My Special Kid

Monday, July 25, 2005

Vaccines- danger danger?

It's been on and off, on and off: do vaccines cause autism and other disorders?

Well, in my case, it did. My youngest daughter had her scheduled MMR at the age of 16 months and eight days later, I found her in a semi-conscious state, having non-stop seizures. It was the worst nightmare of my life, watching the ER staff working on her. She had encephalitis and was losing her newly learned skills by the minute.

The seizures weren't responding to medications, so she was placed in a drug-induced coma. 4 days later, the meds were withdrawn. She woke up. And she was completely disabled. No memory, no ability to walk, talk or even suck on a bottle. Worse, she didn't know who I was.

Most doctors refused to accept that the MMR could have caused such a disaster, but one doctor did. After much research, I learned of the dangers of vaccinations. We were a rare but very real statistic.

I'm not anti-vaccine, believe it or not. But I am pro-choice.
And if you have concerns about vaccinating your child, read up on it. Research the topic. Talk to people who have had good and bad experiences. Make an informed choice.

Most of all, if you DO vaccinate your child, make sure he/she is in good health on the day the shot will be administered. Your baby needs to have the strongest possible immune system and if you think a cold is coming on, then re-schedule the appointment.

My best-
Terry

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