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.

Power in numbers. Tell your story.

I’d like for this blog to provide resources, support and encouragement, and be a forum that ensures people who suffer from fluorescent light issues, including the nasty  Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s),  have other options should the government* really insist on banning incandescent bulbs. There’s power in numbers.  Please comment. Please share your resources. Let’s find a way for those of us affected by those nasty fluorescents to not be left in the dark. 

About me:  All of my life I have been adversely affected by fluorescent lighting.  As time passes, I  get worse.  As technology ‘advances’  I get sicker.  And so, I have created a life away from fluorescents, building a business from home, using an old fashioned CRT monitor and TV (because the new ones are fluorescent backlit!), eliminating from my life a lot of places I’d probably like to go, but don’t because my $800 glasses that are supposed to help, don’t. 

Having said that, I’m living a good life.  It’s not easy to build a business when avoiding in-person presentations and potential networking situations, but I am doing it.  I love my profession as a life coach, and my life as an artist and writer.  I can play outside as much as I want, and most recently I discovered that I don’t suffer light issues as much  in Turkey and Greece.  (Hmm.. maybe I need to move there!)  I’d like to learn more about this.  I’d like to learn more about lighting issues that may be playing a role in a whole society of people who are unwell as a result of lighting and may not even know it.   I want to understand ‘dirty energy.’   My neurologist once diagnosed me as having a migraine reaction to fluorescent lighting, even developing into an allergy.. but he even said he’s not certain.  

We can make a difference: More people sharing, more power, more opportunity for doctors to learn more, more people to get on board, and more resources being developed for those of us afflicted.

And hey, maybe even disability insurance companies will help some of you.  They certainly did not help me.   But then, it was hard for me to push this.  Somehow it just seemed more positive to move on and live my life the way I wanted and needed to.   In retrospect, some financial support in this transition certainly would have been very helpful, and I hope that this becomes a reality for others.

There you go.  That’s why I’m here.  If you ever felt like kicking down the display of CFL’s in your local hardward store, then that’s why you’re here. 

Let’s make a difference.

*I am referring to the Canadian Government, although I am aware of incandescent bans in other countries.  PLease tell us your story no matter where you are. This is a global issue.

Global TV 16:9 has inspired me to build this blog

I’m one of the extreme in reactions to fluorescent bulbs – with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs  (CFL’s) causing even more suffering than all the fluorescents before them.   Tonight Global TV 16:9 talked about the concerns..  from skin sensitivity to dirty energy to migraines to mercury.  This has ‘kicked me in gear’ again to do what I can to help others be aware of the issues of fluorescents and CFL’s. 

I have a lot to say about this subject.  The legislation that will ban incandescent lighting will put me in the dark.

But for starts I am putting here what I have just sent to Global TV. I am so grateful for their efforts to create awareness on this very serious issue.

From: Janet [mailto:mudheaven@shaw.ca]
Sent: January-04-09 7:59 PM
To: ‘viewercontact@globaltv.com’
Subject: cfl bulbs.. I’ve had to change my life. Here’s my response from MP Paul Dewar (2007)

 

Thank you Thank you Thank you for your show on CFL’s.  I have been doing what I can to create awareness of the challenges some people have due to fluorescents, and even worse challenges with CFL bulbs. I’ve had to leave my job, am attempting to create a business that keeps me out of lights, and have been collecting incandescents for the future.   

 

I’ve written MP’s, written CFL manufacturer’s, followed the development of new technology for LED etc, etc.   I am extreme in my reaction to all fluorescents.. I get confused, get a headache, nauseated and will throw up if in the lights for more than a few minutes.  Because of the extreme way I am affected, I think that my pleas are ignored because my reaction is rare.  It’s easy to ignore one person… and even easier to ignore it entirely when a large portion of the population may be affected, but do not know it.

 

I have known since day one that the CFL bulbs are the most damaging of all for me.

 

If I can do anything at all to help awareness, research, be a guinea pig, whatever… to ensure that alternative lighting is available for those of us affected by fluorescents, I’d be happy to assist. If you have resources, or requests for people like myself to do more, please please let me know.

 After your show tonight, I’m inspired to create a new blog that may help others.

 

Again, thank you for your huge part in making a difference.   For your information, my letter and response to MP Paul Dewar (2007) are included below.

