EMF Sensitivity: Michelle’s Path to Recovery in a Tiny Home

Michelle is the kind of person you can’t help but admire. She’s strong, determined, and deeply connected to the world around her—perhaps more than most of us ever will be. She shares her life with her husband Greg, a loving and supportive partner, and their 85-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback, Desmond.

Michelle’s interests are as varied and vibrant as she is. With a degree in environmental biology and nearly a second in botany, she has always had a passion for understanding the natural world. Her love for plants and science eventually led her to an unexpected but fitting career—winemaking. For years, she thrived in this role, using her scientific background to manage the intricate process of transforming grapes into wine. “Winemaking is microbial management,” she explains with a smile, reflecting on her career, which perfectly blended her technical knowledge with her appreciation for nature.

But despite her outward success, Michelle was quietly struggling with something far more personal. For years, she experienced strange sensations—vibrations, sounds, and an underlying discomfort in her body that no doctor could explain. She felt something that others couldn’t, and despite her best efforts, traditional medicine couldn’t offer any answers.

Sensing the Invisible: Michelle’s Search for Answers

From a young age, Michelle felt deeply connected to the world around her, sensing things that others didn’t. She remembers the strange vibrations, the faint hums, and an unexplainable sensitivity to her surroundings. For her, these sensations were simply part of life—just how she interacted with the world. It wasn’t until years later, during her time in college studying environmental biology, that she realized her experiences weren’t shared by most people.

“In college, I started to see that what I felt wasn’t the norm,” Michelle reflects. “Learning about energy and the natural forces of the world made me question my own experiences. That’s when it hit me—most people aren’t feeling what I’m feeling.”

Michelle began to describe herself as a Very Sensitive Person (VSP), someone uniquely attuned to sound and vibration. She likened it to sensing “The Force”—a constant energy that affected her physically and emotionally. While doctors assured her that she was perfectly healthy, Michelle’s body told a different story. She endured pain, sleepless nights, and moments of overwhelming distraction where she couldn’t focus, couldn’t hold a conversation, and struggled to make sense of her own experiences.

It was as if she was hearing the world differently, and she knew there had to be a reason.

An Unseen Battle with the Unknown

Despite her certainty that something was wrong, traditional doctors were at a loss. Time after time, they ran tests that came back normal. Each appointment ended with the same frustrating conclusion: “There’s nothing physically wrong.” When Michelle continued to press for answers, many doctors referred her to psychologists, believing that her symptoms were psychosomatic.

“It was incredibly disheartening,” Michelle recalls. “No matter how much I tried to explain what I was feeling, I kept getting told that it was all in my head. One doctor even suggested that I was suffering from anxiety or depression and prescribed medications. But I knew this wasn’t about my mental health—I was experiencing something real.”

Michelle’s frustration grew. She was seeking validation, but instead, she was met with skepticism and dismissal. Even her visits to specialists didn’t offer any solutions, leaving her feeling more isolated. Over time, Michelle learned to stop talking about her symptoms in traditional medical spaces, fearing that she’d be labeled as “crazy.” But she never stopped searching for answers.

As a scientist with a deep respect for evidence and research, Michelle sought answers in the only way she knew how—by diving into scholarly articles and scientific studies. She spent countless hours reading, trying to pinpoint why she felt this way. The sensations were relentless. She would lie awake at night, her body buzzing with an energy she couldn’t explain, her mind restless as it tried to process the sounds and vibrations that others dismissed. It was as if she was hearing the world differently, and she knew there had to be a reason.

Discovering the World Hum: A Turning Point

It wasn’t until she came across the phenomenon known as the World Hum that pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. The World Hum is a low-frequency noise heard by a small percentage of people across the globe. For Michelle, it was more than just an annoyance—it was a source of pain that had been quietly influencing her life for years. Suddenly, the moments of relief she felt in certain locations, like Portland, made sense.

“I couldn’t understand why I felt so much better in certain places like Portland,” she recalls. “When I was there, the noise, the pain—it was just gone. That’s when I knew this wasn’t in my head.”

Discovering the World Hum wasn’t just validation for Michelle; it was a turning point. For years, she had been made to feel as though her experiences weren’t real, dismissed by doctors and others who couldn’t comprehend what she was going through. But now, she had found a name for what she was feeling, and with that, a community of others who understood.

Understanding EMF Sensitivity

Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Sensitivity, also known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), is a condition where individuals experience physical symptoms as a result of exposure to electromagnetic fields—emitted by common sources like Wi-Fi, cell phones, power lines, and household electronics. For those with EMF sensitivity, even low-level exposure can cause a range of symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, and cognitive issues. Although EMF sensitivity is not widely recognized by mainstream medicine, people like Michelle know firsthand how real and debilitating it can be.

