Are flu shots worth the danger of possibly contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome like Richard Ryan, 44, did? Ryan, a Canadian, got his flu shot last year. A few weeks later he was in so much intense pain he sought treatment at a hospital emergency room. The doctor there knew what he had as soon as the words, “flu shot” were mentioned.

Richard Ryan was hospitalized for ten weeks and spent three of those weeks in intensive care, paralyzed.

I’ve often wondered if it might be worthwhile to get flu shots, but so far, have avoided them. Last winter I discussed this with a co-worker at a restaurant I was then working at.

Cook: “I’ve never had one. One winter someone working here got one and was sick all winter, and I never got sick.”

Me: “I’ve never had one either. I wonder what they put in those shots.”

Cook: “They’re having the flu shot clinic tomorrow. It’s a drive-by clinic. You don’t even have to get out of your car.”

Me: “No thanks. I didn’t get sick at all last winter either. I take precautions like washing my hands a lot. And if I start to feel under the weather, I take a couple Golden Seal capsules. Works every time.”

Cook: “Golden Seal? What’s that?”

Me: “It’s a herb with mild antibiotic qualities. I usually take some Golden Seal, Vitamin C, and orange juice. Not all at one time of course - I like to space things out.”

Cook: “And it really works?”

Me: “For me it does. Just be careful not to take too much. Read the directions.”

Two other employees were feeling sick and the cook told them I recommended Golden Seal. One recovered almost immediately after using Golden Seal extract; the other didn’t. [Note: I don't know how much she took; it may have been minimal as it was the one who actually purchased the Golden Seal that recovered.]

Meanwhile, back in Canada, Richard Ryan has never fully recovered from the effects of his flu shot. The Guillain-Barré syndrome symptoms are in remission, but it could return at any time. Ryan’s illness turned into CIDP - Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy. He still uses medication, can’t work, and has developed memory loss.

Source: B.C. man paralyzed after flu shot warns of risks published in CDC News on October 22, 2008.

One more thing: You can learn a lot by reading the 100+ reader comments on the article I referenced.

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Twenty percent of UK parents are refusing to allow their daughters to be immunized for cervical cancer, according to an article published on April 25, 2008 in the Guardian. The article concludes with a quote from Professor Jo Waller and Dr. Jane Wardle - both from the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London. They say, “work needs to be done to restore public confidence in immunisation.” (That’s the British spelling of immunization.)

They have a hard-sell ahead of them because the word is out - immunizations are dangerous! Who among us really knows what drug companies put in those immunizations these days? Tens of thousands of parents are deeply concerned about this issue.

Another recent article about the link between Autism Spectrum Disorders and immunizations starts by saying, “In 1976, children received 10 vaccines before attending school. Today they will receive over 36 injections.”

Here in the USA, parents can refuse injections, but most don’t know that. When I enrolled my daughter in school a few years ago I informed the school personnel that they should make available a form for parents to sign refusing the immunizations. The school staff didn’t even know the form existed. I noted the medical records form they gave me was a photocopy and so I downloaded the correct form which contains a place to sign refusing immunizations. I got that from the state department of education’s website.

Actually, my children all had all the prescribed childhood immunizations, but that was because at the time I gave birth to them I wasn’t fully aware of the laws or consequences of immunization. I did have one child who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome which is on the Autism Spectrum. I wouldn’t wish that on any parent, but it is becoming more common these days and the evidence points to immunizations as a cause.

That 20% of parents in the UK are refusing cervical cancer immunizations gives me hope. This indicates that more young people are thinking of what’s best for their families, doing needed research, and standing firm on their convictions. The truth is that we cannot trust drug companies to always do what is best for us rather than what is best for their own prosperity.

Sources:

1 in 5 parents refuse daughters’ cervical cancer jab by Sarah Boseley, published April 25, 2008 in The Guardian.

The Case For A Link To Autism Spectrum Disorders by Russell L. Blaylock, MD, published on April 25, 2008 at Rense.Com.

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I’ve had pain in one of my thumb joints for a few years. I thought it was because my daughter grabbed my hand once and pulled on it the wrong way. But I never suspected Rheumatoid Arthritis. I thought I was too young for that!

This year I started feeling pains in the other thumb joint too. And when I started working at a stand-up-for-hours job downtown, I had pain in one of my ankles. My boyfriend was the first one who suggested it could be Rheumatoid Arthritis, and I did some research to see if that could be it.

. . .

I discovered there are several basic types of arthritis:

1. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (Still’s Disease): Usually starts between 2 and 5 years of age, and disappears before puberty. A malfunction in the body’s defense system causes antibodies to attack the body’s tissues. They cause inflammation of the joints and organs. Attacks last for a few weeks, and subsequent attacks are usually less severe each time.

