Global Recognition Campaign for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Global
Recognition
Campaign
for
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities,
Chemical Injury,
Chemical Hypersensitivity,
Environmental Illness
and other chemically
induced illnesses
affecting Civilians and
Military personnel.

MCS Global
Information Package

This Information Package was put together for the convenience of those people who have little time but are concerned enough to want to know more about Global Chemical Pollution and its devastating effects on our health and the environment.

Barbara Prideaux

History of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

 Thirty years ago in April 1973, my first husband and I purchased a Pest Control business which we operated from our residence for a period of approximately eighteen months.  During this period I was exposed to a range of pesticides including Aldrin, Dieldrin, Heptachlor and Neocid, all of which the government classified as being safe for use in our homes.  There were no specific warnings as to the damage they would cause to human health.  I was pregnant with my first child and within three months I began to feel unwell, giving birth six weeks prematurely.  Exposure to chemicals has been proven to cause birth defects and miscarriages and I believe that my exposure to the pesticides was the reason for the premature birth.

 During the next twenty years my health deteriorated dramatically. I developed many symptoms, consulted many doctors and specialists, spent thousands of dollars, without ever being given the correct diagnosis and unable to provide me with any beneficial treatment. Their favourite diagnosis was stress and recommended a cup of tea and a lie down.  Special diets were also suggested, one caused severe malnutrition which almost killed me. About ten years ago, after hearing my history, a Dietitian diagnosed I had been chemically injured causing me to become chemically sensitive.  All perfumes and chemicals were removed from our home and my debilitating symptoms improved dramatically. Because I had been so long continuing to be exposed to irritants, my sensitivity had become extreme.  My health has deteriorated and my sensitivity has reached the degree that any exposure could be, and has been life threatening.  Now I cannot leave my home without wearing a carbon filter mask, am unable to visit anyone, cannot do my shopping etc and friends who visit must ensure that their body and clothes are odorless.  Life is extremely restricted and difficult, particularly as most doctors, and people generally, do not believe that chemicals cause severe debilitating health problems due to the lack of education and warnings on harmful products.

 My three children are incredibly supportive, my youngest daughter lives with me and I depend on her to do our shopping etc.  My mother lives in a retirement home, takes great care only to use odourless products and comes to stay from time to time.  My father does not accept my chemical sensitivity, consequently he does not visit, which is very distressing.  A few friends remain and visit whenever possible, but most days are spent on my own, consequently life is very lonely.  My second husband did not wish to continue living such a restricted lifestyle caring for me, and our marriage ended.  My first husband said he wanted to care for me and bought a house on acreage in the country which would be safer but after a short time he confessed that he did not believe chemical sensitivity was the cause of my ill health.  He then began intimidating threatening behaviour, ending in domestic violence and my daughter and I were forced to move again. Packing and moving takes an enormous toll on my health both physically and emotionally.  To be rejected by those whom you thought would stand by you in a time of need was absolutely devastating.  It was impossible to find private rental, which I could not afford, as councils insist that all properties be sprayed with pesticide, and no exemption from this treatment would be granted even when I explained the life threatening effect of these chemicals.  With assistance from the Domestic Violence Counsellor, our Chemical Sensitivity Support Group and Queensland Housing, an older house was found in suburbia.  Due to the close proximity of neighbours I am forced to close all windows and doors as odors and chemicals waft into the house.
 

 Regularly I see and hear stories telling how spouses, families and friends give undying love and support to others suffering injury or illness and it restores my faith in humanity, even though the tears well in my eyes because I long for just such love and support myself.  There are many who are much worse off than myself so I very much appreciate our little home and those in my life who do care.  Love and affection have always been most precious to me and I am so grateful that my children and few friends give this priceless gift.  I understand that there are some people who find it difficult to cope with illness but for a husband to end a twenty year marriage in order that he can enjoy a better life sadly tells me he did not have the same feelings of love which I had for him.   Sometime in our life we will all need love and caring from another and the first person you would expect to fill that need would be your spouse.  A broken heart along with debilitating illness is very often too much to bear.   

Severe migraine headaches, painful fibromyalgia and many other associated health problems require special medical treatment which is almost impossible to access not to mention the expense of natural supplements and masks. For years individuals and support groups have been lobbying Queensland Health for assistance and to provide chemically sensitive patients with a safe area in hospitals, without success.  Many of us desperately need in-hospital treatment but cannot avail ourselves of this as exposure to chemicals in the hospital would exacerbate our condition.  I have sought help from both state and federal local members, the Health Rights Commission, Civil Liberties, Ombudsman and had two Hearings with the Disability Anti-Discrimination Commission.  All avenues were blocked by Queensland Health.  A Solicitor was assigned from the Disability Anti-Discrimination Commission to assist me, whilst Crown Law allocated two Barristers for Queensland Health which obviously cost tens of thousands of dollars.  The Hearings were an absolute farce with one Barrister informing me prior to the Hearing that I had no chance of winning.  I was treated like a criminal, interrogated for two hours at the first Hearing and could not attend the second as I was too ill.  The President of our support group attended the second Hearing on my behalf.  I was forced to sign a secrecy document saying I would never again take legal action against Queensland Health in order to have some special precautions taken at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, on a once off basis, so that I could have my bottom lip removed because a sun cancer had become dangerous.  Three surgeons refused to operate on my lip as they were afraid of the consequences of exposure to chemicals during the operation, therefore it took almost two years before the Royal Brisbane Hospital agreed to take the necessary precautions and operate. 


   
For a short time the Blue Nurses were visiting my home to give care and assistance with medication and my GP would see me at home but I was forced to stop these visits as the nurses and the doctor would not refrain from wearing perfume and fragranced products.  For the same reason I am unable to access any home assistance when I am really ill.  The same problem has arisen with the ambulance, so now I somehow cope on my own with emergency health problems and shall probably die at home due to my inability to access safe medical assistance.  The chemically sensitive suffer discrimination and hardship in many areas, we are financially disadvantaged because we are unable to work therefore specialist medical services are beyond our means.  Unless you are a celebrity, a sports star or a politician, you must join the public health list, suffer permanent damage to your health or die waiting.  To lie in bed feeling deathly ill and not being able to call anyone to help is a truly terrifying experience. 

There are workplaces which have enforced the rule that staff refrain from wearing fragranced products due to the detrimental effects on the health of employees.  If private employers can enforce such a rule, and smoking has been banned to protect human health, then health care facilities must do the same to protect chemically sensitive patients and the general public.  A diabetic would never be forced to eat food which would exacerbate diabetes, so why should chemically sensitive patients be forced to breathe air laden with perfume and chemicals which cause severe life threatening reactions.  My mother often tells me the perfume worn by the nurses working in the nursing home where she lives makes her ill but they also refuse to refrain from wearing it and she is afraid to ask again.  For a frail woman of 83 to be made ill by those supposedly caring for her is horrific.  It distresses me terribly and there is nothing I can do to help her.  I know of many elderly nursing home residents whose health is being eroded by continual exposure to perfumes, room deodorants and cleaning products used unnecessarily.  There are non-toxic effective alternative products available for every requirement.

 Queensland Health claims that it cannot afford to provide chemical free facilities in hospitals for chemically sensitive patients, which would cost very little, yet $95,000,000-00 was spent by   Queensland Health in 2000 to have Crown Law defend against legal action taken by patients in the public health system.  This information was obtained from the Queensland Health Yearly Report by a journalist who was threatened by Wendy Edmond, Queensland Health Minister, that he would lose his position if he pursued the issue.  Surely this enormous amount of legal expenditure by Queensland Health would be put to better use in providing desperately needed medical services rather than fighting patients in dire need of medical assistance.  This is what happens in a supposedly democratic country, why do patients have to fight for help and be told our health department cannot afford it, yet our Premier spends $300,000,000-00 on a football stadium. 

Because of the severity of migraine headaches my GP was prescribing pain relief injections about twice weekly, until a Queensland Health beaurocrat decided that everyone having these injections was drug addicted. A circular letter was sent to all doctors advising them to cease providing this treatment.  This is against the law as it interferes in the doctor/patient relationship.  There are thousands of patients suffering chronic severe pain needlessly.  Queensland Health refuses to accept that chronic pain patients need palliative care pain relief without suffering a terminal illness.  I have ceased attending the hospital outpatients department seeking treatment for migraine headaches as doctors ridicule me for wearing a mask and do not believe that my pain is genuine.  One doctor asked if I was playing charades because I was wearing the mask.  One evening when my husband was away from home, my daughter rang the ambulance for assistance.  When they saw me vomiting and unable to walk, they threatened to search my house for drugs, obviously having decided I was an addict.  To be treated in this manner when you are in extreme pain is unbelievable.   Due to my exquisite sensitivity I am now allergic to a range of medications which are noted on an Alert Sheet in my medical records, yet doctors at the Caboolture Hospital have attempted to administer some of these medications and became very annoyed with me when I refused.  Actually on two occasions my medical records could not be found.  The consequences of my being given any of these medications are frightening, and I dread the thought of attending the hospital in an unconscious state.  On a number of occasions I have needed dental treatment and contacted the Caboolture Dental Clinic, requesting that a dentist and assistant refrain from wearing perfume just for one day.  The dentist in charge was very rude and refused treatment until I contacted the area manager who instructed him to comply with my request and told him that he had no right to refuse me treatment in a perfume free environment.  This is typical of the constant discrimination which the chemically sensitive patient is faced with.  Having to battle endlessly for help with health problems is unimaginably distressing and should be totally unnecessary.  

For a number of years I have had to take cortisone to relieve extreme reactions.  My whole body was red and itching to the degree that I literally tore off strips of skin and flesh. This has caused me to develop osteoporosis, diabetes, cateracts and glaucoma.  To receive treatment for these problems I need to attend the Redcliffe and Caboolture hospitals.  I realize that there may be a waiting time when attending an appointment but repeatedly I have requested that I be given the first appointment so that I don’t need to wait any longer than necessary when wearing my mask. Hospital staff have repeatedly refused.  It is not pleasant having to wear my mask, particularly in summer and there have been occasions when I have waited hours and become very ill.  On a number of occasions I have had to leave the hospital and reschedule the appointment.  Special consideration is given to patients with other special needs and I consider being given the first appointment is not an unreasonable request. 

Since moving into our present home 18 months ago, I have tried unsuccessfully to avoid daily exposures to fumes coming off a neighbours washing.  For the first 12 months I said nothing to the neighbours but realizing that my health was deteriorating rapidly, I approached them via the telephone to ask if they would change to fragrance free laundry products.  Instantly they became extremely annoyed and would not listen even though I offered to subsidise any additional cost.  To ensure that they understood the severity of my situation I wrote a letter to them and provided literature along with samples of products which we use.  They refused to trial the products or read the literature, the husband returned them to me, verbally bullied me at my front door, told me to go and live elsewhere, leave them alone so they could get on with their normal life, and have forbidden their four daughters to speak to me.  They profess to be Christians and attend church weekly, but continue to hang out washing for 7-8 hours EVERY DAY and at times all night, knowing the harm they are causing me.  This absolutely astounds me as I thought that people who repeatedly profess their Christianity would be the first to do whatever was necessary to help another human being.  Obviously they have confused their belief systems, theirs is hypocrite not Christian.

 Since the neighbours refused my request I have contacted 16 different avenues endeavouring to find assistance to protect my health and my life.  Not one was willing or able (they claim) to help me, until a kindly solicitor with two MCS family members has volunteered some help but I will still most likely have to pay some thousands of dollars in court fees when I proceed with a Civil Action.  The avenues I contacted include two local members of parliament neither of which have replied to my phone calls or letters, Queensland Housing, Community Health Social Worker, Shire Council, Queensland Law Society, Legal Aid, Women’s Legal Service, Community Legal Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Defenders Office, lodged a complaint with HREOC which was rejected, and Disability Anti Discrimination Office.  Every day I play Russian Roulette with the neighbours washing and tell myself to be strong for a little longer as surely somehow I can gain the protection I need for my health and my life. 

