zeptember

I always forget to journal about this so I’m making an effort to start, now.

After moving to California, my body started to detox. Within a year of moving to California, the state instituted a no smoking policy in public places. That’s when my body began to REALLY detox. And shortly after that is when a bunch of previously unknown allergies started creeping in - the first was chemical sensitivity. I started getting headaches and would literally gag when my nose smelled certain scents. I’d always been this way with cigarette smoke, but now it included all perfume and cologne, which I’d previously been able to wear and breathe when I lived in Michigan. The chemical sensitivity also included the scents of some oils and incenses, of which there were a lot in my house because I was a practicing Pagan. Later on, the sensitivity began to include hand lotions, shampoo, hair conditioner, soaps, and hair spray. Some brands are better than others.

But this weekend and especially today was a bad day for it. I wonder if the fact that it’s raining today had anything to do with it?

Yesterday I found some hand lotion I’d bought in the past year. I put some on my hands and within minutes was sneezing and got a headache.

Last night it was CVS Drugstore brand hair detangler and Rave hairspray as I prepared to go out for the night.

Today it was some dude smoking just outside the entrance to the grocery store. Then inside the grocery store it was the laundry aisle. When I got home and washed my hands, it was the Trader Joe’s lemon scented kitchen hand soap. Then when I went to look for a book on the bookshelf tonight, it was the cheap dollar store scented candle that gagged me.

As of today, every time some item sets off my nose and immune system, I am tossing it into a bag and offering to give it away.

I went into the computer room to tell my husband I was winding down for the night, and we heard the rain pick up outside. He turned off the light and we went to the window and just leaned there, watching and listening to the rain gently fall outside. I told my husband that I like California rain - it’s not like Michigan rain - it’s usually quiet and soft - soothing - gentle. And houses don’t usually have awnings for the rain to ping on.
Don’t get me wrong - I truly miss a good rainstorm in Michigan, complete with the ping of rain on aluminum awnings, not to mention the thunder and lightning. But I also really enjoy California rain.

As we leaned on the wide window sill, talking in hushed tones, a scent wafted through the window.

“Someone’s doing laundry”, I said, because I could smell perfumed dryer sheets.

And that’s what killed our lovely moment watching the rain tonight. Freaking perfumed dryer sheets. And the worst thing is that I can’t dump them into a bag and give them away - this scent invaded my house and my nose from the outside.

I’m going to have one journal per immunological issue soon, aren’t I.

*sigh*