The Swiss city Zurich has tendered a MCS Housing Project. People with chemical sensitivity, commonly shortened as MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), will obtain a building biology home. Living in standard flats is nearly impossible. Substances from construction chemicals in concentrations tolerated by the healthy cause them unacceptable medical conditions. A toxic free habitation environment is required for stabilization and to be reasonably free from symptoms.

Currently such publicly supported projects for people with environmental illness exist only in the US and Japan. The City of Zurich is approaching this complex of problems with obligation and sympathy. They also hope to get innovative concepts for more public housing projects which could benefit many more people. The completion will require some time indeed, but the project looks promising because it is pro-actively supported by many professionals.

The search of a suitable estate for the project lasted months. The location for the house had to meet a set of criteria. Christian Schifferle, the President of the residential building cooperative HEALTHY HABITATION, went with specialists to inspect building sites again and again. Then it happened, the site was found. A dream came true for this very engaged Swiss.  How the MCS Housing Project will come true.

Beginning of November the City Zurich published a press release with detailed infos about the project. CSN sends its best wishes for success.

The estate authority of the City encourages habitation for severe cases of environmental illness. The construction of a new building at Rebenweg in Zurich-Leimbach was tendered according to a Swiss specific practice which allows to limit the selection to expert contenders. A path breaking project for an MCS compatible residential building with about ten or twelve small flats satisfying the highest building biology standards is expected. Teams of architects or planners had to file their bids by end of November to the building department. A panel will choose five teams from the applications received, who have to submit their drafts for the project by April 15, 2010. The decision will be made in May.

The City of Zurich assumes 5.000 cases of the severe illness MCS all over Switzerland. Often it’s impossible for them to find suitable habitation to live. Most minimal concentrations of chemicals trigger symptoms: vertigo, headache, limb aches, skin and respiration problems, chronic prostration. The one who is struck severely cannot work and finds himself increasingly separated from society, according to the City in its press release.

With this project of a pioneering building biology compatible house, the residential building cooperative HEALTHY HABITATION MCS, founded in 2008 based in Zurich, and the City of Zurich want to provide MCS suitable habitation and lebensraum. The site at the Rebenweg with its 1214 sq m has been evaluated thoroughly and most notably for Zurich conditions, the air quality is good.

Because the new residential building cooperative lacks adequate capital resources, the City is pre-financing the project competition with 150.000 Swiss Francs. The realization of the project is calculated with 5 million Francs. In order to achieve affordable rents, the coop aims to cover 1.5 million Francs by fund raising.

Interview Silvia K. Müller with Christian Schifferle

Christian Schifferle was interviewed by Silvia K. Mueller. He spoke of how the idea occurred to create a MCS housing project in Switzerland and which barriers yet to be overcome, but also what remarkable support it already has received.

Silvia K. Mueller: Christian, we all are very proud of you and enormous happy about the MCS housing project which getting into gear in Switzerland. How long did it take since you first had the idea for the project and what was your motivation?

Christian Schifferle: As I have suffered from environmental illness since childhood, that’s nearly 50 years, I first asked the city government of Zurich about accommodation for MCS cases 20 years ago. So it required several attempts and much perseverance. I crew up with lacquer and thinner and obviously I was ill, but NOBODY around took me seriously and I was dealt with as a malingerer.

SKM: You suffered from the existence of an outsider, into which you were forced?

CS: Yes, because from the very beginning I fought a lonely battle to survive. Being excluded marked me and made my into a political MCS activist who thinks spiritual but knows that it will take real activity to get anything done. Actions speak louder than pretty words. The plight of others and the lack of solidarity really hit me. So I founded the Swiss MCS League nearly 10 years ago. It seems MCS is my fate and my life-task, because I had this disease from childhood on.

SKM: What do you think prepared the City of Zurich for this innovative project, which last but not least will be beneficial for other building projects? Healthy habitation is not only trendy but also results in healthy and more powerful human beings. Was this idea decisive too for the City of Zurich?

CS: I started flyer campaigns in front of the Zurich City Hall and posted reports in noted local and countywide media. This made others affected by MCS to contact the authorities as well. Now the city takes us for serious and is interested to learn from our MCS housing project how to build healthier. So now we will offer this to the public media more often and I also think it is really great, what you do with CSN-Germany for us MCS sufferers. Even a foundation for MCS, which lies very close to my heart, turns out to be possible by the force of this housing project.

