Ben Goes To The Doctor

from Ben's mom

Last week I took Ben in for a check up. We had to wait for awhile and by the time the doctor saw him, it was nap time, and he was crazy. Everything went off without a hitch until she said, "...and he's running, of course?" "Uh, no, he doesn't walk alone yet." She looks up from her chart. "What?" I proceeded to explain how close he was and how cautious he is, and how we are a family of late walkers. She went on to encourage me to take him to a program to test and work with developmental delays. I was a little defensive and she responded well and told me she trusted my judgement. "But, please bring him back in to see me if he isn't walking in 3 months."

I was a little rattled on the way home, but when Mike told my mom-in-law on the phone, she put my fears to rest. "That is ridiculous." When a mother of nine says that, it is comforting. She said that Mike was one of her slowest walkers and that he was the kid who wanted to read his books instead of being mobile. Ben is the same. The doctor had asked if he was turning pages in books yet? Uhm, yes, since he was 7 months old. Not that he isn't mobile. He gets around very fast and I often hear the toilet flushing or things being heaved out of the kitchen cupboards when I saw him two seconds earlier.

Anyway, apparently the doctor's words had a big impact on Ben. He has been dutifully "practicing" his steps the last two days and he is starting to persist. Today, he tried to get up 6 times and couldn't seem to get his balance but he kept trying until he got it.

I do respect the doctor. One of the things I like about her is that she has a critical mind. She told me how the health dept. sent in someone for immunization education. She grilled the poor woman on reaction rates. She responded that "she didn't have that information." Not a good answer. Our doctor proceeded to enlighten her that polio cases in the U.S. in the last (30?) years have all been caused by...the polio vaccine. "Now why would you give polio vaccine in a country that has had no cases of polio in ? years other than the cases caused by the vaccine itself?" She was more than respectful of our decision not to immunize; she didn't immunize her youngest child as more and more research came to light. Especially with Ben's early reaction to polio, which she says is extraordinary. She says the polio vaccine has now been watered down to nothing because it kept giving people polio. She said the current vaccine would probably do nothing to protect people if there were an outbreak. It was nice to not have to fight or face incredulity over our decision. I much prefer status quo and was determined not to be one of those wacky "homeschooling mother" types I used to work with occasionally. But the evidence is mounting.

Recent articles by Robert Kennedy Jr. in Salon Magazine and Rolling Stone are particularly disturbing. Also troubling is knowing that aborted fetal tissue was used (and is used) in the development of vaccines. For articles, see here, here, and here.

Researching this topic was one of the scariest things we have ever done. Childhood diseases are frightening and even watching Ben deal with a cold gives me the greatest sympathy for those who just want to protect their kids against all evil. So do I. So it is troubling to find out that the protection is often more dangerous than the disease.