I've found some statistics online about parents who choose to not vaccinate their children and the effects that it has. Imagine your child with CF contracting these disease due to a child in their daycare, class, the mall, any public place thats parents decided to not vaccinate them.
"We are seeing in some states an increasing proportion of families who are choosing to delay or not immunize their children, and unfortunately, when this happens, we do see sporadic outbreaks of diseases like measles," says Neal Halsey, MD, a director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
-Webmd.com
Each year during flu season, at least one in every 20 people in the U.S. will come down with influenza or flu. Some years, that number can be as high as one in every five. For most of us, getting the flu means several days of feeling pretty miserable. Headaches, body aches, fever, chills, fatigue, and exhaustion are all part of the disease running its course. But then most people recover on their own.
-Webmd.com
But there are some people -- primarily young children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions -- that are at higher risk of seasonal flu-related complications. Annually, influenza-related illnesses are responsible for the hospitalization of 200,000 people and the death of 36,000 people.
-Webmd.com
((Lets read the above section again, and if your are a CF caregiver or patient, read it over REALLY WELL!))
The flu is caused by influenza viruses that are highly contagious. Fortunately there are ways to protect yourself against seasonal flu, and the primary way to prevent it is to get an annual vaccination.
Here a link to the CDC's website of reccomended vaccines, and times in your child's life when they should be administered.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/child/2009/09_0-6yrs_schedule_pr.pdf
Hope this information helps CF caregivers and patients together to understand the importance of seasonal flu vaccines, and general CDC reccomended vaccines for children and adolescence.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Lovely November...The Even More Lovely SWINE FLU
HELLO FALL!
I can't believe it's already November! It's almost the holidays and I pray for a healthy holiday season for Carson. It's tough this year not only having to worry about the "regular" seasonal flu, but then we have the media shoving the swine flu facts down our throats! They make it a scare us, and demand that all get this new vaccine toe CDC has been working so "diligently" on. The swine flu versus the seasonal flu tends to effect the young population which is extremely scary for children, and especially children with Cystic fibrosis. Here's the facts:
- H1N1 swine flu has turned flu death statistics upside down, the CDC today confirmed. (October 29th,2009)
In a normal flu season, 90% of deaths are in elderly people. Since September, 90% of deaths have been in people under age 65 -- with almost a quarter of the deaths in young people under age 25.
"It is almost completely reversed. Nearly 90% of our fatalities are occurring in people under 65," CDC respiratory disease chief Anne Schuchat, MD, said at a news conference. "This illustrates this H1N1 virus is disproportionally affecting the young."
As might be expected from the death toll, most people hospitalized with severe H1N1 swine flu are young. Surveillance data from 27 states show that more than half of swine flu hospitalizations -- 53% -- are in people under age 25. Only 7% of people hospitalized with swine flu are elderly.
The H1N1 is respiratory flu, and with regards to vaccines, i've been hearing many stories from different parents in different situations.Hopefully these facts puts some perspective on the situation. Persoanlly I think parents of children battling CF need and could actually benifit from the seasonal flu, and the H1N1 vaccine! It should definitly be considered by ALL parents! Point being parents of CF children should consider not only H1N1, and the seasonal flu vaccine but all vaccines that doctors highly reccomend each year for children with impaired health. It's your childs health for god sakes! Vaccines should not be taken lightly, and with the media portraying all these rare one in a million side effects to the H1N1 its normal for parents to feel afraid, but we need to put our CF childrens health above that. Take what the media says with a grain of salt. God Bless
I can't believe it's already November! It's almost the holidays and I pray for a healthy holiday season for Carson. It's tough this year not only having to worry about the "regular" seasonal flu, but then we have the media shoving the swine flu facts down our throats! They make it a scare us, and demand that all get this new vaccine toe CDC has been working so "diligently" on. The swine flu versus the seasonal flu tends to effect the young population which is extremely scary for children, and especially children with Cystic fibrosis. Here's the facts:
- H1N1 swine flu has turned flu death statistics upside down, the CDC today confirmed. (October 29th,2009)
In a normal flu season, 90% of deaths are in elderly people. Since September, 90% of deaths have been in people under age 65 -- with almost a quarter of the deaths in young people under age 25.
"It is almost completely reversed. Nearly 90% of our fatalities are occurring in people under 65," CDC respiratory disease chief Anne Schuchat, MD, said at a news conference. "This illustrates this H1N1 virus is disproportionally affecting the young."
As might be expected from the death toll, most people hospitalized with severe H1N1 swine flu are young. Surveillance data from 27 states show that more than half of swine flu hospitalizations -- 53% -- are in people under age 25. Only 7% of people hospitalized with swine flu are elderly.