SKM: How did you manage to make the guys from the City of Zurich listen to you and that now, actually it can be said this way, it looks like a dream to come true for MCS sufferers?

CS: Simply it was due to the long-time pressure by the media reports. That’s great, what the city of Zurich is doing now. Special thanks should go to them for this pioneer project. Fortunately times have changed. Today we preach to the choir about HEALTHY HABITATION. We, the environmentally diseased have to make use of it to set precedents. Healthy houses for EI’s are physical facts which help others for a better understanding of this environmental illness and which lead to acceptance.

SKM: Who were and who are the biggest supporters for your project?

CS: First there were these approximately 45 members of a cooperative who acquired one or several shares of about 330 Euro and more each by now. A total of nearly 20.000 Euros, with that we had a good start. We should mention the two doctors Dr. Roman Lietha and Dr. Klaus Tereh who supported us from the early beginnings and who both are on the executive committee.

SKM: For some months we have severe emergencies in Germany and we desperately seek shelters for MCS cases who have been hit hardest and can’t find accommodation to survive. Will you offer accommodation for emergencies?

CS: Yes, the housing shortage of others struck by environmental illness touches me dearly. Of course we intend to offer emergency housing. Surely you remember what I experienced, when I searched a site for my old caravan. I never will forget it, not even the numerous nights which I spend outside in the woods, sleeping outdoors on a canvas chair. Thus we intend emergency apartments for environmental diseased and a fragrance free common room where MCS sufferers can meet. The house rules will be strictly MCS adapted.

SKM: Christian we wish you that the MCS Housing Project will be built quickly and without trouble in order to end your nomadic caravan life. What will you do with your caravan in the mountains, when you finally receive a MCS compatible home?

CS: As I am additionally sensitive to heat and suffer from the warmer temperatures in the lower regions, I will keep the caravan for the present. As many MCS cases are heat-sensitive, we also intend to provide MCS compatible emergency and holiday apartments in the mountains. Over the long term we aim to establish a system of holiday flats, because MCS diseased people hardly find suitable vacation homes. It would be nice to have such apartments at the seaside too. The Zurich MCS Housing Project obviously cannot ease all MCS accommodation needs but it should to be a pioneer impulse to originate many other MCS Housing Projects.

Author: Silvia K. Müller, CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network, November 2009.

Translation: BrunO

Il y a 6 mois, Angelika S. allait encore relativement bien. Elle vivait avec sa famille dans le faubourg d’une ville. Elle aimait les animaux et elle tenait une pension animalière. Elle aimait  aussi beaucoup les  gens en général et aimait leur apporter son aide..

J’ai fait  sa connaissance par l’intermédiaire de ma cousine qui lui rendait souvent visite et qui m’a raconté qu’il y a 4 mois environ, elle s’est mise à présenter  les mêmes symptômes étranges que moi. Dâ’un seul coup,  elle ne supportait plus les adoucissants … les gels  douche que la famille utilisait, les déodorants et beaucoup d’autres produits. Ma cousine lui a alors parlé de ma situation et c’est de cette façon que nous sommes entrées en contact par courrier.. Elle voulait avoir des informations sur le  MCS et je les lui ai envoyées. A ce moment là, elle ne supportait déjà plus les meubles et parquets de sa maison et avait dû s’installer avec une couverture dans la cuisine pour dormir sur le sol. Puis tout s’est enchainé très rapidement. Quasiment tous les jours, ma cousine me tenait informée par téléphone de nouvelles intolérances.

Durant le mois d’Aout qui a été très chaud, Angelika a dû dormir  dans la cour sur une sorte de paillasse qu’elle arrivait à supporter mais même cela n’a pas duré……

Ayant pris contact avec un médecin environnemental, elle a dû attendre plusieurs semaines avant d’obtenir  un rendez-vous (congés etc.). Durant toute cette période, je suis restée en contact avec elle quotidiennement par téléphone , pour des conversations de  5-7 minutes, pas plus car, entre temps, elle était également devenue electrosensible.

