list that particular ER Physician's name, ER phone number and your date of admission so they can locate your records.
(Example: Dr. John Smith, Emergency Physician at Such-and-Such Memorial Hospital (Tel: xxx-xxx-xxxx) in (location) has also
successfully treated me (Date of ER Visit and treatment).
You can also contact Barak Wolff, MPH., (505) 827-2389,
or Ann McCampbell, M.D., (505) 466-3622 (Santa Fe, NM) for additional information on treating MCS patients without causing
harm.
FIRST DO NO HARM
"The Challenge of Patients with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)"
This information
was written by Ann McCampbell, M.D.
SYMPTOMS OF MCS REACTION
Symptoms can be provoked by even minute amounts
of substances being inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin.
The symptoms of MCS run the gamut of all the
body systems: headache, dizziness, heart palpitations, respiratory difficulties, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, sleep disturbances,
abnormal taste sensations, impaired circulation, gastrointestinal problems, joint and muscle pain, weakness, loss of coordination,
nerve irritations, and even seizures. Many cerebral symptoms can also appear, such as clouded thinking, difficulty in concentration
and communicating, memory loss, and feelings of intoxication. Emotional symptoms may occur as well, such as depression, panic
attacks, and emotional outbursts. Finally, persons with MCS may have typical symptoms associated with allergies such as itchy
eyes, nasal congestion, sinusitis, asthma, hives and other rashes, and even anaphylactic reactions.
Symptom onset may
be delayed by hours or even days from exposure. The duration of an individual’s reaction can also vary from seconds to a few
weeks or months.
MCS AND EMS
Knowing how to provide emergency treatment to a chemically sensitive
person who is in active distress is admittedly difficult and presents a great challenge to the EMT. The most important thing
for an EMT to do is to listen to the patient, accept what they are saying, and respect their limits. This, of course, has
to be balanced with providing life-saving measures as taught in EMT training and authorized through treatment protocols. Bear
in mind, too, that MCS patients may have difficulty communicating verbally if they have been, or continue to be, chemically
exposed.
The following are the important issues for the emergency treatment of MCS patients who access EMS:
•
Listen to the patient — reassure patients that you understand they are chemically sensitive and that you will work with them
in providing care. Continually communicate with them regarding their environment, the treatments you plan, and respect the
patient’s limitations in possibly refusing some interventions.
• Because vehicle exhaust fumes are so toxic, use all
methods to minimize exposure to patient—ideally avoid idling of the ambulance at the scene of an emergency response. At least
turn off the motor when loading and unloading a patient, and close the windows to reduce fumes entering the vehicle during
transport. This should be a practice with all patients.
• Refrain from wearing perfumes, cologne, or other strongly
fragrant products while on duty in the closed space of an ambulance compartment, the over-powering scent of fragrance can
be extremely hazardous to an MCS patient.
• Refrain from smoking while on duty or wearing clothes that have smoke
residue. (If you must smoke please do it in an open area so that residue does not accumulate.)
• Remove patients from
hostile environments. As with hazmat protocols, remove the patient from the source of danger by moving them out of offices,
stores, theaters, etc., and into fresh air whenever possible. Quickly remove patients from areas of gasoline spills or leaks,
smoke, and exhaust fumes. This measure alone, which is good practice with all patients, may improve the patient's ability
to communicate with you.
• Use the patient’s own medical equipment whenever possible. Some patients with severe
MCS have their own air filters, oxygen tubing, face masks, and toxic-free sheets/towels, which should be used in lieu of similar
equipment on the ambulance, with the patient’s permission. If the patient desires to take his/her own medicine — such as vitamins,
sublingual antigens or homeopathic medicines, contact medical control for advice and concurrence to allow the patient to self-administer
those agents.
• Intravenous fluids in plastic bags may be harmful. Ideally, those with MCS should receive i.v. solutions
from glass bottles, but since these are not standard on ambulance vehicles because of safety concerns, consider that an i.v.
may not be best for the patient unless critically life-threatening conditions exist. Also, avoid glucose solutions if possible
and use isotonic solutions.
• Avoid the use of drugs if possible. There needs to be a balance between what is life-saving
and what may potentially harm a patient. MCS sufferers are sensitive to many drugs and preservatives. Listen to the patient’s
concerns, history of reactions to medicines, and contact medical control for advice on administration of any medication.
•
For most MCS patients, avoid use of latex gloves whenever possible. It is understood that universal precautions are of great
importance to EMT care, but if alternatives to latex gloves are available, these should be used.
Other suggestions
that may improve the EMS environment in treating MCS patients, include cautious use of disinfectants in the vehicle, hypo-allergenic
tapes and dressings, and the cleaning practices for linens and towels.
Details on these factors can be obtained by
contacting Barak Wolff, MPH., (505) 827-2389, or Ann McCampbell, M.D., (505) 466-3622, in Santa Fe, NM.
