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Hey everyone. Posted this in another thread as a comment in a ridiculous discussion, but though it deserved it's own thread. Right before I was scheduled to deploy (about a week and a half ago), I got the swine flu. After I recovered, I got the vaccine (as did the rest of my group of follow-on soldiers), and now we're on our way. Thought I'd share my experiences with both H1N1, and the vaccine. As well as address some of the anti-vaccine sentiments and concerns I've heard.
With H1N1, I got taken to the ER by a concerned buddy after I had trouble walking and couldn't carry my gear (that's where I was diagnosed), had a 102-degree fever for three days, was confused and disoriented, had auditory and visual hallucinations from the high fever, lost 10-ish pounds due to two days of vomiting and five days of terrible diarrhea. My doctor said I was lucky that I was in such good shape or it could have been a lot worse for me. I was scared for a couple days after most of the symptoms wore off because I still had a strong mental fog and was worried I had gotten brain damage from the prolonged, high fever. Yeah, you can actually get BRAIN DAMAGE from fevers like that. I was on medication most of the time as well, and still think I got hit pretty bad. In the end, I know it was only through the grace of God that I got through it OK.
What would have happened if God hadn't intervened, I hadn't been put on strong meds after the ER trip, hadn't gotten two rounds of the flu vaccine earlier (which is supposed to help), hadn't been in good physical shape, or if I had had some kind of pre-existing condition? Yeah, I think I could have easily been toast like the one-THOUSAND nine-hundred and eleven other people who've died so far, as reported by the CDC.
After I recovered, the Army made me get the H1N1 vaccine as well, before I could deploy. Go go gadget Army thinking. With the shot, I just got a prick in the arm, and no other symptoms. I got the military one, which I think might have been a weakened virus vaccine, because everyone else in my group (four others) got a mild flu that lasted for a day or two.
So, you pick. Possibility of a mild flu for a day or two (if you get a vaccine like the Army one), or possible BRAIN DAMAGE and DEATH.
As far as the mercury and nerve-disease stuff goes, that's nonsense. There have been no Guillain-Barre cases documented from all the people who've been vaccinated so far. Neither in the Army, nor in the general public. As for the mercury, the vaccines that we were given contain 25 micrograms of thiomeral, a mercury compound, not elemental mercury. Big difference. Even if it were elemental mercury, you consume more than that when you eat a tuna-fish sandwich. For real, check it out.
C'mon people. If you are one of those people who base life and death decisions for you and your children off of YouTube videos rather than off doctors and scientists who spent their whole lives being educated and who take the vaccines themselves, then you've got issues.
May God bring more common sense to us, and protect our children and our loved ones from our poor decisions.
- Topher
With H1N1, I got taken to the ER by a concerned buddy after I had trouble walking and couldn't carry my gear (that's where I was diagnosed), had a 102-degree fever for three days, was confused and disoriented, had auditory and visual hallucinations from the high fever, lost 10-ish pounds due to two days of vomiting and five days of terrible diarrhea. My doctor said I was lucky that I was in such good shape or it could have been a lot worse for me. I was scared for a couple days after most of the symptoms wore off because I still had a strong mental fog and was worried I had gotten brain damage from the prolonged, high fever. Yeah, you can actually get BRAIN DAMAGE from fevers like that. I was on medication most of the time as well, and still think I got hit pretty bad. In the end, I know it was only through the grace of God that I got through it OK.
What would have happened if God hadn't intervened, I hadn't been put on strong meds after the ER trip, hadn't gotten two rounds of the flu vaccine earlier (which is supposed to help), hadn't been in good physical shape, or if I had had some kind of pre-existing condition? Yeah, I think I could have easily been toast like the one-THOUSAND nine-hundred and eleven other people who've died so far, as reported by the CDC.
After I recovered, the Army made me get the H1N1 vaccine as well, before I could deploy. Go go gadget Army thinking. With the shot, I just got a prick in the arm, and no other symptoms. I got the military one, which I think might have been a weakened virus vaccine, because everyone else in my group (four others) got a mild flu that lasted for a day or two.
So, you pick. Possibility of a mild flu for a day or two (if you get a vaccine like the Army one), or possible BRAIN DAMAGE and DEATH.
As far as the mercury and nerve-disease stuff goes, that's nonsense. There have been no Guillain-Barre cases documented from all the people who've been vaccinated so far. Neither in the Army, nor in the general public. As for the mercury, the vaccines that we were given contain 25 micrograms of thiomeral, a mercury compound, not elemental mercury. Big difference. Even if it were elemental mercury, you consume more than that when you eat a tuna-fish sandwich. For real, check it out.
C'mon people. If you are one of those people who base life and death decisions for you and your children off of YouTube videos rather than off doctors and scientists who spent their whole lives being educated and who take the vaccines themselves, then you've got issues.
May God bring more common sense to us, and protect our children and our loved ones from our poor decisions.
- Topher
