xmas tree lightsm xmas treesm and lead

[Guest guest]

http://recoveredfromautism.blogspot.com/

posting this cause i noticed my son last xmas chewing on a light

extension cord. Also, i still have my xmas tree lights on, (have them

in a big vase and it looks nice when they are on) but now gonna get

rid of them

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Homeopathy: Redefining Your " Comfort Zone "

Last year my son developed an acute illness which eventually became

chronic and just wouldn't go away despite trying several different

remedies. In the previous three years since beginning homeopathy, the

kids rarely required a doctor visit other than an annual checkup. But

my son continued to have a fever and his cough just wouldn't quit.

One morning he woke up coughing so hard, he threw up mucus and a

small bit of blood. His fever was 103. I called my husband and

said, " I'm way past my comfort zone, we need to take him to urgent

care. "

The doctor listened to his lungs, looked in his ears, and gave him a

very thorough exam. Diagnosis: a no name virus not requiring

antibiotics. I was both relieved and disappointed. Of course, I was

relieved because my son's condition wasn't serious and also because I

dread antibiotics given our history of chronic systemic yeast and

spectrum issues. On the other hand, I was disappointed but not

because I wanted antibiotics to eliminate my son's health issue. I

was disappointed in myself for reverting to allopathic medicine when

the going got tough. At the time I rationalized my son was seriously

ill and for whatever reason I thought allopathic medicine was most

necessary in the face of serious illness.

I must preface this by saying even today if my children are very ill

and not recovering the way they should, I will still take them in for

a doctor visit. I may not ever fill the script if one is prescribed

but I think maintaining my child's health is far and away more

important than maintaining my ego as a homeopath. But as time went

on, I began to realize, perhaps when things become more serious is

precisely the time I should be running to homeopathy, not allopathy.

History has shown us in serious epidemics such as the 1918 flu

pandemic, homeopathy saved more patients than allopathy. In fact, the

mortality rate for homeopathic patients was 1% while the rate for

conventional medicine patients was over 30%. This realization simply

meant I had to re-examine what exactly my " comfort zone " was and why

when pushed past it I thought allopathy was the better choice.

I was given this opportunity later in the year when my oldest

daughter developed a critical illness called Henoch Schonlein Purpura

(HSP), possibly as a latent consequence of vaccine reaction. Starting

as just a rash on her lower legs, she eventually became covered in

bruises, was bleeding internally from the kidneys and intestines, and

paralyzed from the neck down. We rushed her to the hospital when it

became clear something was seriously wrong with her. In fact, she

made 5 visits to the ER that week for IV fluids.

Unfortunately, (or perhaps fortunately) allopathic medicine offers no

treatment for HSP. Steroids and chemotherapy are their best offerings

and neither result in a quick or permanent cure. In many studies,

steroids provided absolutely no benefit but doctors continue to

prescribe them. The kidney specialist we saw told us it would take

one to two years for the steroids to stop her kidneys from losing

protein and bleeding. We were told without a biopsy and immediate

steroids, my daughter's kidneys would be permanently damaged. I'm not

sure how a year or two of steroids would somehow prevent this if the

need for treatment was so urgent. However, I do know the right

homeopathic remedy stopped the protein within 3 days. She quickly

regained her health and has never been better.

The list of side effects for steroids is a mile long. The specialist

guaranteed my daughter would experience weight gain, fatigue, a

swollen face, stomach pain, nausea, lowered resistance to infections,

and mood swings. She spoke for 5 minutes about the various side

effects, some of which can be permanent. Worst of all, there was no

guarantee the steroids would even work.

Along with unpleasant and perhaps long lasting side effects,

allopathic medicine can often make us sicker. Recent studies indicate

acetaminophen can deplete glutathione levels decreasing immunity and

the body's ability to detoxify. Depleted glutathione levels have also

been implicated in autistic spectrum disorder. Accidental

acetaminophen overdose has been identified as the number one cause of

acute liver failure in the United States. Ibuprofen has also been

cited as creating serious adverse reactions in children who are

mildly dehydrated, and can cause two rare but serious disorders.

While many studies show the use of these two over-the-counter

medicines as mostly safe, the very act of using them to suppress the

illness or fever can have consequences. A series of studies show

using acetaminophen during the flu can prolong the illness by up to

3.5 days. And giving these medicines to children to treat a fever,

robs the body of its natural defense to fight off the illness at hand.

Usually, allopathic medicines don't cure illness. They simply

suppress symptoms. Antibiotics, steroids, even acetaminophen and

ibuprofen can drive an illness deeper so eventually a more serious

issue may develop. A prime example of this is children who develop

asthma after using corticosteroid crèmes to treat eczema. Instead of

using the skin to express dis-ease in the body, the lungs now become

the target of this expression. Most of us were never taught the

symptoms are not the illness itself, but manifest as the way our

bodies attempt to restore health. Some medicines can even create the

need for more medication.

This is often seen in the elderly who are put on one medication after

the other when each new medication brings new side effects

(symptoms). Thus each new " symptom " results in a new medication until

they are on 5 or more different medications. In 2005, senior citizens

averaged over 27 prescriptions annually!