The H1N1 is respiratory flu, and with regards to vaccines, i've been hearing many stories from different parents in different situations.Hopefully these facts puts some perspective on the situation. Persoanlly I think parents of children battling CF need and could actually benifit from the seasonal flu, and the H1N1 vaccine! It should definitly be considered by ALL parents! Point being parents of CF children should consider not only H1N1, and the seasonal flu vaccine but all vaccines that doctors highly reccomend each year for children with impaired health. It's your childs health for god sakes! Vaccines should not be taken lightly, and with the media portraying all these rare one in a million side effects to the H1N1 its normal for parents to feel afraid, but we need to put our CF childrens health above that. Take what the media says with a grain of salt. God Bless
Saturday, October 31, 2009
HALLOWEEN, SECOND ENTRY, NAPTIME!
Hello again!
I thought I would take this time to start writing since it is nap time for us, and things are quieter around here now! Today is Halloween, and I am so excited to take my 'Buzz Lightyear' Trick-Or-Treating for his very first time. Reason being I am so excited is unfortunately Halloween 2008 our Carson at only 2 months was hospitalized due to a lung exacerbation as a result of CF. Point being,and listen closely...WE MADE IT THROUGH THAT TWO WEEK STAY ALIVE AND BACK TO HEALTH, AND NOW WERE HERE ON HALLOWEEN 2009 AND TAKING CARSON TRICK-OR-TREATING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO US.
Earlier this morning Carson and I went to Wal-Mart last minute to pick up his coustume. On several seperate occasions we encountered three seperate...people? We met Raggidy Anne, a cat, and even a reindeer.Got it? Walmarts employees? Carson seemed pretty dumbfounded as to what was going on, but it was somewhat amsuing to him as much as them. I think what gets me the most as a mother battling(a term will refer to over and over again, because that is what CF is...One BIG battle) CF is, it's as
if I almost feel something eating at me from inside as these people are admiring my "ideal, to perfection...from the outside" child!
That reindeer,cat, even Raggidy Anne they can't see what my childs body is going through on the inside! He's fighting people can't you see! I feel as though my emotions, my heart are all fighting within my own mind.I always become madened as my mind goes in circle after circle! Do these people know what I am going through? Do they understand what I feel like? Am I showing it on my face?
It's almost a feeling of jealousy I can say for myself. Why my child? How can things like this happen to an innocent life? How can their be a God? These are all questions that you will contemplate over and over again, especially during your infants first year of life. You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it!
That is what I believe is the basis, and the starting point to dealing with CF. It's a battle that you can never fully understand, but must grip. One that must never be surrendered to, or forfeited. As a mother, father, grandparent, this will be the hardest battle you will ever fight, but it's one thats worth fighting for, every last damn mintue of it! Got it? Ending with a bam! God bless.
I thought I would take this time to start writing since it is nap time for us, and things are quieter around here now! Today is Halloween, and I am so excited to take my 'Buzz Lightyear' Trick-Or-Treating for his very first time. Reason being I am so excited is unfortunately Halloween 2008 our Carson at only 2 months was hospitalized due to a lung exacerbation as a result of CF. Point being,and listen closely...WE MADE IT THROUGH THAT TWO WEEK STAY ALIVE AND BACK TO HEALTH, AND NOW WERE HERE ON HALLOWEEN 2009 AND TAKING CARSON TRICK-OR-TREATING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO US.
Earlier this morning Carson and I went to Wal-Mart last minute to pick up his coustume. On several seperate occasions we encountered three seperate...people? We met Raggidy Anne, a cat, and even a reindeer.Got it? Walmarts employees? Carson seemed pretty dumbfounded as to what was going on, but it was somewhat amsuing to him as much as them. I think what gets me the most as a mother battling(a term will refer to over and over again, because that is what CF is...One BIG battle) CF is, it's as
if I almost feel something eating at me from inside as these people are admiring my "ideal, to perfection...from the outside" child!
That reindeer,cat, even Raggidy Anne they can't see what my childs body is going through on the inside! He's fighting people can't you see! I feel as though my emotions, my heart are all fighting within my own mind.I always become madened as my mind goes in circle after circle! Do these people know what I am going through? Do they understand what I feel like? Am I showing it on my face?
It's almost a feeling of jealousy I can say for myself. Why my child? How can things like this happen to an innocent life? How can their be a God? These are all questions that you will contemplate over and over again, especially during your infants first year of life. You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it!
