Comments on: We’re off to see the doctor! http://www.bethanyjensen.com/2008/04/29/were-off-to-see-the-doctor/ Or "Try, Try Again" Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:24:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bethany http://www.bethanyjensen.com/2008/04/29/were-off-to-see-the-doctor/comment-page-1/#comment-137 Bethany Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:07:32 +0000 http://www.bethanyjensen.com/?p=417#comment-137 Lars, I thought I might get a comment from you and I'm so pleased you did. :-) I'd like to clarify that I am not anti-vaccination (as demonstrated by my voluntary less-than-easy experience above), or even hesitant-to-vaccinate. I planned all along to vaccinate my kids, unless I found that it would somehow hurt them--which I didn't. I did speak with more than one doctor (my mother is not officially a doctor until the end of next month, for those of you who don't know me well) before making my decision to postpone giving my kids shots, which may count as "someone told me so," but I did get the hear-say from professionals. My kids are in an extra-low risk group, and when I consulted with my mom on the subject she said that if my kids were going to be in daycare or any other regular interaction with lots of other (possibly sick) people she'd recommend that I get their shots on schedule. I've therefore been careful to get their shots going before/when they enter their first group class at church. Mom said the same thing you just did about thimerosal, but suggested that I make sure that the shots used weren't "leftover" shots from the doctor's storage from when thimerosal was allowed, just in case. I didn't have to worry about that since all the doctors I've worked with are so busy that they have to order new supplies of shots often and the old meds are long gone. I don't think my doctor yesterday had a bad attitude--I think he was compassionately and correctly giving me his professional opinion. That's what he's paid to do, and I appreciated it. I just felt that he didn't know all the factors or the whole story about my family, and that he's obligated by training and legal liability to put us in the box with everyone else who should get their shots on schedule. I knew when I decided to do things differently that I'd have to deal with that and it didn't hurt my feelings nor make me think less of the doctor. I'm assume that even though you disagree with my decision to wait until my kids immune systems are developed to vaccinate them, you will agree with me that people need to take responsibility for being educated about and making decisions about their family's and their own health care. As far as I can tell, medical therapies and standards are generally based on what's best for the "lowest common denominator" group--on what's going to help and not hurt most patients in a given category. That's encouraging in a lot of ways and for a lot of reasons, but it also makes customization for individuals (especially those in unusual situations) very difficult. With the legal issues facing doctors if they recommend anything out of the norm, we have to each be responsible for discussing any options with our doctors, getting second opinions, and weighing the risks and benefits before agreeing to participate in therapies. I think your problem with the way most people deal with this is that they refuse to do the necessary research and don't (as Colin says) "ask the question all the way." We hear something in the grapevine and instead of getting a second (or third) opinion from a doctor and looking up the data behind whatever we've heard, we panic, villainize our doctors, and refuse to go any farther into verifying what we've heard. So, the moral of this comment to anyone who has heard about something that's made them refuse their doctor's advice or is worried about something their doctor has recommended is: be sure to "ask all the way." And sincere prayer about the subject goes a long way, too. :-) Lars, I thought I might get a comment from you and I’m so pleased you did. :-) I’d like to clarify that I am not anti-vaccination (as demonstrated by my voluntary less-than-easy experience above), or even hesitant-to-vaccinate. I planned all along to vaccinate my kids, unless I found that it would somehow hurt them–which I didn’t. I did speak with more than one doctor (my mother is not officially a doctor until the end of next month, for those of you who don’t know me well) before making my decision to postpone giving my kids shots, which may count as “someone told me so,” but I did get the hear-say from professionals. My kids are in an extra-low risk group, and when I consulted with my mom on the subject she said that if my kids were going to be in daycare or any other regular interaction with lots of other (possibly sick) people she’d recommend that I get their shots on schedule. I’ve therefore been careful to get their shots going before/when they enter their first group class at church. Mom said the same thing you just did about thimerosal, but suggested that I make sure that the shots used weren’t “leftover” shots from the doctor’s storage from when thimerosal was allowed, just in case. I didn’t have to worry about that since all the doctors I’ve worked with are so busy that they have to order new supplies of shots often and the old meds are long gone.

