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I'm just popping in for a min.

I've got some chemical sensitivities, one unfortunately being pesticides of all sorts & wouldn't yu know, we live in a condo complex that figues the only way to have good lawn care is to weed spray x3 every summer.

It bothers me quite a bit so I've just been going out during the day when it's worst. Wed am. I was sitting here & began to smell & taste it really strong & looked out to see the guy very liberally spraying everywhere ! both bedroom windows [on either side of where the 'puter is were open] & there was a strong breeze in.

Yuck, gag, anyway I rushed to go out & sat in the library for a couple of hours. My lips & nose felt cold & numb & light headed so went on to the mall & noticed that even my brain/perception was rather weird/unusual. That night could still smell it, both son & I woke with puffy eyes - he didn't sleep well at all, most unusual, my eyes looked as if I'd been crying for a week & a cough.

He was heading off on a wks much deserved vac. & he left me his car so when I got back after a few hrs/errands - I said this is going to really bother me, so I threw a whole bunch of camping gear in the car & went to the mtns (one & a hlf hrs drive at most) Am so thankful I went ! It was beautiful, got a good spot, a couple of good hikes, etc. got back yesterday aft & now have to clean up the house-wipe down everything & put away. The short of it all: my eyes were 80% the first am in the mtns & improved !

I'm rushing now to get out of here as If've errands & also need to get away from this Damned 'cide residue I can feel my mouth getting weird etc, makes me sound like a royal mental case, but most likely not -

Today: Friday 09/01: This is upsetting, to say the least

I've been systematically making an effort to clean everything inside, but have to leave after awhile to get fresh air & stay out until supper time. Wednesday I went out & throughly hosed down the sundeck, walls windws & the lawn - ugg, the stuff was so intense out there

Does anyone have any good cleanses to get this stuff out of the body ??? Uggg, it'd been a week & it's affecting my planters which had been really beautiful & some other potted plants I'd been keeping outside. The spray from the hose got on my feet & ankles & inspite of thorough washing they still feel sort of a numb coldness. I woke yesterday am with a very sore raw feeling throat, a little better today. The weird perceptual stuff sort of remains - mostly short term memory decline, lousy multi tasking - grrr ....

Also, Shaun got home Wed aft. - he'd had a good break, for which I'm happy, tho very glad to be home. He said his eyes he had been thinking were feeling scratchy-tired-he'd called it. Thurs am, his eyes puffy tho not as bad as mine - said he's noticing it too. He had a U. course assgnment deadline so was in most of the day & this am got up saying he's feeling it too tho not as much. [so I wasn't on the 'puter at all yesterday]

My eyes are getting bad again, looks like eczema or psoraisis, but if it clears up with away one day & o/n, then that's some sort of allergic reaction type thing.

I'm still working at the cleaning, just am not able to go through like I used to & get things done. It's going to take me a few more days to get most everything done !

The condo board's take on this issue at beginning of summer was " ohh, that's only for 2-3 days out of the year, nothing to worry about"

I think I'm the only person in this building who's on the main floor & generally home 24/7............

Sigh ......... He was planning to move in the next few months, but it feels as if it just can't come soon enough, and once winter comes it won't really be an issue, which doesnt help right now.

I've always been very much a person to take the outlook "Life is what you make it" but this exceeds my capacity to explain my body's reactions, by a good bit !

Sooo, this is not a short way of saying, I'm outta here once more ..........

Ohh, and does anyone have any good cleansing herbal approaches to getting some of this stiff cleansed from the body ???

Saturday:

Just checking in briefly.

So far I haven't got to the sub-contractor who has done the spraying [some post what used, but these are sort of sneaky - use a tiny little sign that's easy to miss & not detailed either], however that is on my list of things to do.

Yesterday Shaun was available to help with some of the cleaning, took all the curtains down for me to wash, did an extra good job with the vacuum, & so on, I've washed a lot down with vinegar & water & it's getting better, but they still really overdid it with that spray ! And I still have more to do.

He's put in a call to the landscapers, but on a long w/e no reply. Yes, the combos are a concern too........ On the plus side, I didn't realize quite how much it's been affecting him for some time - sore throat for ~ 2 mos, me the same, stomach queasy, etc. his eyes are more red & puffy. I'm finding my self dizzy a lot & have been for several months, thought it was the FM, & am also noticing tinnitis ` ringing in ears much louder...