That is what I believe is the basis, and the starting point to dealing with CF. It's a battle that you can never fully understand, but must grip. One that must never be surrendered to, or forfeited. As a mother, father, grandparent, this will be the hardest battle you will ever fight, but it's one thats worth fighting for, every last damn mintue of it! Got it? Ending with a bam! God bless.
Friday, October 30, 2009
YOU WERE GIVEN THIS LIFE BECAUSE YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO LIVE IT
HELLO EVERYONE! HAPPY EARLY HALLOWEEN!
My name is Angella Falato, and today is my first day on blog spot. (I may refer to myself as Mommy:)) I will mainly use this site to blog about my son Carson Thomas, who at 8 weeks(Now such a BIG BOY at 14 months) was diagnosed with a genetic disease called (CF) Cystic Fibrosis. It's a disease that affects around 30,000 people in the United States, and also sadly is a term that most americans know nothing about.
Before I get into CF (Cystic fibrosis) and it's termonology, here is an introduction to our small, but complete family. Me, ANGELLA, CF MOM, Jordan (CF DADDY) and Carson (CF ANGEL)!Got it? We were blessed to welcome Carson into our family on August 12th, 2008 at Mercy Hospital in Janesville WI! Daddy is from Wisconsin, and Mommy is from Illinois! We were in Janesville visiting family, and setting up our new apartment when Carson decided to arrive early at 37 weeks, forcing us to deliver in WI! What are the odds?
Back to things that matter! Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract.Thus INCREASING lung infections, and DECREASING absoprtion of food.It is one of the most common type of chronic lung disease in children and young adults, and may result in early death.
Because there are more than 1,000 mutations of the CF(Cystic Fibrosis) gene, symptoms differ from person to person.(some are Carson's symptoms, and some are not)! Got it? But in general they include:
Belly pain from severe contipation
Coughing or increased mucus in the sinuses or lungs
Delayed growth
Fatigue
Infants may have salty-tasting skin
No bowel movements in first 24 to 48 hours of life
Stools that are pale or clay colored, foul smelling, or that float
Recurrent respiratory infections such as pneumonia or sinusitis
Weight loss, or failure to gain weight normally in childhood
When Carson was first born (for all you new CF families) everything seemed pretty normal, except the occasional projecticle vomiting! It wasnt until around 2 weeks, when we got the results that Carson had abnormal infant results ( the heel prick they give infants when first born) Iwent to meet with his pediatrician at the time, Dr. Storlie, She sent us to The American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin to have what is known as a sweat test. Children with Cystic Fibrosis often have abnormal amounts of sodium chloride(salt) in their sweat! Carson's numbers came back at 109 (very abnormal) and that was what I call "the first day of the rest of our lives."
It was such a shock to us all! I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHAT CYSTIC FIBROSIS WAS BEFORE MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED! Dad has the Delta F508 mutation. My mutation is VERY rare, and still cannot be determined(hopefully in the near future more tests can be ran to find the undetermined mutation, as this may open new doors to Carson's doctors in understand his case better).
The care Carson requires is a lot of work but most definitley managable.These routine medications, and therapys are well known and utilized throughout the CF community. Carson requires a much needed dose of salt (which can be put in a glass of milk in the morning to go unnoticed)this is due to his lack of salt transfer between his cells. He gets 1 ml of ABDEK vitamins daily (because his body cannot properly absorb essential nutriets) Carson takes 1 vial inhaled Pulmozyme medication once daily to help thin the mucus in his lung, thus hopefully decreasing lung infections which in turn increases lung function, Thats a plus. In addition Carson inhales 1 vial of Albuterol every 4-6 hours as needed.Thats it for medications!
Now on to some of the therapy used to manage CF. Chest Physio Therapy,aka CPT, aka Airway Clearance Techniques! Phew...Chest Physio Therapy helps break the mucus down in his lungs by "percussion"(cupping and pounding of the hands in sections on the chest cavity, and lung lobes) making it easy to cough out. This helps so in turn bacteria cannot grow in the usually thick and ideal mucus.(Which it really wants to!) and last but most importantly Carson takes 3 Pancrecarb enzyme capsules (in apple sauve) per meal, per snack, per fatty anything!
We as a newely diagnosed family were thrown into such a whirlwind of information, facts, treatment, statistics! If there is one thing I can tell a new parent to a child with Cystic Fibrosis is to LEARN ALL YOU CAN ABOUT THE DISEASE, there is nothing to be ashamed of, other than not being able to properly or effectively take care of your child with this disease.Do'not let your child be a statistic, let your child thrive. Do the treatments, visit the doctors, take precautions BUT LIVE YOUR LIFE! Put this disease first BUT DO NOT LET IT LEAD OR DEFINE YOUR LIFE.Got it?