Je lui ai alors conseillé de se rendre dans un parc naturel   très proche, ce qu’elle a fait tous les matins  avec son mari. Là-bas elle s’est sentie  mieux. Mais les choses se sont accélérées… essoufflement … tachycardie … état de faiblesse dans les bras et les jambes … problèmes respiratoires… En fait….. une dégradation rapide de son état …

Angelika n’étant plus capable de téléphoner elle -même, j’ai  parlé de façon régulière  avec son mari. Au mois de septembre , tous deux se sont rendus sur le terrain de  camping désert de leur club et ont dormi chacun dans leur voiture – deux  petites voitures -  son mari devant dormir dans la sienne parce que, en  rentrant de son travail, il était « contaminé  par des odeurs » . Tous les jours,  il a  dû faire  25 km pour se rendre à son travail,  devant la laisser toute seule dans le camping. Le soir,  il lui préparait un repas  et  faisait à nouveau 25 km  aller -retour… Toutes ces nuits passées dans de petites voitures leur ont occasionné des douleurs articulaires…….

Puis il a rappelé le médecin environnemental qui lui a proposé d’installer une chambre…saine – dans la maison et de ne plus la laisser sortir à l’extérieur …

Suivant ce conseil,  son mari a donc remplacé le plancher en bois par un carrelage puis a utilisé   la peinture naturelle “Rügener Kreidefarbe”  pour  les murs. Pendant ce temps, Angelika vivait toujours  sur le terrain de  camping. Seule toute la journée . Puis il a commencé à faire froid…. 2 filtres à air PN  ont été installés. On lui a donné de l’oxygène pour le trajet  retour  et là, a eu lieu l’essai pour voir si elle supporterait la chambre .

Durant cette période, son mari a dû se mettre en congés ce qui a occasionné d’autres difficultés , notamment la peur de perdre son emploi….

Angelika ne supportait plus les visites, ma cousine ne pouvait plus l’approcher pas plus que les autres membres de sa famille. Elle a dû fuir à l’arrivée de son fils et n’a plus pu approcher son petit-fils chéri.

Je souffre pour ma part de MCS depuis une dizaine d’année. La maladie a mis du temps à se développer chez moi ce qui signifie qu’en un sens, j’ai eu le temps de voir ce que signifiait le fait d’être de plus en plus isolée. L’âme souffre, les larmes coulent …… puis quelques fois la dépression est là et , au moment ou l’on n’a presque plus d’espoir et que l’on ne comprend pas ce qui se passe , la situation s’aggrave encore….

Mais Angelika a elle très vite compris qu’il lui fallait essayer de tout éviter. Elle s’est mise très rapidement à manger bio, à tout changer mais il faut du temps avant que les odeurs  d’une maison « normale » s’estompent….

Je lui ai apporté mon aide en fonction de mes possibilités et ai tenté de l’apaiser … La consultation auprès du médecin environnemental est enfin arrivée  : Il lui a dit qu’elle avait tous les symptomes du MCS  et lui a conseillé un traitement à base de Vit. B12, B1, B6 en  injection tous les jours sur une période de 6 semaines. Bien qu’ayant commencé ce traitement, tout s’est aggravé.

En seulement 6 mois, Angelika est arrivée au stade final du  MCS.

En septembre, son état n’étant pas encore gravissime, je lui ai proposé de venir chez moi et d’y rester quelques jours….. mais elle a préféré voir si elle allait s’adapter à sa chambre nouvellement carrelée.

Samedi dernier, son mari m’a appelée en me disant que maintenant ils devaient tous deux sortir 2 à 4 heures par nuit, et aller soit en forêt soit au cimétière pour qu’elle puisse au moins un peu respirer. A cause de la  chaleur, l’air citadin  était devenu insupportable pour Angelika. Chaque nuit, elle avait des crises  de tachycardie,  des essoufflements et beaucoup d’autres symptômes… Je leur ai donc proposé  de venir chez moi et c’est ce qu’ils ont fait dimanche dernier, le 25 octobre vers 9 heures du matin.

Les derniers 5 jours de la vie d’ Angelika S.:

Elle est venue avec son masque. Elle avait eu besoin de beaucoup d’oxygène durant le trajet et était  totalement épuisée en arrivant. Nous nous sommes installées sur la terrasse.

