Perhaps those of us with MCS/EI should write to this columnist and educate her a bit; she clearly just googled MCS and went with the first main-stream info she found, then added a layer of sarcasm and disdain. How insensitive and rude, considering the woman in question likely misses out on so many of life's little pleasures, and the family was actually willing to accomodate her for this family landmark event.
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...y_husband_monitors_me_through_my_laptop_.html
Dear Prudence,
My fiancé and I are planning our wedding. My future mother-in-law has multiple chemical sensitivity. This means that she is unable to be around any kind of chemicals or scents—no scented hand lotion, cleaning supplies, petroleum-based products, or perfume. We are looking for venues that are either outside or well-ventilated, but that won't completely solve the problem if a guest wears perfume. As the mother of the groom she deserves to be present and involved during the entire event and not secluding herself away. I am thinking of enclosing a little note in the invitations asking our guests not to wear perfumes and am looking for a cute way to make the request. Do you have any clever suggestions? Or any other thoughts on the best way to alert guests who are unfamiliar with her condition?
—Scent Free
Dear Scent,
Your future mother-in-law is very lucky to have a daughter-in-law who is so sensitive to her sensitivities. No doubt your mother is suffering. But MCS is not recognized as a distinct medical condition by the American Medical Association or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others. As you have learned, sufferers have an endless list of substances that can trigger an endless list of symptoms. Clinicians have not found a biological pathway that explains this condition, but many people who say they have MCS also have a variety of psychological disorders. (And surely these patients would say their mental distress is caused both by their physical problems and by the skepticism they endure.) Dealing with a mother-in-law who says she has MCS means you’ll have to approach this if not with kid gloves (tanned hides must be a no-no), certainly with latex-free ones. It is both kind and smart for you to simply accept her illness as a fact and express no doubt about it. But there are limits to how much others have to accommodate someone who is incapacitated by almost every chemical in any amount in the ambient environment. It’s fine if you put a note in the invitation envelope saying something like, “Due to medical sensitivity within the wedding party, please refrain from wearing perfume.” But that’s hardly going to solve the problem. Guests will still be emanating chemicals, from their dry-cleaned outfits to their shampooed and gelled hair. It may be that your mother-in-law simply can’t be very present and involved in the wedding if it requires everyone there to wear hemp clothes boiled in sea salt. It will be best if your fiancé makes clear to his mother that her participation is desired and welcomed, but everyone will understand if there are times she has to be absent because she can’t take another whiff.
—Prudie
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...y_husband_monitors_me_through_my_laptop_.html
Dear Prudence,
My fiancé and I are planning our wedding. My future mother-in-law has multiple chemical sensitivity. This means that she is unable to be around any kind of chemicals or scents—no scented hand lotion, cleaning supplies, petroleum-based products, or perfume. We are looking for venues that are either outside or well-ventilated, but that won't completely solve the problem if a guest wears perfume. As the mother of the groom she deserves to be present and involved during the entire event and not secluding herself away. I am thinking of enclosing a little note in the invitations asking our guests not to wear perfumes and am looking for a cute way to make the request. Do you have any clever suggestions? Or any other thoughts on the best way to alert guests who are unfamiliar with her condition?
—Scent Free
Dear Scent,
Your future mother-in-law is very lucky to have a daughter-in-law who is so sensitive to her sensitivities. No doubt your mother is suffering. But MCS is not recognized as a distinct medical condition by the American Medical Association or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others. As you have learned, sufferers have an endless list of substances that can trigger an endless list of symptoms. Clinicians have not found a biological pathway that explains this condition, but many people who say they have MCS also have a variety of psychological disorders. (And surely these patients would say their mental distress is caused both by their physical problems and by the skepticism they endure.) Dealing with a mother-in-law who says she has MCS means you’ll have to approach this if not with kid gloves (tanned hides must be a no-no), certainly with latex-free ones. It is both kind and smart for you to simply accept her illness as a fact and express no doubt about it. But there are limits to how much others have to accommodate someone who is incapacitated by almost every chemical in any amount in the ambient environment. It’s fine if you put a note in the invitation envelope saying something like, “Due to medical sensitivity within the wedding party, please refrain from wearing perfume.” But that’s hardly going to solve the problem. Guests will still be emanating chemicals, from their dry-cleaned outfits to their shampooed and gelled hair. It may be that your mother-in-law simply can’t be very present and involved in the wedding if it requires everyone there to wear hemp clothes boiled in sea salt. It will be best if your fiancé makes clear to his mother that her participation is desired and welcomed, but everyone will understand if there are times she has to be absent because she can’t take another whiff.
—Prudie
