The Road to Improvement
"Will I ever get better?"
When an MCS sufferer first comes to a realization of what the problem is there is a sense of relief to know that they are not crazy and that there are others who have the same problem. Once steps are taken to clean up the environment in which they live, so as to enjoy a measure of improved health, they may find that they actually experience more problems upon exposure to offending chemicals. This may leave them wondering, "Will I ever get better? Will I ever be able to do the things I used to do? Or am I just on a downhill spiral?"
Your search for improvement may prove disappointing at times. Perhaps you have been spurned by traditional medicine. You may have found that good alternative health doctors are few and far between. Maybe you have been scared off by questionable methods practiced or endorsed by some. But the good news is that there are individuals who are living proof that a good measure of relief is within reach, so don't give up!
Other MCS sufferers will be your most likely source of helpful advice. Find out who or what has helped them and weigh their suggestions carefully. You may get all kinds of suggestions, from diets to drugs to doctors who can supposedly cure you over the phone. Try to have clearly in mind from the start what types of help you will and won't accept, and stick with your convictions. For example, from the beginning I knew that I would not accept any help that smacked of spiritistic practices, and I never deviated from that, though it once meant getting up off a doctor's table in the middle of an exam and to explain that this type of therapy was not acceptable to me. I also had a fairly strong determination to stay away from prescription drugs as I felt that these would only cover up my symptoms, at best, and not really fix anything. Still, my determination to stay away from drugs was negotiable, whereas my determination to stay away from spiritistic healing was not. Know your limits and don't waste time with anything totally unacceptable to you.
I have enjoyed a large measure of improvement in the past year. It took me several years to get to this point, but it was worth it. I could have improved a bit sooner had I not backtracked here and there, but I am just glad to be going places again and enjoying life more fully. I am happy to share with you some of the things that have helped me.
© Dorothy Herrmann 2005
