As I read the story of a Pennsylvania woman who suffers from environmental illness I couldn't help but think about Lily Tomlin's character Pat Kramer in The Incredible Shrinking Woman. When Pat Kramer, an ordinary woman, is exposed to a unique mix of chemicals, she begins to uncontrollably physically shrink. Now it could be argued there are other symbolic reasons to explain why Pat is literally disappearing before are eyes, but more than 25 years after this film was released there is evidence the chemicals we ingest daily are having an impact on our physical health.
The Associated Press reports:
Ten hours a day, every day, Elizabeth Feudale-Bowes confines herself to a galvanized-steel-and-porcelain shed outside her house. Inside are a toilet, a metal cabinet, a box spring with the metal coils exposed, and a pile of organic cotton blankets. Aluminum foil covers the window.Is this a hoax? Is the food we eat and the air we breath literally making us sick? Have you ever noticed a change in how you feel following something you ate, drank or from the air you were breathing? So what do you think?
The place is as austere as a prison cell — but it's also her sanctuary from an outside world that she says makes her violently ill.
She and her husband call the structure "the bubble."
This bubble, though, may be about to burst: A judge has ordered it taken down by the end of the month.
Some of the couple's neighbors in suburban South Whitehall Township complained that the 160-square-foot building is unstable and so unsightly it could drag down their property values. The couple also hooked up electrical, water and sewer service without securing permits.
"For the wife's medical problems, there is sympathy. For the owner's defiance of the township's lawful directives, there is no excuse," Judge Carol McGinley ruled earlier this month.
Feudale-Bowes, 52, says she was diagnosed several years ago with "environmental illness," described as extreme sensitivity to everyday substances.
Some doctors question whether environmental illness is a genuine physical disorder and suggest it is psychological. Feudale-Bowles says she was diagnosed by Dr. William Rea of Texas, who has been accused by the Texas Medical Board of promoting "pseudoscience." He vigorously disputes the charge and continues to see patients.
Feudale-Bowes says fabric softener, nail polish, perfume, new sneakers, upholstery and many other items can make her body go haywire. She says she has suffered from a range of chronic ailments, including migraines, joint pain, bladder inflammation, seizures and temporary paralysis. Her insides, she says, have sometimes felt like "fire with ground glass in it."
10 comments:
A year ago somebody did a news documentary of people moving to Montana, one of the Big Sky states, to live like hermits because they were sick all the time living near big cities. Once there, they thrived. But paranoia set in and they pretty much kept to themselves and didn't want contact with other humans. The people doing the documentary had to dress in suit protection before the people with the disorder would allow the interviews. It seemed, at the time, to be a very small percentage of our population.
Jeepers! I hope that I never grow allergic to chocolate cake!
While it is entirely possible for someone to have allergic reactions to what you and I consider common, it is rare. In this case, Feudale-Bowes is complaining about very non-specific issues and (apparently) the only diagnosis came from someone reprimanded by his medical board for promoting pseudoscience.
While it is possible that something in this woman's environment is causing this issue, I believe it is more important for her to get a proper diagnosis. It could be she is suffering from a real medical issue that needs to be addressed. And if it is an environmental allergy, another doctor may be able to prescribe a much less extreme treatment.
Did a bit more research on this doctor and he does seem to have a history of using bad or incomplete science to try and back up his claims.
Several cases he participated in. (you need to search for his name)
It also seems he has a tendency to take the patient's money and let them argue with their insurance about coverage.
Some of his treatments include "injecting chemicals such as jet fuel and natural gas into patients" according to complaints filed by former patients.
John - I happen to be one who thinks our environment IS killing us. And by environment I mean the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breath. We injest far too many chemicals, and I think it's quite possible that some people's systems simply reject it all and they become sick.
I have met people who get sick if they are in the same room with someone who is wearing perfume, so I think environmental illness is genuine.
BAC
Dr. Z -- ME TOO!!!
BAC
My partner has MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities). Believe me, it's real.
Most people don't know that when you read the word "fragrance" on a label, there's a whole world of chemicals underneath -- chemicals that the fragrance industry does not have to reveal, because it's a "trade secret".
Many chemical fragrances contain various neurotoxins and carcinogens -- a lot of which is used to "push" the fragrance into the air.
My partner's sensitivity increased over a number of years -- it got so bad that we could not stay in a hotel or eat in a public restaurant.
She's hardly a hypochondriac -- she's an outgoing, active person who simply reacts to certain chemicals. Being at the library next to someone doused with perfume can result in several days of severe headaches and fatigue for her.
I have to say: I have no way of knowing if this woman's condition is genuine or partially genuine, but it would certainly be nothing new to assume a woman's medical condition was unreal, all in her head, or otherwise a consequence of being all hysterical.
Portlydyke - So sorry to hear about your partner. The women I know who suffer from this are certainly not faking it.
Lauren - sexism has a way of creeping into every area of our lives! Women with real illnesses are sometimes told it's "all in their head" ... I hate that.
BAC
BAC, don't misunderstand me. As I prefaced my earlier comment, it is entirely possible that this woman is having an allergic reaction to something in her environment. The problem is that the diagnosis is from someone know to practice untested medicine on their patients, take their money, and leave them to fight (often unsuccessfully) with their insurance company for coverage.
These are the same tactics quacks, faith healers, homeopaths and others use all the time to bilk their clients. I want to make sure this doctor isn't taking advantage of her non-specific symptoms in an attempt only to fatten his own pockets. That is why I suggested she get a second opinion.
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