immunizations

   
                                                                Immunizations

  In the 1940s and early 1950s, the most dreaded and feared illness was polio. There was no known cause, no known cure. Mild cases left mild effects, worst ones left patients living in iron lungs for the rest of their lives or never walking again. Children were kept out of crowds and were not allowed to swim during the 'dog days' of August, which was two precautions parents took. They didn't really have any effect but at least they felt they were doing 'something'. When a child complained of a headache or stiff neck, the parents panicked as that was usually the first symptoms. 

         The Salk vaccine was released to the public in 1955, which was a major development in the medical field and parents felt Dr. Salk was a savior of their children. Now it is routine to immunize babies against this in addition to whooping cough, measles, tetanus, etc., which parents take for granted.   What the public doesn't know is about some of the tests before it was released for public use.

       In early September of 1952, a number of counties in the country were chosen as target test areas. Franklin county, Illinois was one of them.  Essentially, they wanted to see how many children it would kill or maim before they would release it. I was one of those children, in addition to every grade school age child in the county.  Children in Coello, Mulkeytown, Buckner and Christopher were run through like cattle in Christopher grade school cafeteria. Long tables were manned by nurses with syringes loaded with all the vaccines available at the time. Smallpox vaccination is the only one I remember besides the Salk vaccine.  

     No one objected, balked, cried or questioned. We simply accepted that these ladies in the white dresses knew best. Some of us, including me, had never had a shot, took an antibiotic or saw a doctor on a regular basis.  

      I remembered it happening but didn't know the rest of the story until I happened to see it on The History Channel.  The kicker? Our parents were not asked to give permission and didn't even know it was planned until it was over and done. (My mother verified this.) Probably our parents would have been thrilled that something could prevent crippling or killing their children, gladly giving permission had they been asked.  

      Out of all the test groups, 8 children died from the vaccine, which they considered to be successful, paving the way for the elimination of this disease.

     Suppose someone came up with a vaccine for cancer. Would you want your child to receive it? Without your permission or knowledge? Would you be willing to take it? 

      Salk vaccine tests ended with a positive outcome, benefitting all people everywhere, but imagine for a minute it had killed or maimed the majority of the children. Parents today might still be dreading polio and it's effects and hoping for a cure instead of routinely being inoculated.  As for me, I am glad he dared to try and happy he succeeded.  What about you?
       
      
       
      

Divorce

      A  recent comment on Facebook seemed to call for a new post.  Pat Robertson made the comment that divorce was an option for a person whose mate had Alzheimers which the writer and following comments were very much against this and one seemed to say divorce was never an option. If I am mistaken, I apologize. As a twice divorced woman, I see things from a very different position.  I gave up on my first marriage after 32 years of trying to do my part to make it work and have the battle scars to prove it.  The second ended when I discovered he was a child molester.  Circumstances have to be taken into account, which we never have all of them unless it is happening to us.

       Having a mate with this terrible condition is a different case and caring for one has to be a formidable burden in addition to technically being alone.  People of all ages need companionship, comfort, and affection; hugs, kisses and just having someone to talk to who understands, to have dinner with, see a movie or enjoy the give and take of everyday life.  Even though the mate is lost in the jungle of their own mind, or lack of, the spouse still needs these things.  So is it wrong to spend time with another lonely person dealing with the same thing or left due to the death of their life-mate?  Does it take anything away from the one no longer living in this world with only the body left which is incapable of giving anything? If so, what? Does anything get through the fog of alzheimers? If not, should one martyr themselves, believing that suffering alone will earn them stars in their crown?  I can't answer these questions as, thank God, I have never stood in those shoes and pray I never will.

       In Genesis, God said it wasn't good for man to be alone. Life was meant to be shared with another person, regardless of whether they are free to marry or not.  We were created in His image and the need for human interaction is bred into us at birth. And that includes the ones who have much to give and no one able to accept any longer.  Compassion for all is the key that unlocks the door of understanding, letting us have a view of another's world and pain, and possibly being able to help in some way without judgement or condemnation.

       If one divorced an alzheimer patient in order to marry, I wouldn't be so quick to condemn as the brain, the very essence, of the mate is gone, leaving a grieving mate looking forward to possibly years alone. Try to see it from the view of the man/woman who sees the one they loved moving farther and farther away from them, incapable of any feeling or caring.

          So give your husband/wife a kiss and hug and thank God they are with you in mind, body and spirit, able to laugh, fight, solve problems and play with you and pray that they never leave you in such a cruel way.

                                Peace, Joy and Blessing to all

         

                                   

Rachel

muddin'

         Rachel is my grand-daughter, my oldest grand-child and today is her 23rd birthday.  Before she came into my life I had always wanted  a little girl I could dress in frills and lace, dreaming of the things I could make for her. Guess what! she never liked frills and lace, only wearing them if bribed or black-mailed.