Ses vêtements étaient contaminés par l’environnement de sa maison et pour moi,  ils étaient  insupportables. J’ai été obligée de garder mes distances et elle a donc souhaité se changer et mettre des vétements à moi. Mais elle n’a pas supporté la lessive de  marque Klar, que je tolère bien pour ma part  …

Pour qu’elle puisse entrer chez moi, elle a mis un jogging , un pull et des chaussettes de son mari qui n’avaient pas été lavés récemment.

Où allait elle pouvoir dormir ?  A ce stade,   elle ne supportait plus le bois, pas  même le bois naturel des meubles,  pas non plus la vieille armoire dans la chambre qu’on avait préparé pour elle.

Elle a voulu dormir sur le sol avec  des draps pas lavés depuis longtemps,  avec une couverture rangée depuis un certain temps au grenier.

Nuits et jours les fenêtres sont restées ouvertes sur  la forêt …

Nous vivons ici dans un environnement forestier à  22 km de Vogelsberg et l’air lui faisait du bien, mais à partir du  lundi,  il y a eu  plus d’ humidité, de brouillard et de basses  pressions  …

Son espoir de voir les choses s’améliorer s’est amoindri. Elle voulait néanmoins essayer.  Elle ne souhaitait pas retourner chez elle…..

Elle est restée sur la terrasse , soit allongée soit assise … j’ai cuisiné  pour elle,  je lui ai donné beaucoup d’eau à boire … j’ai tout essayé pour l’aider moralement et mentalement … je lui ai parlé de note site CSN et aussi des malades qui se sont stabilisés en évitant ce qu’ils n’arrivaient pas à supporter.  Je lui ai parlé de la nécessité de s ‘isoler. Chaque jour nous allions  dehors pour prendre  l’air. Elle pouvait encore faire des promenades d’une heure. Mardi , elle était déjà très ralentie mais elle marchait toujours jusqu’à ce qu’une voiture passant à coté de nous, ne lache des gaz d’echappement qu’elle n’a pas supporté malgré son  masque…

Puis elle a fait la remarque suivante :  pour elle, il lui serait  impossible de vivre comme moi, sans contacts humains et dans un isolement  si long. Son état s’est aggravé, elle n’avait plus l’espoir de pouvoir rester chez moi car elle ne pouvait plus tolérer l’air humide, surtout la nuit … elle n’a plus voulu ni manger ni boire….. elle était désespérée et toutes ses muqueuses ORL étaient dans le même état que chez elle, rouges, gonflées.

Elle devait donc aussi partir de chez moi mais pour aller où ?????

Nous avons réfléchi à toutes les possibilités : Suisse, Mer du Nord … de nouveau   le terrain de camping parce que là bas, la forêt n’est pas aussi dense qu’ici … installer un algéco sur le camping ?  … mais comment chauffer ?  … etc. …

Le Mercredi, à 15 heures,  le fils de ma cousine,  accompagné du mari d’Angelika sont arrivés avec une voiture plus grande, plus « saine » et nous nous sommes fait  nos adieux……..

Aucun d’entre eux ne savait  où aller … ne savait pas quoi faire … alors ils sont retournés  vers la chambre carrelée et le parc  naturel proches.

J’ai su qu’elle avait supporté le trajet avec une température ambiante de 5° dans la voiture. Après cela, je n’ai plus eu de nouvelles…..

Le jeudi après – midi, alors que son mari se rendait au travail et qu’il devait faire quelques achats, elle a mis fin à ses jours… Nous n’avons été avertis que le vendredi soir, selon la volonté de son mari.

Nous sommes terriblement peinés par  la perte de cet être humain…

Une personne  … qui aurait pu vivre encore, si dans ce pays il existait des lieux d’accueil pour les malades atteints par cette pathologie . S’il existait une, seulement une clinique équipée d’une “CleanRoom/pièce sain” où l’on pourrait aller le  cas échéant, comme c’est le cas au Environnemental Health-Center à Dallas/USA , la clinique de Dallas. S’il existait aussi  des médecins capables de diagnostiquer le  MCS à temps – Si la famille et les proches pouvaient aussi bénéficier d’une assistance afin que les choses ne se passent plus ainsi.

Il faudrait que cessent enfin l’ignorance et l’intolérance vis à vis des maladies environnementales. Des maladies pourtant étudiées de façon approfondie par des scientifiques comme le Pr Martin Pall qui nous explique leur mécanisme  et l’implication que peuvent avoir ces pathologies dans la vie quotidienne des malades.

Nous aurions ainsi pu éviter :

• 2 suicides depuis juillet de personnes dont j’ai été proche
• 2 êtres humains précieux, qui n’ont pas su que faire, désespérés…….
• 2 êtres humains qui se vivaient comme un FARDEAU pour leurs familles …
• 2 êtres humains qui, durant de longues années,  ont eu leur place dans la société et ont agit de façon dévouée et loyale

Nous sommes en deuil d’ Angelika S. et nous sommes consternés par le manque d’assistance envers les malades gravement atteint par le MCS.

En espérant que Dieu puisse apporter un peu de réconfort à leurs proches et en espérant aussi que cette situation dramatique change enfin avec le temps….

que toute cette peine – un jour – n’existe plus  …

qu’il sera possible de guérir , de  reconstruire …

Auteurs: Wolfgang et Mona B. pour CSN – Chemical Sentivitiy Network, 31 Octobre 2009

Traduction en français: Yolande pour CSN

Els Valkenburg wrote the first Dutch book on multiple chemical sensitivity, a year later the book became available in the German language and now the English language edition is launched worldwide, also in libraries, schools and universities. Els is very proud that this project succeeded after years of hard work. All editions are adjusted to the specific area/market of that language.

Els: “My goal is to bring more understanding and acceptance about this environmental illness and spread the knowledge as far and as much as possible. I hope young people, supplied with the facts, will not end up like me.  Had I received this information 10 years ago, I would not have had to live the life of a recluse”.

Els hopes with her MCS book to  improve the situations of MCS patients. Not only their health and living situation, but also their relations with family and friends concerning understanding and respect. The book is also suitable for specialists and therapists, because it also has a scientific part and everything is underpinned with research and reports. Most books are written only from a scientific point of view or are written by patients only about their own experiences. This book is written based on both, from own experiences, those of others and on throughout (scientific) research, that is why it has 7 Parts:

• Part I: What Is MCS? (General; Treatment and Strategies for Relief; Scientific etc.)
• Part II: The Personal Story
• Part III: The Voices of Others
• Part IV: The ABCs of MCS: Tips and Advice in Alphabetical Order
• Part V: Films, Books, Art, Music and Spiritual Nourishment
• Part VI: Further Resources (Articles; Websites)
• Part VII: MCS Handout

Understanding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Causes, Effects, Personal Experiences and Resources

Els Valkenburg, ISBN: 978-0-7864-4443-4 | 224 pages

More information on the book: www.the-abc-of-mcs.com

Publisher: www.mcfarlandpub.com

Scientists have revealed how environmental irritants such as air pollution and cigarette smoke cause people to cough, in research published today in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London and the University of Hull, have identified the reaction inside the lungs that can trigger coughing when a person is exposed to particular irritants in the air. They suggest that their findings may ultimately lead to the development of new treatments for chronic coughing. 

Coughing is the most common reason for people visiting a family doctor. Treatment options are limited for people with chronic coughing; a recent study concluded that over-the-counter remedies are ineffective and there is increasing concern about the safety of these therapies in children. 

Today’s study indicates, for the first time, how coughing can be triggered when a person is exposed to certain irritants in the air. It shows that the irritants can switch on receptor proteins called TRPA1 on the surface of nerve endings in the lungs. This switches on sensory nerves, which then trigger a cough reflex. The researchers say coughing could potentially be treated by blocking TRPA1 receptors, to stop irritants in the air from setting off this chain reaction. They hope that this could ultimately help millions of people whose lives are affected by chronic coughing. 

Professor Maria Belvisi, corresponding author of the study from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, said: “For some people, chronic coughing can be annoying and uncomfortable, but for others it can be distressing and can have a severe impact on their quality of life. Many people say that certain things in the air can make them cough and we are very excited that we have shown, for the first time, exactly what is probably happening inside the lungs. Now that we think we have cracked the mechanism, we can start investigating whether we can stop people from coughing excessively by blocking the receptor protein that triggers it.” 

To reach their conclusions, the researchers first looked at sensory nerves from mice, guinea pigs and humans, and showed that the receptors on the sensory nerves were activated by a number of irritants, including a key compound in cigarette smoke (acrolein) and a chemical called cinnamaldehyde. The researchers then blocked the receptors and showed that these substances no longer activated the nerves. 

