Planet Thrive

chemical sensitivity

• Meditation decreases gray-matter density in the amygdala
  Eight weeks of meditation produces measurable changes in the brain, correlating to decreased levels of stress and anxiety and increased memory.
• You are invited to A Community Meal on November 24
  A shared meal that accommodates multiple food restrictions marks the 3rd performance piece for the Social Practice performance class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
• Unifying Walk Performance Monday, November 17
  Part 2 of the Community Tea performance art piece is happening tomorrow, Monday, November 17th at 4:30 pm CST in Chicago and it will take the form of a unifying walk.
• Community Tea Party Sunday, November 9
  Connect with other EIs over tea on Sunday, November 9 at 11 am CST.
• Eco-friendly laundromat in Portland, Oregon
  Morgan Gary's eco-friendly Spin Laundry Lounge in Portland, Oregon leads the way in redefining the laundry experience.
• Amazing Amelia Hill website now live
  Amelia Hill has been confined to one room for the past five years. She has created a website to document her journey to health and help spread awareness of environmental illness.
• The Dispossessed is now available as an e-book
  Artist Rhonda Zwillinger's seminal photo-documentary on life with chemical sensitivity is now available as an e-book.
• Sia’s DIY brain retraining visualizations for MCS
  Sia Alexander shares her custom brain retraining techniques for healing MCS.
• The unstoppable Amelia Hill
  Long-time Planet Thrive member and survivor of severe environmental illness and myalgic encephalomyelitis, Amelia Hill flies the flag for invisible illness.
• ‘The Canaries’ book available for purchase
  Photographer Thilde Jensen's long awaited 'The Canaries' book is finally available to purchase.
• Discover magazine features chemical sensitivity
  The November 2013 issue of Discover magazine features the well written article "Extreme Chemical Sensitivity Makes Sufferers Allergic to Life" by journalist Jill Neimark.
• Name of test and lab for identifying pesticides in blood
  Dear Dr. Rea, Can you tell me the name of the test and the lab that does the blood test that tells you the list of pesticides in your blood?
• Hernia repair without plastic mesh
  Dear Dr. Rea, I was reading on the Internet that you know surgeons who will do an inguinal hernia operation without that dreaded plastic mesh, or any mesh. Can you refer me to anyone?
• Children and glutathione supplementation with MCS
  Dear Dr. Rea, My kids are doing your allergy shots. Will the glutathione they are rotating every 4th day be adequate to detox?
• Keeping my home safe from neighbor’s pesticides
  Dear Dr. Rea, It has taken me forever to find a home to live in that I am mostly nonreactive to. Can you think of any ideas that would be helpful in preventing my neighbor's pesticide spraying from entering my home?
• Link between dementia and MCS?
  Dear Dr. Rea, Wondering if you or others have seen a link between MCS and dementia, especially if it is untreated and exposures are not avoided.
• Best window materials for MCS?
  Dear Dr. Rea, I am extremely chemically sensitive and it is necessary for me to replace the windows in my home. How do I choose windows that will be the least reactive to me?
• Physician to treat phenol sensitivity in Kansas
  Dear Dr. Rea, Is it possible to eliminate a phenol sensitivity by taking graduated exposures over time? Can you recommend an allergist in Kansas to help me with this?
• Face and eye burning with MCS
  Dear Dr. Rea, I have been diagnosed with MCS by 3 different specialists; however, none have addressed the burning in my face and eyes after an exposure.
• Using real life to retrain an MCS brain
  Planet Thrive founder, Julie Genser, has moved away from the safety of the chemically sensitive community in Snowflake, Arizona where she lived for five years after becoming severely disabled by environmental illness.
• Can toxic mold cause MCS?
  Dear Dr. Rea, I have read that only a few types of molds are known to cause MCS. Could Aspergillus fumigatus potentially cause or contribute to MCS?
• Boosting serotonin levels for MCS
  Dear Dr. Rea, In one of your past Q and A's, you state that "serotonin is frequently more effective for headaches and gastrointestinal reactions." I have G-I reactions to chemical exposures, and I'm wondering how I can increase my serotonin level.
