Apologies to those I’ve raised my voice at, disagreed with, or loved too fiercely. Currently, I find myself grappling with cognitive fog, dizziness, and a sense of mental inflammation that has become my new normal. The medication I’m on, combined with exposure to metal toxins, has altered my perception and emotional state. While many assert that the mind can influence bodily functions, few recognize how our physical surroundings can profoundly affect mental health, sometimes leading to shifts in personality without a clear explanation.

For years, I struggled to comprehend the fluctuations in my breast size, which seemed to correlate with my travels. Clothing designer Susie P. at Winkworth helped me uncover the science behind these changes through careful measurement, an approach my doctors overlooked despite its simplicity.

An acupuncturist I visited, Anne from Cornerstone Healing, noted that I began to bruise at the needle insertion points, suggesting a deeper problem. Inflammation within my breast tissue, stemming from heavy metal exposure and inflammatory reactions to medications, has led to these bodily inconsistencies. This inflammation arises from various sources: contaminated food, air, water, and industrial settings. If such pollution can affect my body, why would industries want to curb their pollution?

Over the years, I’ve provided numerous blood samples to countless medical professionals, who often seemed more interested in finding cancer—often to the delight of pharmaceutical companies—than diagnosing the root cause of my ailments.

Five years ago, I departed New York City on the advice of my doctors, who even wrote letters advocating for my departure. Since then, my quest for answers has been met with skepticism from friends and family, who cannot grasp my ongoing illness or my refusal to accept that it’s all in my head. I know too much to dismiss my experiences as mere imagination or mere mental illness, despite being labeled as such by some. Psychiatrists have informed me that anxiety can lead to PTSD, particularly when induced by incompetent medical care and misdiagnosis.

Recently, I sought help from a specialized medical institute partially funded by Medicare. The efficiency of my first visit was striking: within minutes, a sonogram revealed multiple cysts and arthritis. Blood tests highlighted markers for fungi and yeasts often found in pharmaceuticals.

For years, I insisted that my prescribed medications were ineffective, partially due to frequent misprescriptions—a leading cause of mortality in the U.S. According to various sources, misprescribed medications are often cited as a primary cause of death. Conduct your own research.

As I’ve previously outlined, metal toxicity has impacted not only my cognitive functions but also my overall health. The distress I experience may be linked to cadmium or mercury, compounded by the inflammatory effects of prescribed medications that negate any potential benefits.

This lack of attentive listening from doctors has been frustrating. In my time in New York City, I consulted a range of practitioners, from acupuncturists to nutritionists, even working as a human scientist for top consulting firms, frequently collaborating with pharmaceutical companies and healthcare systems.

Each client had their own agenda, and my role centered around research and analysis to innovate solutions. Hence, I have valuable insights into reforming our healthcare system, yet I feel a stronger pull towards creating art. Once, my physical and mental faculties were intact, allowing me to contribute artistically to various nonprofit organizations. I’m sharing my story not for attention but to raise awareness about issues I believe are critical to address, hoping to spare others the prolonged, enigmatic struggles I’ve endured.

We once believed that positive thinking could change the world, but the reality is that the world has changed us by returning the toxins we’ve extracted from the earth.

Before his passing, Howard Zinn, a community organizer and activist known for his influential work, emphasized the importance of listening to those with emotional and intellectual challenges. He estimated that around 25% of the population experiences some form of mental illness, a statistic that alarmed him and marked a significant change during his lifetime.

Zinn urged me to explore this issue, highlighting the need to listen to those who are angry, as their emotions often mask deeper truths. This is a challenge for many, including medical professionals.

As I mentioned in my previous writings, the medical field often prioritizes opinion over scientific evidence, resulting in numerous patients being dismissed or poorly treated. The intricate web of industrial pollution, often unmeasured, contributes to a myriad of ailments that remain largely unrecognized by the healthcare system.

During my time in New York, I encountered numerous doctors who lacked the tools to diagnose my myriad symptoms. Many of my conditions were casually attributed to allergies, until my allergist disagreed.

