I’ve been a bit quiet this month, I know – and thank you to those of you who have asked me if I am OK. So sweet. I’m very lucky that you have my back x
Remember I wrote a piece about how I had tried to start several new projects and businesses since I retired? And remember how every single one of them got shelved because I reacted to something? And remember how I (and Mrs Universe) said I would just write then and I actually (albeit accidentally before I was ready) sent out the first two hormone series posts – which I hope you have enjoyed and found useful, by the way?
Well, Mrs Universe is trying her best but my body is just not having it!
I am struggling now with electrosensitivity! I mean: come on! This is just not funny. I decided I’ll do what I’m best at – research, write and educate/raise awareness of complex health conditions – and I then can’t bear to be near a computer or phone.
WHAT???!
Yet another screeching halt to my plans. I am rapidly starting to think I shall become the ruddy hermit in a remote cottage and retreat from society that someone, somewhere seems to want me to be! And, yes, I do realise this is probably a very frightened part of me who does indeed want me to retreat to keep safe – but blimey, man, how many times can I tell you we are safe for you to believe me?!
Calm. Calm. Voo breathe…
I’ve always been a little electrosensitive (ES from now on as I can’t be bothered to keep typing it out fully!) and have made sure my exposure to tech in my home is kept minimal. Here’s what I think has happened.. Since we moved here – thinking what a lovely healthy spot right next to the fresh air of the sea and semi-rural in a sort of signal ‘shadow’ because of the cliffs- there have been two masts put up, one either side of Hannafore in Looe where I live, and Open Reach has installed full fibre on the road, which my neighbours all around me and in the other apartments have now had connected.
Our internet has never been that great here – we’ve relied on 4G, which is not ideal, obviously, so P decided we needed full fibre now it was available as he was having trouble in his voice booth. We had it connected and a Sky Box put in about 4 weeks ago. I wasn’t that sure about having it but, given that copper systems are being phased out by January 2027, I knew we’d have to at some point.
Within 2 hours of switching it on, I was fizzing and felt terrible. I lasted 3 days with huge pressure in my head and face, jangling and burning feet, headaches and extreme fatigue – especially as I couldn’t sleep. And the tinnitus or screeching in my head – just awful. Now I think of it, I’ve had much milder ‘tinnitus’ since we moved here, but this was off the scale, and still is.
We turned it off and within hours I felt so much better, which rather confirmed the issue. It made me realise that I’ve probably been reacting to neighbour and street fibre for months – so a useful event, if horrid. The hot sweats I thought were menopause: probably ES. The burning feet I worried was nerve damage from diabetes: probably ES. FGS!
The worst is in our bedroom where the screeching and burning feet/jangling persists. I had to beg the neighbour above to turn his booster off above our bedroom which massively helped but his Wifi remains on, even though they are hardly ever there. Their choice, of course, but it’s making my life much harder, sadly.
I think what’s happened is that acute exposure is acting a bit like perfume-gate a year ago, when I got ‘got’ by very strong, persistent perfume and sadly had to lose a friend over it as I couldn’t see her, go to her house, have her in mine, let her in my car, go in hers etc etc! It took me almost 6 months to calm my system down – helped greatly by Primal Trust’s Regulate (see last post– starting 5th October!!). And here we go again with an ES exposure.
Honestly, you truly couldn’t make it up.
So, as it stands, we have returned to our old Ethernet/Powerline system, no Wifi unless really needed, minimal phone use, mostly on Airplane mode, typing your newsletters and posts offline and posting when finished. P had added Echo Dots (which I constantly turned off, tee hee), a smart meter (against my wishes but told we HAD to have one) and we had to have boosters in the hall to get the signal to the back of the flat where our office and voice booth are. It was clearly too much for me.
Yesterday, we counted 9 USB port plug sockets, two by our bedhead and 6 (???!!!) in my office so P took those out as my (very quick) research on those suggest they emit quite a lot of EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) and that the springs in our mattress are probably acting as antenna. Lordy.
Basically, I am finding and eliminating as may EMF sources as I can. I am feeling better apart from the bedroom, but sleeping in any of the other rooms is even worse (fuse box in spare bedroom, 6 usb ports in office, loads of mobile and Wifi signals from neighbours in lounge and kitchen. I went to a shop today and within 2 minutes, I had symptoms. I am clearly not low enough yet to be going many places.
Hermit, see. It REALLY wants me to be one, doesn’t it? I am starting to wonder if I really should be finding a detached remote cottage!
Anyway, I’ll keep you posted, of course. Another area of hypersensitivity I am (unfortunately for me, fortunately for you) becoming an expert on.
As I research, I will write a new ES factsheet for the A-Z – or if any of you are experts out there and want to write a guest one, do get in touch. Must be science-based with personal/clinical experience. I might even do an email interview with you and share it on the newsletter if that would be useful.
Anyway, onward. This too shall pass, eh? x