AUGUST 23,
2013 BY ADMIN LEAVE A
COMMENT
[SaneVax: Brittney
Fiste eloquently describes a single day in her
life after Gardasil. Despite her nearly six-year long battle to
conquer the negative side effects, Brittney and her mother, Roxie, have
dedicated their lives to warning others of the need to educate themselves
about the real risks versus the perceived benefits of using HPV vaccines as a
method to potentially avoid cervical cancer.]
ONE MORE DAY – A DAY IN MY LIFE
POST-GARDASIL
By Brittney Fiste (re-published
with authors’ permission)
POST-GARDASIL: A DAY IN MY LIFE
My head feels strange, like I might have a seizure today.. It
is difficult to explain, but Mom seems to understand what I mean. She tries
to get my breakfast made as quickly as possible. My legs are so unstable so
decide to sit in my favorite recliner – maybe watch one of the shows I
recorded while my food is being made.
The pain in my head, the pressure especially is worse right
now. Brain fog is preventing me from understanding what is going on in the
program.
Thankfully, Mom arrives with my scrambled eggs, gluten
free English muffin, grapes, mint tea. She knows my stomach is not the
greatest, but I am hungry! She sits with me for a few minutes while we
eat. We talk a little but my mind isn’t thinking so clearly. That weird
feeling in my head is worse. As Mom heads back upstairs with my tray I ask
her for some sparkling water for my stomach.
The blinding pain hit me like a white-hot knife cutting
through my head.. It was a searing series of jolts, like I was being
electrocuted multiple times. Mercifully, an inky blackness spreads over me
and everything goes dark.
Even though I’m pretty sure I’m still on the recliner I am
only vaguely aware of choking on the foam that has risen in my throat during
the seizure. I can feel Mom trying to wipe my mouth with a tissue. She lets
me tug it from her hand to clear my mouth better. It hurts incredibly to
move, but I need to get to bed. The pressure is worse in my head now.
The weird sensation is rising from my stomach into my head.
Have to tell Mom, but my vocal cords are frozen.. I’m blind as well from the
first seizure. Even my hearing is gone. All I can do is make motions with my
hands, but Mom understands enough to lower the recliner, ease me forward,
then slowly get me to my feet.
It’s a struggle to do any of it but will my body to stand. Oh,
how I wish my legs would cooperate! They are weak, trembly, and unsteady.
Can’t blame them, they have very little feeling left from mid thigh down. Mom
slides my arms around her shoulders, then leads me to my bed – Slowly, Mom,
legs are protesting, my mind tries to shout. After what seems like forever we
reach my bed. Mom helps guide my hands to the edge, helping me find the
blessed pillows. It’s so hard to lift my legs, but finally I’m safe on the
mattress, before another seizure hits.
I have no idea how long I’ve been lying in bed when my
consciousness returns. Without vision, hearing or speech it is impossible to
know anything safe for the new levels of pain that run from my head to my
upper thighs. Everything is achingly tender. I flinch when Mom gently strokes
my ear.
She pulls her hand away not knowing how to comfort me. While
attempting to sign to her I discover the Blood pressure cuff is still on my
arm – It hurts! Must have whimpered because Mom quickly got it off. I
sign again to the open air, hoping Mom will understand. She gives me her hand
so I can spell out short words.
She squeezes my hand once – Yes! She understands my request!
(We worked out a system to communicate when all of my other senses flee after
a seizure. Squeeze once for Yes, squeeze twice for No. And when my confusion
clears enough we spell into each others hand to ask or answer questions.)
After giving me a drink to clear my throat, Mom let’s me rest
– I truly need rest to recover. My body won’t cooperate, needing a trip to
the bathroom. After locating the wall by my bed, I begin to knock. I don’t
know how loud it is but Mom is quickly by my bed. She holds my hand to let me
know, but I flinch again from the pain. That hand is swollen a bit as well.
Mom waits for me to sign, which is easy this time. She gently guides me to
and from my destination. Helping me as best she can. Finally back in bed, she
signs into my left hand to rest. Wish my hearing would release – I need to
listen to my ocean CD. It is so relaxing..
