Another Con in Newborn Vaccinations: (including toddlers, young children, etc.)

Another study showing the ineffectiveness of vaccinations, summarized by HealthDay; April 4th:

Study suggests reducing food intake may impair immune system.

University of Chicago researchers found that reduced food intake or even, reducing the amount of feed to a similar mammalian [immunological model -deer mice] system, impaired the immune system's response. The findings were published in the May/June issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. Furthermore, "decreasing the amount of food the mice ate by 30 percent significantly decreased the number of B cells in their systems." The same authors stated, "previous studies have also found that vaccines that provoke B cells to protect the body long-term, such as the vaccine for measles, are less effective among the malnourished."

What is the take home message? Babies are born and have to become accustomed to mouth feeding. Some take to it quickly, others are slower to start. Either way, it takes some infants months to become prepared for the introduction of solid foods, much less become accustomed to a regular feeding schedule shortly after birth. However, before you leave the hospital with your newborn in hand, unless you otherwise state; your baby will be vaccinated with, at minimum, 3 vaccines! Knowing this information alone, are we all really comfortable letting someone that knows nothing about our family history, child's birth weight, or feeding habits, make such a vital decision for us because of State and Federal mandates? When Joey was born, my answer was "No". When asked, my answer is still, "no". Unfortunately, our children must be vaccinated in order to attend daycare facilities, public schools, and even private pre-school/daycare facilities so that the facilities do not risk the loss of their license by 'aiding and abetting' in a form of "child-abuse"(!) (as defined by many agencies that regulate these practices, including the AMA)! How, as concerned parents, do we get around such strict measures? Finally, after all the hell I've been through, I finally am getting the message. I need to share these lessons. For now, I will start with this one: One, be prepared to cut you or your partner's man hours. 2) Do not employ anyone in their toddler years that is a "licensed daycare giver", etc. 3) Get informed. Find out what vaccines are for what 'diseases' and whether they are from live attenuated virus or LAV particles. If no, is it a DNA vaccine or RNA vaccine? I have found over the 15+ years of being in the research and clinical lab fields, that DNA vaccines (that are not mixed with other vaccines) are pretty safe, and would be the only vaccine I agreed Joey could get before we left the hospital on the 3rd day after he took his first breath without me or in the safety of my womb. 4) If you want to see how your baby is going to respond to a vaccination, go with the anti-DNA HBV vaccine series first. It has been proven to be recognized by the immune-system in the same way the immune system would recognize the virus itself, however, the live attenuated viral particles/LAV are not part of the vaccine make-up. 5) Most importantly, when it comes to beginning vaccinations of your infant/toddler/child, establish early-on "one vaccine at a time"(not one vaccine-type at a time, but literally, one vaccine for one disease at a time). No trained/long-standing pediatric nurse or pediatrician will allow your child to be vaccinated again for 21-28 days minimum. Considering the hustle and bustle of Pediatric Clinics, it is wise to have the 'worst' of the vaccines (the combination vaccines or "com vac's", as they are often called) to be planned ahead of time and given during the summer months, when cold and flu season is well over. Also, find a time when no one that has/has had immediate contact with your child is, or has been, sick for 72 hours prior to the day your child gets his/her first "com vac"or start of his/her vaccine series. Once you are able to see (& document) how your child does with other vaccines (including your 1st Hep B), and after you have an established eating and sleep schedule, feel free to allow for the 2nd Hep B with a "com vac" or a different vaccine to be started/given - IF your child has already tolerated (a) previous vaccine(s) or their first set that can be combined. 6) It is best to vaccinate, if possible, during a time when your child will be in your care the most over the 21-28 day period mentioned so YOU can be the one to document any fever, illness symptoms, behavior changes, etc. Once you see how your child responds to EACH vaccine or vaccine group (some come in groups regardless), do not allow ANYONE to talk you into skipping ANY timebefore the "booster shot" is due! If anything, think back to your own childhood, when booster shots were given at age 12 years and ask yourself, "Why does my child need 5 DTaP/DT/Td vaccines, 4 Prevnar, 4 Hib, 2 MMR, 4 Hep B (actually, that one, if scheduled correctly, can be done by the time your child starts Kindergarten if you go on the basis that your child's immune system is in decent shape for that one), 4-5 Polio, and possibly 1-2 Hep A (depending on state regs.) vaccines before he/she is 5 years old??!"!!