Michelle’s discovery of EMF sensitivity wasn’t just a revelation—it set her on a new path. After years of frustration with doctors and mainstream medicine, she knew that the only way forward was to create an environment where she could protect herself from these invisible forces. That’s when she turned to Tumbleweed Tiny House Company to build her custom home.

But unlike most custom homes, this wasn’t just about the floor plan—it was about the electrical plan. Michelle knew exactly what she needed, having done extensive research on EMF reduction. “She made it easy,” Erin Card, Tumbleweed’s designer recalls. Michelle wasn’t just hoping for a solution; she had meticulously selected every product she needed to make her tiny home a safe haven.

Tumbleweed had already built a Faraday cage for another client with EMF sensitivity, but Michelle’s project was a step beyond. Due to budget constraints, building a complete Faraday cage along with all the custom electrical work would have been too costly. So, Michelle chose the Farallon model, which features steel siding on all but two of the smallest sides. The steel exterior was crucial because it acted as a partial shield, reflecting electromagnetic waves and helping reduce exposure to external EMF sources.

But Michelle’s focus was on the interior. Her attention to detail ensured that the inside of her home would be as free from EMF as possible. Here’s a look at the custom modifications that made her home unique:

• Shielded Wiring: Michelle selected shielded wiring throughout the home to prevent electromagnetic fields from radiating out of the electrical lines. This minimized her exposure to EMF while still allowing the home to function with modern amenities.
• Power Perfect Box: Installed to filter out dirty electricity at the source, this device also acted as a surge protector and energy cost saver. It ensured that the electricity entering her home was clean, free from the “noise” that often causes discomfort for those with EMF sensitivity.
• EMF Sleep Safe Switch: This switch allowed Michelle to cut off the electrical flow to her bedroom while she slept, dramatically reducing EMF levels in the space where she spent the most time resting​.
• Tankless Reverse Osmosis System: To ensure her water was as pure as her environment, Michelle had a reverse osmosis system installed to provide clean, filtered water for drinking and cooking.

Finding Peace in Her Tiny Home

From the moment Michelle stepped into her new tiny home, she knew things were different. After years of discomfort and battling constant exposure to electromagnetic radiation, the space felt like a sanctuary. “The first night I stayed in my tiny house, everything felt quieter—not just the noise, but in my body. I could breathe, sleep, and for the first time in years, I felt at peace,” Michelle recalls. The relief was immediate and profound, allowing her to finally let go of the tension and stress that had accumulated over the years.

But the process of healing didn’t happen overnight. While Michelle noticed the difference right away, it took time for her body to fully adjust. Months passed as her system slowly unwound from the constant bombardment of EMF exposure she had endured for so long. Little by little, she regained her energy, her focus, and her ability to connect with the world around her. Within a year, she was feeling like herself again, and by the third year, she was able to return to work—something that had once seemed impossible.

Looking back, Michelle reflects on the profound impact her tiny home had on her well-being. “It saved my life,” she says. “It saved my life and has allowed me to function in the world.” The tiny home wasn’t just a place to live; it became her refuge, a space where she could heal, rest, and reclaim her life.

A New Chapter: Expanding into a Larger Space

After years of benefiting from the protection of her 249-square-foot Farallon, Michelle is ready for a new chapter. She’s now building a larger tiny home, taking advantage of Tumbleweed’s new park model homes—which provide 390 square feet of space. While the Farallon was a haven for Michelle’s health needs, it wasn’t quite large enough for her husband, Greg, who spent most of his time at their condo while Michelle remained in the tiny home.

With her health significantly improved, Michelle has temporarily returned to the condo with Greg while they wait for their new park model to be completed. This new design will provide additional space for both of them, and their dog Desmond, to comfortably enjoy the EMF protections they value.

Michelle’s original tiny home, meanwhile, has returned to the Tumbleweed factory and is now available for sale. This is a unique opportunity for anyone with EMF sensitivities to purchase a previously owned, custom-built tiny home at a significant discount. For those seeking a health-conscious space that minimizes exposure to electromagnetic radiation, Michelle’s home offers a proven solution.

Expanding Our Solutions for Environmental Sensitivities

Michelle’s experience, along with others like her, has greatly influenced how we approach building homes. Her detailed research and specific needs for EMF protection opened our eyes to a larger community seeking relief from environmental sensitivities. Through working with her and others, we gained a deeper understanding of how the environment inside a home can impact well-being.

In response, we’ve expanded our offerings, turning custom requests into standard packages at Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. We now proudly offer:

• EMF Shielding: Homes with shielded wiring, power conditioners, and switches to reduce EMF exposure.
• Faraday Cages: Full or partial cages made with conductive materials to block external EMF sources.
• Low VOC Homes: Built with low-VOC materials to ensure cleaner air for those sensitive to chemicals.

These offerings reflect our commitment to creating healthier, more mindful living spaces. Thanks to customers like Michelle, we’ve grown as a company, providing innovative solutions for those who need them.