Hi all

This looks like a good website and I hope I will participate actively in the near future, and share my experiences and lessons learned with its members. I have had MCS for approx. five years and it has - needless to say - heavily affected my life.

Currently my main problem caused by my MCS is the following: I have been trying to find a house for me and my family (wife+three children), but in almost all we try, there is some smell I don't tolerate.

We currently rent an old house and I am fine there, but we don't know how long we can stay there, the house is not in accordance with current standards, and renting is much more expensive than owning (here in Norway). Two years ago we bought a house from 2006, but we could never move in because it just smells too new and I get sick. After lots of attempts to remove the smell, we finally had to sell it again after having it standing empty for a year or so. A couple of months ago we again bought a house - nothing has been renovated there for many years. Such a house was so hard to find that we bought it even though the previous owner used to smoke pipe in the house. We thought we would get rid of the smoke smell, but I am getting more and more pessimistic. All our attempts so far have been unsuccessful. The next step is an ozone treatment. In the meantime, we again have a house standing empty (I won't mention the costs...), and my family is getting even more impatient - after several years of waiting and trying to find our own place to live.

Anyone had similar troubles, or any good suggestions?

Hi,
I understand your problem. I have had the same situation with homes. The best advice is to make the house you own a Chemically free home. You will need to make sure that you do not use gas heat. Electric is the best. No gas appliances. All Electirc. Any carpet and padding needs to be removed. All subfloors need to be sealed with AMF Safecoat sealer even if you plan on putting down tile or wood floors. You will need to seal as much as you can in your home. Prime & paint all ceilings and walls and doors. AMF Safecoat is the only product that works for me. You will need to use the transitional primer for walls that have been painted or papered. You need to let this cure for 7 days with fans blowing on the wall surface. Then paint with the no VOC paint. This paint is expensive, but well worth it. If any of your cabinets are not solid wood, then you will either need to seal them or take them out. E L Foust has very good air machines with bituminous and purapel. (purapel removes formaldehyde). I am sure you know that having MCS is very expensive.

I would recommend buying your own Sauna (High Tech Health) and use it daily to detox. The more you can detox, the more you can tolerate! We live in a very toxic world and for this reason alone, detoxing is a must. Suggested reading would be "Detoxify or Die" by Dr. Sherry Rogers. She has many books out and all are worth reading. She is a MCS survivor. Let me know if you have any other questions in regards to making a safe environment to live in. This has worked for me!

I'm very sympathetic to your dilemma. I realize you are in Norway but, if you are on facebook you may want to post to this page: Re|shelter Underground Network (RUN). It's purpose is specific to helping those with MCS. "RUN is an organized network of people with environmental intolerances that share email notifications to try to help place others in safe housing ". It is a closed group and created for U.S. Someone in the group may be able to help or know of some similar group in your locale. The moderator is Julie Genser

Hi sb1956!

Thanks a lot for your answers and good advices! The idea of sealing the entire house is interesting. I live in Norway and as far as I could find out, AFM SafeCoat products are not sold here. It seems that a good sealing material shellac. Livos sells this type of product in Norway. However, the dealer I talked to said that in wooden houses in Norway, it is difficult to seal walls as they expand and contract with temperature etc.. The quality of the seal would quickly be reduced and smell come back. Still, I am considering testing it in one room.

Sauna sound great! About the detoxification: The strange thing is that I tolerate toxics I eat/drink just as I did before my MCS begain. I can drink alcohol as before, and I don't even get an unnormal reaction from mouth tobacco (snus). I don't use snus regularly, just took one to test the reaction. This doesn't make sense to me; how can it be explained? It doesn't seem that my ability to detox is reduced in general, just related to smells.

I have also tested Palls theory. I stopped eating any preservatives and additives in some periods, but this does not seem to affect my reaction. So far, my conclusion is that food/drink does not affect how I react to smells.

Hi Kathleen

Thanks a lot for the tip. I expected there to be other people with my problem, but not an entire organization! I found RUN's website (reshelter.org) and posted a comment there (I'm not on facebook).

I have moved 11 times since 2005. I was told to go to AZ, so I did. NO ONE said stay clear or Tucson, It is a dust bowl and there are people who are few and far between who wish to help rather than empty your wallet. I am stuck here. I have deteriorated so much, that i cannot travel in plane or too far in car and have no one, not even family who say they love me, but just don't get it. I am tired of it. I am tired of the IGNORANCE and the GOV'T hiding scientific proof. I am just plain tired and worn out from the illness, the deceipt and the so called loved ones turning away as if there is nothing really wrong.

I am tired of the churches who think that it is in your head, getting their info from widipedia of all places. I am tired of charity for charity sake and no one really trying to help, like making a FF church or even room or even sacrifcing their sacred scents in order to visit

I am currently living in a condo complex unknownst to me prior, my caregiver (and I use that lightly) brought me to a place from where I lived in a complete brain fog for over 5 months( County Inn Stes-once on safe hotel list-ha). 3 days later, I found that I am living on a gulf course. Not knowing the city, being from the east coast who knew. My money is gone, though have been educated in my illness, feel sorry for me, have compassion feel that they do not need to change anything in their lifestyle even for a small bit of time for me to get my body and brain to work to figure out what to do, where to go and get the hell out. Their way of living will not be disturbed whatsoever even if it furthers brain damage, CNS, and brings back cancer, not to mention that I have to on days they are not cleaning; I have to spend energy wash everything and live in fear that if I start cooking food for a few days, will they start cleaning again. Oh and I did I mention that Atena owes me $29,000 in unpaid claims from Dr Rae who will do nothing to help recoop. I am totally out of it, brain dead from drugs to keep me from pain and calm my CNS and absolutely NO ONE who gives a damn whether I get out of this alive or not. I use to work hard, very hard for ivinig, lived a full life, even though I fought an illness unnamed for the better part of 30 yrs-tx docs.. Having a real bad day and they are not getting much better. I am alone, cannot drive and have no one to take me further out and stay to help. Does anyone know of any community that truly cares about each other, lives as normal as can and can function together who are not totally out there. I refuse unwanted areas by "society" and feel that I, WE have a right to enjoy the land as much as anybody else. Is there such a place, are there people left in this world who actually care for others more than themselves?