It is a hot topic, yet excellent question, for those of you concerned about this issue. This one issue can cause the questions regarding it lead to heated debates between scholars, state mandate's, doctors, parents, and researchers, and usually, the children getting the "shots" themselves! I've heard about parents guilted into accepting responsibility for their infants to get their vaccines "on time; while they won't remember them" as a way to get cooperation from 'combative' or 'over-protective' parents. Logically, if someone needs to scare you into making a decision; you definitely want to check into what and when each vaccine is required by your state, as well as, what it is for and more importantly, how far you can possibly stretch out those last (or in some cases, last couple of) "booster" shots? (This information should be public knowledge in each state and easily found via the Internet.)
Consider this: the meaning of a "booster shot" is to re-familiarize the immune system of its ability to eradicate the disease in question with the original B cell(s) that are storing the originally-formed antibodies (which can take time, some vaccines state 21-28 days before "symptoms of the vaccine dissipate!). Upon final vaccination, that B cell/antibody forms it's final 'back-up copy', so to speak, in order for it to be recalled later in life. (The earlier vaccines were established for childhood exposures, but for some reason, 'not all children' were getting the proper response required by the vaccine. Therefore, the vaccination rate started earlier and the amounts given have gone up.)
It seems the longer between (at least) the final "booster shots" and the initial, immune-accepting vaccine(s), the better for the maturing immune system (using A + B = C thinking). With the above in mind, you can answer this question: if your 'established' infant/toddler/child just got their first series of vaccinations 2 months ago, do you really think the immune system (needing 21 years to reach maturity), is going to FORGET it has gotten a vaccine recently? If Immuno-toxicologists/Immunologist were speaking (or if asked myself), the given answer is "No", and always will be.

Yours,
XXOO
Suzanne

SOAP-BOX ALERT!

This is sensitive material for mature audiences only. If you do not have any strong opinions for a better political, economic, social-economic, or general improvement in "mass ethics"; then do not read any further. I recommend one of the pages to the left to read instead.

If you are bold enough to continue, keep in mind this is what I wanted to write on the petition sponsered by the Care 2 Action Network (also on the left) for "making high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten available to all American children":

You've been warned! Reading any further is at your own discretion and therefore if you have a problem with it, please remember I kinda, well, "told you so"! :)

Ignorance has cost us the lives of some of our most precious resources.

Children are our #1 resource; the only renewable 'energy' we have, and yet, their future is more unstable than my great-grandparent's future was back when they all huddled in one school house room, if they were lucky enough to have a local school!

At present, many cities’ kids are not even safe to GO to school. Some are killed just for BEING at school. While pre-K for all children will help every young mind get the right start towards what is important and vital for them to have a better future than the one looking at our current graduates, it is only the beginning solution to our problems.

Take the following: for example, if $1 from EVERY convoluted government- funded program would allow all children to have pre-K; literally leaving "no child left behind", then the advanced material started earlier because it is repeated over and over for the "NCLB Act" might literally happen, without an “Act” to prevent children from being “left behind” in school academics.

Consider then, what another $2 ought to allow: better pay for teachers, for instance. After all, these are the people that serve as "other parents" of our children during the school week days, yet they have no authority as “parental figures” and now thanks to “NCLB Act”, no TIME because of ridiculous bureaucratic paperwork in order for them to provide any kid the one-on-one attention, encouragement, or discipline needed to teach them at such a young age!

Then, JUST IMAGINE what $3 from such a mass of programs could create for cities like Chicago, with gang issues, that could have something like early-aged after school programs for just their age group - programs sponsored by schools, parents, and their communities that could help these young children to learn to bond with people instead of fighting the very authority that wishes they could protect them, but must instead wait until they visibly SEE a “real problem” on school premises before being able to refer these children to the over-burdened social worker system already dealing with the grown version of the younger problems that, we as parents, can identify by the time our children start their second semester of their Kindergarten year!!!

Then, just MAYBE, $4 would allow youth to stay in a safe and secure environment; while they learn, bond, and grow under authority that is PAID ENOUGH, so that only the best of people are wanting to teach and help raise our country’s children; caring extra for the ones that need early intervention. Is it possible then, that parents would allow the schools to pull these children as early as Kindergarten; to teach them about bonding, friendship, how to ask for their needs to be met in a non-threatening, honest way through an anti-bully and/or friendship “program” - so that they learn how to feel good about themselves way before the allure of a gang crosses their mind!

Let’s face the hard facts: the generation(s) ahead of these hypothetical kids, graduates today, were not allowed any MORAL direction in school because anything that resembled respect, discipline, ethics, or teaching of our oldest world historical book that suggests a "higher power" or conscience or any such lessons were banned from our schools YEARS ago!!!

Then, just MAYBE, THESE hypothetical pre-K, cared for, and encouraged children, as adults would have a divorce rate that would go down. Maybe then, their kids would not have to turn away from their young peer group they barely learned to bond with early on because somewhere in their early lives they were watched after patiently, shown love, encouragement, and individual attention...get where I am going with this???

These national problems will take a while to fix, time could measure into generations – but the earlier the start, the earlier we will all begin to see that, for instance, that “John’s behavior” reported to Mom and/or Dad in pre-K would allow these kids the chance to have “identified early intervention” before “John” needs to turn to a gang for moral support; and would instead get the extra help and encouragement, etc. etc. that he needs to thrive.

If our society is ditching their children where they can “make ends” (as mentioned by one parent on the petition comments section), then let’s come up with an “end” for parents that is realistic, so that our children’s children will never have to be asked at school orientation when handed their yearly dress-code and conduct handbook to: ‘not bring weapons to school property’, ‘pass through metal detectors to check for devices deemed unsafe in an educational setting”, etc., as part of their Elementary School Orientation!

Didn’t the 70’s teach us anything? Are we so all ignorant that we have forgotten the demons that bring about these problems? If we are not there for our children, our family, our friends, or our neighbors; before you know it; we will all be without any morals, fighting one another in the street for some ‘thing’ worth less than the trouble we all went to obtain said thing.

If our country is moving in this direction with a G-force so strong the world is about to shift on it’s axis (or maybe that is what global warming was “really” started by!), then do alert me so that I may need to leave my boxes in the attic and never fully move in anywhere in case we need to make a quick get-away?!

Oh, I hate the soap-box! But, I had to let these feelings out! Honestly, they began before I sat in front of the computer; manifested in my despair to my immune system’s lack of response to every-day “germs” after trying to treat a rash obtained from a ‘clean’ pair of the ‘patient’ goggles I used at the dentist during a cleaning and an enamel repair. It snowballed from there as you can see.

I feel better; however, I fear I have created a monster in the process! Well, I guess I will either a) have NO friends left after this post or b) will be accused of more bizarre behavior and be tolerated by even fewer people. I’m not sure why it is we are not more honest about the things that we see as our greatest fears in raising kids in today’s society. While I am all for the positive thinking, mantras, and most importantly of all, setting the example I want to see from my child (which takes admission on my part of my wrong-examples or help from friends that are willing to be honest with me of their view-points, because family of this type does not exist for us); I also wish that the society where the one child/children in the community left without a Dad or decent parents were “taken in” for lack of a better word, by a neighbor or classmate’s family/Dad and therefore didn’t get “lost” – is just a thing of the past. If I can’t even count on my own immediate-extended family to be there when I need them, then really, I am only doing as well as the latest information I can get my hands on!

More than anything, I need my body to produce a consistent amount of immunity, so I can have the years that I really want to have with my husband and my son. There is so much left to say and so much left to do. Maybe now should be the time I ask for mass, prayer list prayers, for a turn in my failing health. My family that I have, no matter how small, really needs ME. If I cannot give them the Mother figure they need here, Joey and Gene will lose out in the long run if I should rapidly decline while we are here anytime in the current. This fear I have is generated by very real, daily struggles that I could not begin to explain, so I am making a plea for prayers. I need all you can request and ask for. I need my body to get in a more “acceptable, consistent quality” that Joey and Gene can count on – at the times they need me the most during each day. That’s all I’ll ask for that. The other, is to pray I live long enough to share how my story could very well be anyone’s story – and how I got out of the dysfunction and began to travel down my own road; slinging a blade to every grass too tall for me to walk over, stopping to build bridges where water was too steep for me to wade through, until finally, I made it out of the woods and can clearly see what I still wish many others I used to walk beside or even behind could see.

The Best Birthday Gift for the Age-Challanged!

Hi everybody!

I have my own personal secretary! I have just been given the Naturally Speaking speech recognition software. Finally, I have the secretary my dad always said that I would have when he recommended I skip taking a typing class! I am still working out some of the bugs, however, so far things are going pretty well. It is amazing what technology can do!

Happy birthday to me one day late! I would've Blogged this sooner, however, I had to get through the tutorial first.

Now I can finally update everyone more often!

If I could just get it to e-mail for me, then my life would be much easier. Even better than that, if I could get it to answer my phone, I would be even better off!

Love,

Suz

Advice for struggling parents with an "able-minded" child(?)

Today, there is a tremendous amount of research that exists regarding “intelligent children” that didn’t when I was a child. In addition, public schools are covering concepts with kids close to 1 to 2 grades earlier than when I went to school.

Now, I am raising my own child. He is smarter than I was at the age he is, however, the school systems have changed who they care about teaching because of the “no child left behind” Act. Kindergarten classes may cover material earlier than ever before; it is only because they have to teach it repetitively so that the lower and average students are not “left behind”.

When Joey went to private pre-school, he covered more material than they have covered in his Kindergarten classes, other than maybe advances in word reading. Of course, Joey is able to take that and advance it to 1^st and 2^nd grade (current day) reading.

It is hard for me to figure out what to do for him to keep him interested in school. They send home so much “busy-work” homework that is the repeat of what he did the day before, or that day, in class. Joey is complaining of being bored at school (in class). He is also showing signs of lack of motivation. I’ve been consumed with issues of what to do for him so he doesn’t become spoiled, lazy, gives up because he is not challenged at school; while trying to figure out how I can help him at home, because his school doesn’t start gifted classes until 2nd grade!

I finally found there is a wealth of information and programs out there – however, many programs for kids with a high intellect do not start these programs until 4^th grade! I am afraid I will lose Joey by the 4^th grade under these conditions! Not only that, I found a lot of research shows “that if gifted children/people aren’t challenged, after a while they lose interest in challenging themselves. They stop growing. They stop caring.” I don’t want Joey to stop caring before he ever got a chance to start!

For me, I challenged myself to have a haven away from my private hell of a home-life. But Joey loves being at home, gets to ask complicated questions and play complicated games here. I’d love to home school him, but I feel at this age, it seems so inappropriate – especially because we are so isolated from other people where we live. Joey fits the description of a certain type (apparently there are 4 types of “gifted personalities”) of gifted personality that only values having a few close friends, opposed to a majority of different friends, so I am questioning how I can help him more here, have even considered home-schooling him at a later date; only after he has established friendships.

As far as his “intellectual personality” goes, he fits the “Characteristics of Giftedness” to the letter (from http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/What_is_Gifted/characgt.htm):

• Reasons well (good thinker)
• Learns rapidly
• Has extensive vocabulary
• Has an excellent memory
• Has a long attention span (if interested)
• Sensitive (feelings hurt easily)
• Shows compassion
• Perfectionist
• Intense
• Morally sensitive
• Has strong curiosity
• Perseverant in their interests
• Has high degree of energy
• Prefers older companions or adults
• Has a wide range of interests
• Has a great sense of humor
• Early or avid reader (if too young to read, loves being read to)
• Concerned with justice, fairness
• Judgment mature for age at times
• Is a keen observer
• Has a vivid imagination
• Is highly creative
• Tends to question authority
• Has facility with numbers
• Good at jigsaw puzzles

There are several non-profit organizations out there to help out children that are not being challenged at school. Many of these parents are home schooling there kids. I’m trying my hardest to teach Joey other things that he has an interest in at home. When it is time for him to return to school, he absolutely cannot stand to go some days. The days he does like involve having extra time to play with his best friend on “long recess” days, which are Mon and Wed.

While looking into what I can do for Joey and how to help him, I come across this information:

“A New Definition of Giftedness - Defining Giftedness from Within

Giftedness is 'asynchronous development' in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally." (The Columbus Group, 1991, in Morelock, 1992)

"Asynchrony" means being out of sync, both internally and externally. "Asynchronous development" means that gifted children develop cognitively at a much faster rate than they develop physically and emotionally, posing some interesting problems. For example, ideas forged by 8-year-old minds may be difficult to produce with 5-year-old hands. Further, advanced cognition often makes gifted children aware of information that they are not yet emotionally ready to handle. They tend to experience all of life with greater intensity, rendering them emotionally complex. These children usually do not fit the developmental norms for their age; they have more advanced play interests and often are academically far ahead of their age peers. The brighter the child, the greater the asynchrony and potential vulnerability. Therefore, parents who are aware of the inherent developmental differences of their children can prepare themselves to act as their advocates. (Silverman)”

This definition of gifted children classifies my child almost as if he was part of the study group! Few close friends get to witness Joey’s “intellectual personality” (where he is comfortable) have commented on Joey’s different responses to things. Naturally, I am so concerned about anything I might do in order to encourage his behavior that is perceived negatively by his peers or teachers (also, Gene and I have made rapidly accepted changed to Joey’s discipline and expectations, which have given us the opportunity to see what it is that is a result of Joey’s intellectual experiences). Because he is socially aware, I have often resorted to what is acceptable “socially” (so to speak) in order to get him to understand why he cannot use certain behaviors to respond to children/people acting out what is perceived as “unjustly” by Joey’s definition. We use this technique to reassure Joey how to act when he is either treated unfairly by a playground bully or simply isn’t getting his needs met during nap time in the classroom, but is too self-conscience about speaking up about either for fear of being a “tattle-tale” or maybe because he doesn’t want to “get in trouble”. He will sit and suffer in order to keep his good standing with his teachers (why he doesn’t do this at home is beyond me, but I am glad he trusts us, and a few certain other people in our lives, to show us where he is having problems dealing with things). Honestly, I’d LOVE to send him to private school, but I don’t want him to be in an ivory tower his whole life, either!

What choices have some of you made for your kids in this situation? This is something I read over and over about trying to figure how I can make better for him, but seem to only succeed in areas such as taking him to a museum, on the University campus, do little experiments at home, etc. I would like for him to have the material placed in front of him at school set at a pace he would be challenged, but I am not sure what my rights are involving a “special” curriculum that I would have to plan anyway if he were to be allowed such a thing at his school! Any suggestions?

