Over the years, my family has learned to pay close attention to everything around us—to question, to observe, and to analyze the things most people overlook. Living with Nikki’s sensitivities has taught us that even everyday exposures can have unexpected effects.

One of the biggest realizations came when we noticed how certain foods could trigger an unusually elevated mood in Nikki. And as we learned the hard way, anything that spikes that quickly often crashes just as fast, leaving her feeling drained and unsettled. These patterns weren’t random—they were clues.

With the legalization of marijuana, avoiding the smell has become nearly impossible. For people with chemical sensitivities, that scent isn’t just unpleasant—it can be genuinely harmful. Nikki has had reactions ranging from an intense, sudden “high” sensation to full‑blown vomiting, all from secondhand exposure to the smell alone.

And it’s not just people. Animals can react too.

We personally know of a dog who became suddenly ill, and after ruling out every other possibility, the vet concluded the reaction was likely caused by exposure to a neighbor’s marijuana. Another example came from our own home—our dog once stuck his head into a salvia plant while trying to retrieve a toy. He ended up hallucinating for hours, with lingering effects that lasted for days.

I share these stories because animals don’t fake symptoms. They don’t exaggerate. They don’t anticipate outcomes. Their reactions are pure, unfiltered truth. When something affects them, it shows.

So it makes me wonder: if we trust the honesty of an animal’s reaction, why do we so often question or dismiss the reactions we see in people?

Our experiences have taught us to believe what we see, to trust our instincts, and to acknowledge that sensitivities—whether to chemicals, foods, or environmental triggers—are real. And they deserve to be taken seriously.