ASEQ-EHAQ

I live with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) (reactions to chemicals) accompanied by neuromuscular impairment and chronic pain. I have not worked for several years; I have experienced a lot of isolation and incomprehension from my relatives and the medical community. I devote a huge amount of my energy to doing the minimum necessary on a daily basis and any appointment requires a lot of preparation and organization.

ASEQ-EHAQ referred me to a doctor who knows about my condition and who prescribed me oxygen. It lessened my reactions because I now have a solution when I am exposed to chemicals/products that are used outside my home (such as scented laundry products). These products enter my home and make me ill. I am not even able to leave the premises due to the chemicals being in the air outside.

I have frequently consulted the association’s website for the list of products that are suitable for people like me. It saved me time and it saved me from being very sick with each “trial / error” (because with MCS, we cannot rely only on words such as “fragrance-free” and “hypoallergenic”).

The existence of ASEQ-EHAQ also gives me a sense of security and hope. I know that there is an organization that takes my illness seriously, that there is a place where I can call if I ever need help or advise especially when I cannot make my needs understood by others such as caregivers. I also feel that there are people working to make essential services and public places accessible to people like me so that we have suitable housing for our condition.

I have suffered from environmental sensitivities (chemical, mould and electromagnetic sensitivity) since 1986. This condition made it impossible to tolerate products with a Petro-chemical base (personal, cleaning, construction and renovation products, all fragranced products, newsprint, all new products, etc.) and devices that emitted electromagnetic frequencies, such as computers and cell phones.

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I had been a teacher doing special education for many years. I had a successful career and was competent and skilled in my work. In the late 1970’s my husband and I started remodelling and renovating homes for resale. We used the products that were available on the market at that time with no knowledge about their toxicity.

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As a member of the Environmental Health Association of Quebec (ASEQ-EHAQ), the Association has always been and remains close to my heart to this day. It is extremely valuable and important, both on a personal and collective level. When I first discovered I had Environmental Sensitivities, which is a disability, I was confused, isolated and felt demolished and abandoned. It felt like I had been kicked out of my own life.

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