We Really Have to Do Something About the Air.
Dylan’s pleas for independence have finally had a sort of temporary resolution. We’ve allowed him to move into the basement.
This doesn’t sound like a privilege, except that it is a 1,300-square-foot apartment with wall-to-wall carpeting, a huge bedroom, a full bath and an equipped kitchen with full-sized appliances. It’s warm and bright, unlike most basement apartments. In fact, it’s the kind of place someone could rightfully rent fresh out of college.
Dylan is getting a glimpse of what that’s going to be like. It’s supposed to give him a chance to do his work “for myself,” although I expect nothing to change.
On Day 1, he complained about his giant new home.
“We really have to do something about the air,” he said. “It’s just not right. I feel like I’m getting sick.”
“No one has ever complained about the air down there before,” I told him. “There’s brand new carpet down there, and even the paint is new! This is the cleanest air you’ve ever breathed!”
We gave him Cold-EEZE and orange juice, which he didn’t use.
On Day 2, he said he felt a little bit better. “I left the window open,” he said. “It really helped.”
Hm. I thought. Dylan also got sick at the top of Pikes Peak, and didn’t recover for two weeks.
I remembered, quite suddenly, that Dylan coughed for the first six years of his life from – apparently – nothing. By age 8, we’d learned – finally – that he had Reactive Airways Disease. He’s always been sensitive to some really strange things.
And then I asked my friend – who understands about sensitivities – about my suspicions.
“VOC’s,” she said, without having to think at all. “Volatile Organic Compounds.”
Sure enough, like most carpets installed in this country, our beautiful, brand new, wall-to-wall carpeting is emitting toxins. And Dylan, whose respiratory system is sensitive to a whole slew of things, is reacting very badly to it.
I looked up “new carpet allergy” on the internet, and found a bunch of things. The most helpful article I found was called “Carpeting Presents Complex Health Issues.”
There’s more to it, but that pretty much sums it up. The only suggestion they have is to allow cross-ventilation for as much of the day as possible. Unfortunately, that basement has one huge window and a door – and several teeny windows that don’t open. Cross-ventilation just can’t happen.
I won’t force Dylan to stay downstairs. I don’t want to take away his “privilege,” but I also don’t want him to suffer.
We’ll see what he wants to do.