Here is the transcript

Laegens Bord (The Docotr’s Desk) aired April 5, 2001 at 7.30 pm Danish time

The host

Every 4. person - over 1 million people - do every day have a problem with allergies - i.e. to food, animals or pollen. But 200 danes suffer from what is called multipkle chemical sensitivity (said with danish words). - It means that their living is very limited. One of them is Helle Kongevang. She can’t tolerate people, who have used shampoo or detergent containing perfume - and her husband - he has to take off all his clothed and take a shower, before he enters the livingroom.

THE FILM WITH ME STARTS

Speaker

The list with the things Helle can’t tolerate is long - it goes from citrus frutis and doghair to all kinds of chemestry (chemicals). When she goes shopping, she has to wear a mask, and she can only wear it for 3 hours at a time, otherwise she gets water in her lungs. - Already as a child Helle had problems with asthma and allergy.

Me

I have always seen doctors, and I have always had a note in my pocket with the next schedules appointment.

I got vaccinated, and then I couldn’t tolerate the shots, so instead of getting like 28 shots, they had to cut down the doses, and it ended with 50 - 75 - 100 shots instead.

I have always been sick. One, who had a slight cold, should just drop by, and I got sick. My years in school were not easy. I remember one time during grade school I brought home my reportcard. A school year isn’t as long as an ordinary year, and I had had 43 days of absence.

Speaker

Since childhood Helle’s allergy has developed intensly, and she lives almost isolated in her apartment. She herself belives that the illness developed, when she for 10 years worked in a computer company, where copiers and printers were running all day long.

Me

The last 18 months I worked, I was more sick that I had ever imagined I could be. It was something like getting out of bed in the morning and then - somehow getting to work. I took a lot of medications - asthma meds - antihistamines for allergy - eyedrops and nosedrops - all kinds of stuff - as I simply was so sick - and I had NO IDEA that it was due to the laser printer standing next to me - that it was due to the concreed building I worked in and the other laser printer and the copier, which also were in the same room.

I had NOT AL ALL enough fantasy to think that those were things making me sick. That I have learned later on. - So those 18 months were Hell ..... and it took a while after I stopped working before I one days wondered.... It has been a while since I last through up.... As I did that 2-3 times every week.

When I sit and look at my wedding pictures I get very happy, but also a little sad - but mostly happy - as I am happy that I did get married.... the way I got married.

The flowers I have in my bouguet - I can’t even be near them today. I get twerrible ill. - There are guests who smoke - I can’t be with people, who smoke - there were stearin candles on the table - I can’t tolerate stearin candles - the candles I have in my home are made from palm oil - they don’t contain any kind of chemcials - stearin candles are made from petro chemicals and other crummy things - and that is the reason I can’t tolerate them.

In all there are all the things people had put on that day we got married - perfume, make-up and hairspray - I can’t tolerate that at all.

I can’t read a newspaper, as I can’t touch the ink, and if I inhale the fumes from a fresh newspaper, I get the feeling of having acid in my mouth - it tingles and I have a pricking sensation - like boiling - very uncomfortable - and I get breathing problems, so I am very happy that it is possible to read the newspaper on-line, as then I can sit behind my monitor and read the news - setting my own speed.

My illness has slowly, graduately developed, until I started working in the computer company, and then the development suddenly was speeded up - but since 1994 - no 1992 and til today it has really been developing fats. It is like an avalanche - it gets beiiger and bigger all the time - and it is the same for me. Eventhough I live very isloated in a little wooden boc, which is my apartment.

I do know what my future looks like - because if I don’t take care of myself, we can go to the undertaker and order a wooden box, and get it delivered right away - BUT as I do take very good of myself, we can wait a while before going to the undertaker... but it breaks down the system being exposed to all the chemicals in our everyday life.

I once thought I would turn 120... now I maybe only will turn 102.... so that’s that...

THE FILM WITH ME ENDS

The host

Within a short time - actually on the 18. we send a documentary program about the consequenses due to all the chemicals we are sourrounded by. We sctually contain 500 synthetic chemicals our parents didn’t contain, and the use of synthetic chemicals has exploded - that you can hear more about - the consequenses in the documentary THE TOXIC CHILDREN...