The past week or so I noticed a haze in the air. Yet, it’s not humid enough to cause that much of a haze.

At times, the air smells like someone is burning one heck of a campfire. I’m not concerned about it because I’m at a campground!

As The Days Go On

My eyes burn more, I cough more and I’m getting short of breath.

My goal of getting 7,500 or more steps in each day comes to a halt.

To top it off, I use my inhaler every single day (as opposed to using in on a rare occasion).

Tidbit: I do NOT have asthma. Every asthma test I’ve ever had showed I did not have asthma. The Pulmonologist said I have an “asthma like reaction” to toxins, pollutants and other irritants. He also called it “reactive airway disease”. It’s confusing… welcome to my world!

My slew of typical MCS and/or allergy symptoms are getting worse but I don’t know the cause and it’s driving me nuts.

The Light Bulb Moment

Putting on my Detective Hat… I check the air quality report to see if it offers any clues to my symptoms.

The clue is right there, plain as day.

“UNHEALTHY” doesn’t sound like a good thing!

A quick Google search tells me the haze is smoke from the Canadian wildfires.

I’m positive this is the cause of my symptoms.

The Smoke Gets Worse

By Wednesday morning, the air quality progressed to VERY UNHEALTHY.

It’s recommended to stay indoors with the conditioning on.

My cozy little home on wheels doesn’t have air conditioning. I have AC that can be used when driving but there’s no AC in the living quarters.

This leaves me in a bit of a predicament.

Weathering The Smoke-Storm

By noon my eyes seriously burn, I have a monster headache, the non-stop cough is annoying and the pressure on my lungs needs to be addressed.

And then… the nausea begins.

Tidbit: Over the years I’ve learned that nausea is a clue that I’m approaching the point of no return. It means do something soon or end up in a serious health predicament.

My Options Are

• Leave the area
• Go to a hotel with air conditioning
• Stay at the campground with the smoke

I quickly eliminate the option of staying at the campground with no way to escape the declining air quality.

According to the air quality map, leaving the area means driving many hours through the smoke-filled landscape – potentially into hotter than Hades temperatures.

On the other hand, with MCS, staying at a hotel can be too toxic. There’s only one hotel in the area that I’ve been able to tolerate – but it hasn’t been without issues.

Not overthinking it, the hotel appears to be the better gamble.

Tidbit: The last time I stayed at this hotel, I had to leave a few hours later. As I checked out of the hotel, I learned they recently painted the hallways. The Manager refunded my money without me having to ask for it. This dilemma meant I had to find a place to spend the night. The reason I went to the hotel was… temps were in the low 30’s that night and I did not want to deal with it. Spoiler alert: I had to deal with it!

My Hotel Requirements

When going to any hotel I look for:

• Windows that open for fresh air
• A room away from the pool – to avoid chlorine and chemical fumes from the pool
• A room away from the laundry dryer vents – to avoid toxic-to-me laundry fumes
• When possible, a room that’s been vacant a day or more (not freshly cleaned) – to allow cleaning product fumes to dissipate
• No deodorizers, air fresheners, etc in the room

This time would present an added challenge because windows that open for fresh air was not going to be helpful.

Driving To The Hotel

I rarely use the AC when I drive but present day circumstances made it a necessity.

Within minutes, my symptoms begin to dissipate.

Looking into the distance, I hadn’t realized how bad the smoke was!

Taking a side road, I stop to snap a picture.

Why Did The Smoke Take Me By Surprise?

I don’t religiously watch the news because it’s usually depressing.

Not routinely watching the news may or may not be a mistake. But, I prefer not to purposefully subject myself to so much gloom and doom.

My campsite is in the middle of the campground nestled between a big fifth-wheel and 4 cabins.

From my sheltered campsite the smoke appeared to be a minor issue… but I was deceived!

At The Hotel

Shortly after checking in, I enter my not-freshly-cleaned room away from the pool and laundry vents.

The air conditioning is off but a quick push of a few buttons and it’s churning out air full-blast!

It’s 3pm.

I haven’t eaten yet (as in not at all).

It would be nice to let the AC run a bit before settling in… was all the excuse I needed to go grab some grub from Subway!

From my handy-dandy Subway app I place my order, hop in the van and head down the road to pick up my order.

On The Way To Subway

A stop-light offers a view of the smokey landscape.

The light turned green just as I snapped the picture!

Back At The Hotel

From my second floor south-facing window, a smokey hue looms in the distance.

It’s funny how you can see the smoke from a distance but can’t see the smoke you’re standing right smack in the middle of.

I suppose that’s true with most life experiences.

Parting Thoughts

Thankfully, I slept fairly well at the hotel with only a few minor MCS issues. I’m positive the issues at the hotel were much less than trying to survive VERY UNHEALTHY air quality due to wildfire smoke.

The next day, the air quality was supposed to start improving. It looked to be a tolerable level so, in late afternoon, I went back to the campground.

Before heading back to the campground I purchased a pack of two N95 masks from Walmart. As someone trying to live with MCS in the toxic modern day world… I love curbside pickup!

I still have disposable masks (stocked up on during the height of Covid) but they don’t help much with smoke and pollution. The N95 masks helped a good deal with my wildfire-smoke induced lung issues so I ordered a small supply to have on hand.

However, to prevent burning eyes, absorbing toxins/pollutants through the skin or for full protection… I’d probably need a Level A Hazmat suit.