• Emergency help for MCS housing crisis
  Dear Dr. Rea, I have severe MCS, much worse due to a recent "engineered wood" floor that was to replace the previous bad carpet. I need either a place that doesn't make me sick or treatment that will allow me to tolerate my place.
• Dr. Rea’s thoughts on MCS brain retraining programs
  Dear Dr. Rea, Are you familiar with brain retraining treatments for MCS, CFS, FMS and related conditions, and how do you feel about them given your knowledge of the biology of these illnesses?
• Planet Thrive founder named Rare Life “Survival” runner up
  Julie Genser was selected for the Rare Life Award "Survival" runner up prize for her ability to survive and thrive with environmental illness. The prize: $3,000 will be donated to housing non-profit re|shelter in Julie's name.
• The dental work that helped me recover from MCS
  by Elisha McFarland | Since having all of this dental work completed, I have seen a significant shift in my health...I can say that I am almost completely healed.
• Mast cell disease and MCS – are they related?
  Dear Dr. Rea, My daughter has mast cell activation disease and is reactive to smells, foods, drugs, etc. How are mast cell disease and MCS related, or do they overlap?
• $100 Hope Grants for homeless MCS and EHS people
  A private, anonymous donor is awarding $100 cash grants to people who are homeless due to chemical and//or electromagnetic sensitivity. Applications are due by March 25, 2013.
• Environmental medicine M.D. in New York City
  Dear Dr. Rea, I live in NYC and have what I believe is chemical sensitivity. I am searching for someone who can help me locally here. Any help you can provide will be most appreciated.
• Safer anesthesia and materials for dental work
  Dear Dr. Rea, My 15 year old daughter needs dental work. Are there any anesthetics we need to avoid? And do you have any recommendations as far as filling materials for her teeth?
• My body is craving jungle energy and positive life experiences
  by Julie Genser | This next year will hopefully see a huge jump in transformative growth for me...as I catapult out of environmental illness into environmental wellness.
• MCS researcher needs your input today
  Renowned MCS researcher Dr. Pamela Reed Gibson and the JMU CI/MCS research team are seeking participants for their latest research on chemical sensitivity and health care.
• Walkathon Across America for Environmental Illness
  The Jennifer Parker Foundation has just announced plans to hold a Walkathon Across America for MCS/Environmental Illness in May 2013. They are currently seeking Team Captains to help recruit walkers.
• Planet Thrive founder nominated for Rare Life Award
  Julie Genser was recently nominated for a Rare Life Award, honoring those who exhibit Courage, Leadership, Survival, Heroism, Devotion and/or Character. The Grand Prize Winner will win $30K for the charity of their choice. Vote today!
• Anne Lipscomb’s story
  Anne Lipscomb developed multiple chemical sensitivity in 1993. Her book and movie is one woman’s story of how the imagination finally comes to triumph over physical limitations.
• re|shelter’s Safe Oasis Grant Program now open
  Housing non-profit re|shelter is now offering (5) small grants up to $2,000 each to eligible individuals whose ability to continue to live safely in their current home has been severely compromised by environmental intolerances.
• The illusion of control
  by Diana Rose Kottle | It is an illusion to think we have control over the outcome of anything and yet we are more powerful as creators of our own reality than we could even imagine. This is the paradox.
• Your vote needed – MCSer is a week away from winning $10K
  When one of us with severe chemical and mold sensitivity wins, we all win. Please make the effort to vote for Lou Anne every day this next week and share widely on your social media pages.
• Brain retraining recovery stories
  A running list of success stories to help encourage those in the middle of brain retraining programs for MCS, CFS and related conditions.
• You can be in the movie “Homesick” by Susan Abod!
  Susan Abod needs your help in order to finish her movie Homesick, a documentary about living with chemical sensitivity. She is putting out a call for "safe house" photos to create a collage at the end of the film. Send yours in today to be included!