I was diagnosed with MS in 2006 and my symptoms were fairly manageable until 2014. Strangely, that was a few months after we moved into our new house. I tried every alternative treatment I could think of and did not find much relief. Finally, I started wondering, could it be something in this new living space that was making me sick?
When I ran out of alternative treatments I started thinking about Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs). I had a hunch that the EMFs in our new house might have played a part in the decline of my health. I reached out to fans on my Facebook page. The thousands of comments I received were incredible, and your helpful input would become a key step in my new quest for healing, leading me to write about The Green House that Almost Killed Me.
I had thought the beautiful house we built was green through and through. I worked diligently with our contractor to use no-VOC products during the construction process from start to finish. Additionally although our house was not visibly impacted by the historic flood that hit Boulder shortly after we moved in, I had tested it for mold. I thought our house was well constructed and ecologically sound. I was wrong.
I made a huge mistake in the design of our new home. I had not researched the ecological impact of the electrical systems installed. But something changed that day on Facebook. With your help I did a deep dive into EMF research. Your responses to my questions about EMFs were disturbing, and they may have saved my life.
I started to realize it wasn’t all in my head, especially after digging in to the book Zapped, which is an easy read and incredibly informative. In the course of one week, I turned my life upside down to reduce my exposure to EMFs. Here are the simple steps I took to reduce EMFs in our home and in my life overall!
Unplug Smart Appliances
The first thing to go was the printer in my tiny office. It is a wireless printer. I unplugged it from the wall. Now, when we need to print, we plug it in with the ethernet cable and the electric cord, plus we use another cable to connect our computers to it for printing.
Turn off WiFi
We unplugged the routers in our house and instead began using ethernet cables that plug into the wall. It doesn’t look pretty because we have cords all over the place, but being sick isn’t that pretty either. For more information on how I hardwired our computers into the Ethernet you’ll want to read my post called Avoiding EMFs at the Computer! If you are unable to turn off WiFi completely I recommend turning off your WiFi at night.
Turn off Breaker to Bedroom
Yes, this sounds crazy, and for most people it may not be necessary. However, for my system to get a rest from EMFs we decided we would turn off the circuit breaker to our bedroom. We are now using flashlights in the master bedroom and battery operated analog alarm clocks.
We also turned off the circuit breaker to the laundry room that is on the other side of our bedroom wall. This breaker is only turned on during the days that we use the washer/dryer so that the electric current is not active while I’m in the bedroom at night. Finally, my husband parked his cell phone outside of our bedroom so that I am now sleeping in a cell phone free environment.
Eliminate Cordless Phones
Cordless phones use a technology called DECT which stands for digital enhanced cordless telecommunication. This type of phone continuously emits electromagnetic radiation from the base, even when you are not speaking on it.
Although I thought that I was doing a good thing by using a landline, I was wrong since I was using cordless phones for our landline. I eliminated all of the cordless phones from our house, which were a significant source of EMFs, and instead replaced them with these corded landlines.
Reduce Cell Phone Use
Over the past couple of years I became accustomed to using my cell phone often. Last week I changed that habit. I now leave it at home when I exercise, and when I take it with me it is in airplane mode with the data switched off. When the cell phone is in airplane mode it does not emit electromagnetic radiation.
I take the phone with me in the car in case I need it for an emergency, but again, it is in airplane mode with data switched off. I don’t use the phone in the car. If I need to I will make sure the windows are rolled down. Using the phone in the car with the windows up is like using a phone in a Faraday cage. The EMFs are somewhat trapped in the space bouncing off the walls, literally, having no where to exit. The same thing that makes your car safe during a lightening storm, makes it a sealed space that can trap EMFs when your cell phone is in use.
I’ve written a great post with links to scientific research for those of you who are wondering Are Cell Phones Dangerous?
Dismantling the Control4 System
Unfortunately, since I entirely neglected the electronic components in the building process, we have a long way to go. The house is on a system called Control4. That means that every light switch and thermostat in the house may be on WiFi, not to mention the televisions, and much more. We plan to eliminate this system and unraveling it is going to be a complex process. We are only at the beginning.
