This morning I had the "pleasure" of taking Kelsie to her two year well-check with her pediatrician. I am usually really on top of getting appointments scheduled, but it seems that with the third child it didn't seem that important to take her to the doctor seeing as how she is not sick. So I scheduled the appointment about a week ago knowing very well that she would probably be getting a few shots. This is where I will start to rant and rave. I feel as though I am a very responsible parent. I take my kids to all their check-ups both medical and dental. Take them in when they are sick, which thankfully is not very often at all. Give the the proper medication following all the directions. BUT - I do have to say that I REALLY hate it when my kids get immunized. I myself am not a fan of needles at all. The only needle that I "enjoyed" was the epidural. I am a very big weenie. I hate it even more when I willingly drive my children to the doctors office knowing that they will be poked any where from 2 -5 times depending on how old they are and what they are due for. Then you have to hold them down while the "nice nurse" with the FREEZING cold hands (why are nurses' hands ALWAYS so cold?) sticks them in the thigh and your child is looking at you like "HELP ME MOMMY!!! YOU ARE LETTING HER HURT ME!!" Afterwards they look at you like, "I trusted you and you let her do that to me, why?" I always feel so bad. When Jacob was a baby I used to make Kevin take him in. I just couldn't do it. Then when Kayla came a long we split the duty. Now with Kelsie I have been the one to do it each time.
My other complaint is that I am positive that with each child they add like 50 (slight exaggeration) new immunizations. Seriously, is that necessary? So we need to be super human and immunized against everything? Isn't it okay to let a few bugs get in from time to time? I mean c'mon. I was literally lectured today about the second chicken pox vaccine that they have now and the new and improved booster/tetanus shot that all adults need to get. I had the chicken pox when I was like thirteen and I am fine. Yeah I was really itchy for like a week but so what. Isn't it kind of a right of passage to get the chicken pox? Of course I am not saying that I wish any of these illnesses or diseases upon my children but I just feel like "they" are trying to make you immunize our kids against everything. If you look at my immunization record it looks practically empty. I am sure my moms' has way less and I doubt that my grandparents EVER got shots and my grandfather is alive and well at 82. I know there are those who choose not to immunize at all. I guess I am just lazy and just conformed to what I am "suppose" to do and never really looked into any other options. Isn't there a lot of red tape and paperwork when it comes time for school and sports and stuff?
I'm just saying . . . I am all for keeping everyone healthy and I understand the importance of it all but really sometimes I just get so annoyed.
So back to this morning . . . so "nice nurse with cold hands" sticks Kelsie twice in the thigh while she is sitting in my lap and I am holding her down and, of course, Kelsie is just screaming. I mean really screaming. Kayla was with me because she has afternoon Kindergarten, but she didn't want to be in the room so the nurse let her step out and pick a toy from the treasure chest for Kelsie. After the shots were administered and they nurse opened the door, Kelsie still screaming, Kayla walks in the room and hugs Kelsie and hands her the Dora Etch-a-Scetch toy that she picked out for Kelsie. Kayla says, "Here Kelsie, I picked this out for you." Kelsie INSTANTLY stops crying. No joke. Stops, just like that. "Thank you Tayla, " says Kelsie and hugs her back. She picks out a sticker from the sticker box and walks out the door like nothing ever happened. WHAT?! I guess mom gets all worked up about nothing. Go figure.
So now I want to know, how do you feel about the whole vaccines issue? I want to hear all your comments whether you agree or disagree with my little tale. What do you think?
12 Thoughts:
I totally agree with what you are saying. I felt so bad taking Addison in there. He is smiling and "talking" to the nurse, and then she pokes him 5 times. He was not pleased. With Liah, I had to take her in to get her kindergarten shots, and I'll tell you it was WAY harder trying to hold down a 5 year old than it was holding down a newborn. And I hear you on the 2nd chicken pox vaccine. But just be glad you're having her get it now instead of 3 months after you make your child get these shots, the school sends you a letter saying that they will not assign your child a kindergarten class unless she gets this second chicken pox vaccine that they just started requiring, and having to take your 5 year old BACK to the doctor for round 2. Yeah, that was a blast. I guess with vaccines, I'd just rather be safe than sorry, and it is just easier to do it because you're "supposed" to. But it sure is a pain! Also, I know I got shots when I was a kid, but I don't remember it, so it must not have been all that traumatizing. You don't remember that much from that time of life, but maybe that's why... j/k.
Oh, don't even get me started!
I'm all for immunizing my children, but I do not understand the need to constantly be adding "required" vaccines. Please. My 8 year old didn't have these extra shots and she's just fine. But now, they act like my 5 year old is going to die if he doesn't have them? Give. me. a. break.
Having Jake has given me a extra long peek at the medical world, and the more I see, the more I dislike it.
I am SO sick of the medical profession, schools, government, ect. telling us how to live. Yes, there are major advantages to modern medicine, but it is not the be all, end all to a healthy life.
What about eating healthy? What about lifestyle? I believe that if we would re-focus {myself included} on these things {a.k.a. the Word of Wisdom} we would not have to worry about half of the diseases and sicknesses that they are trying to immunize us from. It would not even be an issue.
I just hate the push for the constant medication of our children. I have never, ever liked medicine. Even as a child, I hated the way that it made me feel when I took it. I just feel like "modern medicine" only seems to go for a band-aid approach to health. That is, it seems to me that they only mask the symptoms of health problems, and don't look for the root of the problem. And I hate that they act like we as patients have no right to question their "authority" or to look for other alternatives. And if we do, then we are viewed as weird. I feel like immunizations are becoming the same way.