This is not to say allopathic medicine does no good or there isn't a

need for certain medications. For many people, allopathic medicine is

a true lifesaver. But for many others, it creates the ill health it

endeavors to appease. I turned away from allopathic medicine for

these very reasons. It failed me and it failed my children who

experienced severe and long lasting ill effects as a result of their

routine infant vaccinations.

As a homeopath, it is very frustrating that it is all too easy to

turn away from homeopathy in times of illness and put our trust and

faith back in allopathic medicine. As a parent, I completely

understand this response and would never criticize another parent for

choosing what they think is the best care for their child. In fact, I

encourage parents to see a doctor to ensure their child is receiving

timely care. Overtime though, my own " comfort zone " has shifted and I

now believe homeopathy is the right choice for my children even in

times of serious illness, actually, especially in times of serious

illness.

The problem is all the moms and dads out there don't have access to a

skilled homeopath for acute treatment. What do they do? Homeopathy

takes years of training and acutes are often especially difficult as

so many remedies begin to look the same as we search through books

with bleary eyes and a spouse in the background yelling at us to just

give the kid some ibuprofen or the antibiotic so everyone can get

some sleep. For some parents, the ideal situation is to treat our

kids the easiest, fastest method possible and then use homeopathy to

clean up the fallout. In times of serious illnesses, as a parent, it

doesn't matter what kind of medicine makes our children better, it

only matters that it does.

But are we trading the quick fix for more serious chronic illness? At

what point will homeopathy not be able to address the suppression of

allopathic meds? Many of the chronic illnesses experienced today are

a result of suppressed symptoms/illness. Continued suppression makes

the homeopathic case that much more complicated and difficult to cure.

Additionally, we are already seeing antibiotics fail and more and

more virulent illnesses which don't respond to any allopathic

treatment. Thankfully, homeopathy can frequently treat that which

allopathic medicine cannot.

Many come to homeopathy as a last resort because all else has failed.

This has made many a believer in homeopathy. Perhaps it is wishful

thinking for me to hope some day homeopathy will be the medicine of

first choice, not a treatment of last resort.

Truly, a McPhee

Posted by a at 10:37 AM

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark...I mean land.

Most by now have heard the State of land has required children in

Prince 's County be immunized or their parents will face a jail

sentence and $50 fine every day they are out of compliance. The

parents were directed to show up at the courthouse last Saturday and

either have their child vaccinated on the spot or submit an exemption.

This has scared the you know what out of me! Not to mention enraged

me and saddened me. But when I watched the State's Attorney talk

about the situation, it became clear this was really a case of

semantics. Unfortunately all the hoopla was really about making a

decision and complying with the state law. It wasn't that the

children weren't vaccinated per say but that they did not file the

proper exemption forms if that was their choice.

I know many will think I am nuts for saying this but I can understand

if that is really what it is about. They want to have their records

straight - either the children are vaccinated or their parents have

filed an exemption. With no exemption filed, these parents are not

complying with state law. Believe me, I am the first one to advocate

our rights to an exemption but to just not comply was the problem.

The enraging part is the forced compliance and the lack of informed

consent regarding parents' legal rights. So basically the parents who

were not in compliance were duped into vaccinating their children.

But what would we expect? If the state law mandates all children be

vaccinated for a specific disease, clearly they enacted this law

because they believe it to be a good idea (or for more sinister

reasons which are beyond my speculation). So, why would they then

promote filing the exemptions? They wouldn't because this would go

against their goal of having all children vaccinated. Come now - has

*any* doctor, school nurse, or other " official " *ever* offered up -

" oh by the way, you don't *have* to have these shots - you can file

an exemption. " Probably not! We, as parents, uncovered it on our own.

I dare say the majority of doctors out there don't even know there

are exemption laws!

However, the bottom line was - either have your child vaccinated or

file your exemption - just don't not comply. No one was saying you

can't file an exemption, your child has to be vaccinated. Just like

they weren't saying you can. They just weren't saying it! That's the

dubious part. Of course I do not agree with their scare tactic

method. But I can understand them wanting to have compliance -

whether it be to be vaccinated or to file your exemption. And

according to the state attorney (who seemed completely baffled that

this was truly a big deal! - Duh!) they had tried several times to

send messages home for compliance to no avail.

The conspiracy part of me believes this was a test run to see how far

parents could be pushed. I also question if the school district would

be as concerned if they weren't in jeopardy of losing funding for

reaching a certain vaccination compliance rate. And for those whose

records were supposedly lost requiring they be revaccinated - that's

tragic as they were backed into a corner. Unfortunately the onus is

on the parents to provide the documentation from medical records, not

for the school to maintain those records (that's a completely

different discussion on its own because as I parent I would be

furious if they lost the records). But as we all know with paperwork -

keep your copies! Don't just have your child vaccinated again

because the school lost the records. Obtain copies of your child's

medical records! If you can't get those, then file an exemption.

(This would truly be a case where the parent is forced to either

comply with the vaccine or file an erroneous exemption.)