After lying in my bed a few minutes, aching from the seizures,
my hearing suddenly returns. Silent Tears slide down my face unbidden, but I
can’t help it. Every time my senses begin to return, there is relief, joy,
thankfulness. Knocking on the wall again, Mom returns, but I can hear her softly
speaking, praying for me. When I respond she is also relieved that my hearing
returned. She immediately turns on my ocean waves CD. She whispers she loves
me, then allows me to drift fitfully to sleep.
Several hours later I awake, realizing immediately that my
vision is returning. It isn’t the greatest, but I have color and can
distinguish objects. My legs are a little less wobbly so I can get my own
water. Eventually I can get out of bed, go up to the kitchen to see my mom.
She is surprised that I’ve negotiated the steps on my own, giving me a smile
and a gentle hug. My body feels I have been in the fight of my life, tender,
aching, sore, but my head pressure is improved some. The weird sensation is
almost gone.
Mom notices one of my eyelids is drooping, but it’s hard to
miss. She just smiles, and then asks me if I’m hungry. Since my voice hasn’t
returned I sign in a little while. After I get a glass of mint tea, Mom helps
me back down to the family room.
My vision still isn’t the greatest but I can watch Duck
Dynasty! The show makes me laugh which I desperately need until supper.
My stomach isn’t doing the best right now. Ate something with
gluten a couple of days previous, so I’m paying for it. Mom has given me
several choices for supper, but nothing sounds good. My dad had just finished
eating, giving me a soft kiss in the forehead. He has to go to a meeting at
church, so he can’t linger but a few minutes. How I miss our dates we had
while growing up! It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to have dinner
and a movie night. I smile at my dad, trying not to let him see my pain. The
vaccine injury has been very hard on both my parents. Not an easy thing to
live with, but this is my life now.
Mom finally makes me quinoa with chicken and organic veggies –
it tastes good so digesting will be easy, I hope. After watching a movie with
mom I decide to take a shower. Couldn’t get my IV today, but I’m very
determined to go tomorrow! Mom isn’t crazy about the Idea, but lets me know
she will be close by. I am thankful that I can do this much finally, but
knowing she’s close if I need help is reassuring. After my second dose of
Gardasil Mom had to bathe me, feed me; help me in and out of my wheelchair.
Six years later I’m doing some things on my own again!
During my shower I begin to overheat. Reducing the water
temperature isn’t helping. My head and stomach are way too hot now, so I
quickly shut off the water, open the door while trying to call for mom. Even
with the door wide open, my towel is too hot as well. As the waves of nausea
strike, I grab my trash can. Mom arrives as I lose my super.
My body really seems to hate me, though my voice has
unexpectedly returned! At least something positive has just happened!
Wobbly legs and trembling arms prevent me from drying off quickly. With Mom’s
help though, I’m partly dressed by the time I hit my bed. My face is on fire
from the flaming nerve endings that bloom on my body randomly. The nausea is
pretty bad, but mom fans me best she can. Finally, after what seems an
eternity, the flame in my face and stomach fades. I’m still trembling from
the exertion but at least I’m not tossing my cookies.
Mom gets me something for my stomach, Bromalain – best thing
I’ve ever tried for nausea! It settles my stomach to the point I can finish
getting ready for bed. Thank you, Lord, for getting me through one more
day. Tonight, hopefully I will sleep. Tomorrow will be a better day…
Brittney and Roxie Fiste
(Hormones MatterTM is
conducting research on the side effects and adverse events associated with
Gardasil and its counterpart Cervarix. If you or your daughter has had either
HPV vaccine, please take this important survey. The link to the survey is at
the end of Brittney’s article.)
Other side of the story: Members of a support group for people injured by cervical cancer vaccines face reporters Friday in Tokyo after they filed a request for the government to end subsidies for the injections. | KYODO
KYODO AUG 24, 2013 ARTICLE HISTORY
Teenagers injured or disabled by
cervical cancer vaccines are stepping up efforts to permanently end the
government’s subsidy program for injections of Cervarix and Gardasil.