To establish whether activating the receptor causes coughing, the researchers looked at the effect of acrolein on guinea pigs, as they have a coughing reflex. The researchers assessed the guinea pigs’ coughing after inhaling acrolein. The compound caused coughing, and the higher the concentration, the more the guinea pigs coughed. The researchers then showed that blocking the receptor using a drug significantly reduced the guinea pigs’ coughing response to the compound.

Finally, researchers led by Professor Alyn Morice at the University of Hull looked at the effect of inhaling the chemical cinnamaldehyde in humans. Ten healthy, non-smoking volunteers inhaled the chemical, as well as control substances. The researchers measured their cough response on five occasions, 2-3 days apart. All of the volunteers coughed after inhaling the compound. 

Reference: Imperial College London, Research reveals exactly how coughing is triggered by environmental irritants, November 23, 2009

Chemical Sensitivity – MCS is recognized as a disease and as a physical disability in Germany. The disease is coded at ICD-10 with T78.4 as an organic disease. One might think that people with MCS get proper medical treatment, are treated with fairness like other disabled people, get special workplaces and receive help. Sadly all of this is still lacking in Germany. People with MCS are left without medical attention and accommodations. If their families are unable to take care of them they are lost. For the very sick this sad and unacceptable situation can end in disaster as in the following authentic case.

The last few months of the life of Angelika S.

Six months ago Angelika S. was still doing fairly well. She lived with her family in a suburb of a German town. She loved animals and had a small animal hostel. She also cared deeply about other people.

I got to know her through my cousin who often visited her and mentioned four months ago that Angelika too had strange symptoms similar to my own. Suddenly, she didn’t tolerate fabric softeners – the shower gel of her family, the deodorants and a lot more now made her sick. My cousin told her about me and so we got in touch, first writing letters. She was looking for informational material about chemical sensitivity and I was sending it to her. About the same time I heard that she couldn’t tolerate the furniture and the flooring anymore and was sleeping on the kitchen floor on blankets. From now on everything went incredibly fast…

Nearly every day my cousin called me to report new intolerances. Because of the heat in August, she could only sleep outside on the patio on a kind of futon mat made from compatible materials. Then even this wasn’t possible anymore for her…

Calling an environmental doctor she was told, she would have to wait several weeks (vacation etc.). Then I could contact to her on the phone too. She was able to talk only five or seven minutes, because in addition now she had become electromagnetically sensitive.

Then I gave her the advice to drive to a nature area in her neighbourhood. She did so with her husband each morning between 7 and 8 o’clock. There she did much better. But it speeded up:  difficulty in breathing… heart palpitations …. decreased muscle tonus in the arms and legs …. pulmonary problems …. everything took a turn for the worse.

Since she couldn’t use the phone anymore, I talked to her husband instead. In September he brought her to an abandoned campsite of his club and they slept in the car…in small cars…she in her car and he in his car because his one was contaminated with chemicals from his work. During the daytime he had to drive 25 kilometres to his workplace and to leave her alone there. In the evening he was cooking the meals for her and brought them to her… again 25 kilometres … The nights in the car… bad for the joints.

Then her husband called the environmental doctor again and got the advice to arrange a clean room for her in their house. He should tile the room and keep her in it. So he removed the floor, tiled the room and painted the walls with safe chalk paint. Angelika still was at the campsite, alone during the daytime and it started to get colder…Two air purifiers where bought from PureNature, oxygen for the ride to her home… and then the attempt to bring her back to the new safe room. During the whole time her husband had to take time off from work which got more and more difficult. They had to worry that he would lose his job too.

When she was back at home, my cousin couldn’t come for a visit anymore. Also no one from the family could come to see her. When her son came, she had to escape, and had no contact to her beloved grandchild.

I have had Multiple Chemical Sensitivity for over ten years now, but I had the chance to grow into the situation and I know what isolation means. The soul suffers…tears come…sometimes depression…and when there is no or little hope and you do not really know what will happen to you…then everything is even worse.

But Angelika was learning fast and tried to avoid everything which made her sick; she ate organic food and changed everything.  But it takes time until all smells are out of a general household.

I supported her as much as I could by calming her down and providing her with information…Then the appointment with the environmental doctor came…He said that she has full blown Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and suggested a therapy only of B12 shots for six weeks daily with added B1 and B6. She started his therapy, but everything got worse.

