Michigan Surgical Associates, P.C. that kills mildew. Within 12 hours, Merritt's throat.was closing. Within a month, she had migraines and reacted to a host of smells. She couldn't eat and had trouble breathing. She took a sick leave from the teaching job she loved at Farmington High, and set about getting rid of the chemicals in her home that triggered reactions. She pulled up the carpets, replaced her couch with a wooden porch swing, switched from gas heat to electricity. Her health forced her to retire at age 63. As long as Merritt stays at home, she gets better. She eats healthily, exer- cises and gardens with a mask. "One of the worst things is that people look at you like you're crazy. They look at older women as hys- terical females," she says. Yet, Merritt sees her- self as lucky. Although she can't visit her five grown children, they come to her. "Other patients are falling through the cracks," she says. "People don't believe them." MCS hasn't yet made it in the 4111S° 0, International Codification of Diseases, a handbook used by the government and insurance carriers for diagnostic and reimbursement purposes. Yet, people suffering with MCS have initiated litigation and the diag- nosis has become politicized. "The chemical industry funds enor- mous efforts to portray these patients as crazy," Harbut says. "Insurance companies say no way can exposure make someone sick. "On the other hand, there are attorneys who claim that every malady is attributed to environmental expo- sure. Patients get caught in the cross- fire between divergent economic inter- ests and healing gets left in the dust," he says. When Linda Weiss of Ann Arbor got sick, she had a long history of exposure to fumes from liquid plastics and art supplies from working as an artist and a manicurist. The chemicals gave her rashes and headaches, but otherwise didn't interfere with her life. In 1981, three days after Weiss was married, she collapsed in a shopping center and her health went downhill. She believes she reacted to chlorine. She was 42. Weiss stayed on a restrictive diet for 18 months. She eats organic foods and moved to Ann Arbor to be closer to health food stores. New furniture and cars give off fumes, so she buys used items from non-smokers. And she has become an activist. Weiss spearheaded the passage of a law in Ann Arbor that gives individuals the right to be notified of spraying within a quarter-mile of their resi- dence. She is working to ban all spray- ing. As long as Weiss avoids pesticides and fumes, her health is good. She has raised three children — a son from her first marriage and two stepchil- - dren. She and her husband fostered two teen-age boys who remain close. Six years ago, in their mid-50s, the Weisses adopted a girl from Romania. Remaining active in her home, Weiss wrote a newspaper col- umn called "Health Watch" that covered alter- native products, and two books, The Kitchen Magician, a sub- stitution cook- book, and How to Live With the New 20th Century Illness. Weiss now runs a custom gift basket business from her home. She orders her supplies from catalogues and her husband does the delivery. She asks visitors not to wear perfume and she rarely goes out. In spite of the hardship, Weiss is happy. "It's a blessing in disguise. I see what's happening in the world, and I want to help," she says. Trice, Merritt and Weiss belong to a support group called MCS and Friends. They meet via telephone and know each other intimately, but have never met in person. Traveling is a risk none of them can take. 0 MCS and Friends is trying to help Trice and others find safe places to recover. They've set up a housing fund and welcome any inquiries, new members or gifts. 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