On Friday, eight teens, accompanied by their parents, called out
health minister Norihisa Tamura over the issue. The schoolgirls, aged from 14
to 18 — including four in wheelchairs — and their parents are members of the
Nationwide Liaison Association of Cervical Cancer Vaccine Victims and Parents.
Tamura was handed five petitions in a meeting with the group at
the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, association chief Mika Matsufuji said
afterward. The request to abolish the vaccination program topped the list.
The other petitions included one asking for stronger government
efforts to identify the cause of the side effects and to find therapeutic
remedies. The side effects range from convulsions and seizures to severe
headaches and even partial paralysis.
In April, the Diet revised the Preventive Vaccination Law so
that girls aged 14 to 18 could get the cervical vaccine shots for free.
But an advisory panel to the health ministry later urged that
the government stop recommending vaccinations for cervical cancer after
concluding the reported symptoms were likely being caused by the vaccines.
The ministry reportedly complied on June 15 by telling local
governments to stop recommending that girls 12 to 16 get vaccinated with
Cervarix or Gardasil in light of reports about chronically adverse reactions.
The local governments, acting on behalf of the central government, had been
telling teens to get the shots.
At Friday’s meeting with Tamura, the schoolgirls, parents and
the association asked the government to revise the vaccination law again to
officially remove cervical cancer vaccines from the list of those subsidized by
the central government.
“There is not a single moment when I am not suffering pain, and
I want the government to find a remedy,” said a 17-year-old high school senior
from Yokohama.
“I do not want the government to resume recommending this
vaccine.”
The girl said she started getting severe pains throughout her
body, including her head, after receiving her third Cervarix injection in April
2011. The process requires three injections in six months.
A 16-year-old in a wheelchair whose hands and legs were
convulsing during the meeting with Tamura and at the news conference, said she
can’t possibly be alone.
“There must be numerous girls who are suffering symptoms similar
to mine without knowing their conditions stem from the vaccines.
“I took this action (going to the press) because I want those
girls to become aware of the link” between the vaccines and their disorders,
she said.
Toshie Ikeda, a member of the Hino Municipal Assembly who has
been secretary-general of the association and attended Friday’s meeting with
Tamura, quoted him as saying: “I am aware of the necessity to create a team to
study this problem and gather information on the actual state of damage that
has been inflicted nationwide.”
Matsufuji, whose daughter is among the four in wheelchairs,
quoted the minister as telling the petitioners that the decision will be made
after the government completes its investigation.
According to Dr. Sotaro Sato, who has examined many cervical
vaccine victims, the convulsions, inability to walk, and involuntary hand and
toe movements are being caused by encephalomyelitis, or the inflammation of the
brain and spinal cord.
“Cervical cancer vaccines, which are chemically bound to special
types of adjuvants, often trigger encephalomyelitis,” he said.
“Since the vaccines cause autoantibodies against the brain’s
neuronal fibers to be produced in many cases, they have triggered demyelinating
disorders,” he said, adding they have also induced many cases of cerebral
vasculitis.
Cerebral vasculitis causes the body’s immune system to attack
blood vessels in the brain, often leading to hemorrhaging, said Sato, who runs
a hospital in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture.
The marketing of Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKlein PLC of
Britain, was approved in 2009. This was followed by Gardasil, made by Merck
Sharp & Dohme (better known as Merck & Co. in the U.S.), in 2011.
The ministry says that it has received a total of 1,968 reports
of adverse reactions and that 3.28 million girls had been vaccinated as of
March 31. The association says that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Ikeda said doctors often reject pleas from their patients’
parents to file reports about adverse reactions, which are needed to obtain
compensation from the government.
This is either because they are afraid of being held responsible
for the shots or because they are ignorant the vaccines can produce side
effects, he said.
 |
Saturday, August 24, 2013
ONE DAY IN MY LIFE AFTER GARDASIL: ONE MORE DAY – A DAY IN MY LIFE POST-GARDASIL
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