2. Psoriatic Arthritis: Psoriasis starts with emotional stress, skin damage, or poor health. It is seen as pink patches of thick skin, caused when skin cell production speeds up. This can cause a mild form of arthritis resembling rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Infectious Arthritis: Caused when bacteria invades a joint and causes inflammation. This is rare, and usually involves only one joint.

4. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Usually starts with hand and foot joints feeling stiff, tender, and/or painful. This usually starts during ages 40 to 60, but it can happen to people of any age.

. . .

I learned that the words “arthritis” and “rheumatism” are used interchangeably yet technically, there are no medical conditions that use only those words. They could refer to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatic Fever, or Osteoarthritis. If your physician tells you that you’ve got arthritis or rheumatism, ask to know what exactly the disease is.

Some people think that rheumatism is occasional, brought on by bad weather, and that arthritis is a chronic painful condition. But there’s actually no distinction of this sort except in folklore.

. . .

Rheumatoid Arthritis is usually a chronic, long-term condition. Less than half of those who have it recover fully. However the fact that some people do recover fully leaves me with the desire to be in that number. I will be looking for solutions and will keep blog readers informed of any progress I make in controlling arthritis pain and inflammation.

. . .

I went to see my nurse practitioner as soon as I was convinced that I too, could have Rheumatoid Arthritis. She confirmed my self-diagnosis and showed me her deformed finger which helped me see I’m not the only one suffering, that my current condition is mild, and that Rheumatoid Arthritis can become crippling and much worse than I’d imagined.

The nurse practitioner also told me that the thumb joints are often the first places where Rheumatoid Arthritis appears. I guess I’m right on schedule for old age diseases.

Her prescription for me: Motrin. Yes, that’s all I got - a prescription for Ibuprofen! That, and the advice to get used to it.

That leaves me with a lot of questions - and the desire to find ways to deal with this naturally.
. . .

Remember - I’m not a doctor or nurse. If you are one, you’re welcome to comment and give your opinions. Well, for that matter, EVERYONE is welcome to comment and give opinions - I’m hoping to hear from others on this topic.

Hi! I’m Linda Martin, a 55-year-old woman planning to recover from hypertension. Don’t confuse me with statistics! I know few people actually recover, but I’m determined to have a healthier lifestyle and eliminate all high blood pressure medications safely and naturally, one way or another.

Already I’ve gotten off Atenolol, a beta-blocker. That was the first one I wanted to recover from because it was keeping me from losing weight since aerobics won’t work if your pulse rate is kept low artificially. I used Atenolol for ten years and gained fifty pounds because of it. Now I have to struggle to lose the weight as well as recover from prescription drugs that weren’t entirely healthy for me.

Another condition that affects my weight is hypothyroid disorder. I will be looking for natural remedies for hypothyroid (have already found a few) and want to wean myself off this and another hypertension drug.

PS - If you want to see me, you can click on the photo above for a larger version… that’s me at the Sluice Box River Access in the Klamath River Valley near Seiad Valley, California, in 2008.

I’ve been taking medications for hypertension for over ten years. I take two types of medications.

First I was prescribed Atenolol, a beta-blocker. My blood pressure was still high, so the nurse practitioner added Adalat, a calcium-channel-blocker.

At the time I was very stressed out because I was raising two young children by myself. But hypertension also runs in my family. My mother has it and my maternal grandmother did too. My grandmother had many strokes which my sister (a nurse practitioner) told me were caused by not taking medications regularly. I watched my grandmother suffer after a major stroke she had at the age of 80. For the next six years, until she passed away in 1996, my grandmother couldn’t walk or talk normally. Natuarlly this all frightened me, and I was determined to take my medications as prescribed.

Ten years later, I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I’m much more relaxed now. I moved away from the San Francisco Bay Area and for six years now have been living in a tiny town in the Klamath River Valley of Northern California. Also the children grew up. They are 16 and 17 now, and are not so totally dependent on me. My life is pretty much stress-free, and I’m happy.

These drugs I’m taking have side effects, like all others. And I’ve added one more drug - in 2001 I started taking Levoxyl for a hypothyroid disorder that was discovered when I had my hysterectomy.

I want to be meds-free! I want to be healthy again, and live a normal life, not dependent on the medications I’ve believed were so vital to my existence. And I believe I can do it. I simply need to learn more about natural remedies and get healthier by exercising more and losing weight. I’m about 60 lbs. overweight. In the last few months I’ve lost about 20 pounds (it fluctuates a little).

I’m starting this weblog to chronicle my attempts to lose weight, get healthy, and get off the medications forever.