Enough for today! Thank you to all our family grammy, papa, nana, uncles, aunties, cousins, BOSS everyone who has stood behind us in our battle to keep our little Carson healthy! God Bless.
My name is Angella Falato, and today is my first day on blog spot. (I may refer to myself as Mommy:)) I will mainly use this site to blog about my son Carson Thomas, who at 8 weeks(Now such a BIG BOY at 14 months) was diagnosed with a genetic disease called (CF) Cystic Fibrosis. It's a disease that affects around 30,000 people in the United States, and also sadly is a term that most americans know nothing about.
Before I get into CF (Cystic fibrosis) and it's termonology, here is an introduction to our small, but complete family. Me, ANGELLA, CF MOM, Jordan (CF DADDY) and Carson (CF ANGEL)!Got it? We were blessed to welcome Carson into our family on August 12th, 2008 at Mercy Hospital in Janesville WI! Daddy is from Wisconsin, and Mommy is from Illinois! We were in Janesville visiting family, and setting up our new apartment when Carson decided to arrive early at 37 weeks, forcing us to deliver in WI! What are the odds?
Back to things that matter! Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract.Thus INCREASING lung infections, and DECREASING absoprtion of food.It is one of the most common type of chronic lung disease in children and young adults, and may result in early death.
Because there are more than 1,000 mutations of the CF(Cystic Fibrosis) gene, symptoms differ from person to person.(some are Carson's symptoms, and some are not)! Got it? But in general they include:
Belly pain from severe contipation
Coughing or increased mucus in the sinuses or lungs
Delayed growth
Fatigue
Infants may have salty-tasting skin
No bowel movements in first 24 to 48 hours of life
Stools that are pale or clay colored, foul smelling, or that float
Recurrent respiratory infections such as pneumonia or sinusitis
Weight loss, or failure to gain weight normally in childhood
When Carson was first born (for all you new CF families) everything seemed pretty normal, except the occasional projecticle vomiting! It wasnt until around 2 weeks, when we got the results that Carson had abnormal infant results ( the heel prick they give infants when first born) Iwent to meet with his pediatrician at the time, Dr. Storlie, She sent us to The American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin to have what is known as a sweat test. Children with Cystic Fibrosis often have abnormal amounts of sodium chloride(salt) in their sweat! Carson's numbers came back at 109 (very abnormal) and that was what I call "the first day of the rest of our lives."
It was such a shock to us all! I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHAT CYSTIC FIBROSIS WAS BEFORE MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED! Dad has the Delta F508 mutation. My mutation is VERY rare, and still cannot be determined(hopefully in the near future more tests can be ran to find the undetermined mutation, as this may open new doors to Carson's doctors in understand his case better).
The care Carson requires is a lot of work but most definitley managable.These routine medications, and therapys are well known and utilized throughout the CF community. Carson requires a much needed dose of salt (which can be put in a glass of milk in the morning to go unnoticed)this is due to his lack of salt transfer between his cells. He gets 1 ml of ABDEK vitamins daily (because his body cannot properly absorb essential nutriets) Carson takes 1 vial inhaled Pulmozyme medication once daily to help thin the mucus in his lung, thus hopefully decreasing lung infections which in turn increases lung function, Thats a plus. In addition Carson inhales 1 vial of Albuterol every 4-6 hours as needed.Thats it for medications!
Now on to some of the therapy used to manage CF. Chest Physio Therapy,aka CPT, aka Airway Clearance Techniques! Phew...Chest Physio Therapy helps break the mucus down in his lungs by "percussion"(cupping and pounding of the hands in sections on the chest cavity, and lung lobes) making it easy to cough out. This helps so in turn bacteria cannot grow in the usually thick and ideal mucus.(Which it really wants to!) and last but most importantly Carson takes 3 Pancrecarb enzyme capsules (in apple sauve) per meal, per snack, per fatty anything!
We as a newely diagnosed family were thrown into such a whirlwind of information, facts, treatment, statistics! If there is one thing I can tell a new parent to a child with Cystic Fibrosis is to LEARN ALL YOU CAN ABOUT THE DISEASE, there is nothing to be ashamed of, other than not being able to properly or effectively take care of your child with this disease.Do'not let your child be a statistic, let your child thrive. Do the treatments, visit the doctors, take precautions BUT LIVE YOUR LIFE! Put this disease first BUT DO NOT LET IT LEAD OR DEFINE YOUR LIFE.Got it?
Enough for today! Thank you to all our family grammy, papa, nana, uncles, aunties, cousins, BOSS everyone who has stood behind us in our battle to keep our little Carson healthy! God Bless.
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