Thanks! Suz

The Ending to a Beautiful & Long Overdue Holy Week

Wow! What a week! It has been so busy, that I wasn't able to get Joey to the first Sunday "Service" at Saint Peter's Episcopal in Oxford I wanted him to go to (Palm Sunday - a favorite), however, I had decided Maundy Thursday would be the perfect one to take him to since it is so simple and makes such a statement about the tradition and beauty of the evening it represents. I woke up that day feeling I was going to make it through a 'good day'.
We had committed ourselves ALL day for the service, and somehow once it got to an hour before the service, I was in excruciating pain and we did not get to go. I looked back again in my Book of Common Prayer to find the "Stations of the Cross" that follows the Good Friday noon service & decided it would be the next best one for Joey to experience.
IT WAS! I explained to him before it all started how Jesus had worn a crown of thorns and was made to carry his own cross up a long stretch of paths that would lead to the top of a Mountain. He has seen the 3 crosses at the Baptist church next door to our house where we are blessed with the use of their track for Joey's bike rides, etc. Of course, we also will contribute to the church and participate in a few choice activities in order to appear often enough to not lose the privileges we have gained from being part of this odd community where we live (not that they don't benefit from me picking up trash while I'm there, either)! However, all the times we attend the Southern Baptist Church almost next door (across the road from the easement we share - so really like 10-15 acres away); it never feels anything like the tradition and reverence of the ceremonies of the church I grew up in.
Being able to take Joey to one and find one he could begin to participate in a chapel service has been a hard decision to make; but he has really opened up lately and asked a lot of extremely interesting society-type questions. One was, "Do children go to jail?". At first, I was horrified by him asking this question, to which my response was, "were you planning on going or what?"!! Finally after some talking on his part, I realized he took a comment I had made to him about the use of his bad manners [in front of some people he is comfortable with] could very well be interpreted as he being a bad person, of which I know he is not. Joey having heard one cousin family member of mine and I discussing another person in my family; whom I said I thought was 'terrible, bad, a troublemaker' and "surprised he never went to jail" all as Joey was listening (as he always is) and thought his "bad" manners (my description of them ONCE) and thought hecould go to jail for them! He is so abstract! In spite if the abstract-nature he has, he does care very much about others and when he learns he has compromised the feelings or life of another person or living being, he takes it so hard he can be brought to cry. He takes critism so hard, I think, because he is already very self-aware and self-critical. It breaks my heart.
Knowing this about him, but also knowing he wanted to attend the church in the chapel, I decided the Stations of the Cross would be the first one he would attend with just me. We literally went through all 14 Stations, overall which Joey knew what to expect before-hand! I was about to pass out from all the walking, I think as well as Joey for such a hot day, but it was a resounding success! I was so happy to see the alter still stripped and the crosses still covered in the chapel. Joey and I sat in there after everyone had left to talk about anything he didn't understand. All he didn't get was why they used a cross to punish Jesus. I left out the part of history about how people were judged and "justice" was served in a different way all those thousands of years ago!

Because of his interest, we both returned with Gene together on Holy Saturday after sundown for the candle-light Easter Vigil. Before we started the Vigil in the newly moon-lit courtyard, I was able to light candles in memory of those that will not be forgotten and yet, could not be with me in the flesh since the last time I attended an Easter Vigil.

After lighting the Paschal candle, burning incense, and every candle (including Joey's) was lit from that flame; we were able to enjoy 1 hrs and 30 minutes of the service before Joey even got antsy! I was so happy to get to attend this service, which in all fairness to Joey, was a LONG service for a 5.5 year old to attend! I would have been squirming in my seat WAY before did! I also tried to explain the things we would do before they happened, which seems to help him have more patience with respect, church, etc. Once Joey started the "wiggle-yet-not-embarrassing-me-yet" dance he does, I sent him and Gene to the car - where after immediately Holy Communion was held, I got to partake of, and joined my family in the car! The service was SO moving and I cried a great deal for those I have lost over the last 2 years. It was truly a memorable service. I was so glad this is how we broke up our Holy Week services this year!

I hope the newness that has passed within my soul and spirit will remain for as long as my spirit needs to be fed for the days ahead. I would also wish this for each of you.

Peace be with you!
Suz