 

Gratefully,

Janet L Whitehead

 

From: Janet [mailto:mudheaven@shaw.ca]
Sent: March 10, 2007 4:31 AM
To: Dewar, Paul – M.P.
Subject: Incandescent ban will put me and others in the dark

Attn: Paul Dewar,  NDP  MP, Canada

 

Hello,

The Kamloops Daily News reported today that the federal government is considering a ban on incandescent light bulbs in favour of fluorescents, and has given your name as a key supporter of this proposal.    Fluorescent lighting makes me extremely ill. (nausea, headache, confusion, numbness..severe vomiting if I try to stay past initial symptoms)   I’ve spent thousands of dollars in glasses to help, but am now simply not able to be in fluorescent lighting, and have been told by neurologist not to be exposed to fluorescent lights.  I am aware that I am extreme, but I am also aware that a great many people are bothered by fluorescent lights.  (How many times have you heard people say, toward the end of the day, that they “have a headache”, “are tired”, “are glad to be getting out of these lights”?)

 

There is a syndrome called Irlen syndrome and I am in the process of asking these diagnosticians to contact MP’s with their statistics and facts on how many children are severely affected by fluorescent lighting in school.   The diagnosticians are usually teachers, and they have discovered that lighting changes, plus filters in glasses, are helping children with ADD, ADHD, Autism, learning disabilities and dyslexia.  This syndrome is not just about fluorescents, it’s about light sensitivity. … with a good portion of people affected having trouble with fluorescents.

 

A complete ban of incandescent lighting would literally put me in the dark.  I am able to use halogen lighting, but I have not been able to find out what the future of halogen is. If you can send me in the right direction to learn more about that, I would greatly appreciate that.  I am most comfortable in incandescent lighting, and daylight.  I cannot use the new LCD or plasma TVs or LCD computer monitors.. all are fluorescent backlit.  There is a lot of information on the internet regarding people struggling with LCD monitors and TV’s. For instance please see: http://www.cloanto.com/users/mcb/19960719lcd.html    

 

 A complete ban on incandescents will have me working by candlelight, will prevent me from even being able to visit friends and family who currently avoid fluorescent use because of me.  (AND they often discover, they really prefer the incandescent) 

 

So is it fair to ban incandescents entirely?  Where have all the studies gone from the past 25 years that showed the negative impact of fluorescents on people at work?  I know the claims that the fluorescent technology has improved.. but I only get worse each time.   My daughters are also negatively affected by fluorescents, though not as extreme.   And I hear people constantly complaining about their lights at work.   I’ve often wondered how much this costs the medical system… without people actually being aware that it could simply be fluorescent lighting that is wearing them down.

 

I’m all for helping the environment.  But we, who are adversely affected by fluorescent lighting, need to have options.  It’s that simple.

 

I would appreciate hearing back from you and would like to know what I do next to ensure that people have the option of incandescent lighting.  A ban, of course,  will end the production of incandescent lights.

 

Thank you so much for listening.  

 

Janet Whitehead

 

mudheaven@shaw.ca

250 376-8353

 

From: Dewar, Paul – M.P. [mailto:Dewar.P@parl.gc.ca]
Sent: March-22-07 7:41 AM
To: Janet
Subject: RE: Incandescent ban will put me and others in the dark

 

Dear Janet,

 

Thank you for writing regarding my Bill to phase out the sale and use of incandescent light bulbs.  I am proud to have taken this small step forward towards a more environmentally sustainable society.

 

As I have mentioned, the most common replacement for incandescent bulbs currently is the use of Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs). I recognize that this is not always the perfect replacement for the phasing out of incandescents though. I can assure you that I am aware of your concerns and the broader implications of CFL use.

 

It is important to note that CFLs do contain trace amounts of mercury. While the amount is not large enough to be considered a hazard to users, it does become a concern at landfills and trash incinerators where the mercury can escape and contribute to air and water pollution. However, it is important to note that coal power plants are the single largest source of mercury emissions into the environment and that using energy-efficient alternatives to incandescent lights will help reduce mercury pollution overall. 

 

The Bill, as it is being drafted, does not specifically recommend the replacement of incandescents with CFLs. Technological advances and new technologies exist or are quickly emerging addressing many of the complications with CFLs and offering viable alternatives. A number of industry leaders have already produced CFLs with significantly reduced mercury content. Additionally, dimmer switch compatible CFLs are publicly available.

 

Alternatively, Light Emitting Diode (LED) light bulbs are also being developed and introduced into the market. LED light bulbs utilize entirely different technologies than CFLs and offer another opportunity to reduce our energy consumption.

 

I am pleased to be working with the many different stakeholders involved in this transition process who are working to find creative solutions to the challenges that will lie ahead.

 

The phasing out of incandescent light bulbs is one of many alternatives that can help place Canada on the path towards ensuring environmental security and sustainability. I am proud to offer solutions to ordinary Canadians so they can participate in the fight against climate change.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write to me and share your views on this subject. I hope that I have addressed your concerns.

 

Sincerely,

  

Paul Dewar, MP

Ottawa Centre