Why don’t fluorescent lights bother me as much in Europe?

If you’ve read some of the posts, you’ll already know I am one of the extremes in reactions to fluorescent lights.  Even a few minutes in fluorescent lights will have me unable to think, pressure in the front of my head, feeling weak.. and if a few more minutes, headaches and nausea. Much longer and I do throw up. yuc. what yucky stuffy to write.  But I guess for those looking, it helps to be upfront honest and yucky because you might be similar or the same.   I am not able to use lcd monitors or any newer tv because all are backlit fluorescent.  So ya, I’m extreme. 

You’ll want to read other posts if you want to immediately think the old wive’s tale of ‘it’s the flicker rate”  and if you think ‘cfls (curly bulbs) are better.”  No, sunshine, it’s not the flicker, never has been, and curly bulbs are the worst culprits of all. 

BUT here’s an interesting discovery.  While I backpacked through Turkey and Greece last fall, fluorescent lights hardly bothered me at all.  The only known difference (to me)  is the electrical system.  North America is 120V and Turkey/ Greece are 230v. 

Electricians? Help? any insights? Others? any insights?  I do love Turkey and Greece.. but alas, my family is here so a permanent move isn’t likely. Yet.

How strange this continues to be.. allergy to lights?

A neurologist once thought that my sensitivity to fluorescent lights had become an allergy. But he wasn’t certain.

Recently I had an analphylactic reaction to wasps. (Perhaps I like to add many experiences to my life so that I can be empathetic to all that people go through?  oh my.)   While pumped full of epinephrine and prednisone to prevent further reaction, the fluorescent lights in the hospital and the next day in the doctor’s office, didn’t bother me nearly as much as usual.  Soo, that’s pretty crazy. Allergy then?  Could I take benadryl and be okay in lights if I had to be?  Will explore. Love any input anyone has .. ANYTHING!  

Although I’ve changed my life to be out of nasty lights, I am limited because I would love to be out more doing workshops (in my field of creativity, coaching, right brain thinking, power of the mind)  So, I do mean post ANYTHING that might lead to more discoveries. I thank you in advance!

Apparently this is an important issue

I have not been updating this blog.  I have been working hard on building my solo business.  I had to go solo to be able to create a lifestyle that kept me completely away from fluorescent lighting.  It takes time to manage and build a business….thus, this blog gets put on the back burner.  A nice healthy non-fluorescent back burner, of course.

I see however that this blog gets regular hits every day.  That makes this one very important topic,if it still gets hits, yet I have never marketed it.   I’m going to follow up on most recent developments of the ‘ban incandescent’ policies.  And keep stockpiling incandescents.  If you have more info on where things are standing, or if you are aware of further reports via Global TV or others, please please share here!

Ps. I’m a life coach and creativity consultant.  Please feel free to stop by!  www.musingsandmud.com

Okay, so I’m not so active on this blog

Fortunately for me, I have passions in areas that produce an income.. and I do spend most of my time there.  If you’ve come across this blog and want to ‘talk’, share info for a post, tell your story, I am not far away and am happy to add this to the blog.   You can comment here to reach me, or you are most welcome to email me at janet@musingsandmud.com

Today a car dealer turned off the fluorescent lights so I could come in.  Sometimes we just gotta ask.

How bad is it?

Given the opportunity to present a workshop for a large number of people for a large amount of money, I will have to turn it down if a large enough facility with windows or lighting other than fluorescent is not available. (Providing halogen lamps is becoming a challenge… since they took a hit as a fire hazard, there just aren’t that many places selling any sort of halogen lamp. )

That’s how bad reactions to fluorescents can be.  And now when these opportunities come up, I have to clarify that CFLs are fluorescent.  Many people think they are the be all and end all of perfection in lighting, and aren’t even aware that they are fluorescent.

Have you had to deal with this situation? 

hmmm.Candles.. candles provide a nice atmosphere.  As long as participants don’t have to read. Oh but then there’s those darn fire regulations…

A woman is forced to install fluorescents in her kitchen!

This comment from Barbara posted in this blog is deserving of a post of it’s own.

Recently I remodeled my kitchen and was informed that my city had requirements about the lighting. I was forced to install a bunch of fluorescent lights that I don’t use in my kitchen to offset the one large incandescent fixture. At least half of the total wattage has to be fluorescent. I feel that fluorescent lighting is unhealthy, and I shouldn’t be required to have it in my home. It’s really scary that the government can force us to use unhealthy lights.

My response: Wow, that is very scary. A bit like telling person allergic to wheat that half their diet must be wheat to support the agricultural economy. This is a sure sign that something must be done about this. I suspect that I would be able to fight this policy with a doctor’s note. (I hope!)   But if you don’t have a documented history, or a doctor who understands, you currently have no options.

Would you be interested in sending your story to Global 16:9?  They have done a follow up show already, and they do ask for comments and stories. I’ve copied info below. And I am copying your comment into a main post, so others can see. I hope with your approval!

http://www.globaltv.com/globaltv/globalshows/16×9/index.html

So far I think they are our best resource.   
From Global 16:9 site:

“Contact Us
Feel like commenting on the show? Have a hot tip you’d like to see us chase down for a future episode? Or maybe you have some questions about the program. The producers of 16×9 want you to get in touch with them, and here’s how:
Email:
tips@global16×9.com

Telephone:
1-877-TELL-169 (1-877-835-5169)
Conventional mail:
16×9: The Bigger Picture
Global Television
81 Barber Greene Rd.,
Toronto, Ont.
M3C 2A2″

BC Hydro response

My email to BC Hydro.. (They blast the world with  the ‘value’ of the nasty CFL  bulbs):

Could you please forward this to which ever department may be interested?I have started a new blog, called “CFLs and Fluorescents -Ouch.  A blog to keep sufferers out of the dark.”   www.cfls.wordpress.com

Recent Global TV research, among other research is demonstrating the challenges people are having with these lights.  The fallacy that ‘there’s no flicker’ really has nothing to do with whether a person suffers ill effects or not.  (I landed here while googling and a metatag line came up with a comment about ‘no flicker’)

I’m not anti CFLs so much as I am anti legislation eliminating other lighting options for those, like myself, who get very sick in the presence of CFLs.  I’m sending this only because it seems to me that BC Hydro is responsible for being aware of all issues good or bad that relate to a product that they promote extensively.

 I don’t need a reply, but if someone has more information, resources, or thoughts they’d like to share, I’d appreciate it

Prompt Response from BC HYDRO:

Dear Janet
 Re: Compact Florescent Light bulbs
 Thank you for contacting BC Hydro. There have been no reports from Health Canada or any other government agencies that would have us believe the bulbs are hazardous for ones health. BC Hydro will continue to monitor future studies on this issue and will certainly act in the best interest of our customers’ health and safety.

 We can be contacted at www.bchydro.com, by email at customer.service@bchydro.com or call us at (604) 224-9376 or toll free 1-800-224-9376, Monday to Friday (7am-8pm) or Saturdays (9am-5pm).

 Sincerely,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well that’s one way of looking at things.  Keep on going until someone like  Health Canada recognizes the problem. I’ll go check into Health Canada now.

Of course another way they might have looked at it is… “gee, we have been hearing about problems.  Maybe we will look into this further, and if in fact there is a problem, we will step on board to ensure alternative lighting opportunities exist for our customers.   After all we have more resources and more power to get answers.”  

But hey, I am not faulting them… an email goes to a customer service agent, who gets a legitimate answer as quickly as possible, and then gets back to the inundation of other work that has to be done.  She has done her job well.

Darn this hasn’t changed the world yet. AND getups to survive.

Thank you (one person so far)  for your comments, and to the many others who are looking.  We’ll change the world yet.  Do ya think?

So in keeping with what I’ve suggested be included here.. I’ll tell you what has helped me.   

1. Of course the main thing is leaving my job and never showing up in fluorescent lit environments.  Not the best move for my income, but hey, I am happily building a business I love.  I can eat when that’s done.   

2. Humour.  That helps me a lot!

3. If I must show up in fluorescents,  I wear Uvex $40 polarized sunglasses from Costco and a hat with a brim.  This entirely unattractive combination have helped me survive a workshop I had to attend .. and I mean, HAD TO.  and to survive plane trips.   Yup, felt foolish looking, but did not throw up which would make me more foolish.   After the workshop, a participant saw me without my sunglasses and hat and said, “oh, you are attractive.”   You could see his face drop when he realized he had inadvertantly said how unattractive I was with the get up, but I laughed and helped him get through that foot in the mouth event.
Other sunglasses, even a pair that was specially made at a cost of several hundred dollars, have not worked as well as the Uvex ones.  I think that there is value in the glasses made for Irlen Syndrome.. but more detail on that in a future blog.

 I also don’t think the lighting issue affects me only via my eyes… what do you think?  It makes sense that one might  be absorbing that ‘dirty energy’ discussed on Global TV. 

Thoughts?  And how do you cope?

I know you’re looking

Please feel free to comment.. share your thoughts. Stories. Cynicism. Optimism. Successes.  Lighting disasters.  Best deals on incandescent bulbs.  And candles. Your preferred lighting options.  

I know. Maybe we can build community halls  for the electromagnetically challenged.

If you were a politician..

If you were  a politician and it became clear that the public was demanding more attention to environmental issues, and a very clever corporation or two swooped in with all the benefits of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, would you be first to jump on board?  Would you want to be noted as a leader in creating policies, funding awareness campaigns, etc etc.  Hey, that’s one helluva a way to ensure you get the votes.  

Or would you say ‘whoaaa, let’s first check the accuracy of the statements by the producers of CFL’s.” or “Mercury, you say? Seriously, this is what you want to promote in place of incandescents?” or might you ask, “Okay, how come fluorescents are all well and good now, when only a few years ago businesses were being told to shut them off, get their employees into more natural lights, etc, etc?”.   Might you be easily convinced that the CFL’s don’t ‘flicker’ therefore can’t cause problems? 

It’s true, unfortunately, if you don’t jump on the bandwagon, you get left behind unnoticed.    What would you do if you were a politician?   Maybe we need a new hero who recognizes that the route the bandwagon is going is a little off course.

It’s also true, unfortunately, if you don’t jump on the bandwagon, you get left in the dark. Quite literally for those of us who have fluorescent light issues.   So jump on board, my friends, add your comments!