I don’t mean the hazard of not having enough money in one’s account to cover the payments. For those of us with chemical sensitivities an added hazard is “scented” bills, the one’s that when you open the envelope a wiff or the latest perfume or cologne rises up to greet you. The scent is meant to be a good marketing tool for the perfume and the store selling it, but for those of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities opening our “scented” bills literally makes us sick.
After I became ill with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, exposure to perfumes, colognes, dryer sheets and fabric softeners triggered asthma attacks, migraines and a severe feeling of cognitive blurring and physical slowing. As my illness progressed, so did the severity of my body’s response to these chemicals. I now experience debilitating neurological symptoms. The above mentioned products are unregulated by the FDA. They contain Neurotoxins as well as Carcinogens.
This morning I paid our bills, starting with the safe, unscented online payments- no problem there. The ”off-line” Macy’s bill was next- the dreaded Macy’s bill! (Dreaded in spite of the small balance remaining on it.)
My hubby opened it soon after it arrived. He threw away the perfumed insert and sealed the rest in a baggy, thinking it would subdue and contain the scent until it was time to pay. When I opened the baggy the invisible yet stubborn perfume escaped. My brain went woozy. The left side of my face and my left arm became numb. My lungs tightened and burned. I coughed through writing the check as I tried to focus my blurry mind on writing it for the correct amount.
I wrote the check for the remaining balance, determined to not have another scented Macy’s bill enter our home again. I opened the window, then took a nap in order to air both the room and my system out. As I was falling asleep, I thought of all the people with MCS, Asthma and other Lung Conditions, and Neurological Diseases, who will unsuspectingly open an envelope and have their symptoms triggered, some will have an asthma attack, some a migraine, some even a seizure.
It’s time to start writing letters I thought as I drifted off. I need to start with writing Macy’s billing department. Companies that scent their bills need to know that they are endangering their customers–those of us “Canaries” who are immediately effected as well as healthy customers whose body’s may someday be effected by exposure to neurotoxins and carcinogens. One letter at a time…perhaps together we can get the perfume out of bills…and ultimately FDA regulation of the perfume industry.
*For more information on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity visit The Canary Report .
You go girl! Get active, write the letter, cancel the card, raise a stink! I’d love to hear about Macy’s response.
Hey Kerry~ I have a hard time with those sorts of bills myself…and magazines too…and I don’t even have chemical sensitivities like you do. I open them up and just feel sorta nauseous. I rip out all of that stuff before I sit down to read a magazine.
I used to feel that way in the girls bathroom in high school and in elevators and that sort of thing. Perfume and the old hair spray used to make me dizzy and nauseous. At the time, I just thought I was being rebellious…now I am starting to wonder!
I will be happy to send off some emails to any companies that you are targeting. I will start with Macy’s today:)
Love ya!
L
Isn’t it terrible?!? Those perfume inserts are overpowering!
Another problem I have is the ubiquitous use of “air fresheners” in public rest rooms now. They make me so ill!
The fabric softeners you referred to, from what I have read, often contain carcinogens. Patients like us with MCSS really are like “canaries in a coalmine”. We can sniff out dangers that affect everyone’s health… whether they know it or not.
Those who do not react immediately to these overwhelming smells aren’t necessarily unaffected by them health-wise, from what I understand. They just don’t have the extreme reactions in the short term. I believe that the long-term effects of these volatile substances will be shown to affect far more than just MCSS patients (down the line when these issues are better understood).
I can often tell if I’ll be allergic to something just by the smell! I take my own shampoo to the salon because I am allergic to the shampoo used there.
Simply going to the salon has to be carefully planned ahead. I have to go on the quietest day there… I have to make sure that there will not be any nails done the day I go. That nail adhesive is the worst!!
Luckily my hairstylist understands my allergies & sensitivities and is willing/able to accomodate my needs. Going on a day where perms or hair coloring are being done is NOT an option.
Fortunately, the salon is open with a skelton crew on Mondays and that is when I go.
The thin “indoor/outdoor type” carpets often used in doctor’s office waiting rooms have caused to me pass out on multiple occasions!
When relatives wear perfume or cologne, I can’t even hug them. Unfortunately, they don’t always understand!
My father wears cologne that makes me very ill. He is also a smoker. I don’t think I’ll ever get him to understand that the combination of his cologne and his cigarette-smelling clothes makes me extremely ill from just a quick hug!
It’s so frustrating!!
Jeanne
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