Recently, I heard on PBS Newshour that allergies are on the rise in polluted areas. This suggests that the issue may extend beyond allergies to a combination of environmental toxins and their health impacts.

The effects of heavy metal poisoning and industrial pollution frequently go unnoticed. Corporate interests have infiltrated our healthcare systems, undermining consumer protections and limiting our ability to seek answers. Insurance and pharmaceutical regulations complicate the relationship between doctors and patients, often leading to a cycle of ineffective treatment.

The stakeholders behind consumer products and mining interests are more concerned with profitability than public health. This leads to a systematic neglect of scientific evidence that could reveal the detrimental effects of their practices.

How can we ascertain what’s within our bodies when governmental and insurance constraints hinder our ability to undergo necessary testing?

I faced significant challenges when seeking dermatological care. My initial dermatologist dismissed my concerns, attributing my issues to self-inflicted harm, despite the clear evidence of more serious conditions. Subsequent appointments with different specialists yielded little relief, with some even suggesting psychological causes for what I knew to be a physical ailment.

After a long and frustrating search for answers, I finally connected with a duo of retired dermatologists who specialized in parasitic infections. They clarified that physical symptoms resulting from my skin were indeed medical issues, not psychological.

My experience with various dermatologists has been disheartening. One failed to listen and dismissed my worsening condition as a psychological issue, while another suggested meditation as a treatment. Their lack of proper diagnostic tools only deepened my frustration.

Despite multiple consultations and treatments, my health deteriorated, and social connections faded as friends and family distanced themselves, attributing my struggles to personal failings rather than recognizing the systemic issues at play.

Through this process, I have learned that real medical inquiry is essential. The ideal healthcare provider is one who listens and collaborates with their patients to find solutions rather than relying solely on prescribed medications.

My recent foray into a new medical practice gives me hope, but I remain cautious. The journey has been long, and while some progress has been made, I hope my new doctor will continue to seek answers and advocate for my well-being.

Just before I left New York, an email exchange highlighted the frustrating barriers to adequate testing for toxicity. Labs across the state had closed, leaving me without necessary resources to identify the root causes of my ailments.

The limitations imposed by local laws further complicated my ability to seek help, forcing practitioners to send samples out of state for testing. The ongoing pollution crisis only exacerbates the situation, as cities prioritize development over the health of their residents.

In the face of rising violence and mental health crises, it is clear that many individuals suffer due to inadequate healthcare systems. During my work with a healthcare conglomerate on the West Coast, I developed a system to track patient histories in a way that truly reflects their medical journeys.

Science is not about predetermined outcomes; it demands inquiry and experimentation. Unfortunately, my personal health journey has not yielded satisfactory results, and I have grown weary of the cancer industrial complex that thrives on treating rather than healing.

The healthcare system often resembles a carpentry project without the principle of measuring twice; the disconnect between patients and their providers creates a cycle of misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment.

If healthcare were to be recognized as a basic human right, we could begin to disentangle health from corporate interests. Recognizing that health is integral to happiness is crucial if we aim to create a society that values public health over profit.

Rather than vilifying patients, we must address the environmental factors contributing to their conditions. My experiences have shown me that the interplay between toxins and health is complex and often overlooked.

This ongoing struggle has led to a systematic erosion of my quality of life. Misdiagnosed and dismissed, I have been labeled as mentally ill, which often leads to skepticism towards my words and experiences.

We need to focus on establishing a healthcare system that prioritizes individual health and environmental safety, ensuring that patients receive the care they need without facing stigma or dismissal.

Ultimately, environmental toxins are at the core of many health issues, and we must confront the ignorance within our medical systems if we are to advocate for better health outcomes for all.

In conclusion, the hypothesis I propose is that medical systems have been intentionally designed to obscure knowledge of metal and chemical toxicity from both the public and the providers who serve them. This needs to change if we are to reclaim our health and well-being.

sue-ellen stroum is currently experiencing corneal and digital damage and would like you to please excuse any typos or run-on sentences. For those who wish to connect, feel free to reach out via Instagram @_swels_ or email [email protected].