If you’ve been following my health story here you know that I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006. After that initial MS attack I was fairly symptom free until 2014. That’s when things began to get weird.
Non-Toxic Green Building Materials, Check!
We had renovated a 100 year old house in historic Mapleton Hill and moved in during the summer of 2014. I believed we had done a totally green renovation. That’s because I knew nothing about wireless technology. Every single thing in the house from lighting to thermostats to the sound system and more was wireless and ran on electromagnetic radiation. It was the equivalent of living with 300 cell phones in my home buzzing constantly.
For someone with the MTHFR genetic mutation, it was too much. By the spring of 2015, less than two years after we moved in, I was in the hospital with the worst MS symptoms of my life, completely numb from the neck down, along with an array of other concerning issues.
I began doing hyperbaric oxygen therapy and getting weekly IV nutrients. I was stabilizing and not getting worse, but I was not fully recovering which was odd. Things were stagnant in spite of my complete focus and dedication. I had never experienced that before.
Deteriorating Health
Fast forward to the fall of 2016. I knew something was seriously wrong. Before moving into the house, I had lived the full and healthy life of a New York Times best selling author, writing a book for Random House every two years, going on book tours, doing TV and radio, all while posting on my blog a few times each week. I had attended the boys’ sporting and school events regularly. Now I went to doctors and treatments and wrote on the blog every couple of weeks if I was lucky. I watched my life pass me by, missing family events and vacations.
Discovering EMFs and Building Biology
When the fall of 2016 rolled around I had a lucky break. Our HVAC vendor walked in one day and said, the house has too many electrical systems in it and everything is shorting out! And so I began my research. I learned about building biology and electromagnetic fields (EMFs). I discovered the effects EMFs can have on people like me. I found out what had made me so sick, and prevented me from getting well in spite of my best efforts.
Since then we’ve removed all of the wireless systems from our home. On March 1, 2017 I began living in a mostly WiFi free environment. Although my living environment is almost perfect and we’ve removed all of the wireless smart technology, there are small compromises that we make.
Balancing Different Types of Stress
We still let our boys and their friends use their cell phones when they’re here. For me the stress of not having the gang in our home is far greater than the stress of being near half a dozen cell phones a couple of hours per day. That’s a trade I made. The boys have made compromises too. While they can still use their cell phones in the house, they’ve lost their wireless head phones, wireless speakers, and gaming console.
Don’t Make my Mistake
I don’t want you and your family to go through the pain and heartache that we’ve suffered. I’ve lost years of my life so that we could have silly smart systems like lights and thermostats that operated remotely.
Living in a home filled with wireless radiation severely exacerbated the multiple sclerosis I had been diagnosed with in 2006. If you have a neurological condition such as MS, autism, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s, or an illness such as cancer or Lyme disease, you are far more vulnerable to the effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and may need to take the extra precautions that I outline in my post called Simple Steps to Reduce EMFs.
The Good News
Little by little I’m getting well. It took over a year to get sick so I anticipate I’ll need at least that long to get healthy again. I’m sticking to my program of sleeping as much as I can, eating a low-carb diet, and exercising moderately. The body can heal itself, and now that mine is in a healing environment the sky is the limit!
Annette says
Funny, I came to your site because I love your recipes. I’ve been Paleo for about a year now and completely healed my thyroid issue my Dr said I would have to takes meds for to do. I happily proved him incorrect! Anyway, my husband has recently begun suffering from ocular migraines and has been attributing it to stress. A full workup up from the Dr says it’s strange to start suffering from migraines as he’s been in perfect health until he recently started working in an office on the computer all day with wireless technology all around him. He has headaches and body aches almost daily. I will have to share your info with him. Best of luck to you as you continue your healing journey!
Elana says
Annette, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband and hope he gets some relief soon :-)
Rachel Chevalier says
Consider a holiday in the Netherlands and educate yourself about this technology
Raymedy.com. Contact me if you want more info. I have been using this technology for 10 years to research geopathic stress in people who are sick. All the best.
Elana says
Thanks Rachel!
Philis Hileman says
Hi. Just a shot in the dark. I have changed from HCLF to WFPB diet. Have you read about Dr. John McDougall and their animal free/oil free diet? He has been doing research on MS. Heard of Roy Swank and his MS patients since 1948?
Elana says
Hi Philis, yes I grew up hearing about the Swank diet, my parents were friends with his daughter and I went to school with his grandson :-)
Joan says
I am at Autism One this week and just sat in on a talk by Peter Sullivan with Clear Light Ventures. He was explaining the science behind EMFs and the effect they have on the body. He sees EMFs as a piece in the Autism Puzzle. I shared your story with him. I’ve realized I may be suffering from some issues with Wireless in my home. I have some work to do. Thanks for sharing your story.
Elana says
Joan, yes I’ve heard that many alternative practioners believe that EMF’s are actually the primary cause of autism.
Leeann says
Hi Elana,
I’ve been a faithful blog reader and fan of your recipes for several years. When you first started writing about EMFs, I’ll admit I was skeptical. But because I observe that you have a strong analytical side, I’ve continued reading about your research and progress. This most recent post was very persuasive to me, especially because you led with the fact that you have the MTHFR mutation, so are likely more sensitive to EMF effects. (I’ve always wondered, if EMF is a health risk, why don’t more people suffer from the effects?)
Anyway, you’ve opened my mind and helped me learn and understand more about this. THANKS.
Elana says
Leeann, thanks so much! I am so truly grateful for the candor of your comment. That means a lot to me :-)
Michele Gelman says
I have done hundreds of hours of research on EMFs after our family became sick. I think many people are suffering the effects but don’t know that EMFs are the cause. It is similar to a gluten intolerance in that every body reacts differently. For me it was fibromyalgia type symptoms and loss of focus, then eventually vertigo and skin rashes until I became full blown electrically sensitive. Buying a Tesla car pushed me over the edge. I became nauseous when I was in it. My 8 year old daughter had arthritis, my 10 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD and depression and the youngest had sleep issues. We also all had a growing list of food intolerances. I couldn’t keep track of who could eat what. No one could link all of these different symptoms. Once we became electrically sensitive, we had building-biologists come and measure the radiation and dismantle it all and finally everyone’s symptoms started to go. We are all really healthy again. I see other people to whom this is happening now – everyone in the family is having issues but they will not even consider that it could be from EMFs. They don’t want to peal back the layers and find the root cause. They want a pill. It doesn’t help that kids have unhealthy guts, are pumped with mercury and aluminum and fed a toxic diet and never spend any time outdoors! I believe it is all cumulative.
Elana says
Michele, another very astute comment from you. Thank you so much and I totally agree!
Debra E Wise says
Elana: Thank you so much for keeping us in-the-know and keeping us updated on your soaring self! Thank you so much for sharing what you’ve learned about nutrition as well; it sooo helps! — Debra
Elana says
Debra, I’m so glad to hear that what I’m sharing is helping you! That means the world to me :-)
Lee Sagula says
I am also so glad you are sharing Elana! I am a bau-biologist in PA – one of the early graduates of that program and have been trying to educate people about this since 2001!
Elana says
Thanks Lee! You are quite a pioneer. I’m so glad that we are promoting EMF awareness together :-)
Lee Sagula says
Thank you Elana! I know you are going to reach so many people!
You may be interested in my facebook page – I post helpful EMR tips weekly as well as keeping my readers advised on all the latest wireless info and gadgets! It is http://www.facebook.com/HealthyHomesConsulting
Elana says
Thanks Lee!
Dawn Ketter says
So grateful you are better now. Your info on EMFs helped me understand how and why the Meniere’s Disease is now mostly gone. I worked in a cubicle environment of about 30 people, all with wireless laptops, printers, and phones and wireless hubs in the ceiling. My symptoms were daily, all day at work. When I quit a year ago, my symptoms – especially the vertigo abruptly stopped. We do have wifi at home but thankfully it’s impact has been minimal. Blessings to you!
Elana says
Thanks for sharing your EMF journey with me Dawn! I’m so glad we are on this healing path together :-)
Jeanne says
God Bless you, Elana. May this be the solution for you.
Elana says
Jeanne, thanks for your comment! Little by little, day by day I’m getting my strength back :-)
V Capaldi says
Thank you for sharing this story it is very informative. I will share with my tribe hoping to save others plus myself from this outcome. Comforting, healing energy coming from me to you. Namaste. V aka PaleoBOSS Lady
Elana says
V, thanks so much for stopping by! Yes, for people like us with MS this information is critical. I’m so glad you and I are connected and love hearing from you :-)
Chrissy says
Thank you so much for bringing this to the forefront for discussion. Our new home was killing me as well. I knew in my gut that it was something specific in the new house but couldn’t put my finger on it. After exhausting all doctors, I ended up going to a naturopathic doctor. She diagnosed Me with EMF sensitivity. It’s been 5 years since the diagnosis and I’m on my way to a healthier life. A few suggestions on EMF protection…Earth Calm products are amazing. I wear a necklace all day and I have the whole house unit as well. My entire family sleeps on grounding pads at night. But besides the protection, education of what can cause EMF is key. We happen to take Directv out of the home and install an attic antenna…best decision ever. It took my whole family about a week to move through the detox symptoms but I don’t get heart palpitations anymore. What we think is amazing these days with technological capabilities is actually killing us.
Elana says
Chrissy, thanks so much for your comment! Just a heads up to my readers, I would suggest that anything used to mitigate EMF’s is measured with a gaussmeter for electromagnetic fields, as well as an acoustimeter to measure wireless radiation. I have found so many items that are sold that are not as effective as claimed and don’t want folks to spend money on items that don’t work as advertised. Thanks again for stopping by :-)
Gail says
Elena, thanks so much for sharing your journey. Can you please describe how you shielded your bedroom and where you got the products?
Many thanks,
Gail
Elana says
Gail, yes! Stay tuned for more detailed information on that :-)