To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate, That Is The Question....
Well, we did it. Last week I took Girly in for her next Hep A shot and they also gave her the first of the three Gardisil vaccines. I still have some reservations about doing this. Husband was for it, and didn't think it was a big deal, but I am only about 80%-90% comfortable with it.
Not because I'm some sort of prude and think this is going to invite her to have sex.. thinking she is safe from certain forms of herpes, etc... but because I just don't feel fully educated the vaccine. And in my mind, no one is yet.
Grant it, I was pretty ignorant about it back in the fall. I had taken Girly in for her 6th grade physical and we had a nurse pratictioner do the exam. In 24 years of going to the same pediatrician, I had never met this person. The NP just assumed that once given the photocopied handout about the vac, I would just go along with it.
I didn't.
I wasn't comfortable. I told her I would prefer to talk to my OB-GYN of many years to get more info and her take on the situation before I decided.
I must say I had already formed a less than favorable opinion of the NP. Upon learning that Girly had started her period the previous year, she proceeded to give her a lecture about peer pressure to have sex, never have sex with a boy unless you use a condom and some sort of birth control. Blah, blah....
I stood there totally dumbfounded. Once again, I am not a prude, quite the opposite. But it galled me that it was assumed that just because my daughter's newly 12 year old body is maturing at a rapid rate, that she's emotionally and mentally ready to run the gamut.
I'm her mother, I should know. Yes, she is pubescent, but she still has times where she plays with her stuff animals.. Of course, she may be listening to Fall Out Boy or Panic! At the Disco at the same time, but she is transitioning. As parents, we are walking her thru that process in her life.
It really pissed me off that the NP did not consult me before broaching this subject. I was totally ticked and Girly was embarassed. After we left, she even asked me,
"What did she think? That I'm some sort of you-know-what or something?"
I told her it was probably just the NP's procedure, and we would forget about it for a while. (A long while, I hope.) I wondered if my reaction was a little over the top, so I called DIL2B and asked her (she's 24 and hipper than me). She was outraged also. DIL2B said if a doctor or nurse had approached her at that age, she would have been just as bewildered as Girly. So I felt fairly vindicated for the wrath I thrust upon the NP as well as the vow I made to never, ever make an appointment at the Ped office and end up seeing that NP again. Just our regular doctors and NPs.
Anywho, that just contributed to me digging in my heals on the Gardisil vaccine. I worry about long term effects. How much do the powers at be really know about them? Are there any? What could they be?
My MIL took a particular drug in the 50's and 60's for sickness during pregnancy. I can't remember what is was, but now studies are showing that daughters born to women who took this drug have hormone deficiencies and other problems. Both of my SIL's have had fertility issues. My younger SIL (#1, because I like her better) lost her first child due to an incompetent cervix. My other SIL (#2, I like her less) has dealt with early onset menopause and was not able to expand her family as she wanted. The articles #1 SIL and I read state that these are symptoms of the hormonal deficiencies caused in female offspring of women who took this medication. I need to ask #1 what the name of that stuff was....
So I'm wondering... What am I doing to my daughter? Did I do the right thing? Should I have held off? I've started it now so I guess we'll finish.
Oh Geez... This is heavy stuff for today...
Anyone got an opinion?
Anyone?
Give it to me as long it makes me feel better about the decision.
Not because I'm some sort of prude and think this is going to invite her to have sex.. thinking she is safe from certain forms of herpes, etc... but because I just don't feel fully educated the vaccine. And in my mind, no one is yet.
Grant it, I was pretty ignorant about it back in the fall. I had taken Girly in for her 6th grade physical and we had a nurse pratictioner do the exam. In 24 years of going to the same pediatrician, I had never met this person. The NP just assumed that once given the photocopied handout about the vac, I would just go along with it.
I didn't.
I wasn't comfortable. I told her I would prefer to talk to my OB-GYN of many years to get more info and her take on the situation before I decided.
I must say I had already formed a less than favorable opinion of the NP. Upon learning that Girly had started her period the previous year, she proceeded to give her a lecture about peer pressure to have sex, never have sex with a boy unless you use a condom and some sort of birth control. Blah, blah....
I stood there totally dumbfounded. Once again, I am not a prude, quite the opposite. But it galled me that it was assumed that just because my daughter's newly 12 year old body is maturing at a rapid rate, that she's emotionally and mentally ready to run the gamut.
I'm her mother, I should know. Yes, she is pubescent, but she still has times where she plays with her stuff animals.. Of course, she may be listening to Fall Out Boy or Panic! At the Disco at the same time, but she is transitioning. As parents, we are walking her thru that process in her life.
It really pissed me off that the NP did not consult me before broaching this subject. I was totally ticked and Girly was embarassed. After we left, she even asked me,
"What did she think? That I'm some sort of you-know-what or something?"
I told her it was probably just the NP's procedure, and we would forget about it for a while. (A long while, I hope.) I wondered if my reaction was a little over the top, so I called DIL2B and asked her (she's 24 and hipper than me). She was outraged also. DIL2B said if a doctor or nurse had approached her at that age, she would have been just as bewildered as Girly. So I felt fairly vindicated for the wrath I thrust upon the NP as well as the vow I made to never, ever make an appointment at the Ped office and end up seeing that NP again. Just our regular doctors and NPs.
Anywho, that just contributed to me digging in my heals on the Gardisil vaccine. I worry about long term effects. How much do the powers at be really know about them? Are there any? What could they be?
My MIL took a particular drug in the 50's and 60's for sickness during pregnancy. I can't remember what is was, but now studies are showing that daughters born to women who took this drug have hormone deficiencies and other problems. Both of my SIL's have had fertility issues. My younger SIL (#1, because I like her better) lost her first child due to an incompetent cervix. My other SIL (#2, I like her less) has dealt with early onset menopause and was not able to expand her family as she wanted. The articles #1 SIL and I read state that these are symptoms of the hormonal deficiencies caused in female offspring of women who took this medication. I need to ask #1 what the name of that stuff was....
So I'm wondering... What am I doing to my daughter? Did I do the right thing? Should I have held off? I've started it now so I guess we'll finish.
Oh Geez... This is heavy stuff for today...
Anyone got an opinion?
Anyone?
Give it to me as long it makes me feel better about the decision.
posted by Teri at 6:41 AM
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