Yuck. I'm not about to let this pass quietly, I just want to make sure I look after my self - short term & then go after the standards-etc. I know he'll stand up & be counted in what ever action unfolds from this. And we use filtered water, get organic or pesticide free foods as often as sensible to, too. We do have reasonably prices on many thankfully ! Ironic, then this happens !

Any way the sun's bright on everything now, so I'm out of here for the day once more !

Well, every time I get into cleaning [ only using vinegar and water ] around my eyes & face gets red and splotchy & now peeling like a sunburn, I get dizzy, my short term memory starts to vanish, my stomach gets queasy-etc, my mouth gets a weird oily feeling & now my sinuses & lungs are icy & sore feeling. Oh yes & tinnitus is louder. This is not good. Scarey stuff, to me, anyway, son is not happy at all either, although thankfully he is away for the w/e. He did really help out on Friday in a big way............

And for absolutely sure this will be going to the condo board.

The sad side of it all is likely 100 feet from our property is a lovely greenbelt & pathway, city maintains, a portion about the size of a stretched out city lot abuts our property & has become increasingly overgrown with thistles, which are now going to seed & all are wafting around our front entrance [we're 2nd from main door] No one is maintaining that particular area. I seriously am contemplating going out and manually seeing how much I'm able to do to remove these things & weeding our lawns once i get things cleaned up here. Call me crazy if you like but something has to change. I've decided I've got to take this to the next level. We have a good medical school here & we also have a very good agricultural college not too far out of town. So, although I cannot change what's taken place, perhaps I can alter the way some things are done in the future.

so much for my ongoing saga...........

I really am going to be very much looking into "green" lawn care, when I lived in Ontario, I know there was a trend in that direction. Thistles & dandelions, here just totally take over, more & more so there is a great deal of spraying going on both municipally and individually. So any information you might be able to pass on would be good !. I've got to invest some time into finding alternatives & reaching our community, I hate spending my summer getting ill from chemicals - not at all like being affected by the 'flu or something contageous, to me this - long term - is a whole lot more serious........

Sent: 04/09/2006 12:18 PM

Well,, I read as far as the coffee grounds & rushed off to get some ! Talk about being emotional ~~ whew, that was me the first day & when I returned, then when son got back w both were, now that was interesting, both trying to clean & not get "on" each other about anything, thankfully he's pretty mindful too, after having some pretty bizzare experiences.

I'm not gping to let this drop around here I can tell you ! He's on the condo board & has direct comm. with the landscape co who subcontracts with the 'sprayer' - I've figured out who they are & will be advising them - likely of everything I can get my hands on that's relevant - lol. I cannot go for a walk anywhere in the city without running into lawns. city greenbelts/pathways that don't get sprayed with the stuff. yesterday I got the name of what they're using municipally - Killex 500 - so much of my time over the next several week will be to a) reach the property mgmt with plenty of info

b) the condo board

c) the city aldermen, etc.

As I'm sure I'm not the only person who's affected by this ~ canary in the coal mine ~ and then there's all the children who are unable to voice specifically what they're experiencing, not to mention all of the pets. Not even the birds are coming around here just now. We had robins, sparrows, even a few chickedees, sheesh, even the magpies have gone & now that I think of it I haven't seen or heard any pigeons either. Sigh - the cost of perceived beauty ! PPl seem not to be able to put together the concepts of long term health problems (cancer & alz to name a few) and the use of toxic chemicals in everything. [ oops getting on my soap box ].

Any way still cleaning & getting out for several hours. & you are so right about the magent thing - that's exactly what I've been doing this summer !

Now If I can just figure out to rid us of all the thistle's ~ I may just have to go 'over there' and clip them, etc. myself

Sent: 11/09/2006 2:07 PM

Yes, most helpful ! I've not done any of the writing I need to yet, still coping with the having to leave my home every day for quite a few hours! but it is getting better, I can see it's still affecting Shaun too, tho he won't say much of anything. Now after reading your post Paige, I don't feel quite so silly about my reactions to everything & you've given me the courage to search further to make my point.

At this point our planters are ruined a few bits have survived, but hardly any of the wee dark blue flowers which hung over the edges. And I'm thinking my heavy cotton curtains may have to be replaced as I can't wash out enough to be able to iron them so far !

