Friday, August 21, 2009

Scented Candles Cause Cancer | The Frisky

Scented Candles Cause Cancer | The Frisky

Shared via AddThis

Many people think it is the smell that is the problem. I have a question for those who think it is just the way something smells.

Is it the smell of natural gas or the natural gas that has no odor that will kill you?

It is the gas. Just as the article linked to above parafin candles off gas tolune and benzine gasses. Which in limited quantities may at first be harmless. However, perfumed candles, floor coverings, paints, chemical cleaners all have gasses that are emitted into the air. It is the gasses that can cause serious problems for many people, not just me.

Three summers ago, in the heat of July, I could not get warm. I put on a jacket and went to sit in my black car with the windows up to get warm. When I stood up and or walked the world looked as if I was looking through a giant kaleidoscope that kept spinning.

I was working as an instructor for Sea School in Bayou la Batre, Ala. It was the summer after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. There was still a lot of work being done to clean up the area. Sea School had water that covered the second floor. Many strong detergents had been used to clean the gooey black sludge that was left from the Katrina flood.

My boss said I could leave. The only way I could see the road was if I looked at the road out of the corner of my eye. I called a friend and said I was driving to the doctor, but I wasn't sure I could make it. He stayed on the phone until I parked at the doctor's office a good 20 miles away.

Later my friend said my words were slurred and it sounded like I was talking with something in my mouth.

The doctor diagnosed me with a reaction caused from a neurological chemical sensitivity. I used to get headaches and my throat would tighten as I went through the perfume section of the department stores, or if a person was wearing too much perfume near me.

How was I diagnosed with neurological chemical sensitivity? Every time Aany of us are exposed to products that off gas damgerous chemicals they can stay in our system. The more we are in an environment that has chemicals that are cummlative our system weakens.

Today any time I get near certain perfumes, and other chemicals I get the spinning sensation and if I stay in the environment my lips get numb and my fingers tingle like when they are asleep.

Now we can read a report that says scented candles can cause cancer.

As a woman I can appreciate the scent of perfumes and candles, but my system reacts in a deadly way.

I want you to think about what perfumes you wear, the bathing products you use, and other products like scented candles, which all use the same chemicals. These chemicals are benzene, parabin Please consider the potential effect your perfume and scented chemicals may effect others.

"Exposure to very high concentrations of benzene can be fatal within minutes, with central nervous system depression and convulsions. Deaths from cardiac sensitization, cardiac arrhythmias, and comas have been reported after exposure to unknown concentrations. Other short-term health effects that may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to benzene include dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, vomiting, and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat." Copied from http://www.environmentwriter.org/resources/backissues/chemicals/benzene.htm

My mother taught me that perfume was like a spice or seasoning in cooking it enhances the flavor, you don't want to overpower your natural scent. I can't think of anyone who likes to eat say spaghetti that has some much garlic that it seems to kill your taste buds.

Once I take a bath, even if I use unscented soap, I am clean and do not stink. I know I have natural pheromones that have a scent to attract the opposite site, it isn't perfume that does it.

As a confident and strong woman I feel comfortable in my own skin. I keep my house fairly clean so I don't use scented products to cover over odors. I open the doors and windows if there is fried food ordors or some other odor. Because, rotten fish with a lavender scented candle just smells like rotten fish and lavender.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Strong Women Take Control of Death

Pray that you are never left as the executor of a person’s estate, especially if that person was unorganized and left entanglements.

Women are usually left to manage the estate of their husbands. It has been written about and TV shows have depicted women as hapless and helpless in this position. It shows how women need to take an active part in the process of preparing for death.

It doesn’t matter if the death is your own, your husband’s, your partner’s, your parents’ or your child’s is not an easy job to manage. Death is going to happen and we never know when.

Yesterday, after many weeks of discovery, communications and aggravation I was able to bury my parents’ ashes. There wasn’t clear ownership to the cemetery plot. Plus a woman claimed that my great Aunt Alabama, gave the plot to her neighbor, who was the mother of the woman claiming ownership of the plot. If the woman had documentation from my great aunt then I would have to take it to court.

