You are looking at posts that were written in the month of December in the year 2007.
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I received the following email last night - actually @ 2:11AM South Texas time. The author, who shall remain nameless, found my other site - Fragrance Free World - by searching on the phrase “fragrance and adhd” at Yahoo! It is most definitely a cry for help:
I’m a special education teacher with Seattle Public School District. One of my students wears hairspray and baby gel. I have had a strong reaction to both products. The ADHD kids in my classroom can’t stand the smell that this students gives off. The school district told me to submit a 504 because of my asthmatic reaction to this child. The Human Resources told me that I would have to take a medical leave of absent. They also told me that the child had a perfect right to wear the strong smelling products - no questions asked. The hell with the rest of us. I refuse to take a medical leave of absent. I need the name of a really good lawyer. Can you help me out here???? Thanks.
First, I have to say that I’ve had a theory for a long time that ADHD is caused by fragrances and other VOCs in our modern environment.
But this letter makes a good point. The right of a person to wear fragranced products should end where the breathing space of other people begins. It’s the same issue as smoking, when you get right down to it. Sadly, until the American Public really wakes up to this fact, there will be problems. It doesn’t help that the FDA doesn’t do anything about it. Probably too many contributions from the fragrance industry.
But, I digress. Let’s get back to the emailer’s problem. I don’t know from the email whether anyone has talked w/ the student wearing strongly fragranced products. It might be an idea. Although I know how defensive people can get.
But the author is correct. They shouldn’t have to take a leave of absence because of the inconsiderate behavior of a student. Sadly, the lawsuit option, or even the threat of one backed by a lawyer, might be an option.
Finding said lawyer could be difficult. The reaction of most people to this type of issue is often a roadblock. People don’t want to believe that someone could be allergic to fragrances or have health issues because of them. Probably b/c they don’t want to give up their own fragrances?
So, I know that in the past I’ve had readers who went the lawyer route. Is there anyone out there who can provide information on how you found a lawyer? If you have website links, or even searches you’ve done. Please leave a comment. Or if you have other information that could help this person - leave a comment.
Thanks!
Tip for Today: Relax and have a Merry Christmas!
My Time: 5:47
Click on the image or here to go to the puzzle.
Well, not precisely new. It’s just that I only recently realized this problem was related to my fragrance sensitivity. Here’s what happened:
Last weekend, I had a lot of problems. First, during the day, my legs were very restless. I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t really do much of anything. I’ve had this problem before, except usually it was because I was very tired. As soon as I would lay down, it would go away. But this time it wasn’t happening. Finally, I decided that if my legs wanted to move, I would take them for a walk. And it helped, for a while.
Sunday evening, we went out to eat. Nothing fancy, except once again everybody, everywhere is wearing their perfume in order to dress up for the holidays. (UGH!) By the time I got home, it was all in my clothes. So I changed into a t-shirt that had come from my father’s house. Then I decided I would sleep in that shirt.
But, I couldn’t sleep. I was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. I was restless and tossed and turned. I finally went into the guest bedroom so as not to disturb by DH. That bed wasn’t made up, so I fished a blanket out of chest of drawers that came from my father’s house. After a while, I realized that I was smelling lots of perfume. It was in the shirt and the blanket. So I changed out of the t-shirt and ditched the blanket. Poof - problem solved. I was asleep in minutes.
As I think about this incident, I realize that there have been other times that I couldn’t sleep. Even without the migraine itself, the fragrances have been interfering with my health.
Some days it is very hard to cope with these issues. Becoming a hermit sounds attractive. Or maybe Thoreau was right. But I could never get through his book. And I tried many, many times.
It has been suggested to me on many occasions that I would benefit from massage. Some have said it would help my migraines. Others have said it would help with my neck pain. And many have told me that it would help with stress!
But I was always hesitant. To tell the truth, I imagined that there would be a lot of fragrances in such a place. You know, they certainly have a lot of laundry. Plus aromatherapy. And I was sure all the oils or lotions were scented - mainly b/c I have such a difficult time finding unscented ones myself. Plus it seemed they would always be burning incense or candles.
Then, in October I had lunch w/ someone who told of her recent first massage. She said there were no perfumes that she noticed. Which sounded good. Except that those that live in the scented world don’t have as keen of a nose for detecting perfumes. Still, I was interested and more tempted.
As it happened, just a few weeks after that, I was given a gift certificate to the same massage place. (Thanks, sis!) She correctly assumed that I had a wee bit too much stress and would benefit from massage. I finally took the plunge last week and it was great.
