Is Oregon killing you?

Fact or fiction: Is Oregon killing you? There are statistics that show Oregon ranks high in breast and skin cancers, strokes and suicides, autism and Alzheimer's. Portland Oregonian, Oregon.

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2008/10/fact_or_fiction_is_oregon_kill.html

Psychiatric Presentations of Medical Illness

Comment: This is not directly about MCS, but since MCS and other chronic illnesses are often misdiagnosed as being psychiatric in origin, this may be useful information to ascertain whether a doctor is doing their investigative job to find the cause of an illness. It may also be valuable to those with certain symptoms as it lists potential causes to check for. It discusses the real medical illnesses which may be mistaken for a mental illness. It also discusses the complexities involved with obtaining medical care for this with co-occurring medical and mental illnesses. The bottom line is that medical illnesses are routinely misdiagnosed as being psychiatric.

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/diamond.htm

Church Accessibility for the MCS Patient

"The National Academy of Sciences estimates that 15 percent of the population has some degree of sensitivity to chemicals."
...
"Taking drugs, as some suggest, may actually increase the disability, because people who are chemically sensitive are often hypersensitive to drugs."
...
This entire article can be read here:
http://www.holoweb.com/survivors/UMC_Statement.htm

Environmental illnesses are gaining attention

Experts say that everyone is affected in some way by chemical sensitivity.
http://www.mercurynews.com/homeandgarden/ci_10806396?nclick_check=1

Is your car making you sick?

As environment-friendly Martha Stewart might know, that new car smell is not a good thing.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/10/24/aa.toxic.cars/index.html

Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants

Bottled water contains disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medication

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bottledwater

Dr. Oz Talks About Avoiding Everyday Toxins

Dr. Oz talks with Jane Houlihan of Environmental Working Group,... about simple things you can do to make sure you're not being exposed to chemicals that may present risks to your health.
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahandfriends/moz/20081023_oaf_moz

NBC runs a story exposing dangers of common household cleaners

"Have you ever considered how odd it is that there are warning labels on cleaning products? I mean, think about that: they're supposed to be ridding your home of bad stuff, not adding to it - much less potentially making you sick! A good stand-up comedian could build an entire act out of this one bizarre fact."

NBC11.com ran the above story. Vitally important information for every single person out there. Please head over to their website and read the full story: http://www.nbc11.com/msnbcentertainment1/17608616/detail.html

The Toxics Action Center

The Toxics Action Center is working on a campaign to educate consumers about the dangers of using pesticides. Please see their Refuse to Use ChemLawn site for more information.

They seem to have a lot of good info on their links and resources page - click here to see them!

Fragrance Awareness Campaign in Minn Schools

Fragrance Awareness Campaign in Minneapolis Schools. Rich Kimball forwarded an article about the outcome of a Minnesota state congresswoman' s proposal to ban fragrances in Minneapolis public schools out of concern for children with asthma and other health problems. The proposal was abandoned based on requests from students and an administrator at one high school. Instead of the ban, the congresswoman introduced a plan for an awareness campaign. The article notes that no state has succeeded in banning fragrances from schools. You can find the article at http://www.naturaln ews.com/024227. html

Wiggy's sleeping bags

Safer Sleeping Bags. Thinking ahead to cooler temperatures, Gary Gumbel wrote to remind us that Wiggy's sleeping bags can be a big help to EI's who are stuck outdoors for the winter. Gary says that the materials are less toxic and Wiggy's will tell you that "not one EI" has reacted to the materials in their bags. Wiggy's builds custom fit bags of varying warmths for different climates. To find Wiggy's go to http://www.wiggys. com/ and to contact Gary write to ggum1947@hotmail. com.

Shampoo Free

A friend sent me some great links on going shampoo free and I wanted to share them :)

babyslime.livejournal.com

motowngirl.com's hair care recipes

community.livejournal.com/naturalskin

pioneerthinking.com

Thanks, JoAnn, for sending me these great links!