Potential move to Hawaii for health reasons (sales, 2014)

[minniemom2014]

Hi All,

We are considering a move to Hawaii in the hopes that it will improve my health. I suffer from chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia/chemical sensitivity, etc, etc. I've been told numerous times by both doctors and others who are ill that there is a high percentage of people with my issues who do much better in Hawaii.

Questions I have are of course about finding a job and the cost of living as well as finding a fairly rural, "safe" area for me.

I lost my job a few months ago due to my health, so my husband would be the only one searching for a job. His background is primarily in IT, but he is currently in a sales job in the building products industry. Any tips for looking for a job?

When I say a "safe" area for me, we need something more rural away from any major industrialized/tourist areas. I am very sensitive to most chemicals and even EMF, which is from cell phone towers, radio towers, even being around a lot of cell phones, etc.

Suggestions on areas where we should look for housing?

Thanks for any information that can at least get us started in our searches!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Before you get any further, research "vog", the toxic emissions(mainly sulfur dioxide) from the volcano. Although the volcano is located on the Big Island, affects of the vog can be felt as far away as Oahu. I have a friend here on the Big Island who suffers from fibromyalgia, and she has to stay inside on many days when the vog levels are high.

[eureka1]

Thats very interesting because I had a friend who had to leave Hawaii and go back to Michigan because of his allergies. Hope you're getting good medical advice. Best of luck to you.

[sithlord72]

Not to start a political debate here, but have you tried medical marijuana ?

[Sherwoody]

My first thought was with all the agricultural pesticides and chemical fertilizers on the islands both past and present. With the trade winds blowing a steady 10-15 mph+ and the high rainfall, I always worried about how much of those toxins I was ingesting in the air I breathed and water I drank.

[Kristin85]

The vog affects my friends on Oahu who have lived with it their entire lives, so that island is probably out of the question. The vog wouldn't be much of an issue if minniemom2014 moved to Kauai. Out of the major Hawaiian islands, it would also be the one with the lowest amount of chemicals/pesticides. However, there are so few non-hospitality jobs on Kauai that her husband would probably need to work remotely for a company on the mainland. Assuming he makes less than $40K, there are affordable housing options available on Kauai (though I believe there's a wait list to be in a new building.)

[Kristin85]

Originally Posted by Kristin85

Assuming he makes less than $40K, there are affordable housing options available on Kauai (though I believe there's a wait list to be in a new building.)

To add, this is the affordable housing I was talking about: Kolopua Apartments | EAH Housing

[seasick]

Just wondering, do those kinds of workforce apartments allow pets? Didn't see on the website -

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by seasick

Just wondering, do those kinds of workforce apartments allow pets? Didn't see on the website -

None do on Maui or Kauai. 2 of the 11 on Oahu do which are for the elderly only.

[Green_Mountain]

Originally Posted by minniemom2014

When I say a "safe" area for me, we need something more rural away from any major industrialized/tourist areas. I am very sensitive to most chemicals and even EMF, which is from cell phone towers, radio towers, even being around a lot of cell phones, etc.

I say this with zero judgment as someone who has done the same when the situation called for it. You don't need to move to Hawaii, you need to find a really good therapist and possibly a really good doctor to help you isolate what is a physical problem and what is a psychological one. Some of your problems may be physical but it's almost certain from your description that some of them are psychological. Some may think it is mean to say that, but acknowledging that and getting help is the only thing that is going to set you free, not moving to some far away place.