Many people with CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) have found we also have numerous troubles with toxins and toxicants. In fact, many find the very root of our CFS is mold. Some find that chemicals have a big effect, too.
With both mold and chemicals, there is a strange phenomenon the body can go through called masking and unmasking.
In March 2017 I broke my wrist and went to the ER. I walked in and got nausea, headache, etc. Felt terrible. Got x-rays, nausea.
But then I started to mask. Started feeling okay, even pretty good.
Found out all I needed was a cast, no surgery. So HUGE relief.
Started laughing and joking with doctor. Reacted to sling but still felt decent after Steve got that away from me.
BUT in the meantime, my blood pressure shot sky high. So high that I had to sign papers to leave without medication. Stroke high.
I firmly believe my body had begun masking to the chemicals and so started feeling better, but the chemicals were still doing damage internally/unnoticed.
The following is an explanation for my hypothesis on why masking happens.
Let us say getting rid of toxins in our body (detoxing) is like a logging operation where the logs (toxins) have backed up on the bank of the river. Each log (toxin) needs a canoe (enzyme or something to break down and eliminate the toxin). As the body struggles to make more and more canoes, each log gets put on a canoe and goes.
But if in the meantime more logs come and start to damage the terrain (heart, lungs, etc.), the body has to stop making canoes and go try to stop the damage from new logs.
So the body calls on the logging cops to come and stop more logs. Huge warning whistle (symptoms and reactions meant to warn the body to get away from more toxins) is leveled against new logs (toxins).
So then it can go back to the creek bank and begin making canoes (enzymes) again for each log (toxin), getting more and more caught up until there are no logs left.
However, if the cops are not effective, the body may say, well, forget it and just let the logs pile up. This would be masking. If this happens, it could be like my story above where I felt better but the damage was happening silently–blood pressure sky high. At this point, I believe the body just tries to make the best of things and survive, protecting vital organs first.
One way silent damage can manifest is that the person gets tireder. No one knows how much energy we WOULD have had if not for more log pile up.
But when there are no logs left because the body can keep up, then everything runs smoothly and the body can start to heal previous damage, have capacity for exercise, etc.
For instance, I used to get heart symptoms from fabric softener. Not anymore usually, because I think my body had a chance to catch up with that, since I avoided it so long. Interesting this is still true despite my CFS being much, much worse from the Feb. 2018 contamination of the house (which we are still fighting).
This illustration is simplistic of course. Other things can be happening in the background, like allergies, PTSD, etc.
But I feel like this is the main concept behind avoidance.
Christa Upton Black Hills Picture Books Edgemont, SD 57735
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