 Chemical Sensitivity must be accepted by the medical profession and government as the severe debilitating health problem that it is, and provide patients with the facilities, treatment and respect given to patients suffering any other disease.  There are many thousands of people in the community suffering chemical sensitivity due to injury caused by exposure to chemicals. These include our Vietnam Veterans, Gulf War Veterans, airline pilots, cabin crew and maintenance staff, nurses, hairdressers, cleaners, forestry workers, the tickies and many others.  Government has turned its back on all these people because they refuse to acknowledge the enormity of the health problem and what it would cost to provide the essential medical services.  Government also does not wish to deal with the backlash and loss of revenue from multinational companies.  It is imperative that the public is educated about the danger to their health through using the multitude of cleaning, fragranced and pesticide products sold in supermarkets.  Most people presume a product which is readily available is safe to use, this is not so.  The general public has the misplaced belief that technological advances are tested, monitored and harmless.  They do not realize that cleaning the shower or the oven and spraying to eliminate toilet odours are among the most hazardous activities.

 Children are most affected by chemical exposure due to their lighter body weight and are exposed to the same level of toxicity as adults.  The explosion of childhood behavioural problems and illnesses is mostly due to chemical imbalance and injury to their brain and nervous system.  Houses are the most toxic environment due to the wide range of cleaning products, pesticide sprays, fragranced room deodorizers and personal hygiene products used in homes.  The perfume manufacturers do not inform the public that there can be up to 100 different toxic chemicals used in perfume* and these are absorbed through the skin and lungs. Research confirms that perfumed products are the major cause of a dramatic reduction in sperm counts and pollution of our environment is causing deformities in wildlife, along with a massive decrease in breeding. * Baker. J 1997. Chemical warfare at work.  New Scientist, P30-35, June 21.

 There are currently over 100,000 man made chemicals in our lives and this figure increases annually.  Most of these chemicals are not assessed for toxicity or regulated by government.  Many individuals in the community are sensitive to chemicals eg. Allergy sufferers, asthmatics and those with existing chemical injury.  Their health problems are exacerbated by exposure to fragranced products, detergents, disinfectants, air fresheners and others.  These individuals cannot access health care facilities, in-home services, respite, refuges and other crisis accommodation because of fragranced products which cause life threatening allergic reactions and needless ill health.  

There is a multitude of reports proving the toxicity of chemicals and the danger they pose to humanity and the environment.  Environmentalists are increasingly alarmed by the extinction of our wildlife and contamination of our environment but governments do not listen.  Governments are only concerned with loss of revenue not loss of health and lives. The increase in the incidence of cancer, alzeimers disease, diabetes, arthritis, immune disorders, deformities and miscarriages are only some of the ever increasing number of health problems caused by exposure to chemicals.

Having lived with chemical sensitivity for so long I know very well how dramatically chemicals affect our health and sufferers desperately need help.  There is literally nowhere in society where the chemically sensitive can live in safety unless we lock ourselves away.  Safe housing and respite centres are urgently needed as my history has demonstrated, and it would be wonderful to have somewhere safe to have a holiday.  Because chemically sensitive people can no longer work, we try to exist on disability payments, are unable to afford legal costs to claim compensation and support groups are refused funding from governments.

 Humanity in the human race has virtually disappeared and democracy is only available to those who can afford to pay for it.  Every day is a battle of the highest order trying to cope with pain, discrimination and isolation.  Most people are so consumed with their own interests, trying to afford the best house, cars and clothes, never giving a thought to the thousands in our community who are desperate for understanding, love and compassion.

Emergency and Perfumes

Perfumes & Cosmetics Links

Pesticides Links

Pesticides: Safer Alternatives Links

Next Story