Interview Els Valkenburg author of the book “MCS – When chemical substances and scents make you ill” and Silvia K. Müller, CSN

Silvia: Els, congratulations with your MCS book! What has driven you to write this book?

Els: Thanks, Silvia! What has driven me the most personally were the misunderstandings and misjudgement of my family and friends of my situation. I thought that more people would be in this kind of situation when I would be confronted with these kinds of very painful situations. The more I started to know other people with similar problems, the more I saw the suffering from the loss of relationships and the discrimination from family, friends, doctors, neighbours, etc.

I lost my whole family (my parents, 3 sisters and brothers in law and their kids) and many friends because of their unwillingness to try to understand MCS and as a result of the lack of descent information about it in the Netherlands. So at first I started to build an informative international MCS website in 2005 and two years later I wrote the first Dutch book about MCS. I was lucky to have already a publisher and that he was interested in this subject as well. He also published my first book (about Reiki) which also has been published in German.

I hope that my MCS book will prevent (young) people from growing as sick as I am. It breaks my heart every time I hear of a young “canary” that has lost its freedom so fast.

Silvia: Can you tell me a bit more about the contents of the book?

Els: The book contains 7 parts and a preface, part of which was written by Greenpeace. I am very thankful they supported my book this way. The first part is about MCS itself (what is MCS; a scientific part; how to adjust your life etc.) The second part is about my own personal situation and the third part is about others telling their stories (including you). The fourth part is the ABC of MCS (many hints, advice and information in alphabetical order). The fifth part is about other books (my reviews), MCS-movies (presentation and reviews), art etc. The sixth part contains a complete list of links to all the scientific articles mentioned in the text, various companies selling specific MCS products, addresses to self help groups, MCS websites etc. The last part contains two leaflets as attachments that can be used to raise awareness and provide others with information. The leaflets can be cut out (or copied) and given to family, friends, co-workers, neighbours, physicians, therapists, etc. Altogether 364 pages. The funny and beautiful illustrations are made by two MCS-patients from the United States. For more details and examples of questions, please go to the main page The ABC of MCS and click on the American/English flag or go directly to the MCS book.

Silvia: And how did you get MCS?

Els: I became a severe MCS patient in 2003 after a leaking chemical toilet in a camper and 4 nose surgeries in 1 year time. From that moment I started reacting on all kinds of chemicals (even very low concentrations), although I was already sensitive to cigarette smoke, smog and car exhaust before this final damage happened. I think I have had MCS my whole life, because as a child I was very often sick too without knowing what caused it. We lived in a part of the country that was close to an industrial area and my father was a heavy smoker at that time. My parents visited several physicians about me, but nobody knew why I was so ill so often.

When I met my husband in 1989, I moved to his old farmhouse. But this house needed to be renovated. There was terrible mould and I think that caused the first clear symptoms of MCS. I just spontaneously got a big sinus infection and since that moment I have been fighting everyday against my sinus problems and later also against other MCS-problems.

Silvia: How is your life as a MCS-patient?

Els: I am very, very sensitive to chemicals and therefore I have had to live in complete isolation since 2004, together with my husband, a German Sheppard, a cat and a pig. Nobody else comes here in our chemical free house, and if my husband has been elsewhere, he first needs to shower and change his clothes (special house clothes) before we can see each other. We live in the country and have enough space around our old farmhouse. So in the summer I spend as much time outside as possible (on our own ground) and in the winter I am inside the house, working on projects (like writing books). I hardly leave our area and if I have to do, so I need to protect myself to avoid breathing chemical substances, they are making me very ill.

Silvia: Are you working on a new book already?

Els: I have ideas for a new book, but I think that has to wait a while, because we have found an interested American publisher who wants to publish the English version of the MCS-book. So as soon as we have signed the contract, I’ll have to start working on the English version already translated, adjusting it to the American market and that will take some time first. When this version is published in 2009, I will get some time to work on my third book (fiction this time).

Silvia: Do you have something to say to the readers?

Els: Lots… But the most important thing is, inform yourself and your surrounding well about MCS. And above all, try to find new perspective in life and try to stay or become happy. The first step to reach that goal is to take measurements to adjust your life and house. If you feel physical better, then you will start to feel psychical better as well. There are still ways for an MCS patient, although most of us have lost our freedom so badly. The stories and information in my book can help the reader to find improvement, comfort and strength to make the best of the situation.

And do not suffer in silence! Come in action and unite to get more understanding for MCS and the future patients. It is a growing problem after all! Maybe our stories will also change the consciousness of people. After all I also always thought that low levels of chemicals were safe and I also thought that what I bought in the store was safe, approved and tested… I never realized the dangers of these many chemicals and the combinations of them. I wish I did and that I had this information many years ago, my life would not have become this isolated, because I would have made healthier choices.

If you want to get in contact with Els, you can send her an email via her website (click on the contact button at the bottom of her website).

The German book is already available.The English book will be available next year.

MCS – When chemical substances and scents make you ill

Els Valkenburg The ABC of MCS

MCS – Wenn chemische Substanzen und Duftstoffe krank machen

Els Valkenburg (ISBN: 978-3-939570-36-3) Das MCS ABC

Geschrieben am Freitag, 12. September 2008 und abgelegt unter Chemical Sensitivity, Chemikaliensensibilität, MCS, Chemikaliensensitivität, Chemikalienunverträglichkeit, Duftstoffallergie, Duftstoffe, Gefahren durch Alltagschemikalien, Gesundheit, Krank durch Chemikalien, Krank durch den Beruf, Krank durch die Schule, Krank durch Pestizide, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Umweltkrankheiten, Umweltmedizin, Wissenschaft. Verfolgen Sie die Diskussion zu diesem Beitrag per RSS 2.0 Feed. Sie können diesen Beitrag kommentieren oder einen Trackback von Ihrer eigenen Webseite setzen.