The irony is inescapable. I, a certified safety professional with my Masters in occupational safety and health, have seen my own health damaged and my husband’s ruined by occupational exposures. In both cases, I knew what the problem was but thought I was powerless to prevent our illnesses. However, my experiences taught me some lessons from which other safety and health professionals can profit. But first, let me discuss the pertinent question of what are "real" illnesses.
Currently, there is debate in medical and occupational health circles about whether certain illnesses -for instance, multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), Gulf War Syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)- actually exist. In all of these cases, sufferers experience a "bizarre" constellation of symptoms that don’t fit any diagnostic categories.