Saturday, April 18, 2009

Housekeeping Matters

Okay, so this post isn't exactly about housekeeping, more like desk-keeping. I've been buried with work the past couple of weeks and the pile on my desk for possible blog posts has become quite obnoxious. I want it to go away. So I'm going do it all in one fell swoop. What follows are notes from the most important papers in my pile.

A great new website (http://thetenthparadigm.org/), created by Dr. Martin L. Pall, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington State University, gives new scientific validation to MCS and other similar diseases. Even if you don't have a scientific background and can't understand all the information on the site, you will find much that will encourage you and may improve your life. He includes the protocol he has developed for the treatment of these diseases, much of which can be done with over-the-counter food supplements (which he lists in detail).

CNN reported this week that the Atlanta airport is in the process of implementing a new keep-the-airport-clean project that uses music and scent to encourage everyone to keep the airport "opening day fresh." Quoting from the article, "...the airport recently launched the initial phases of a program that uses a scent called 'Breeze' to help enhance visitors' mood. [The scent] uses a variety of different notes, including vanilla and a little lavender." Needless to say, I find this just apalling and more than a little scary. Please, please, send an email to the Atlanta airport authority protesting this action (http://www.atlanta-airport.com/ -contact-customer service). There's no guarantee that emails from us will change this program, but they need to understand that this is not acceptable and could be a liability problem for them.

In my ongoing campaign to make the world safer for children, I site a new study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics which documents the "widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children, including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions." Some of the most contaminated products they found included: Johnson's Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber), Huggies Baby Wash, L'Oreal Kids, Mustela, Suave Kids, Baby Magic Baby Lotion and American Girl shower products. For more information go to http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=414.

And last, but certainly not least, go check out the new Canary Report website at http://www.thecanaryreport.org/. It will educate, inspire and entertain you. Kudos to Susie. You are my MCS hero.

Happy Spring to everyone.

2 comments:

Susie Collins said...

Thanks for the shout out! Humbled at your kinds words. Also humbled to be in that good company. I'm glad you found Martin Pall's site, he may just have found the answers we've all been waiting for. Our issue belongs in the universe of toxicology, and that's where Prof. Pall is making inroads. xoxo

Barbara said...

Thank you for the link to Dr Pall's web site. I am quite intrigued by his research. I first scanned his site, then have gone back and re-read it. And it all makes sense. It explains so much about my own health issues. Especially the fact of the "additive" effect I have noticed. You know, a little of something is ok, but more causes a problem. Or even that several triggers combined can be an issue.

My background and degree is actually in biology, even though I left the field many years back - mainly due to a crowded, competitive and therefore low-paying field. But I absolutely loved Biochemistry and Physiology and this study gives me a yearning to do more research in this area. What Dr Pall says makes sense and is so much better than all the doctors that just want to treat the symptoms. Thanks for this link!