MCS PATIENTS'
FEAR of EMS
Many with MCS have a deep fear of calling for help. The biggest reason for not calling for help is the
fear of having a serious, even life-threatening, reaction to an administered drug. They also do not want to worsen their condition
by being exposed to ambulance exhaust (especially diesel), perfume, cologne, scented laundry products and cigarette smoke
residue emanating from the EMTs and various emergency equipment such as plastic oxygen masks, intravenous fluids in plastic
bags and latex gloves. People with MCS also worry about being transported to a hospital against their will.
Details
on these factors can be obtained by contacting Barak Wolff, MPH., (505) 827-2389, or Ann McCampbell, M.D., (505) 466-3622
in Santa Fe, NM.
Although many EMTs have been reported to be kind, courteous and respectful of MCS patients, others
have been rude and ready to assume the person they are treating is “crazy”.
WHAT IS MCS?
Persons who have Multiple
Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) experience adverse health reactions following exposure to a wide spectrum of certain chemicals
at levels which ordinarily do not affect others. The stimulating agents are found everywhere in our modern world: pesticides,
new building materials, new carpets and furniture, glue and solvents, paint, perfume, many personal care products (detergents,
fabric softeners, shampoos, hair sprays, mousse, soaps, lotions, and deodorants), tar and asphalt fumes, smoke, cleaning products,
disinfectants, vehicular and industrial exhaust fumes, fresh ink, new plastics, and synthetic clothing.
NOTE: In accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest
in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. sequoiasgarden.com has no affiliation whatsoever
with the originator of this article nor is sequoiasgarden.com endorsed or sponsored by the originator.
*********************************************************
Article
#5: "MCS Hospital Access", http://www.healsoaz.org/hospital_access.htm
NOTE: I suggest you go to the url site (cut
and paste) and download the information that is useful to you, personalizing it to your individual situation and information.
Sequoia
MCS HOSPITAL ACCESS
Hospital care that helps others can, unfortunately, do great harm to
people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). Special precautions must be taken when treating chemically sensitive patients
in order to prevent severe reactions and facilitate healing. Well-ventilated facilities with fragrance-free, smoke-free personnel
using least-toxic materials, procedures, and cleaning products can help people with MCS avoid severe reactions when seeking
medical care.
Emergency care is a serious problem: during a crisis, people with MCS may not communicate effectively,
and emergency personnel may be unaware that routine practices can be harmful, even life threatening. Exhaust from idling emergency
vehicles, scented products on emergency personnel, and new plastic tubing, for example, may cause severe reactions. In some
cases, people with MCS who have complained of odors undetectable to the emergency crew have been mistakenly confined in psychiatric
facilities.
TO PREPARE FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR HOSPITAL STAY IN ADVANCE
o Wear a medic alert bracelet.
o
Have your doctor complete the “MCS Accommodation Letter” (below), and have it with you, in your wallet, with your insurance
ID card.
o Locate an “advocate”, someone who can enter the hospital, understands your specific sensitivities, and
agrees to be there in an emergency or hospital stay. If necessary this person can speak for you – Give them the medical
power of attorney (below).
If you are going into the hospital for a planned procedure you can make more preparations
in advance, including:
o Finding out which hospitals in your area are most familiar and accommodating for those with
MCS.
o Discussing your needs with the hospital and arranging for a private room and to bring those things for yourself
that you will need.
o Preparing a kit of the personal things you want to have while there.
o Determining
what anesthetic, sutures and other materials you can use and arranging to have them available.
Materials available
to help with this:
o “First Do No Harm” and other articles by Ann McCampbell, MD
o “Hospitalization for the
Chemically Sensitive Patient” by Selena Anema, RN
o "Tips for Anesthetics and Hospitalization for People with
MCS” by Susan Beck, on the Immune Web site.
HEAL OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA'S MCS ACCOMMODATIONS LETTER
[Doctor’s
Letterhead]
TO: All service providers
RE: ____________________________________
The above named patient
has a condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Kindly read this carefully and do your best to comply as fully
as possible. You may already know that hospitals and service providers are required to accommodate special needs under the
Americans With Disabilities Act.
Please note that MCS can be life-threatening even though the usual signs of a medical
crisis aren't always apparent until extensive damage has already been done.
BASIC STEPS TO ENSURE THIS PATIENT'S
SAFETY DURING TREATMENT:
1. PURE AIR
Assign patient to a secluded room or small enclosed area as quickly as
possible, isolated from other people, and when possible, a small room with a window that opens to fresh air. An isolation
room is often a good choice.
Avoid new furnishings, paint, freshly shampooed carpet, air fresheners, new plastics and
latex. Avoid alcohol. (Zephiran is the preferred alternative to alcohol for skin antisepsis; hydrogen peroxide is sometimes
adequate). Anything with fumes or odor that you can smell will most likely be problematic for this patient.