The room I was in had a burning candle - which I noticed immediately. I asked the massage therapist if we could put it out. Well, she put it out and moved the candle to the break room. But there really were no fragrances there! As I talked with the therapist, I learned that they actually ASK the therapist not to wear perfume. And they are asked to wear/use only unscented products. Who knew? It was truly amazing. A bit of fragrance free heaven and a massage to boot!
I’m going back real soon!
I received an email last week from someone named Ruth. She gave permission to share her comments. Ruth has her own insight to living with fragrance sensitivity so I thought I would share her email, with a few comments:
I developed a scent sensitivity a few years ago, which surprised me, as I was a perfume wearer at the time (albeit very little, I still wore perfume). I was working with someone who drenched herself in perfume and I ended up in the emergency ward because I thought I was having a heart attack (I also had very bad headaches.) After that, I became intolerant of most every scent, no matter how minor. I have had a closed office at work since last summer and I am gradually becoming better able to tolerate minor scents, I suppose because I can escape many of the scents in my office and my body is getting a chance to rest and heal. I don’t get the bad headaches so much anymore, but I have breathing problems and am now trying a puffer, although I don’t think it does much good.
You’re fortunate to have a closed office. I wish the mechanisms of this disease were better understood. They don’t really know what causes the change to being intolerant to any scents.
This experience has provided me with a valuable education about respecting the rights and sensitivities of others. It’s almost mind boggling to me how little concern is shown by some individuals towards the health and safety of others. They just don’t get it, but then I didn’t a few years ago either. Having said that, if there had been an awareness campaign about this issue at my office at that time (we have one now, i.e. emails to all staff, notices in the washrooms, etc.) I would have complied immediately, without question. A number of years ago when being invited to a house party, I was asked to refrain from wearing perfume because another invited guest was sensitive to scents. I found it a weird request at the time (it was the first time I’d heard of scent sensitivities), but I complied and attended scent-free. However, I continued to wear perfume after that.
People like their scents and often aren’t willing to give them up. I’ve had people tell me they believe they are harmful, yet they still continue to use them.
What a difference a few years makes! I totally get it! Now my home is 99% scent-free, although I do occasionally use an air spray that is 100% lemon extract, all natural with no chemicals (you can buy it at Home Depot). I use this once in a while because my neighbours across the hallway use a ton of perfume and sometimes the smell drifts into my condo unit. The lemon extract seems to neutralize the smell a bit. And although I buy soap that is labelled scent-free, it still has a slight perfume smell. I can’t seem to find a soap that is completely fragrance free.
Have you tried Kiss My Face for soap? I use their Pure Olive Oil Soap. It has NO perfume in it and no perfume smell.
Sometimes it feels like a full-time job, or at least a part-time one, dealing with this issue. From dealing with colleagues, friends and family member who don’t get it, or don’t want to get it, to hunting down fragrance free products, to coming to terms with how restricted my life now is, it’s a lot of work. I find having this condition rather socially isolating; I have lost friends over this who would continue to wear perfume around me despite my pleas otherwise. I now avoid certain family members for the same reason. I avoid theatres and cinemas and certain stores where I used to like to shop.
Yes, it is more work. I can empathize there. But it’s what we have to do. You cannot go anywhere without thinking about what you may encounter. I’m often reluctant to attend parties, get into other peoples cars, etc. I’ve given up on movies too and have a long list of stores I will not shop.
On a positive note, I am learning to stand up for myself a lot more. When I travelled by train last Christmas, a woman wearing perfume began to sit down beside me and I asked her to sit somewhere else because of her perfume. She appeared offended but complied. I would never have been so assertive a few years ago. I now have a no-fragrance sign on my office door. I return all products that prove to be scented once I open them at home (even if I have to do battle with the store clerk, they get returned). I fought for, and won, the removal of scent-dispensers in the lobby and my hallway of my condo building. I do what needs to be done to preserve my health.
Good for you! I think many people are willing to accommodate other people’s problems, once they’re aware of them.
Anyway, I’ve written a book! I suppose you just wanted a few comments!
Not a problem at all. Feel free to comment at any time and at any length!
Linda, a frequent commenter on this blog, recently sent me an e-newsletter from OMB Watch called “Right-To-Know eUpdate”. From the web site for OMB Watch:
Our Mission: OMB Watch exists to increase government transparency and accountability; to ensure sound, equitable regulatory and budgetary processes and policies; and to protect and promote active citizen participation in our democracy.
More about OMB Watch:
Our History: OMB Watch, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, was formed in 1983 to lift the veil of secrecy shrouding the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This eUpdate covered environmental issues as well as other regulatory & budget issues. Of particular interest was a reference to this article: “Clearing the Air - Hidden Hazards of Air Fresheners“. But there were several other articles of interest. You may also want to check out this site: The Right-To-Know Network.