        Children learn very early how to get what they want from Grand-parents, which isn't hard.  I let her do things my children never did. Like eating powered sugar out of the bag, licking the icing out of oreos and, among other things, watching videos all day.....the Wizard of Oz three times in one day....Hey! She wanted to so I let her!  Of course, I had to watch it with her.  She also liked me to play (badly) the keyboard with her at my elbow.  One of the demo songs she would have me play, 'Grandfathers clock', repeatedly. She had me write down the words so she could sing it to Mom. (she couldn't read yet!)

Rachel and Uncle Jason

          At one time my husband and I had racing pigeons which required training flights, driving as far as Farmington, Mo, turning them loose and driving back home. Rachel and I did this most of time so to entertain her, after the powdered donuts and juice was gone, I told her Bible stories in my own words.  At one point she was convinced that satan lived in the water tower as it was painted HOME OF THE RED DEVILS.  Hard to tell how a kid will interpret things.

Gavin, Rachel, and Hannah

        I tried to add some pictures of Rachel as a child and were denied. Hannah her cousin, gives a fair picture of how she looked at that age.                              

She wasn't always this sweet little thing, for instance ..... Laying in the bathroom floor, sick with the flu, wailing "I want Mama."  After assuring her I would do what I could my final words were, "Sorry, little girl, you are stuck with me."  A few days later her 2 year old brother told another of my sobbing charges, with a shrug of his shoulders, "you're stuck with her."
           She has tried to talk me into going with her to a concert which I considered too loud, didn't like climbing bleachers, etc.  Well! She has been harassing me since I went to a Josh Turner concert and had a great time, screaming and yelling with like a teen ager!  So I am taking this public forum to apologize and promising to go with her to one..........................if she gets the tickets.
          The time allotted to us on this earth is passing rapidly and cannot be regained so enjoy and make the most of it.
            HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY GIRL, I LOVE YOU

rednecks and country music

       Until this week-end, I thought rednecks were found only below the Mason-Jefferson county line.  Not true, which proves even senior citizens don't know everything.

      A friend, Lowanda, invited me to travel north with her to her 'home town' to  meet her friends and enjoy some good ol' country music.  That wasn't a surprise as the old sounds are popular all over the country.  However, the rest of the time spent in East Peoria was not what I expected.

     Friday night we attended a jam session.....in a garage that was part music studio and part storage area.  Seating was odd chairs, stools and a couple of couches plus a couple of tables with food and a frig filled with drinks.  Everything that was needed for an evening of dining and dancing. Of course, dancing took place in the driveway under the basketball hoop between the sagging swing and unsteady picnic table.

      The musicians ranged from aging seniors to a young teen-ager, including my red headed friend who, in time passed, had played and sang professionally with some of the musicians  I met that night. So far, things seemed fairly normal.

      Saturday night we visited 'The Center Tap' which is where I saw some sights that, had I not known better, would have guessed I was in the 'Iron Horse' (better know as 'the Ghetto') on Saturday night with the same assortment of odd patrons. One old guy, wearing a poncho with wolf designs printed on it, was stumbling around trying to give away pizza that looked like singed cardboard,  girls in tight tank tops paired with shorts or  skirts 2 sizes too small, the barely legal young drinkers proving how tough they could be and one passed out with his head resting on the table while the music assaulted your ear drums.  More men with pony tails, head bands and missing teeth were there than I had seen in a long while....Maybe they just like to hang around together or fight each other which could account for the teeth situation. After all, if you can't fight with your friends who else can you fight with. Kinda keeps it in the family.

      Next stop was the Eagles with two other friends, Eddie and Jack, playing chaperone to us, or us to them. The band played the old country music and most of the crowd was dancing and enjoying themselves.  It could have been anywhere in the country on a summer Saturday night.
         On Sunday a benefit was held for a seriously ill man with a mountain of  medical debts piling up and needing help. Some of the people there did not know this man nor care. All they knew was he needed help and that is all that mattered. Not if he deserved it, or would use it wisely.  That to me is part of showing Christian love.
       The same people who played friday night were in the group of musicians entertaining.  All matter of items were auctioned off to raise more funds and food was served. While in standing in line to get a soda, a tall, thin man leaning against the wall tried to start a conversation with me. Neither he nor I could hear as the music was so loud.  With an apologetic smile, I shrugged, got my soda and returned to my table.  Too bad, you say?  He was 95! 
       For some reason, I expected Peoria to be citified, maybe like Chicago, but found it much like Franklin county.  People are just as friendly, generous and      out-going as home folk.  Invitations were extended to me for anytime I cared to come to the big city with the small town smack dab in the middle of it. I would, only if I don't have to go to the Center Trap...excuse me that is Center Tap!