The chemical interests in this province have such a hold on things, that I'm apalled at their influence over peoples thinking and behavior.

Sent: 12/09/2006 10:45 AM

Yes, I've been thinking about how to get some wider exposure locally for my position about it all.

Yesterday, I stayed in longer & can really notice a number of the effects even this long after the spray.

The tinnitis ~ ringing in the ears- is so much louder & when I try to recall when it I first had it, I know quite a long time ago I was exposed to insect spray - apt. fumigating & it got quite bad then too. Something to think about for anyone with it.

And IBS ~ I have been diagnosed with that ages ago, but haven't had any run-ins for a long time & in the last 2 weeks have really found it recurring - a daily challenge

Then brain fog: at the worst times soonest after the spray, I was having a lot of difficulty recalling words - & making simple sentences - now that's frightening, I can tell you ! My short term memory is still iffy - which is frustrating. Shaun had noted before this whole thing that mine has become worse this summer ! And I've been sitting here all day exposed to lower doses of the 2,4-D.

Muscle Weakness: a long term side effect of "over exposure" hmmmm, sound anything like any of our chronic symptoms ???

Anyway thank you for "listening"

a very good cleansing tea is good essiac. it's not just for cancer. it's good for a lot of stuff. and there's some good chinese medicines for just about everything. i'll check on it.

Thanks Cindi that would be much appreciated !

We've had 3 full days of heavy rain and very cool temps which has helped quite a lot, but I'm still really having trouble with sore throat, lungs & sinuses & tinnitis (no volume controls on that yet - lol)

Here's a wee prezzie for you

i couldn't find any chinese herbs for your specific problem. so go ahead and try the essiac or one of the others thst sre the same but have a different name and are cheaper. and it's good to kick it off with a 2 or 3 day liquid fast and a colon cleanse.

Thanks Cindi ! Good ideas, I can get the essiac tea fairly reasonably & have been using an herbal tea with ginger & some others that seems to be good & my green drink that has spirulina & blue green which I think is supposed to help internal cleansing.

I'm still feeling the effects of this stuff, the smell is so strong outside & Shaun is still feeling it too, but at least he's out for the full day.

When I think about the pervasiveness of 'cide applications and a wide range of health issues that people have to cope with I feel as if I need to do some research and see if I can do anything to, hopefully make a little shift in our thinking or at least make some interesting comparisons.

Sent: 10/19/2006 10:37 AM

Well, it's been a solid month or more since I said much here.

The cooler weather & snow & rain have helped to quash the smell/ fumes /off gassing from the stuff. All the little thistle seedlings are gone. I did go out a couple of wks ago & dug up a lot of large thistles from the shrubs around the front door - there's been enough 2,4-D applied to damage some of the shrubs.

I don't feel so absolutely distressed/ trapped & desperate to get out of here all the time ..... That was a profound emotional experience, I can tell you .........

I still have a sore throat, has never let up, tho not as severe

Lungs don't hurt much but have "bronchitis" and a bit of cough

Tinnitis is loud & never quits [and gets really loud if I breathe when I put the detergent in the dishwasher-smell the stuff at all]

More stiff & sore & achey than before.

Had a lot of rather intense 'hot flashes' until this last week [that's most often associated with liver congestion-according to Traditional Chinese Medicine-and that theory & how to eliminate has always worked well for me]

Have developed a sore itchy, painful at times red patch under the edge of each arm pit [that's new !!!!] {relates to the lymphatic system & persperation/ releasing toxins}

Eyes, still sore, inflammed, some swelling & redness continues around the outer corners & peeling. Really painful still, opening them in the night when I've been asleep for awhile. Eyesight has declined noticably.

Short term Memory is lousy, that's frustrating and scarey too. Sigh ... now I'm loosing my mind too - lol

Shaun's allergies have flared up & he has eczema [although just on one finger !] so has removed wheat & yeast from his diet which is helping. Since I'd removed them from my own diet several years ago that part isn't too difficult.

For certain we will be moving come about April, but in the meantime we will still have to live in an environment which is essentially contaminated. And I still haven't put together a good letter of protest to the property mgmt & lawn people & sub contractor who did the spraying. Still working on gathering info tho. In this situation I feel as if it's not much good to complain too much unless I've some information & recommendations to back up my complaint.

Ohh, I can get quite long winded, can't I ??? lol

Rene M

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