Changing Habits Takes Time
So far I’ve been spending a great deal of time and energy to reduce the EMFs in our home. Since I really enjoy creating new habits it has been very easy for me. My family is making changes to their habits too, and these changes in behavior were not their idea, so it is less pleasant for them. I have turned their world upside down. Thankfully they have been really good sports about it. I am very lucky and show them my gratitude at every opportunity!
You’re Crazy EMFs are in Your Head
When I’ve spoken with friends about reducing the EMFs in our home the response has been interesting. One friend said she was very proud of me, that she was glad I had not given up on my health, and that I was still searching for an answer and working to get well.
Another friend had a different response. This friend said there was no proof that EMFs are harmful and that people would think I was crazy in my efforts to reduce EMFs in my own home. Thankfully I haven’t really ever cared much anyway what people thought of me so that’s not an issue! Many people have told me that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a total scam, and still, I get my HBOT treatments for MS, finding them particularly helpful.
It’s been less than one week since I made all of the changes outlined above! Since it took around 10 months of living in the house for all of my strange symptoms to arise, I expect it will take at least that long to heal. Remember, healing is a process that takes time.
Next, I’m bringing in an EMF specialist to measure the different areas of our home to help me to get the EMF situation here further under control. I’ll be sure to keep you posted! I’m so glad that I went on Facebook to chat with you all last week about EMFs. I learned so much from you! Now I hope you can learn something from me and that together we can spread awareness of this important issue!
If you want to make a difference, share this post on Facebook, or leave a comment about your own experience with EMFs below.
Heather says
I bet that switching off the wifi and using ethernet cables has speeded up your network response times and made the network more reliable, what with the shielded cables blocking any interference.
I cannot imagine that rolling down a car window actually makes a significant difference to EM radiation leaving the vehicle, at least at the frequencies used by cell phones. If it did, you’d have trouble making phone calls from inside the car because the call is transmitted via EM waves. Glass does block some UV radiation, and also, I think, IR although there are other factors in the way parked cars with closed windows heat up in the summer, air circulation being one of them.
The metal frame of the car is what makes a Faraday cage, and unless that’s some unusual glass, whether or not the window is open isn’t going to affect the layout of that frame significantly. I have, btw, been in a building that was functionally a Faraday cage; cell phone signals vanished a few feet in from the entrance which is very annoying when you’re depending on a cell phone network for credit card authorizations.
Keep in mind that lightning strikes involve charged particles, and EM radiation does not. The metal frame of a vehicle protects the passengers by conducting those charged particles around them.
Elana says
Thanks Heather!
Jennifer Berg says
Thank you for sharing this information. You have no idea how much you are helping everyone with this. Even just knowing that someone else believes me is such a relief. I became very ill after smart meters were put onto gas lines in my province. That was 2 years ago and I’ve made some pretty drastic changes to try to get my health back. It’s a journey and I’ve had some success. But now the province will be installing smart meters on the electrical systems AND the City will be installing smart meters on the waterlines. Ugh. If we can spread this message we may be able to stop this madness beforehand. Thank you for your help in spreading this message. I truly hope everyone will contact politicians, business owners, school trustees, principals, etc. to ask them to remove the WiFi and the smart meters and all this wireless stuff.
Elana says
Thanks Jennifer! I am so glad we are spreading the word about EMF’s :-)
Barbara Bukovnik says
Our city wanted to install smart meters on our electricity and water… to the point of investing a ton of money in a complicated system. An energetically minded Chiropractor in the area, Dr. Frank Springob, DC, did some blood test work and learned that human blood cells change when exposed to the radiation coming from smart meters! He went before the city council several times and presented his findings. They, of course, didn’t believe him and mocked his research. Then he started writing articles in an open-minded newspaper here and rallied the support of many people. The outcome was that they couldn’t install the system because of difficulties in getting all the computers and meters to communicate in the “test homes and businesses.” Dr. Springob is outspoken about his EMF knowledge … perhaps worth looking up and contacting for your situation.