I totally agree with you that we need to get some of those little bugs. As much as I want to keep my children healthy and happy, I can't protect them from every little germ or sickness out there. I want to build up their immune systems so that they can fight off those germs and diseases. That is why God gave us an immune system! I don't know why, but extra shots just doesn't seem like the answer to me.
Whew! Sorry about that post within your post. I told ya, don't get me started!
Okay, on to the adorable story about your sweet girls. What a great sister Kayla is! I love the Kelsie stopped crying immediately after getting the little toy from her big sister. So, so sweet!
Shots.. always leave me feeling horrible. And I agree with you on so many levels. And I agree with Tiff with the whole sick of medical, schools, gov telling us how to live. Seriously.
Thank You Tiffany!!! I knew I could count on you to "comment" something great!! I totally agree!
I have a different opinion than everyone else.
Having just lost my baby I am glad that they are thinking of the health of my children and doing what they think is right to help them stay healthy. If my girls do not get chicken pox, good! That's one less thing that I have to deal with. If everyone is immunized then my girls won't "get it" from anyone else.
Be thankful that immunizations may save your child's life.
I have a different opinion than everyone else.
Having just lost my baby I am glad that they are thinking of the health of my children and doing what they think is right to help them stay healthy. If my girls do not get chicken pox, good! That's one less thing that I have to deal with. If everyone is immunized then my girls won't "get it" from anyone else.
Be thankful that immunizations may save your child's life.
Hi, I found you through THarker.
I appreciate your post. I grew up getting my vaccines. I now have a husband in a medical profession, but NOT an M.D. We are into alternative health care. I agree with you that it is completely absurd that we need all these 'new' shots. The one that gets me the most is the 'gaurdasil' shot.
I am really concerned that they STILL in this day in age can't make SAFE vaccines? what up? My children have some of the vaccines. There is a place for SOME of the vaccines. We were introduced to our new profession and I have come to realize that Drug companies are mostly concerned with making money. When going to your Dr. office, take a look around at what posters they have up. What drugs are they advertising? They may or may not prescribe them to you. But the next time you go, there will probably be a new one up on the wall. MOST Dr.'s will listen to your symptoms and say "lets TRY this prescription, see how it works and if we need to make a change, we will." THIS IS CALLED GUESSING!!! They ONLY know how to MASK your symptoms. They RARELY cure anything.
And when it comes to others trying to push things on you, just remember- YOU are the MOTHER!!! YOU get to make the decisions.period. You can opt for vaccines if you like. You can make the schedule of vaccines ANY WAY YOU WANT TO!!! If you want to get one shot every six months, YOU CAN! As far as school goes, all you have to do is sign a release and they can't keep you from school. You will however be told that 'if' there is a outbreak of something, your child will be the first sent home. um,YES, THANK YOU! I don't want my kid in a outbreak zone, do you?
I don't want to come across as a Doctor hater because I totally am not. We got to the doctors office as soon as we think someone has more than just the sniffles. All three of my children have been immunized. Jacob has had less shots only because some of the shots that the girls have were not around when he entered kindergarten. So he does not have the second chicken pox. He is doing just fine , so far, with just one dose of that vaccine. I certainly do not want my own child or anyone elses' child to be infected by something that could have been prevented. I am just saying that sometimes it just seems like too much. I should definately take control and say only one shot today, we will make another appointment for the other one later. On the other hand Kelsie is all up to date, as of yesterday, until kindergarten, unless they add more. I definately respect all forms of medicine whether it be modern or alternative. I am thankful for modern advancement and for more nautral methods both. I just need to remember that I am in control. I am so glad that you all joined in on this discussion with me. Thank you.
I just wanted to add that my five year old had a really bad reaction to the second chicken pox shot, and I think they (doctors and nurses) are giving it too young. My eight year old and five year old had them same shot at the same time, the eight year old had no reaction, and the five year old's leg swelled into a HUGE welt and was hot for days. I know of about six other kindergartners that had the same reaction. I'm not letting my third get the chicken pox booster. If she gets the chicken pox after the first shot, it will be a mild case, and personally, I had them twice as a kid.
That's the thing about the Chicken Pox vaccine. It does not prevent a child from getting the chicken pox. It only lessens the severity once they get chicken pox.
I guess the Chicken Pox vaccine just seems kind of pointless to me. We all had the Chicken Pox as kids and turned out just fine. That's not to say that there weren't those rare cases where a poor child did die, but from what I've read, it is very rare.
Tiff and Michelle- Our doctor told me the reason that the second chicken pox vaccines was so important was because it will give the child a higher percentage of not getting the chicken pox because apparently some part of the chicken pox "disease" stays dormant in those who had it and years later it can turn into shingles and apparently shingles CAN lead to loss of eyesight or hearing. I am so bad at this medical stuff. Anyway, that is the explanation I got about why we don't want our kids to get chicken pox.
What I don't understand about the whole chicken pox vaccine is this... If shingles is the dormant chicken pox virus, why would I inject it into my child? Maybe my kid won't get pox at all? Why put it into them? They can get the virus. I am not so out of touch that I don't know when my child is sick.
I am all for an ounce of prevention. Just not so much for all the preservatives and other garbage they put in the shots.
Do you know what I mean?
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