MCS is a complicated condition but here's the gist of how it affects me and how I manage it.
One Condition - Many Names
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity has many names. It may also be referred to as:
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
- Environmental Illness
- Sick Building Syndrome
- Chemical Intolerance
- Or whatever name they change it to as time goes on
As for me, in the early years, the few doctors who actually talked to me about it called it Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MCS. So that’s what I use.
What Is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Environmental toxins, pollutants, and everyday products - like perfume, cleaning products, laundry products, air fresheners, pesticides, diesel fumes, and more - cause allergic-type reactions in my body.
It's not a true allergy but that's the simplest way to describe it.
The kicker is, I react to things most people don't even notice or think twice about.
MCS Reactions
When exposed to a trigger, it can affect my ability to think clearly, breathe properly, or function as a normal person. My reactions range anywhere from a nagging headache to anaphylaxis.
One of the challenges of living with MCS is the severity shifts. It's like a rechargeable battery that randomly loses its charge. I can start the day with a full charge and suddenly be running on empty. It’s crazy how a small exposure that barely affects me one day can wipe me out the next.
The bottom line is, there are multiple variables at play. There's not a one-size-fits-all scenario.
When It All Started
I've had small reactions my entire life. I thought it was normal.
Things took a downward spiral in 1990 after installing new carpet. That's when MCS stopped living in the background and I had to learn to co-exist with it every single day.
What It Means for Me
MCS isn't just an allergic-type reaction or a sensitivity... it's a whole way of life.
I usually can't spend much time indoors or in public spaces. Navigating this part of living with MCS is difficult. With MCS, my limits can change on a moments notice. One time I can go in to the store, the next time I have to leave with no groceries - thankfully there’s curbside pickup now!
My life might look unconventional but it’s how I stay connected to the parts of life that are important to me.
How I Manage It
There's no magic fix. The only way to avoid a reaction is to avoid what causes it - a challenge that's not easily won, if at all. I just focus on what helps:
- Making sure the products and food I put in or on my body are free of ingredients my body can’t tolerate
- Leaving a place immediately if it becomes too toxic for me
- Resting when my body needs it (I need to work on this one… but I try!)
- Spending time in nature, breathing fresh air, soaking in peace.
My Nomadic Lifestyle
I chose to live in my cozy little home on wheels because I thought it could be a better way to live with MCS and minimize toxic-to-me exposures.
I can’t say my lifestyle is 100% MCS-proof but, for now, I make it work.
Why I Talk About It
MCS is an inescapable part of my reality but I refuse to let it take center stage. I simply co-exist with it.
Mentioning it helps explain why I live the way I do.
People tell me they could never live the way I do. The funny thing is, if MCS were stripped away from me, I’m not sure I could live the way they live.
On the other hand, if MCS were stripped from me I still have the choice of living this way - it would just be a little easier without MCS tagging along.
Connie 💜