The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents

[DesertRose]

MyRosie, the daycare said it was the first year they had Pertussis. According to my pediatrician, even though infants are vaccinated against it (at 2, 4 and 6 months), the vaccine is not 100% effective. What is effective though is taking a small dose of antibiotics as soon as you find out your child has been in contact with a sick one.

Thank you for your replies Duxxy, MRD and Canuck. I was frustrated that I couldn't find any info on the net and made a call to the doctor who followed me throughout my pregnancy. I really value his opinion (not that I don't that of the pediatrician; I just needed a second opinion). He said that it is a good vaccine, BUT he's not a big defender of it as of now. He might change his mind next year when there is more data on it, but he thinks that all it does is reduce the strength of the "disease" so that kids spend less time in the hospital. His opinion is that is should target a specific audience, like premature babies and babies born in an environment where parents are more ignorant of cleansiness. As I don't fit the bill, I think I will just skip this one.

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[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by canuckinchile

I don't even like to get started on the subject since I worked in public health The one time I wrote a letter, though, was when there was an outbreak of Pertussis at my daughter's boarding school. She had been vaccinated, and after the age of 2 years it means antibiotics and at worst a few days in the hospital, if you live in a first world country. The thing that really bothered me was that there were kids at this school from 27 countries. We were living in a small town in the Andes of Peru. If she had brought that home with her, it could have wiped out a village easily. People just don't think about global effects and travel. People that choose not to vaccinate are relying on those of us that do

I don't know much about the rotovirus, but I probably wouldn't run to get it, but definitely listen to your doctor and look into it.

Interesting you mention that as I just did some reading recently about the Native Americans and the introduction of disease from the Europeans when this country was first being settled. Entire villages were wiped out from measles, small pox and other diseases.
I know that vaccines have come under a lot of scrutiny lately, but considering what life was like before vaccines, I think we are better off having them.

[AJane]

I've never heard of the rotavirus vaccine (I didn't think it was that bad of a thing to get, didn't realize there was a vaccine for it). Other than that, though, I just shake my heads at people who don't vaccinate their kids. Every doctor I've had for my own girls (we've moved several times so I've discussed it with at least three different physicians) are 100% for vaccination. I've made sure my kids have all the standard ones, and have also gotten them the "extras" for meningitis and chicken pox, and they get a flu shot every year as well. They will also be getting Gardisil when they are old enough for it.

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by AJane

I've never heard of the rotavirus vaccine (I didn't think it was that bad of a thing to get, didn't realize there was a vaccine for it). Other than that, though, I just shake my heads at people who don't vaccinate their kids. Every doctor I've had for my own girls (we've moved several times so I've discussed it with at least three different physicians) are 100% for vaccination. I've made sure my kids have all the standard ones, and have also gotten them the "extras" for meningitis and chicken pox, and they get a flu shot every year as well. They will also be getting Gardisil when they are old enough for it.

Some of my daughter's friends parents told me that by letting their daughter's get this vaccine it was giving them permission to have sex. I was open jawed.

My response: "If your daughter remains celibate until marriage, she still runs the risk of getting the HP virus if her husband has been active with other females prior to the marriage. The male usually exhibits no symptoms of the disease, but he can pass it on to te female who then runs the risk of developing cervical cancer later in life."

It has made some of them stop and think.

[Duxxy]

I'm still on the fence about Gardasil, there isn't enough long term data yet to rule out future complications that could be worse than the threat of cervical cancer. The vaccine only passed it's first round of human tests in 2005. It's only effective for 5 years, which means boosters that will take the youngest women into their child-bearing years. It makes me nervous.
I will be watching closely for the next 5-10 years until kiddo is old enough to consider having her vaccinated.

[remote_goddess]

Any of you parents out there ever had issues with pre-teen/teenage anorexia/bulemia? My daughters' step-sister is 12 and has just been diagnosed with this eating disorder, and my girls are having a very hard time understanding it. Their Dad and step-mom have given them minimal information and I have absolutely no experience so do not know quite how to answer their questions when they come to me. They think it's an attention-getting scheme on the step-sis's part (and a successful one so far on top of that!) and that she can control it and if she really wanted to she would just eat. I know it's more than that, and I would hope I've raised my girls to be more understanding, open, and sympathetic to people's troubles, but they're almost angry about it. Any ideas? Resources? Suggestions?

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by remote_goddess

Any of you parents out there ever had issues with pre-teen/teenage anorexia/bulemia? My daughters' step-sister is 12 and has just been diagnosed with this eating disorder, and my girls are having a very hard time understanding it. Their Dad and step-mom have given them minimal information and I have absolutely no experience so do not know quite how to answer their questions when they come to me. They think it's an attention-getting scheme on the step-sis's part (and a successful one so far on top of that!) and that she can control it and if she really wanted to she would just eat. I know it's more than that, and I would hope I've raised my girls to be more understanding, open, and sympathetic to people's troubles, but they're almost angry about it. Any ideas? Resources? Suggestions?

Try overeaters anonymous. They are not just for over eaters, but for anyone with an eating disorder.

Duxxy,
I can understand your concerns. I had the experience of working in a GYN office and the stuff I saw would just break your heart. And we saw a LOT of teens with a lot of different STD's and also pregnant. After working in that kind of enviroment, you tend to want to almost go over protective of your own children. I would just want to go in the bathroom and cry sometimes. I'm talking kids as young as 12 and 13 and their life was forever changed by some of the things they had contracted.

[remote_goddess]

Thanks, MRD. I've been searching online today and have run across several informative sites but most were less than helpful for what I'm needing. Many sites address the issues the parents face, and the issues the patient faces, but not much on how other family members may feel/what they need to know to help. Maybe I need to delve a little deeper...

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by remote_goddess

Thanks, MRD. I've been searching online today and have run across several informative sites but most were less than helpful for what I'm needing. Many sites address the issues the parents face, and the issues the patient faces, but not much on how other family members may feel/what they need to know to help. Maybe I need to delve a little deeper...

Try OE anon. THey may be able to steer you to resources for the family. Since its an offshoot of AA and such, they tend to have a lot of info that probably will help the rest of the family understand it.

Good luck and wish that she is able to overcome this.

[Gutmutter]

I asked for the guardisil vaccination for my 16 year old daughter at her last visit with her doctor and he said he recommended waiting. That it was so new there were no statistics for side effects yet.