Elana says
Thanks Barbara!
Ann says
Please know that you have a lot of supporters who care about your health, as well as appreciate your wonderful and healthy recipes. Please keep us current on your journey to improved your health. EMF’s are usually overlooked and are often poo-pooed. I am a PT and never considered this with my neuro patients. I am thrilled that you have this amazing network.
Elana says
Ann, thanks so much for your incredible comment :-)
Meg says
Thank you so much for sharing! I have been thinking EMFs have been the reason for me being so sick in my one home in Saskatoon. We’ve been tested for mold, but nothing. Thanks for this post and sharing your story! I’m also happy to hear you’ve noticed changes! I’ve been feeling extremely exhausted, dizzy, and just unwell overall every time I’m at that house.
Elana says
Meg, sounds like it may be an EMF issue!
Jennifer Berg says
Meg, I’m from Regina, and I went through the same thing and I was ill at work, too (industrial WiFi in the public library). We ended up moving and I had to quit my job.. Two years later I finally figured out the EMFs thing. Thank you SaskEnergy smart modules. I got quite sick when they were installed and the insomnia reminded me of the week I tried WiFi. That clicked in my head and I researched smart meters and WiFi and began to learn. The Canadians for Safe Technology website was very helpful. I’m now a Riding Rep for it. LOL
Deanna says
Wishing you Elana the Best always.. I think your intuition was telling you something.. We should always listen to our bodies and especially our intuition.. I have had health issues, so fatigue.
I am doing many things to help my body feel better. Getting there.
Thank you so much for all you do! You truly are an inspiration! Sending much? Aloha :)
️Deanna D
Elana says
Thanks Deanna! Right back at ya :-)
Carmen says
This is a wake up call for me. I have an auto immune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis which I have been I pursuit of finding ways to heal and feel better for a better part of 42 years. My bedroom sits next to our office with only two multiple light french doors in between. I have felt that the blinking lights from the printer and and router have woken me up in the night. I wake up feeling terrible. This article makes me want to put a wall up between the two rooms and shut off these things as you say. I thought it was all in my head but now I feel differently. Thanks!
Elana says
You’re welcome Carmen. Shutting off this type of equipment is a great idea!
Lesley says
I too have been doing hyperbaric sessions for my TBI, and have found it to be very helpful, I also get instant relief from my headache I have had since the injury occurred!
Elana says
Lesley, yes! It helped with both my TBI and MS :-)
Megan Heaton says
Where can you for this in the Boulder/Denver area?
Elana says
Megan, I write about the place I go for HBOT, Rocky Mountain Hyperbaric Association, on this page:
https://elanaspantry.com/elanas-non-profits/
Good luck!
Elana
Suanne says
Thank you for the update and sharing your journey with us. I had no idea about EMF’s before your Facebook post. Your are a wealth of information for me as I try get myself the healthiest I can be.
Elana says
You’re welcome Suanne!
Lili says
Dear Elena,
You are so inspiring, your recipes have help me a lot preparing GF meals and I believe you are doing the right thing pursuing the issue of EMF’s in your surroundings. Here in Quebec, Canada, the electric company installed new intelligent meters to all housings despite the worries of the population, leaving us no choice. Mine is located on the outside wall of my bedroom, and also constantly exposed to it if sitting on deck and worries me regarding health issues that the medical system has no answers for me. Technology is creating risks on our health just like pesticides and all, but this debate is just beginning since we are suppose to trust the experts. I encourage you to keep voicing this EMF issue publicly as it will give answers to many of us, and above all could be the answer to your MS.
Lili
Elana says
Thanks Lili!
Shelly Binkley says
MS…check out Anthony William (Medical Medium) book. He has a new one coming out now, but the first book get a hold of it and read on MS and see if any info can be beneficial to you. Also, I have heard great things about having hyperbaric oxygen therapy done.
Elana says
Thanks Shelly!