The smoke is freakin' killing me!

[JudyJudyJudy]

I can't even live in peace inside my own home. I certainly can't walk outside because the smell of smoke is so strong. Just from dh walking in the door carrying some bags, the smoke was able to come inside. I'm having problems breathing; my head is killing me; I feel stuffy, yet my nose is running, and I'm sneezing; and even my eyes and upper cheeks have already started swelling. I'm miserable. A couple of times recently I've even been able to smell it when the door has not been open. (It's because of how our garage and CH/A unit is set up.)

People say that money can't buy happiness, but damn it, right now if I had plenty of money, I'd move somewhere that it doesn't get cold so that people didn't use fireplaces (or way the hell away from everyone); I'd have a home that was as safe as possible in terms of chemicals and off-gassing; and I'd have super-duper air filtration throughout the house. Right now good health would make me happy.

[bocarioja]

I'm sorry, Judy.

[kasash]

I'm so sorry. :(

[Justicedog]

Have you thought of writing to Extreme Home Makeover?

[JudyJudyJudy]

Thanks, boca and kasash.

How extreme must something be to qualify, JD? I thought they liked things that had to change the complete structure and make it look completely different in the end.

[MiMi_of_4]

Where is the smoke coming from, Judy?

[JudyJudyJudy]

Fireplaces.

[JudyJudyJudy]

I swear stepping outside is like walking into a bar except it smells like hickory. Have you ever been into a restaurant that cooks barbecue, and the place has thick smoke in the air? That's what outside here reminds me of.

[KatieLou]

I am so sorry Judy. I Totally understand. Growing up we lived in a home where our only heat source was a wood burning stove. I was sick all winter, every winter. My parents finally linked it to the wood smoke ( and the types of wood they were burning) and they sold the house when I was 15 for that very reason (bless them) You would not believe the change it made in my health.

Of course, I still get like that around others smoke and cig smoke. But thankfully the most I suffer from just smelling others woodburning smoke in the air outside is a headache and some congestion.

(((hugs))) babe.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Katie, my sister has been very sick all winter. I'm really worried about her. I keep telling her that their fireplace is affecting her, but she won't listen. Theirs is worse than most, and I don't think it is ventilated properly. Her husband has also been sick, as has one of her sons, but they don't see it. They're all smokers, too, and my sister already has COPD, but she is much worse now with the fireplace smoke.

We have natural gas heat, stove, and water heater, and that is affecting me badly, too. Every time I start trying to figure out a way to get rid of the gas, something else comes up. We can't afford to move.

[MiMi_of_4]

I'm sorry you are so miserable, Judy. Our neighbor burns the worst crap in his fireplace and tonight when DH opened up the garage, our smoke alarm went off ~

[JudyJudyJudy]

I'm sorry you are so miserable, Judy. Our neighbor burns the worst crap in his fireplace and tonight when DH opened up the garage, our smoke alarm went off ~
Oh, shit.

[KatieLou]

Ugh. How frustrating for you, that someone you care so much about does not see that these things are effecting her and he family.

I have never lived somewhere with gas heat, so I don't know that I would be effected by that or not. I hope you find a way to work things out for yourself so that you can take care of the gas heat that is bothering you. Do you usally feel a lot better in the spring? I would always start to feel much better in the spring, untill of course, things started to bloom!

I lived in that house from the time I was 7-15. It was actually my Dad's sisters house that she left to him when she was killed. I know he hated to part with it, and I am forever greatful that he did anyway. They had looked into putting other heating into the house, but it was just not worth dropping that much $$ into that house.

[MiMi_of_4]

I know, Judy! We have several alarms, and the one in the garage and the one in our foyer both went off...I can only imagine how bad it must be in their house, because it smells like dog turds burning outside!

[Bellaelle]

You poor dear. You would not want to live here. When King Ranch does control burnings, you can see and smell the smoke for miles on end.

[KatieLou]

Oh no Mimi!! and I so giggled at the dog turd comment!

[JudyJudyJudy]

MiMi, how do they stand it?

Katie, I'm dealing with gas throughout the year since we have a gas stove and water heater, too. Even during summer, since our C/HA unit is right beside the water heater, it sucks in the gas every time the A/C comes on. I called the gas company one time because I was smelling gas. A man came and checked it out and said that it's normal for the water heater to put out gas every time it comes on (and go off, IIRC). He said that only about 5% of the population is bothered by the gas, and I just happen to be in that 5%.

Before I got so chemically sensitive, I used to feel better at at my sister's house. Now I can't even stand to go to her house because of the smells. I suspect the gas is why I've been getting worse and worse with chemicals, and then the school building I was in for six months last year sent me over the edge.

I keep hoping that we can figure out how to get a new water heater and stove. Then we'd just use electric heaters in the house until we could afford to do something else (which would probably be never).

[JudyJudyJudy]

You poor dear. You would not want to live here. When King Ranch does control burnings, you can see and smell the smoke for miles on end.
I hate that, but we have it here, too, just on a smaller scale. We have farms all around us that do that, and then we have neighbors who burn their trash. I can't stand it.

[MiMi_of_4]

I hate that, but we have it here, too, just on a smaller scale. We have farms all around us that do that, and then we have neighbors who burn their trash. I can't stand it.

Both of our next-door neighbors burn stuff ~ drives me straight up the wall. I used to hang all our clothes outside on the line and the minute I got them hung, one or both of the pyros would light a fire.

The lady on the right burns grass cuttings, leaves, sticks, sweetgum balls...you name it, she burns it (it actually just smoldered for hours). The lady on the other side has a barrel in her back yard, and I'm pretty sure she burns trash, along with who knows what else...yuck!

[Justicedog]

Thanks, boca and kasash.

How extreme must something be to qualify, JD? I thought they liked things that had to change the complete structure and make it look completely different in the end.


They did one where the house looked fine, but there was something else - like radon in it.

I wish extreme wasn't so extreme. I think it'd be cool if once a month they went and did something "little" for a bunch of folks.

[CatSoup]

I swear stepping outside is like walking into a bar except it smells like hickory. Have you ever been into a restaurant that cooks barbecue, and the place has thick smoke in the air? That's what outside here reminds me of.

I'm sorry Judy and KL. :( These are some of the smells I love. I can't imagine how it must feel to be so physically affected.

[EvilAmy]

Me too Cat. Here we only have a burn season where you can burn weeds and such on your property, farmers have to get a special permit. I can't imgaine having to deal with that Judy, for us it's our only source of heat.