Today I woke in a super good mood, I just knew something good was going to happen!!
I was enjoying my morning tidying up the house when my son came up the stairs and got in the shower.
SHOOT! How could I forget? He’s getting baptized today!!
To my defense he told me a couple weeks ago and never said another word and had a friend over late.
Panic. This means self-sacrifice for me. I am EXTREMELY chemically sensitive and the last time I was in a church it took 4 Benadryl to stop my chest pain, followed by three days of misery.
My body can’t handle all the chemicals people are wearing in their synthetic fragrances including laundry products.
I go there nervously and find a seat, I can tell this is not a good scenario…I wonder how long I will last…
I see a friend, she stops to talk, I have trouble talking.
The symptoms go a little like this:
- Face pain and tightness of lungs
- Confusing feeling, have trouble talking.
- Chills
- Sweats
- Teeth feel funny
- Extreme panic (I know what’s coming)
- Stiff Neck
- Digestion stops (usually the more serious symptoms are delayed 1-2 days) I believe this is the cause of the delayed migraine.
- Visual disturbances or aura, comes right before the migraine.
- Migraine
- Violent vomiting with extreme body pain.
- Severe reactions I have chest pain as well
When I was sick all the time I could not pinpoint these symptoms to anything and I felt bad even in between the big migraines events. When I removed excitotoxins (things that make nerves rapid fire), I could tell when I was around them and predict accurately what would affect me.
Back to church- I did make it through the baptism thankfully! I saw my neighbors and friends there. What a wonderful day and I’m so proud of my son!
I quickly exit to fresh air and had a major “Why me” feel sorry-for-myself cry on the way home. I am not weak, so I HATE having this weakness. I guess synthetic fragrance is my Kryptonite.
When I got home I decided maybe I should try some deep breathing exercises. Maybe fresh air could dilute all the chemicals I inhaled? I also tried diluting by drinking lots of water.
I then took a walk down to our creek and I found the most beautiful little berries growing. Probably poison but I’ll look it up, maybe it’s my cure? Or do I need a cure? Maybe my problem is a blessing. I’m the canary in the coalmine and being symptomatic allows me to avoid poison.
Sitting there with my feet in the water, I see all sorts of beautiful things. I saw a muskrat working on something, some minnows, lots of butterflies and crawdads. The little baby crawdad I watched was moving rock with his claws like they were hands.
I feel better but I won’t know until tomorrow if I’ve avoided a major event. That was just what I needed. I guess my feet in the dirt IS my church.
Which reminds me the church was held at a movie theater because they don’t have a building and are working on donations for that.
Maybe they don’t need a building!?? I’m a dreamer, here’s my dream. A theater like shelter house with sand. I could have my feet in the sand, breeze blowing fresh air….ahhhhhhhhh love it!
****Look what I found later! I’m not alone!
