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My Story United Kingdom
Contamination level: Severe illness! Forced to abandon a home.
Author: Nancy Watts Created: 8 Jun 2005 Updated: 8 Jun 2005 Viewed: 4926 time(s)
The effects of the 90 foot mast on my health situated 9 metres from my home
This case file has 1 entry and has been commented by 6 people

My Story Created: 8 Jun 2005
My Story – by Mrs Nancy Watts

In October 1985, I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis.
For the first ten years, after my initial relapse and diagnosis, I had an additional three relapses. During this ten-year period I was a senior Manager for a large multinational organisation, working long hours and travelling extensively all over the world.
In October 1994, (nine years after the initial diagnosis) I had an MRI scan at the MS Centre in Canada, from which the Neurology consultant commented that the MRI showed a few plaques, enough to be confident with the diagnosis but there was no major burden of the disease.

In 1996, I returned to the UK from working abroad for six years. I was ambulatory – walking long distances (plus 1 mile) and working as a self-employed consultant in the IT industry.

In the year following my return to the UK, my health dramatically declined. My rate of relapse increased from 4 in 9 years to 2 and 3 relapses per year. The one exception to this was the year – 1998 in which I spent 3 months in Canada due to my father’s illness. During this year I had no relapse.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that is affected by an increased permeability of the blood brain barrier. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that indicates low-levels of microwave radiation can increase the permeability of the blood brain barrier,

My neurologist – Professor Clive Hawkins, recently stated in a television interview with BBC Midlands Today “I don’t think from the experimental evidence available, the microwaves actually have to have a thermal effect to affect Multiple Sclerosis. I think from the experimental evidence available, levels lower than that can affect the blood brain barrier.”

My husband built this property in 1979. At that time, Midlands Electricity Board (now Central Networks) owned the land adjacent and had erected a 90-foot mast that was used for communicating between the various Water board sites as well as emergency police and ambulance services. At that time, planning permission for the erection of the mast was granted in spite of the County Surveyor’s recommendation to find an alternative site.

It was not until multiple operators were allowed to lease space on the mast that my husband became concerned, but in spite of his protests, the planning authority allowed this to continue stating that they were not allowed to consider health as a planning issue.

Because the blood brain barrier is a key component in MS, we felt that the rapid degree of acceleration in my condition in spite of the disease modifying therapies I had been put on may be due to living in close proximity to the mast and the resulting emissions that were we exposed to 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Noting that whenever I left to visit relatives in Canada for a period of 6 weeks or more, I felt better, but upon returning would start to decline, my husband and I decided that the best course was to move away from the mast that was positioned 20 feet from our back door and emitting Electromagnetic Radiation throughout the house. We decided to sell our home and move away.

The house was put on the market in the spring of 2001 for £189,000. We were assured that this was a fair value for the property. It is in a prime location and very well maintained.

Every couple that viewed the house had been very enthusiastic about the property, but would not purchase due to the appearance of the tower and the perceived health risk.

After thirteen months of repeated disappointments with the mast being given as the cause, we took the house off the market. The real estate agent informed us that we would need to drop the asking price by £70-80,000 pounds. However, given the feedback from previous prospective purchasers, price was not the issue, but the appearance and perceived health risk of living next to a mast.

Shortly after this, my health further declined and I was hospitalised for several months. I am now totally reliant on a wheelchair.

In August 2003 my husband undertook to line the roof of our home with Aluminium foil. Specialised equipment indicated that the levels of microwave radiation emissions in the house were significantly reduced.

After three months, we noted improvements in our health. My husband had less ringing in his ears, less fatigue, more energy and mental alertness and I was able to stand and balance and walk 50 metres with the aid of a walking frame.

This helped me to a certain extent, but I was confined to staying within the house, which now offered some measure of protection. I could not sit in the garden or conservatory as this area lies directly within the beam of radiation. I was virtually “trapped inside the house”.

At this time Orange and T-Mobile were the two mobile operators on the mast creating the source of the emissions.

In March 2004, MM02 Airwave - Tetra - began operating despite our protests. The effects were devastating. As soon as the system was switched on we developed the following symptoms: Incredible burning pain, tingling and cramping of muscles – metallic taste and intestinal upsets-bloating, I could not bear to stay in the house and fled first to a hotel and then to stay with my parents in Canada. I had to leave home until measures could be taken to shield the property.

After spending £2500 on steel mesh for roofing and walls and creating a “Faraday cage” out of one back bedroom, I was able to move back home – but was now confined to living in one room 24hours /seven days.
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This was satisfactory until December 2004, when MM02 switched on their 2g/3G installation. We felt the effects immediately and to our horror the mesh is not sufficient to block 100% so we are now taking steps to place additional screening that will block the 3G emissions as this higher frequency requires a finer mesh.

I am very bitter with the UK government’s policy on Telecommunication equipment. I believe that the Electro magnetic Radiation emissions from the masts have contributed to the breakdown of the Blood brain barrier and accelerated the rate of my disease as well as causing ill health with my husband. I have been frustrated with the attitude of the operators and the local planning authority. The degree of pain we have both had to endure and the impact to our quality of life has been inhumane and compounded by a wall of disbelief, indifference and inaction
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