From: GRETCH2U@aol.com 
Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 3:58 PM
Subject: Enzyme - MCS connection

Steve,

I have been chemically sensitive for about 24 yrs. ( I am a 59 yr old Speech Pathologist).  I was disabled about 8 yrs ago after exposure to a Dursban termite treatment in the basement of the private school where I worked....I never went into the basement, but my office was on the floor above it.  Then 2 yrs ago I almost died as a result of 2 exposures (1st was a Chem Lawn treatment of our neighbor's yard and about a wk later to a permethrin application done by the Maryland Dept of Ag.

I was hospitalized 5 times in 15 days in a local hospital where they knew nothing about pesticide poisoning...however, after the 5th hospitalization, they finally decided to refer me to Johns Hopkins dept of Environmental Medicine.  That staff Dr. was only available 1 day (the day of my visit) and after verifying that I had truly been poisoned by pesiticides, told me that she believed it to possibly be an enzyme problem in the body chemistry of people such a me.  She, however, didn't know what the enzyme was nor what type of problem it was pertaining to the enzyme, but that she hoped I would continue to research on my own to find the answer.  She then made a copy of a chapter out of a Toxicology text and gave it to me to read.

Having just been "introduced" to your name via Carol Beauregard, I have hope that you might be able to help me unravel this mystery.  Are you familiar with any research connecting an enzyme problem within the body chemistry of chemically sensitive people, thus tying us to a chemically senstive body? or any other connection that might shed light on how to repair or protect ourselves from this type of devastation.

Thank you so much for any help you might be able to give me!

Sincerely,

Gretchen Touchard