Monday, October 29, 2007

Allergy testing - Part 2
A couple of weeks ago, I took Logan to the allergist for skin testing for food allergies. This morning we saw him again to test for allergies to vaccinations. On our first visit, we already decided that Logan would never get the pertussis or flu vaccinations ever again based on his previous reaction & egg allergy. We also decided that Logan should receive single dose & not combination vaccinations so we can pin point which shots he reacts to the most. We went ahead & skin tested him for the 6 other vaccinations he's already had.

They all came back negative. He's not allergic to the vaccinations.

This brought up many questions for me. We had discussed that if he was allergic to them, we could introduce lower-grade doses to him to see how much his body could tolerate (this makes him sound like a guinea pig). If he were to have an allergic reaction, it could be resolve by giving him epinephrine & we would also know that from there on out, he should not receive another shot. But now what do we do? He's not having an allergic reaction to the vaccinations, but the adverse reactions the manufacture lists on the printed warning.

The allergist still suggested that Logan receive single dose shots, starting with the most important/urgent first & get caught up on his vaccination schedule. If he were to have another reaction, we would add that to the list of ones he can't have. My only question to that was, if he were to have a reaction, what could be done to help him? If it was an allergic reaction, there was a solution to the problem. But now that's not the case, what could be done if Logan were to have a reaction like he did at his 2nd month vaccination appointment? I was met with a blank stare.

We decided that we'll speak with Logan's pediatrician & go from there. Before I consent to anymore vaccinations, that's the question I want answered first - What can be done to help him if he has another reaction? I already know the answer. Nothing. I'm not willing to sit there & pray for a week hoping my baby returns to normal like I did when Logan had his first shots. The Doctors & Nurses are all pushing hard to get Logan caught up, shrugging their shoulders at the fact that's he's already been adversely effected by them. It amazes me that they are willing to take that risk.

I'm not a paranoid mother who's been reading too much information & getting caught up in the vaccination propaganda, like I'm sure the Doctors encounter on a regular basis. I'm not saying I don't want to vaccinate Logan because I'm fearful of the increased risk of Autism. I'm saying that I followed their advice & Logan received his scheduled vaccinations. He had a reaction to them. A serious one that had to be reported to the CDC through VAERS. We did smaller combo shots, he had smaller reactions. He's had reactions to every shot except for one. It's not logical to me to continue vaccinating him & pray for the best. There's already more than one vaccination he shouldn't have, it seems awfully risky to keep pumping him full of more chemicals.

It all boils down to this: The risk of him having another serious reaction is increased with each shot. There's nothing that can be done for him if he has another reaction. The risk of him contracting any of these diseases is minimal. If he should get sick, there are treatment plans available. Besides, vaccinations do not guarantee that he will not contract those diseases! I have a strong gut feeling that I know what is right here. My mommy instincts are practically screaming at me. It just sucks that I feel so alone in this decision.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm personally all for vaccinations and hate the whole anti-vaccination movement going on. But there are circumstances when I think it's better to skip the shots, and your situation proves my point. If they're going to cause more harm then good, then why are they still pushing them so much? I don't see the point in risking a child's life (or lifelong problems) just to make sure he gets all his shots. You have every right to be frustrated.

Dawn @ Bent, not broken said...

I agree with Kayce 100%. You know what's best... I'm all for getting shots, but I have to admit, with Natalie I've been very cautious. The only one I really want her to get is the RSV one because I don't know how her little body is going to react either.
But, anyways, I wish you luck with this. You know what's best.

Ami said...

I have mixed feelings about vaccines and adverse reactions. My kids are past vaccination age, and we did get vaccines until my daughter was six, I think.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have vaccinated selectively or not at all. I personally know seven children from different families who had serious reactions.

You'll get no screaming rhetoric from me, though. People need to evaluate the benefits vs risks for their own child(ren). Here is one link of hundreds. http://909shot.com/
It's the National Vaccine Information Center.

You have to do the right thing for your child. Trust your instincts. You are not some bubblehead just parroting information you've read somewhere, your child has already been adversely affected once.

Anonymous said...

Vaccinations do not lead to autism...that study was proven to be false. Although all the parents with autistic children are clinging to it as there has been very little discovered about the cause of autism...
I would be more worried about issues. Would make sure he had the vaccinations at a hospital not a clinic. If you decide to skip the shots...make sure you and your husband get your blood levels checked to make sure you are immune (to protect both you and him). Would worry a little about your little one not getting the mumps vaccine as I would not want him to get mumps and become sterile. Also tetnus might be good to get as don't want the little one getting lock jaw...
Can you talk to an immunologist? They would likely be able to explain risks benefits better than an allergist...and might have more answers about what could/should be done...ie single vaccines but in very small doses over longer period of time. Also there are some vaccines that have lower levels of additives and do not contain egg...

Good luck...

Erin said...

Ok apparently I don't know as much about vaccinations as I thought...why does he have such strong reactions if he's not allergic? Hailey will have fevers/achiness for a few days to a week afterwards, but nothing like what happened to Logan. I just don't get it...if he's not allergic, what makes him have such a STRONG reaction? I know basically the way the vaccines work...so I guess maybe his body just over-reacts to the vaccines, more so than other people's body's do? That has to be incredibly frustrating. I hope you find answers soon.

Holly said...

Ok Anon's statement about that study being proven false is rediculous. My Mother in law is in a field where they work with the kiddo's with autism. I also know a doctor who is doing a study in which he has reversed the affects of autism by removing the murcury out of the childs system through therapy and the kids are thriving. True they removed the murcury from the vaccines around 3-4 years ago but then replaced it with aluminium, the results, autism has increased.
I say all of this to say be careful. I would reccomend Dr Stephanie Caves Book "What the doctors don't tell you about Vaccination" It has a great schedule that paces out the vaccines. We are choosing not to do majority of them and just being aware of what diseases are out there and that we need to look at. I affirm you in your decisions to do single dose, its very wise of you. If you want to talk to my mom in law you can go to her website at www.janeshook.com she is a wealth of knowlege.
Praying for you in your decisions with Logan.

Holly

Jaime said...

First and foremost. This is your child and even if you are being paranoid, that is OK. It is our job to protect our children and look out for their best interests.

Knowing he has a history of negative reactions, I would also heavily weigh my options here. I agree, the risk of his contracting a serious illness is slim and you just cannot be certain he will be fine after the vaccinations.

As for the Anon poster. Stating that there have been studies to prove vaccines do not cause autism is neither here nor there. Any study can find statistics to make it's point (and this can also go the other way, stating that autism is caused by vaccines).

The truth is, there isn't a study that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that vaccinations cause autism, just as there isn't one that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that it doesn't. Therefore parents have every right to be worried about giving the ok for vaccinations, especially the MMR which is the one mentioned most often as a cause of autistic children.

As a Mother to one autistic child, you can be assured I am seriously debating MMR and what path I want to take with my infant daughter.

(excuse any typo's it's late and I'm typing in a rush, I saw the Halloween blog too, he's growing so fast and is so handsome, I'm so glad you had a wonderful time!)