Angelika had reached the end stage of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in only six months.

When she still wasn’t doing so badly – that was in September this year – I had offered her a invitation to come to my place and try it here, but she wanted to try first the tiled room at home.

Last Saturday her husband called me to tell me that they had to drive to the forest or to a graveyard each night.  Otherwise she wasn’t able to breathe…The heating period made the air in the town intolerable for Angelika. Each night she suffered from heart palpitations, shortness of breath and many more symptoms.

I told them to try to come over to me and so they arrived at nine o’clock Saturday, October 25th.

The last days of the life of Angelika S.

She arrived totally exhausted with a mask and heavy use of oxygen on the ride. We placed her on the porch.

For me her clothes were totally contaminated from her environment. I had to keep distance. Then she wanted to change her clothes.  I offered her some of my clothes, but she couldn’t tolerate them. I had used an unscented safe washing powder which I tolerate very well.

To let her into the house we had to shower her in the evening. I found old jogging pants of my husband’s and a cotton pullover; both had not been washed for a long time, and socks…

But on what should she sleep? She couldn’t tolerate wood anymore, no natural wood furniture. It didn’t matter if it was old or not. She even couldn’t tolerate the very old closet in the room we arranged for her. She wanted to sleep on the floor on linen which had not been washed for a long time and on a blanket which had been hanging in the attic for a long time too.

The windows to the forest were open all night and all day…

We live here in Germany in a wide forest area at Vogelsberg and so she was doing well with the clean air. However, last Monday it got damp and foggy and we had bad weather.

Her hope vanished that she would slightly recover here, but she wanted to try.  She didn’t want to go back…

Either she lay or sat on the porch …. I cooked for her, gave her much water to drink …. tried everything possible to help her to restore her soul and mind …. told her about CSN and other sufferers who had recovered by avoiding substances and by isolating themselves. Each day we left for a walk in order to get some fresh air. So far she was still able to walk for an hour.  On Tuesday, though slowly, she was able to walk until a car passed by and left exhaust emissions, which affected her in spite of her mask.

Then she said she couldn’t live a life as I do, without people around her and in isolation for such a long time and then it got worse and worse.  She had no hope that she could stay here any longer because she couldn’t tolerate the damp air especially during the nights.  She refused to eat or drink anymore.  She was in despair and her mucous membranes were – as in her home – bright red and swollen.

She had to leave, but where to go????

We were considering many possibilities: Switzerland, North Sea…back to the campsite because there is not that much forest in its neighbourhood…setting up an aluminium shed…but how to heat it…and so forth…

On Wednesday at 3 o’clock p.m. the son of my cousin came with a big car which was safer than her car. Her husband and we said goodbye…

They didn’t know where to go…they didn’t know…what to do….so they first drove back to her tiled room and then to the close-by nature site.

She survived the ride at five degrees Celsius inside the car and then I heard nothing from them anymore.

On Thursday afternoon when her husband had to go to work and go shopping for food, she put an end to her life!  I did not learn of it until Friday evening because it was the wish of her husband.

We are in deep grief about this lovely person…a human…who still could be living if there was accommodation for cases like hers in Germany. If there was just one clinic to go to which had clean rooms as at the Environmental Health Center in Dallas / USA. If we just had doctors who could diagnose chemical sensitivity in time.  If we just had support for the relatives who don’t know why all this happens.

This ignorance and intolerance about environmental diseases MUST stop. These are diseases that have been described by scientists like Prof. Martin Pall and others.  It’s well known what these diseases DO exist.

I have seen two suicides since last July.

• Two precious humans who didn’t know what to do because of their boundless despair.
• Two humans who felt as a burden to their families.
• Two humans who had worked hard all their lives.

We lament Angelika S. and we are shocked because of the lack of help for people with severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

May the God of solace comfort the suffering of the relatives and may they find hope that their suffering is not forever…

That it will not be like this forever…

That the suffering stops some day…

And that some day there will be a recovery of all things lost…

Authors: Wolfgang and Mona B., Silvia, CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network November 2009

• Japanese Version: “The last few months of the life of Angelika S.”
• Italian Version: “The last few months of the life of Angelika S. ”
• Spanish Version: “The last few months of the life of Monika S.”