I don’t think my doctor yesterday had a bad attitude–I think he was compassionately and correctly giving me his professional opinion. That’s what he’s paid to do, and I appreciated it. I just felt that he didn’t know all the factors or the whole story about my family, and that he’s obligated by training and legal liability to put us in the box with everyone else who should get their shots on schedule. I knew when I decided to do things differently that I’d have to deal with that and it didn’t hurt my feelings nor make me think less of the doctor.

I’m assume that even though you disagree with my decision to wait until my kids immune systems are developed to vaccinate them, you will agree with me that people need to take responsibility for being educated about and making decisions about their family’s and their own health care. As far as I can tell, medical therapies and standards are generally based on what’s best for the “lowest common denominator” group–on what’s going to help and not hurt most patients in a given category. That’s encouraging in a lot of ways and for a lot of reasons, but it also makes customization for individuals (especially those in unusual situations) very difficult. With the legal issues facing doctors if they recommend anything out of the norm, we have to each be responsible for discussing any options with our doctors, getting second opinions, and weighing the risks and benefits before agreeing to participate in therapies. I think your problem with the way most people deal with this is that they refuse to do the necessary research and don’t (as Colin says) “ask the question all the way.” We hear something in the grapevine and instead of getting a second (or third) opinion from a doctor and looking up the data behind whatever we’ve heard, we panic, villainize our doctors, and refuse to go any farther into verifying what we’ve heard. So, the moral of this comment to anyone who has heard about something that’s made them refuse their doctor’s advice or is worried about something their doctor has recommended is: be sure to “ask all the way.” And sincere prayer about the subject goes a long way, too. :-)

]]> By: Larsitron http://www.bethanyjensen.com/2008/04/29/were-off-to-see-the-doctor/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Larsitron Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:43:07 +0000 http://www.bethanyjensen.com/?p=417#comment-136 I've written some pretty vitriolic posts about the anti-vaccination movement (or the hesitant-to-vaccinate movement, etc.) and I guess my whole problem with it is that every person I've encountered who is a proponent can't actually cite any evidence other than someone told them so. Whereas the medical community has hundreds of studies demonstrating not only the efficacy of vaccines, but also their safety. The "suspect" ingredient, thimerosal, was removed from vaccines and was still shown to be safe anyway. Now, Bethany, you know I love and respect your family. But other than his apparently bad attitude, the doc was on the money. Vaccinations are the best medical innovation in terms of lives and abilities saved. Moreover, unvaccinated children are a hazard to the community's health because one of the secondary effects of vaccines is herd immunity. That is, because everyone is immune the germ itself cannot survive and spread. But I know in the circle of moms you run with, your crew, you'll be able to know what the facts are and share accordingly. Love the blog though. Its great to hear what my friends were doing. I’ve written some pretty vitriolic posts about the anti-vaccination movement (or the hesitant-to-vaccinate movement, etc.) and I guess my whole problem with it is that every person I’ve encountered who is a proponent can’t actually cite any evidence other than someone told them so. Whereas the medical community has hundreds of studies demonstrating not only the efficacy of vaccines, but also their safety. The “suspect” ingredient, thimerosal, was removed from vaccines and was still shown to be safe anyway.

Now, Bethany, you know I love and respect your family. But other than his apparently bad attitude, the doc was on the money. Vaccinations are the best medical innovation in terms of lives and abilities saved. Moreover, unvaccinated children are a hazard to the community’s health because one of the secondary effects of vaccines is herd immunity. That is, because everyone is immune the germ itself cannot survive and spread.

But I know in the circle of moms you run with, your crew, you’ll be able to know what the facts are and share accordingly.

Love the blog though. Its great to hear what my friends were doing.

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