Originally, Mr. Marston, the cemetery manager told me I was going to have to get notarized letters from all in the family stating that it was okay with them for me to bury my parents and put markers on the graves. Mr. Marston then called me and said I could sign this letter he has that states that I am willing to be responsible for the plot, and any legal issues with the plot. If I signed this document then I would not have to get letters from my cousins just their verbal acknowledgement of my taking the ownership. That sounded so much easier so I called back the cousins and relayed what Mr. Marston had said. All cousins agreed and understood. Then is when Mr. Marston announced that Mrs. Johnson had made her claim in 2006. He tried to warn me, I guess by making a strong case for me to understand that I was taking on any legal issues with the cemetery plot.

This plot was purchased by my great, great grandfather back in 1851. The last person buried there was his granddaughter in 1987. My great, great Aunt Ala, was buried in 1963, so I didn’t understand how this Mrs. Johnson could stake a claim. Mr. Marston later told me that now that I have signed this document and I am the owner I should be prepared for other people to come forward to make such claims. Fortunately Mrs. Johnson didn’t have documentation stating that Alabama gave her mother the plots. What I couldn’t understand from Mrs. Johnson is why she wanted to make the claim since her mother was already buried in the same cemetery.
Today women can be more savvy and smart about helping their families deal with their illnesses that may incapacitate them and their death.

Days before my father’s accident that led to his death in 2007 we had made plans to change his estate from a will to a revocable trust. We had gone to see four different lawyers who told us, “all you need is a will.”

A will is useless until the person is declared dead and the court gives the executor a Letter of Testamentary, which can take weeks to months to get from the courthouse. In today’s world and in most states and counties a lawyer has to file these papers, especially if there is any real property involved in the estate.

It is a complicated and legal issue as each state is different. I will recommend for all adults (men and women) to read Suze Orman’s book, “Women And Money,” because she spells it out very clearly the difference between a revocable trust and a will. Also, to have a lawyer draw up the papers for a trust can cost you more than to have a will drawn up. Orman explains that the reason is this, “with a revocable trust a lawyer is not needed after your death, but with a Will after your death they are entitled to a percentage of the entire estate, so they will write a Will for $200.00 with a hope for the future revenue from probating the will.”

If you already know you want to avoid the costs and the time associated with a Will then you can get a Revocable Trust for just $13.00 then visit http://www.suzeorman.com/igsbase/igstemplate.cfm?SRC=SP&SRCN=protectionhelp_login&GnavID=95&SnavID=113

Another good thing that a revocable trust does that a will doesn’t do, it gives your trustee the ability to manage your business if you become incapacitated or unable in any way to take care of your business. I had my name on the bank account with my mother, but when she was isolated in the nursing home the bank did not willingly work with me because I was not the primary account holder. Dad was watching me struggle to get through the dealings I had to do for my mother. His watching the anguish and aggravation I was going suffering through made him understand the need for the revocable trust. Unfortunately he died before we had the revocable trust notarized and funded.

I have spent the last two years dealing with my divorced parents’ estates, and I don’t wish that job on my worst enemy. There are aspects of a person’s death that gave me the feeling it is a racket. I by passed the funeral homes and all that entails by making an anatomical donation of their bodies to the local medical school. I paid the cost of the ambulance to deliver the body to the University Medical Center and they processed the body. They annually have a memorial service for all people whose bodies were used to teach medical students. I received my parents’ ashes via the United States Post Office and yesterday paid for the hole to place their ashes in the family plot. Two years ago when Dad passed away we had a champagne brunch at his favorite restaurant and then 50 days later when Mom passed away we had a memorial Mass at St. Mary’s Church for both of them. That was the only uncomplicated part of dealing with their death.

Women have access to more information today than in the past. Women are a part of the life and death process, and we usually outlive the men in our families. Be strong and take the steps to make the death process easier for yourself and your descendants.