I had another visit with the toxicologist and we spoke again of some of his ideas about MCS that I find interesting. He said that there is a definite profile he is seeing and interestingly my Mold/MCS doctor talked to me about this as well. This is something that I too have been observing for a while.
He again talked about the overwhelming amount of people coming to him with MCS.......and he said that he hears the exact same story time and time again. Only after a long toxic exposure/illness...........undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.........AFTER the cause is found and eliminated.....MCS then develops. But not for all.....many recover, while some go on to develop MCS. And this is where he is seeing a profile emerge.
Of course not everyone fits this profile but he said that most do...........in fact WAY too many to not be noted.
Highly intelligent, over achievers with very active minds...........many who were participating in extreme sports prior to getting sick. A colleague of his thinks that there may be a connection between *Over Training Syndrome* and the development of MCS. He said it definitely takes a toxic exposure, but most recover quickly afterwards. Why do some of us develop MCS ??
Now my Mold/MCS doctor had a slightly different take on it. She summed it up as.....Most who develop MCS are people who were previously.....and I quote.... "leading EXTREMELY productive lives" not necessarily in athletics though. She said that she believes that there is something about us.......with our active minds that can turn on completely......not everyone can do that, turn on completely and stay that way.......that may have something to do with this.
I shared with both doctors what the other had said............and both nodded and agreed.
A friend of mine who also believes there is a common denominator put a different spin on it......my Mom used to call me an adrenaline junkie, because of the climbing and I've also been called a endorphin junkie..........but that's not really it. That's not what it's about. My friend used the term *over stimulated*. That resonated with me. I would definitely consider myself an *Over Stimulation Junkie* for sure!! Never any down time for me and even when I finally sat down at the end of the day to relax, I'd be either reading, crocheting, working a puzzle or doing SOMETHING productive right up to my last waking moment...with never a wasted waking minute.
And what would being in that constant state of hyper awareness or high vigilance....which you would surely have to be in to sustain that credo............what kind of toll would that take on our nervous system in the long run? Would constantly over stimulating our system at an intense level actually damage or change our Nervous system? Most people with MCS will describe their nervous system as being "fried".
Prior to me getting sick I was an avid rock climber, hiker, long distance runner and had completed 3 marathons. I was playing the drums in a band. I was the songwriter. I was a total exercise junkie and was doing some pretty extreme mountain bike rides. I was working full time and going to night school, juggling being a wife and mother while always maintaining a super clean organized home. The personal finances were run like a business....keeping records on quickbooks and running monthly financial statements so better decisions could be made with spending. I was a volunteer grocery shopper for an elderly folks who couldn't drive. Plus I had many hobbies.....crocheting, crafts etc...an avid reader, yoga practitioner with no down time what so ever. I never took rest days and I thought it was really cool that I didn't need to. It was almost a game I played with myself to see how much I could put on my plate......and I would then, add more. It wasn't about being hyperactive, I think I come across pretty low key and mellow.....it was about stimulating ALL systems on a regular basis. I was trying to be super human.....squeezing the most out of every single day...mental, physical, spiritual and always pursuing new creative endeavors. And then add to all that, daily dog walks, meditation and some social interaction....with anyone who could keep up and you have a glimpse at my typical day. I carried my journal with me everywhere in case I got inspired to write. I was always running late, not for laziness or sluggishness sake but for the need to squeeze in one more thing. At work I would operate at the highest level of productivity that I could achieve and even my lunch brake would be spent running errands and such...shopping, banking, perusing the library for new reading material, getting an oil change...staying on top of everything.....and trying to be a total time tactician. I've always been like this. This was my addiction.
Did all this somehow overtax my system?
And what does this all this mean? I don't really know but it can't be a coincidence that so many of us seem to share this personality trait....prior to getting sick.
If there is any merit to this theory.......that the majority with MCS falls into a certain personality group, that does NOT suggest that this is not real....or that it's psychological or in our heads. No one denies that certain lifestyles can put one at risk for heart disease or hypertension. Could this lifestyle have put me at risk for MCS ??
Perhaps some people are born with a propensity to develop MCS. But what if running in high gear and over stimulating our system for prolonged periods of time takes a toll.
Chronic stimulation, what would that do? What if that creates a wear and tear on our system that is not normal and then when something bad comes along like mold or pesticide exposure we're unable to recover?
I have MCS but not from a mold injury (as far as I know). I was a hard-working career girl before I got sick, multitasking and skipping breaks as you mention, and going to college as well. The over-taxing theory seems to make sense a bit with me, too.
ReplyDeleteI was never very athletic, however, and I have always required lots of sleep time and quiet time, reading and doing sedentary activities. On evenings and weekends after work and school, I often stayed in bed most of the day.
BUT I believe my MCS was developing over many years--probably from about the age of 11--so it's possible my need for sleep and recuperation was not sheer laziness and sloth but my body's way of battling the progressing MCS as well as recuperating from work and school stresses.
I definitely used to be a Type A personality; but I'm much more Type B in most ways now (driving is the most obvious example with me: I used to speed all the time, get frustrated with slow or inconsiderate drivers, and love the thrill of rushing around; now, I drive the speed limit, take other drivers in stride, and enjoy a generally more laid-back driving mood.)
Just thought I'd give you some feedback so you know I'm reading :)
--Michelle H
Lorraine,
ReplyDelete5 years ago, at the time of my mold injury, I was not at the prime of my life. I had lost my fiance 4 years previous, so was at somewhat of a down period. But, when I was raising my boys, I was not working outside the house, but I sunk into this task like I was meant for this and me alone.
And I had them in non-violent-alternative school, I was involved in all the parenting classes in same. I made Friday night dinners at our house, where friends would come. Everything was from scratch and perfect. My house was perfect looking and sparkling clean. No one could believe how Melody could "do it all". Taking kids to the beach in my van, meeting other friends and their kids, stopping for fish and chips, changing diapers in odd places, breastfeeding whereever my child got hungry. I did IT ALL.
Even tho it was a down period for me, my mind is like that, all the time.
Part of MCS isolation frustration, because I need to "engage".
I'm same personality type.