Book excerpt: People who have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) are often disbelieved and misdiagnosed. The interaction of low-level chemicals that are constantly present in our environment cause sufferers of MCS to develop symptoms such as fatigue, depression, headaches, sore throats, asthma, chest pains, and circulation problems. In "Living With Environmental Illness", the authors discuss how the growing numbers of chemicals we're exposed to daily have contributed to the sharp rise of environmental illnesses in recent years. They provide a checklist for determining whether you may be suffering from MCS, describe the ten developmental stages of the disease, tell how to determine who is most at risk for developing symptoms, and detail lifestyle changes that should be made for living with environmental illness. In addition, five patient profiles of actual MCS sufferers reveal the highly individualized nature of the disease, and an extensive resource section lists suppliers of nontoxic products and organizations that can help.