title: Patient statement: chemical sensitivity--one victim's perspective.
abstract: Not a day goes by that I don't miss my old life and the old me. To illustrate how my life has changed, I have two brief stories. In 1982, I developed a lending procedure in conjunction with Banker's Life Insurance Company that enabled commercial real estate developers to secure permanent financing for property that had not yet been developed--in essence using a permanent loan in place of a construction loan. It fixed the interest rate, at a time when new construction rates were bankrupting many projects and it allowed the developer to invest the excess funds to offset interest expenses. I received national recognition for this loan. In 1989, the police found me wandering around in 15 inches of snow, in below zero weather with no shoes or coat. The officer took me to the hospital because I was obviously disoriented. I didn't even know my name or where I lived. These stories show the disparity between my life as a successful, independent business woman and my life as someone who is chemically disabled.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Injury Information Network, White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D018777:Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde