Think before you spray
Our homes and public spaces must become fragrance-free. Chemicals are making many of us sick. I can no longer go to church, enjoy a concert or visit the doctor because there is always someone overscented. But I am not alone. I have CFIDS, fibromyalgia (FM) and multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) and am a support group leader. What all MCS patients have in common is the inability to handle fragrances. So be considerate of others; you may be forcing them into isolation.
Delaine Gately, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Kudos, kudos
Kudos to Jennifer Spotila for her article in the summer Chronicle, “Fatigue 101.” She did an excellent job of summarizing what most PWCs have had to learn by trial and error—and still have to be reminded of from time to time.

Kudos to The CFIDS Chronicle for the smaller size. I can actually read it now. Also, thanks for the Association’s efforts to educate medical professionals about CFIDS through The CFS Research Review. My doctor knows more about FM than CFIDS, but she is willing to learn. The Review helps educate her. Thanks!
Felicia Bell, Williamson, Ga.

Meditation for relief
Thank you for your recent article on meditation.  I am a PWC who has meditated for 22 years. It brings relief from the pain of CFIDS. The loss of my career as a research chemist and my inability to care for my family were the greatest losses caused by CFIDS. Meditation allows those tears to flow. A great web site to help get you started is (link no longer active), where you can listen to a tape or CD using earphones.
Paula J. Nadon, St. Louis, Mo.

Struggling to work
I was diagnosed with CFS and FM about six years ago. I applied for Social Security benefits and received partial disability, but it was not a victory, and I have since had to return to work.

The SSA requires so much paperwork that I had to hire an attorney, who took 25% of what I got. But it gets worse. You then must continue to prove to the SSA that you’re disabled. They require that you see a doctor, but most doctors won’t see you if you have no health insurance. And if you are not working, you usually don’t have any.

I now have insurance because I returned to work ($225 a month wasn’t enough!), but every day is a struggle and my condition is worse. People shouldn’t be forced to work when they are unable.
Anonymous, La Junta, Colo.

PWCs having children
I wasn’t able to read past the article on childbearing in the summer Chronicle because it made me so angry. My mother was ill all of her life. As a consequence of her illness, I suffered all of my life. It might be nice to have a baby, but children don’t deserve to bear the brunt of an unhealthy person. There shouldn’t be any question about an ill person having a child.
Eunice Raymond, Sun City, Calif.