Being a MOM means...
Being in charge of decisions, tough ones, small ones, ones that mean nothing and ones that can mean the difference between my kids mobility and lack there of.
It is a scary job. I mean, seriously, with my JOB-E-JOB, I don't have these kinds of life or in some cases, death... decisions to make if I follow up with a practice or load the wrong template in.... With these kids, I am like the head honcho. Think about it. I mean it started with them being born. Suddenly, I was responsible for this little life. I had to make sure it was clean, it ate, it didn't get sick, and most importantly, it stayed breathing. I can remember with my first checking on her a million times a night and mind you we were up every 3-4 hours with bottles! It only gets worse the older they get, I can promise you that!
Then comes the GREAT VACCINE debate. I mean, to vaccinate, to not vaccinate...What do we do? Well, Hubby and I have a stance on this that is our very own.. I mean, thinking logically, we were vaccinated as kids and look how we turned out.. Wait..wait...don't answer that. So, we chose to vaccinate and KNOCK ON WOOD, we are all still standing!
So, as the world evolves and we have crazy um, for lack of a better word...SHIT all over the dang gone place...it comes to the question..."TO GET THE FLU SHOT/MIST...TO NOT GET THE FLU SHOT/MIST..." and once again, MOM to the rescue as I have to come up with the decision. What if I make the wrong one... It is seriously terrifying to me. We have been doing the flu shot/mist for the past...I think three or four years. Last year my baby got the shot and my big girl got the mist. All was fine, I suppose. We got a BAD cold and my little one had to go on a stupid breathing machine...but better safe than sorry. I got the shot the year before (2013) and got the worst sickness of my LIFE! I was flat out, bed ridden, ill! So, I opted out last year. Which is great because I was not sick last year and this year I don't work in an office, but from the luxury of my home (whoo hoo) ..so I will be opting out again. Great for me, right. Still doesn't answer my grueling question...Kiddo's and flu vaccine..
After MUCH thought, consideration, going back and forth, lists of PROs and CONs...with Hubby, we decided that since our oldest is in school and there is crazy, acrobatic germs that live in such places...we would be getting her the MIST again this year. Praying to GOD that we do not get sick. Our little one will also be getting the MIST, as she seems to catch everything that her big sissy gets!
But, then, as if a BALL dropped once I made this miraculous decision... I read about the FLU shot leaving a 10-year old girl....PARALYZED.... WHAT? So, let me break it down...
Flu season is a time of year where parents are left to decide what is best for their children. (It is truly the time of year when it is so awesome to be a Parent...wait...no ITS NOT!)
So, there is this 10 year old girl in Florida who loved school. She received the flu vaccine (2013) and since that point, she has been bedridden. I want to note that it seems that this was not her first flu shot- she seems to have gotten them annually but her parents are stating that the day after her shot she was unresponsive when they tried to wake her. When she finally opened her eyes, she did not speak.
Doctors have diagnosed her with Acute Disseminated Encephalitis (ADEM), which is a rare condition associated with inflammation throughout the brain and spinal cord.
Today this little girl is in a wheelchair and eats through a feeding tube. How terrifying for her parents, right! But, do you think that the vaccine was to blame?
Well, her Parents are convinced and studies are showing that about 5% of all cases of ADEM might be triggered by recent immunizations.
We need to keep our heads on straight here, Parents. Now, there are key words in that above statement, like MIGHT!
According to a 2014 study in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, which analyzed an ADEM case in a 59-year old man who received the flu vaccine 10 days before showing symptoms, says that the overall rate of post-vaccination ADEM is extremely low, breaking it down to about 10 to 20 people per million individuals who get immunized.
For ADEM it is about one per 10 million doses. Usually, ADEM is associated with a recent infection, not an immunization. It is said that ADEM could develop as a consequence to the flu- as there are more cases related to infections than vaccines.
But, it is extremely rare in any case. ADEM is like multiple sclerosis, but with M.S. you have one area of inflammation, affecting one part of the central nervous system. With ADEM, it generally clears up within three months. With this 10 year old girl, and her symptoms lasting a year, it is considered an extreme case and linked to incomplete recovery.
The science says that you have a better chance of winning the lottery than having ADEM happen due to the flu vaccine. Plus, studies show that between 3,000 to 49,000 people in the U.S. alone will die each year from the flu.
The Flu can be very serious for young children with studies showing that last flu season more than 100 U.S. children died according to the CDC.
Source: yahoo.com/parenting
With that, this MAMA is getting her kiddo's the mist! I like the mist because the cold/flu usually starts with the nasal cavity and works its way into the body. This way, the mist goes straight into the nasal cavity and it also allows my scared of needles children some relief! ("Would you rather have a mist in your nose and your nose feel funny or the needle" and of course the answer is always MIST!)
Know the facts people. Do your research and protect your family in the way that best suits YOUR needs! My family seems to get sick a lot. We are actually just over the HUMP of a pretty awesome cold that has wicked coughs to match! I do not want to be dealing with fevers and muscle aches, puking and pale faces too. Our appointment is made and we are DOING THIS!
(& this Mama will pray to my God the whole way through)
P.S. be careful what you read on the internet. Some things may be printed at face value without any additional research being done. Do the work people and make your own decisions based on your own research!
~Kel
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| The choice is always yours..but make sure you are making the decision for your kids and you know the facts! |
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