Shot or not???

For the past several years I have hemmed and hawed as to whether or not to get the flu shot. According to the CDC:

The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine There are two types of vaccines: The "flu shot" — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions. Flu Shot: Vaccination Information Statement (VIS) The nasal-spray flu vaccine —a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine" or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. Nasal Spray: Vaccination Information Statement (VIS) http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

 

My main argument is how can you vaccinate against the flu... a virus?? My second argument is that the flu shot IS NOT a guarantee that you will not get the flu. This is because the flu shot is a scientists guess at the strain of the flu that is "most likely" to affect the population each year. Why would I willingly inject myself and my children with the dreaded flu? And really who's to say that the flu shot isn't just another media induced frenzy??

Let me tell you why my objections are valid. First, the flu is a virus; the only way for a virus to die is for it to be killed off by your body's natural defenses. There are no antibiotics, no cold medicines; no herbal remedies that will kill the virus, only time and a healthy immune system can help. Second, the fact that the flu shot is a guess is not good enough. It is impossible to predict with 100% accuracy every time, therefore there is only a chance that the same virus which you will get in the flu shot is the one you will get if you get the flu. Unless of course we are talking about the H1N1 vaccine, which is in fact composed of the H1N1 virus and will prevent you from getting the "swine flu". And I know that some of you are saying "Its not the live flu that you are being injected with!" But you know what; I'm not a fan of virus' living or dead.

Natural immunity is immunity that is acquired by your body as a result of fighting an illness successfully. This type of immunity is the only guarantee that you will not EVER get the same virus twice. The live nasal spray version of the "shot" is the only way that you can attain natural immunity as a result of the flu shot. Therefore with the most flu shot you will still feel the effects of the flu, just much milder than you would if you had acquired it on your own.

Here is another thing that frustrates me about the flu shot madness... it is now mandated by some employers (mainly hospitals) that employees get the flu shot, why are people allowing this to happen? It is such a violation of your rights. Not only that, but how about the people that get their flu shots and then immediately assume that not only are they not going to get sick, but that you are because you did not get it. And every time that my children get sick I am bombarded with people who ask… "Did they get their flu shot??" and when I answer "no" I am almost immediately looked at like a careless mother who's kids got sick because they did not get the flu shot. Guess what scornful supporters of the flu shot... my girlfriends son currently has this years flu... and guess what else... HE GOT THE SHOT!!! So there you go... maybe my children did get sick but at least it was out of my control.

Ok enough of my evil ranting... there are some benefits that I can find in support of the flu shot. One of which I learned in my microbiology class this year. The smallpox vaccine was created several years ago and eradicated smallpox. The smallpox vaccine was actually created from a strain of cowpox that was a close enough match that it prevented the smallpox as well and therefore allowed for people to develop immunity to smallpox. In light of this phenomenon I can see how the flu shot may have some benefits, and could potentially work. However that being said, it is still a gamble that I'm not willing to take.

 

 

Searching for a STRESS FREE me!

Top 10 Stressful Life Events Spouse's death Divorce Marriage separation Jail term Death of a close relative Injury or illness Marriage Fired from job Marriage reconciliation Retirement Source: Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory

Stress is one of the biggest problems faced by Americans today, 11% of American women, and 5% of American men are currently taking some form of anti-depressant to combat anxiety, stress or depression.  Is this a problem that has existed for hundreds of years that was just never addressed or is modern day living just more stressful than it was for previous generations?  I have to think that it is a little of both.  America has become obsessed with moving on to the next thing… putting pressure on all of us to "keep up with the Jones' " rather than sit back and enjoy what we have.   

For the past 2 years I have enjoyed being a stay@home mom!!  I have loved my time at home, but believe me it has not been the walk in the park that most people assume it is.  The greatest part is that you don't have as much stress as you do when you are working full-time.  However, you still have to run the household, make the dinners, do the laundry, wrangle children, and for me wrestle a Labrador.... so the while the luxury of not having to work 40 hours while doing it is wonderful, it does not mean I live a stress-free life! Because let's face it, job or not, raising kids is difficult. For me, I think that being a stay@home mom is far more stressful than being a working mom is. I know that many of you working moms are saying "OH yeah whatever!!"  but take it from someone who used to say the same thing "How hard could it be??" well... it's A LOT of work... especially if you have more than 1 child.  Also, personally, I enjoy the satisfaction of making money and contributing it to the household (not that raising 2 kids isn't a contribution).  But one thing I can say is that I no longer have an overwhelming feeling that I am not being a good parent or a good employee because I am only half listening most of the time, while trying to get 200 other things completed.   Although, sometimes being THAT busy was good because it forced me (a person who has ADD) to prioritize and complete tasks in an orderly and somewhat more effective way than I can now... when mommy-hood is my main agenda.  

In light of all that I have decided that a part-time job is the perfect solution! Now my goal: to find STRESS-FREE employment.  Does it exist?? Too much stress is definitely counterproductive to one's health and has been linked to migraines, stomach problems, muscle tension, and insomnia just to name a few. I am not going there, and I know that while I was not extremely stressed at my last full-time job itself, the demands of motherhood coupled with that job made for a very stressed person.  Now adding in another child and the pursuit of higher education, and I decided something had to give.  My husband and I decided that rather than put our new baby in daycare...why not quit my job (after all my entire income would have been devoted to paying for daycare anyway). This choice, while a sacrifice, has made a great difference in my stress levels, as well as my ability to be a great mom! After all, these boys are growing by leaps and bounds and in a few years will be asking for the car keys instead of the newest action figures.

Some helpful ways for you working and non-working moms to lower your stress level... other than Prozac, Paxil, or whatever the latest drug of choice is are: YOGA (a great stress reliever), deep breathing, and a glass of wine every now and again. OH, and most importantly... a break from the kids every now and then. You know what they say: "Distance makes the heart grow fonder", well I truly believe that is true with your kids as well as your partners. I have attached an excellent article about de-stressing your life here!! Enjoy and until next time… be well!!

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

 
 

 
 

You Give Me FEVER

My kids could come running up to me with a bone sticking out of their arm, and I would react much more calmly than I do if they have a fever.  Being a student in the medical field I have read extensively about fever and I know the physiological causes.  Teachers, doctors and nurses have reassured my research with the details of their experiences, yet despite all this knowledge if I see a temp above 100° I freak!!

If you aren't as informed about fever please let me enlighten you to what I know.  Maybe it will help you out if you are a hypo like me.. or even if you aren't.

Fever is usually the body's response to infection.  I say usually because we all know that everyone is different and some people (like my husband, and thanks to genetics my kids too) can just randomly spike a fever, and be fine within a few hours. Anyways, when your body has an infection white blood cells go to work to fight this infection off.  The hypothalamus (located in your brain) is like your body's thermostat, it will elevate your core temperature to make the environment less favorable for bacteria to grow and flourish.  That is the short of it, and instead of getting super physiological and boring on you.. lets just stop there.

Back to the hypochondriacs perspective, I have to remind myself every time that I am in a panic: the fever is HELPING my kids little bodies, NOT HURTING them.  This is the outlook that our pediatric nurse always seems to push on me when I call her obviously sounding a bit frazzled.. yet although I know this.. the sight of 102° on that ear scan sends shivers down my spine and warrants immediate "cool down intervention".  Here's what I do.. cool water washcloths on the forehead, back of the neck, wrists and ankles.  Why? I find that cooling these areas has a direct effect on bringing overall temperature down.  I also immediately administer ibuprofen, unless there is some sort of stomach bug along with the fever, in which case I go for acetaminophen because its gentle on the belly.  Thankfully these methods are usually quite effective.  

Now let me explain to you what freaks me out..

First, an extremely high fever (greater than 105°) for an extended amount of time can cause damage to the brain, seizures and even death. 
Second, fever is something purely physical in that there isn't much you can do to stop it.  You can set a broken bone, put a band-aid on a cut, even have surgery to repair your appendix... but with fever there are no guarantees.

So for now, I have to take comfort in my research and accept that fever is pretty much out of my control, however the only thing that takes the knot out of my stomach is seeing that thermometer saying "98.6°"!  

Chicken.. Bawk Bawk

Here is an article review I did for my Microbiology class this fall that is a great "first post" for this blog & the direction i want to take it in:

Coming from a long line of hypochondriacs I find myself very cautious when it comes to food handling and preparation.  I have always been very careful about food prep, chicken especially, for fear of giving myself (or my dinner guests) salmonella.  If you come for dinner at my house and chicken is on the menu it is guaranteed to be dry... not because of my lack of cooking skill, but for my fear of salmonella.  I tend to cook chicken until it’s finished, and then throw it back in for a few extra minutes “just to be sure”.  Also, when ordering chicken at a restaurant I almost always ask for it to be cooked “well”, any hint of pink in my chicken and I am not eating it. It was refreshing that all of my paranoia is not in vein because Chuck Gerba, Microbiologist, shares these same concerns and has proven their danger with extensive research.
One point made in the article that I did not know about was the antimicrobial effects of wood and the benefits of using a wood cutting board vs. a plastic one.  All of my cutting boards are plastic, and I usually spray them with bleach after cutting meat on them and then rinse them with hot water and place them in the dishwasher.  Judging from what the article says, my cutting board clean-up is probably sufficient to protect me from any bacteria; however I found it very interesting that the wood board has “99.9 percent” less bacteria than the plastic board after being contaminated with salmonella for 3 days without being washed (Roach, p3.)  Thanks to this article, I will be taking a trip to the store to purchase myself a wood cutting board next chance I get. 
The information regarding the toilet spraying bacteria upon flushing was also new to me.  I always noticed that toilet bowl spray, especially among some public toilets (it could be quite intense).  But never gave a second thought to the fact that not just water, but bacteria could be transferring to nearby surface, such as the toothbrushes on the counter beside the toilet.  This is knowledge that can be put to use in the future for sure. I have already let my family know that closing the lid before flushing (when possible) is the way to go.
Another aspect that Roach touched briefly on that I found very interesting was the ease of transfer of virus’ and bacteria from surfaces and how this transfer can affect children because of how much they are prone to putting things in their mouths.  Being the mom of 2 young children I find that “wash your hands” and “don’t put that in your mouth” tend to be two of my most commonly said phrases, and for the most part I find that hand washing is a sufficient way to keep my kids mostly healthy.  Last fall, for fear of contracting H1N1, I did begin carrying antibacterial hand wipes with me at all times.  Not only did I wipe off the surfaces that my kids came into contact with (carts) but I also had them in the general habit that when we got back into the car from being in a public place we would “sanitize”  by using hand sanitizer or the wipes.  Maybe it seems a little germaphobic, but I did notice that my kids did not seem to get as sick as some of my friends kids did.  I like to think that my precautions were the reason for that. 

Reference:

How to win at germ warfare. By: Roach, Mary, Health, 1059938X, Jul/Aug94, Vol. 8, Issue 4

Introducing.. Confessions of a Hypochondriac

There is a fine line between being concerned with your health and being a hypochondriac.  I am not sure if I am a certified hypo but I do come from a long line of women who tend to be overly obsessive about what to most people are simple health problems.  As my husband always says.. "My wife doesn't get headaches, she gets brain tumors".   Maybe I just hear about so many people dying and getting cancer that I am secretly just waiting for it to hit me... or maybe I really am paranoid.  

My goal is to use this blog is a way to investigate illnesses and disease and share my findings with you.. I won't bore you with all of my imaginary ailments! I really just need an excuse to do some research because I love microbiology, health studies and mayoclinic.com!