Assign
staff to this patient who are not wearing cologne or after-shave and tend to use fragrance-free (f.f.) products. (Note: most
shaving creams contain fragrance.)
Make oxygen available as soon as possible. (Patient may have brought tubing; if
not, older tubing is preferable to newer.)
2. EXPEDITE TREATMENT
MCS patients are seriously compromised in
public buildings.
3. DON'T JUDGE PATIENT BASED ON YOUR OWN SENSE OF SMELL
Healthy people often can't smell
chemicals that harm MCS patients.
4. WRITE DOWN ANY INSTRUCTIONS YOU WANT THE PATIENT TO REMEMBER
Chemicals
impair brain function and memory in MCS patients. Don't expect the patient to remember, no matter how clearly you give
the instructions.
5. APPROACH THE PATIENT IN A CALM AND SUPPORTIVE MANNER
Chemical exposures can cause MCS
patients to become anxious, depressed, confused, or even panicky and disruptive. Pay attention to what the patient tells
you about immediate needs. Repeat back the main points of what you heard and explain what is being done to accommodate the
situation.
6. FLAG PATIENT'S CHART AS AN MCS REACTOR
If patient is to be hospitalized or undergo surgery, assign
a patient advocate or social worker to coordinate the extremely daunting preparations for ensuring optimal safety from chemical
assaults.
PRIMARY DRUG SENSITIVITIES:
Print the Letter and the Instructions
Use of the MCS Accommodation
Letter
Suggestions Regarding the MCS Accommodations Letter from HEAL of Southern Arizona - Not for the Physician
TO
THE MCS SUFFERER:
The MCS Awareness Letter was written primarily for use in outpatient and even non-medical
situations.
It is designed to be copied onto your physician’s stationery. Feel free to adapt the format to whatever
the letterhead requires. You may also wish to modify the content if your MCS requirements are different from those listed.
Some suggested things to consider including in the modifications are listed below. In addition see Guidlelines from Ann Mc
Campbell, MD.
Although the doctor’s letterhead lends more credibility, it isn’t absolutely essential. The doctor’s
dated signature gives the document the power of Doctor’s Orders, and most people recognize and honor the importance of a physician’s
instructions.
FOR BEST RESULTS
The best results are usually obtained by making a telephone
call in advance. Explain briefly that you have a disability that will require advance planning, and find out to whom the doctor’s
instructions should be addressed. Then send the letter (a fax machine is ideal for this). Once it has reached its destination,
call the addressee to schedule an appointment. Most people are gracious and helpful with this approach.
PREPARE FOR
THE UNEXPECTED
For your safety and convenience, make several copies of the original signed letter from your
physician and send copies to the service providers as needed. Keep the original, along with one or two copies, in your home
files in a packet of health-related information for emergencies. Keep a similar packet in your car in case of accident or
emergency, and also carry a copy of the Physician’s Statement in your purse or wallet. You’ll find it useful for requesting
accommodations in a variety of situations.
Along with the MCS Accommodations Letter, your health information packet
could include:
• a fairly current list of drugs, nutritional supplements and herbs you take regularly.
• lists
of drug and chemical intolerances, and a list of drugs you know you can tolerate. It would be helpful to list them under headings
“Extremely Reactive, Moderately Reactive, Tolerated.”
• more extensive written protocols for situations such as emergency
transport, hospitalization, surgery, etc.
If this seems like an overwhelming project, just start with the MCS Accommodations
Letter and add the other items when you’re able.
Be aware that health care workers are more overworked, understaffed,
and under-appreciated than at any time in recent history. Our special needs require extra time and mental energy, and may
reduce the amount of time and attention available for other deserving patients. Be assertive, but use good manners to the
best of your ability. If you receive good service, make an effort to send a simple thank-you note.
You will become
memorable as a positive influence in spite of your limitations, and you will smooth the path for fellow MCS Sufferers to receive
good care in the future.
The MCS Accommodations Letter and these accompanying suggestions were prepared by a HEAL member
who has a clinical background in allied health. March 2002.
HOSPITAL PACKET
HEAL of Southern Arizona also has
a “Hospital Packet” which includes a copy the Hospital Accommodation Letter and its Suggested Uses, the Medical Power of
Attorney form, a copy of the three resources referred to above and additional information such as a copy of “Going to the
Hospital”, an article from the Spring 2002 Human Ecologist Magazine.
To order the packet contact Heal of Southern
Arizona
Copyright 2001, HEAL of Southern Arizona. All rights reserved. Last updated 5/10/2005
NOTE: In
accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Sequoiasgarden.com has no affiliation
whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is sequoiasgarden.com endorsed or sponsored by the originator.
**********************************************************
|