Additionally, for those of us that put our guts up and filed our

exemptions (in almost every case going against the grain), it is a

cop out for those that just don't vaccinate and don't claim

exemption. In my eyes, the more parents that file exemptions, the

more it reinforces a larger consensus that vaccinating for some is

not the best choice.

Posted by a at 2:58 PM

Monday, November 19, 2007

Yes Virginia, those Christmas lights are toxic!

Yes, it's true. Even our Christmas lights are toxic. They contain

lead. And sadly, so does every other appliance which uses a UL

approved cord. Some lights actually contain lead in the solder (in

addition to the cord) and therefore have lead on the bulb. These

lights are manufactured in China and make up the majority of light

sets you can buy for a few bucks at any chain store.

We've been using these holiday lights for years and yes, they've

always contained lead. But today, our environment is overrun with

toxic substances and heavy metals - in our food, air, pj's, vaccines,

and sadly, even in our Christmas lights.

Additionally, some artificial Christmas trees also contain lead on

their plastic (PVC) branches and the plastic, once heated with either

lights or sunshine, will form a lead powder. This powder can sprinkle

down and decorate our Christmas presents waiting under the tree for

tiny tikes to get their hands (and even baby's mouths) on! Do not be

misled (pun intended) - lead is toxic and can cause brain damage.

It seems crazy that in order to be made " safe " , the cord must contain

lead. But that is the current status quo. The lead is actually in the

PVC of the cord. And you will find this in any corded product (at

least those approved by UL) such as hairdryers, electronics

equipment, lamps, etc. Some Christmas lights (manufactured outside of

the US) also have lead from the solder used.

The Children's Health Environmental Coalition states:

" Wire coating and cords are usually made of PVC plastic that may

contain lead. Lead is used in PVC for several reasons. For wires and

cords, lead makes the plastic more flexible and reduces the risk of

fire. Lead is also used in many PVC products to stabilize the color.

Lead in PVC products can disintegrate into lead-laced dust.

The amount of lead in the lights and other consumer products with

warning labels may vary considerably. It is not clear if the amount

of lead that is released poses a risk to human health. Some tests

show that lead could come off in the hands. Note that nearly all

appliance cords are covered with PVC that contains lead. "

See Arkansas based Walmart's response to the light/lead concern:

" It is our understanding that the manufacturers' use of lead in these

products is to improve the safety of the lights. We are told that the

use of lead is required by Underwriters Laboratory, an organization

that certifies the safety of lighting products in the United States.

The amount of lead used is a tiny amount and does not exceed any

applicable federal guidelines. Our holiday lights meet industry

standards and are compliant with state and federal regulations

governing their sale.

However, the State of California requires a warning label on any

product that contains lead in amounts that exceed California's very

low threshold for warning of the presence of lead. The warning

doesn't indicate that the product is illegal to sell. It only

indicates that the product contains a substance, which California

considers to be hazardous. At the present time, no other state

requires a similar warning. To avoid separate packaging, many

manufacturers place the Californian-required label on product they

ship to other states. "

So, unfortunately, there are no completely lead free lights. Even

lights manufactured in the U.S. contain lead (in the cord). It is one

more thing that can be added to our never ending list of things to

worry about.

There is a safer alternative (although all lights contain lead in the

cord in order to be UL approved). LED lights do not contain lead in

the solder or on the bulb. And American made Christmas trees are lead

free.

This site sells American made, lead free Christmas trees:

http://ww1.christmasdepot.com/index.php

This site manufactures lights which are lead-free (except for the

cord): http://www.holidaycreations.com/

sources: http://www.holidaycreations.com/wheretobuy.html Some Ace

Hardware, COSTCO, Hobby Lobby, Kroger, Long's, and Lowes stores may

carry them as well.

NOTE: I have not used these and cannot attest to their performance! I

have no connection with the sites linked and accept no responsibility

for them.

These lights are also very energy conscious. Instead of burning the

typical 350 watts for a 70 light set, the 100 light set burns only

3.6 watts. That means if a traditional wattage set is used 8 hours

per day, for 7 days a week, at an $.08 electricity rate, you will

save $33 every month!

If you already own an artificial tree, you can have it tested for

lead. You can order a test kit from the Environmental Quality

Institute at the University of North Carolina. Mail a check for $15,

made out to the University of North Carolina-Asheville, to:

Foundation Earth

UNC-A Environmental Quality Institute

CPO 2331

1 University Heights

Asheville, N.C., 28804

There are several things you can do to minimize the risk.

•Do not allow children to touch the branches.

•Do not allow children to touch or handle the lights.

•If you touch the tree, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

•Do not vacuum dust from under the tree which could then spread lead

dust throughout your home.

•Use a tree skirt which you can remove and wash weekly.

•Avoid lights made in China or other foreign countries which do not

restrict the use of lead.

•Wearing gloves, gently wipe down all presents under the tree with a

moist cloth on Christmas Eve.

While this is something to be considered seriously, for our family it

falls under the " minimum exposure, minimum risk " category. We will

still have Christmas lights at our home. But I'm on my way out to

purchase a lead-free tree and LED lights.

However, if your child is seriously heavy metal toxic and/or has a

known toxicity level of lead, you might think twice about using

traditional Christmas lights. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday