RecoveringNicholas.com

Bye-bye crib!!!

 We decided it was time to get rid of his crib turned daybed and move him up to a larger bed as the daybed was not enough space for him anymore.  So, we ordered him an organic mattress and it arrived while we were in Ohio. 

Picking out a new mattress for Nicholas was killing me.  Of course, price being the reason for the issue.  Because of his issues, we cannot buy him a regular mattress, so we were faced with spending mega-bucks on a natural one.  How screwed up is that.  The chemical free one is more expensive than the one treated with chemicals.  You’d think the more processes the fabric would go through would mean the more expensive it is, but that’s hardly true. 

I tossed and turned over it, let me tell you.  For a full size mattress — just the mattress, I was finding prices varying between $1200 and $1500.  Not being able to afford it was killing me. for. months.  I agonized over the issue of - geez.. my son can’t even breathe clean air when he sleeps and we can’t afford to change that.  Not. Fair.

On a whim, we took a ride to a store here in NJ that sells the organic mattresses - and I have to say, I was impressed.   They really helped me select a mattress that we could afford that took my son’s issues into account, so now I can feel better that he’s not breathing/absorbing antimony or any of the other toxic fumes off-gassing from mattresses these days.  They also had an organic comforter that was to DIE for, so we got that for him too.  Yep, Nicholas has a comforter on his bed that was more than my comforter!   So, in case you’re wondering where I got it from, here’s the link: White Lotus Home

It really was quite comfy and I fell asleep on it and took a nice long nap with no problem whatsoever.  I was skeptical, because it’s not a traditional mattress in the sense that there are no springs in it - but it’s fantastic.  I couldn’t be happier with it.

MB-12 today. 

We brought Gavin one of those really cool remote control helicopters from the sharper image and he actually handed the remote to Nicholas for him to take a turn flying it.  Nicholas not only got it off the ground, but spent quite some time flying it, which is really no easy task.  We could not believe it.

Nicholas was a talking-machine today.  He would not let Chad’s girlfriend pluck his eyebrows - he thought she was hurting him.  He was so protective of Chad, it was adorable.  He spent quite a while cuddled up on the couch with Chad and Gavin - very cute.

He was up til 2am - figured he’d sleep through the 5am trip to the airport and we’d be home free… yeah sure.  Once we hit the airport, he was awake as can be.  When we boarded, he got to see the cockpit and he spent the whole flight on daddy’s chest looking out the window.  He dozed off a little, but was primarily awake for the trip.  He was amazing!!!

Mb-12 given today.

Nicholas had a great day.  He played and played with his new honorary cousin, Gavin.  They played trains on and off all day.  Nicholas was great, joined in like he was part of everything that was going on - not just doing his own thing like we had seen so much of in the past.  He was in the moment and enjoying himself.  Amazing.

So, we flew to Ohio today to visit with some friends - and I had alot of trepidation about this trip, mainly because I had visions of Nicholas having one temper tantrum after another and being pretty much uncontrollable.  Well, let me outline our trip to Ohio for you - given what we went through, Nicholas was excellent - I couldn’t have asked for a better kid!

We left the house around 4:30 pm for a 6:30 flight.  We had to drop off a rental car with Paul’s colleage (and friend), so we got to watch the monorail come and go.  Nicholas was loving every minute of it.  Pointing up, yelling TRAIN.  Saying hi and bye-bye to the train.  He was in his glory.  Then, guess what, we got to ride the monorail into the terminal.  He was loving it.  When we got to our terminal, he did not want to get off.  Anyway, checking in and getting through security was not fun, but it could have been so much worse.  We got to the gate and hung out for a while, got some pizza and just hung around.  The flight was delayed several times and we didn’t end up boarding until almost 11pm.  Thank goodness that our aiport has these people-mover things - we took turns with Nicholas on them for hours.  He loved how he was moving and the rest of the floor wasn’t.  He was running down them, jumping, you name it.  He even grabbed Uncle Mike’s laptop bag and took it with him on his people-mover adventure (and that sucker was heavy!)    So, to break up the monotony, Daddy and Uncle Mike decided to head to the bar and get a drink.  Nicholas was not having it.  So they took him with them.  Yep, 3 year old in an airport bar.  At this point, who cares - you can’t smoke in the airport anyway, so no big deal.  Nicholas finds a pretty girl sitting alone and goes up to her, moves her bag from her chair, climbs up on the chair and sits with her having a lengthy conversation.  I wish I had seen it with my own eyes.  Then, when he’s done, he gets down and blows her a kiss goodbye.  Blows her a kiss??????????  are you kidding me??  we have never seen him do this.  Yep, reserved for the pretty young girls he flirts with.  See, it is in their genes - that is so totally not a learned thing!

So, we finally board the plane - and Nicholas is ready to go.  He jumps into his chair and buckles his own seatbelt.  Holy cow!  He was asleep before the plane took off.  He woke up here and there holding his ears and crying, but wouldn’t eat or drink - but we made it through.  When we got to Ohio, it was really late and we needed to wait for our baggage.  Nicholas got the biggest charge out of watching the bags come down the carousel. 

Once we got to Mike’s house, Nicholas was quickly one of the family.  He was chilling out on the couch sitting with Mike’s family, whom he had never met before.  We were amazed.

Last night was pure hell getting Nicholas to bed.  He had not had his supplements all day - so I was on a mission to get them into him before he went to bed.  Well, 3am rolls around and he’s wide awake like it was 3pm.  Great.  He cried on and off all night, I have no idea why.

His level of awareness continues to reach new levels.  Last night, he saw the veins  in my wrist going up my arm and thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen.  All the time, we see things like this…. things that were right in front of his face all along, but he never saw the “details” - my engagement ring sparkling, earrings in my ears, etc.  While driving around this past week, I’ve been stopping to let him see the decorations on people’s houses - he’s actually seeing them.  Our neighbor has a grinch blowup that has a tree and a dog - everytime we stop, he says - Dog!  Tree!  - what more could you ask for!!!  Yesterday, I said “nicholas is in heaven with  his new geotrax” and he yelled GEOTRAX!   He’s been looking at the back of the box - and using it as a guide to put his tracks together — and he’s noticing that he doesn’t have all of the pieces in the picture - yikes - are we really almost to the point where he’s going to ask for a toy….????  Right now, I’d rather buy him something he ASKED for than eat, if that’s what it came down to.  

Not sure I like the Theanine.  The 2 times I gave it to Nicholas he was hyper-boy, which is the opposite of what it’s supposed to do, so we’ve discontinued it at the moment.

Nicholas just keeps getting better and better.    Of course with Nicholas finally opening gifts on his birthday, we went completely overboard for Christmas…..well….  Santa helped…..  If we hadn’t started opening his gifts for him, he would have still had gifts at midnight!

On Christmas Eve, we went over to Grandma & Grandpa’s house for dinner.  Nicholas was really, really good - and was loving his new castle, complete with boulder lauchers and a fire-breathing dragon!  Nicholas spent almost the entire day on Christmas opening and playing with his new toys.  His Little Einstein spaceship was a huge hit, as was his new GeoTrax sets, trampoline and his own microwave oven!  It’s a day later, and he hasn’t come up for air once!

He’s starting to really talk in sentences.  “put this there” “eat pasta now” etc.  Fantastic.  I remember this every time I’m giving him his MB-12 shots and it somehow makes it that much easier.

We’re flying to Ohio tomorrow for a few days.  It’ll be Nicholas’s first time on an airplane.  This. ought. to. be. fun.

Missing the Mercury Threat: An appeal to New Jersey’s Governor

Posted December 21, 2007 04:57 PM (EST)(Source)

Albert Einstein once said, “only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity”. We got a good dose of what many would call “human stupidity” last week in New Jersey when 5 un-elected members of the Public Health Council (PHC) voted to mandate four new vaccines for children. The vaccines that will be mandated in 2008 include: the influenza vaccine, pneumococcal, meningococcal, tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertusis (Tdap) vaccine. Two of the vaccines, influenza and Sanofi Pasteur’s meningococcal vaccine (Menomune) contain thimerosal (mercury).

In spite of a week’s long protest from constituents that included parents, physicians and dozens of organizations, the State Health Commissioner gave his “seal of approval” on Friday, December 15.

Today I want to appeal to New Jersey Governor Corzine to re-evaluate these recommendations and carefully consider the ramifications for New Jersey’s children.

Unless Governor Corzine, the state legislature, or perhaps a judge intervenes, New Jersey will go down in history as the first state in the nation, for that matter the world, to order parents to vaccinate their preschoolers with a known developmental neurotoxin, which many parents, physicians and scientific research suggest is linked to the epidemic of developmental disorders, including autism.

The PHC recommendation came just days before another “first in the nation” law was passed by Minnesota lawmakers who voted to ban the use of mercury in mascara and other cosmetics. “Mercury does cause neurological damage to people even in tiny quantities…can retard brain development in children and fetuses who are most vulnerable to the metal’s toxic effects” stated the Minnesota officials.

That’s right, you can’t put mercury on your mommy’s lashes in Minnesota but New Jersey health officials just can’t wait to inject it into your young children.

After repeated warnings about mercury toxicity in fish and following its removal from over the counter products, thermostats, industrial switches, medical devices, animal vaccines, even a leg paint used on horses, the five appointed members of the PHC and the NJ Department of Health (DOH) can claim credit for what could be one of the worst and ill-advised public health decisions forced upon the public in recent memory; a decision that was made under a cloak of secrecy, without sufficient debate and perhaps in violation of procedural protocols.

New Jersey parents have a right to question the DOH actions. After all New Jersey holds the dubious honor of having the highest autism rates in the country. According to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 94 New Jersey children have autism, 1 in 60 boys.

While some NJ public health officials arrogantly dismiss the link between vaccines and autism as “scientifically unfounded,” and tell reporters concerns about thimerosal is “a moot issue,” since most vaccines are either free of the compound or contain only trace amounts, like the preschool flu vaccine.”, a growing body of published scientific research shows this opinion cannot be factually supported.

To the contrary, approximately 90% of the influenza vaccine supply still contains thimerosal. According to the FDA, the 25 micrograms of mercury in one influenza vaccine is NOT a “trace amount”. According to EPA guidelines, this amount can only be considered safe if a person weighs 550 pounds. You would think a health official would know this.

In addition, there is no convincing evidence that the flu shot is actually effective. A study published in the British Medical Journal, done by the Cochran Collaboration, considered the Gold Standard for scientific research, stated the recommendations of flu shots for infants and toddlers are not backed by scientific evidence [Jan.25, 2006]. So if research tells us the vaccine is ineffective and it contains toxic mercury, why are officials recommending it be given to our young children?

Sanofi’s Menactra meningococcal vaccine is thimerosal-free and currently recommended for children between 11-12 years old. However, the FDA and the CDC are investigating cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) among adolescents who received this vaccine. A larger study led by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare is expected to take approximately 2 years. According to the CDC, “The study period is necessary to accumulate cases and attain sufficient statistical power.”

The recommended acceptable alternative is Sanofi’s Menomune, which contains 25 micrograms of thimerosal, thus adding to the overall body burden of one of the most toxic metals on earth.

While some officials want to continue dismissing the vaccine autism association, the neurological risks associated with the use of the mercury-based preservative have been well documented in the scientific literature for decades.

This is noted in a 2004 California Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment that found: “the scientific evidence that [thimerosal] cause reproductive toxicity is clear and voluminous…The evidence for its reproductive toxicity includes severe mental retardation or malformations in human offspring who were poisoned when their mothers were exposed to ethyl mercury or thimerosal while pregnant …

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) states that thimerosal is “poison by ingestion, subcutaneous, intravenous and possibly other routes,” and warns that childhood exposure could result in “mental retardation in children, loss of coordination in speech, writing, gait, stupor, and irritability and bad temper progressing to mania.”

A 1984 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found, “Thimerosal used to irrigate the external auditory canals in a child with tympanostomy tubes has caused severe mercury poisoning.” [Rohyans J, Walson PD, Wood GA, MacDonald WA Mercury toxicity following Merthiolate ear irrigations. J Pediatr 1984; 104:311-313].

In 2001 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a review on the state of science related to mercury toxicity entitled, Technical Report: Mercury in the Environment: Implications for Pediatricians. The Report concluded, “Mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children”…”Inorganic and elemental mercury should not be present in the home or other environments of children” “It would seem prudent for the FDA to carefully examine all uses of mercury in pharmaceuticals, particularly pharmaceuticals that are used by infants and pregnant women.” [J Pediatr 2001; 108: 197-205].

As recently as last month a study published in the Journal of Child Neurology determined, “a significant relation does exist between the blood levels of mercury and diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder”.

New Jersey’s health officials may believe giving preschoolers and other children mercury containing influenza shots is good public health policy but not all physicians would agree. Many physicians, including United States Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL), a strong supporter of our nation’s immunization program, has gone on record stating, “Any doctor who would knowingly inject a baby with a mercury-containing vaccine. I would consider that malpractice”.

If these are not reason enough to question the new mandates, just last month one of the first autism cases presented in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (vaccine court), the government CONCEDED that vaccines aggravated a pre-existing mitochondrial dysfunction causing autistic like symptoms in one of the first cases where the case filed was a claim was that thimeosal caused autism.

So please don’t tell me the link between vaccines and autism is “scientifically unfounded,” or there is “no evidence” that vaccines cause autism in some children. The federal government has already conceded this point in one case.

Mercury is not the only problem with the new mandates.

The Prevar pneumococcol vaccine also has its own problems. There have been 3,243 adverse reactions reported to the government’s vaccine surveillance system since Prevnar was first licensed in 2000. These reports included 476 serious reactions and 79 deaths. Just a few months ago the Prevnar vaccine was linked to a new antibiotic resistant “superbug” bacterial infection, causing serious ear infections in children as young as 6 months. One child suffered permanent hearing loss.

Should health officials be forcing parents to give their children vaccines that contain a heavy metal toxin whose packaging contains the universal symbol for poison and warns the product could cause mental retardation or one that has thousands of reported adverse reactions? Where do we draw the line on who knows what is best for our own children?

In response to the Public Health Council’s recommendations, Governor Corzine was quoted that he does not “in any way think we should take risks on vaccines . . . the elements of evaluation should be left to scientists and data”.

I couldn’t agree more with Governor Corzine on this point. Ultimately it is the Governor who is responsible and I am hopeful that he is taking this matter very seriously.

No governor wants to reject the recommendations of their public health officials, However, Governor Corzine would not be the first one to do so in this situation.

When faced with the recommendation by California health officials to veto a bill aimed at banning thimerosal from children’s vaccines back in 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected this advice and signed the Mercury Free Act, which strictly limits the amount of mercury in vaccines or products used by pregnant women and very young children in the state of California. In a signing message, Schwarzenegger stated, “I believe that an abundance of caution merits the acceleration of the process already underway to remove thimerosal from the last few vaccines that contain it”.

Six other governors have signed into law similar bills overruling the objections of public health officials.

Look, everyone knows what these new recommendations are all about. MONEY, MONEY AND MORE MONEY!

Vaccines have become the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry.

In the 2004 annual report for Chiron Corporation, sales of their flu vaccine went from $90 million in 2002 to $332.4 million in 2003. Total vaccine sales went from $357.4 million (2002) to $678.3 million (2003). Nice increase.

I note this particular year’s report because it was in 2003 that industry, along with health officials, aggressively forged ahead with a masterful marketing plan. Create fear that terrible diseases are going spread through schools like wildfires if every kid isn’t vaccinated through a very well financed lobbying and advertising campaign. Then get a handful of health officials; to “rubber stamp” exactly what the industry wants. What corporation wouldn’t covet a program sanctioned by the government that forces the public to use their products? [’Dire’ CDC warning hiked flu shot demand: UPI, 10/15/04]

The profits from mandated vaccines has resulted in billions of profits for the drug companies and if enacted, the new vaccine recommendations will deliver billions more.

An easy and guaranteed flow of revenue for industry and physicians alike.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that certain members of the Public Health Council were the recipients of pharmaceutical industry generosity. (Riki Jacobs - received Pfizer money for her AIDS foundation).

For the record, I have repeatedly acknowledged the importance of vaccinations. There is no question that vaccines have saved many lives but they are not without risks. Over the last decade, however, serious and legitimate questions have arisen regarding the number of vaccines we are giving our children today and whether the ingredients in those vaccines are as safe as we, the public, have been led to believe. Until these safety concerns are addressed in a transparent manner, parents, not bureaucrats, should decide what is best for their children.

In January of this year, in response to mercury contamination at a children’s day care center, Governor Corzine signed a bill that would enforce strict guidelines to ensure environmental safety at child care centers and schools. In a statement Governor Corzine said. “This puts New Jersey at the forefront of states nationally in protecting children from environmental contaminants while at child care facilities and schools.”

It would be the height of hypocrisy for New Jersey to now tell parents they must inject their children with mercury-containing vaccines.

It is time for New Jersey to lead the nation again and reject the new vaccine mandates and send a message that our children are no longer going to be the depositories for toxic contaminants in order to increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Any parent who wants to vaccinate their child with any of the four new recommended vaccines can do so today without government coercion. The state has not needed to mandate these vaccines in the past and there is no public health emergency to warrant the implementation of the recommendations now. There is however a public health crisis in New Jersey caused by the rapid rise of developmental disorders, like autism.

There can be no harm in slowing down this process and carefully reviewing the mandated recommendations along with the current state of science, and the possible ramifications of this very aggressive vaccination policy.

The new vaccine mandates are not defensible in light of all we know about thimerosal and mercury toxicity. Governor Corzine has the legal authority and the responsibility to protect New Jersey’s children from additional and unnecessary mercury exposure.

I urge Governor Corzine to put on hold these new vaccine mandates and convene a meeting that will include ALL stakeholders and hear from scientists and his constituents before approving these new vaccine mandates.

The ball is in your court Governor.

(Source) By LINDA A. JOHNSON | Associated Press Writer 7:21 PM EST, December 14, 2007 TRENTON, N.J.
New Jersey has become the first state to require flu shots for preschoolers. Dr. Fred M. Jacobs, New Jersey’s health commissioner, on Friday approved amendments to the state’s immunization rules for children. Altogether, they require four additional vaccines.Starting in September, all children attending preschool or licensed day care centers will have to get an annual flu shot.No other state requires flu shots for preschoolers or older students, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.Preschoolers are being targeted because their developing immune systems make them as susceptible to flu complications as senior citizens, and because they are more likely than older kids to spread the virus, state health officials say. New Jersey also will require preschoolers to get a pneumococcal vaccine and sixth-graders to get two more shots. Those are the vaccine against meningitis, which New Jersey already requires for college dormitory residents, and a booster shot against whooping cough, which in recent years has seen a resurgence blamed on waning potency of shots given to infants and preschoolers. The new mandates “will have a direct impact on reducing illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in one of New Jersey’s most vulnerable populations _ our children,” Jacobs said in a statement.The four additional vaccines all are recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups.Jacobs’ decision comes after a health advisory board on Monday backed the new vaccine mandates on a 5-2 vote with one abstention, over opposition from parents’ groups worried about the safety of giving young children dozens of vaccine doses. Some also say they don’t want government making their medical decisions.
The parents are urging support for a bill that would give families a right to skip required immunizations by lodging a “philosophical objection,” as some other states allow. The bill has been sitting in a committee without action for several years. New Jersey does grant an automatic exemption on religious grounds and allows exemptions for medical reasons.The new vaccines will be available for free for low-income families, and private insurers generally will cover the cost.

This makes me so angy on so many levels….. and I’m not going to continue to keep quiet on it.  Please, please, PLEASE, educate yourself before you blindly give your child this shot (or any other for that matter).   YOU need to protect your child.  Our government and big pharma is just not going to do it for you!

With the highest rate of autism in the United States, I am completely speechless and outraged that New Jersey would even THINK to mandate a vaccine like this.    Did you know that one flu shot contains 100 times the daily allowable limit of Mercury?  100 times, that’s right 100 times.  Shall I say it again?  100 times.  Are you still interested in gambling with a vaccine which “might” keep the flu away?  Yes, I mean “might” - the flu shot is a “maybe” — it is not a guarantee that you will not get the flu.  Why?  Because it is created based on a guess as to what strains are going to be going around during that particular flu season.  Are you following me??  You’re going to allow 100 times the allowable limit of Mercury to be injected into you or your helpless, defenseless child based on a GUESS.   

Ok, so you want facts.  I understand.  Please, do your research.  I can only lead you to water, I can’t make you drink….

Published in 1995, in the journal of “Environmental Health Perspectives” published by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) titled, “Neurobehavioral Effects of Developmental Methylmercury exposure”, safe guidelines for developing infants were outlined.  The daily adult/child limit was lowered from .1 mcg/kg/day to .025-.06mcg/kg/day.  So if you have an infant who weighted 22 pounds (divide pounds by 2.2 gives you kg), so 10 kg.  10kg times 0.025mcg/day = .25mcg/day = .25mcg/day is the maximum allowable amount of Mercury per day for a 22 pound baby.  Following me?   Do you know how much is in the average shot?  25mcg — nope, don’t look for the decimal because there is none.  This is not a typo.  Each shot contains roughly 100 times the daily amount of mercury.  Talk about playing russian roulette with a loaded gun.  Incidentally, these facts come from the very same government standards that assures us that Thimerisol is safe.  So, they’ve known this since 1995 - which is almost 13 years.  Also, factor in that this shot might not be the only shot our helpless children are getting that day.  So, the amount of mercury injected right into their bodies will be much higher than 100 times the allowed amount.  As if 100 times wasn’t too much already.    Wanna read the report yourself??  Feel free…. it’s right here!

Did you know that the rate of Autism is less than 1 in 100 in New Jersey??  It’s closer to 1 in 94.  1 out of every 60 boys and 1 out of every 250 girls.    Tell me, do you like those odds??   Do you realize how these odds compare to those of Down Syndrome? 

Age 35 - 1 in 365

Age 45 - 1 in 30

Down Syndrome is something every pregnant mother-to-be worries about.  Worries enough to have the First Trimester Screenings, Nuchal Translucency and even Amnio’s.  But yet, so many parents are quick to vaccinate their children without doing the research and without putting any thought into it - other than worrying if your baby will cry when they get the shot.

Interesting new news which was reported just this week…. Minnesota bans adding mercury to cosmetics!  (Source)

The quest for thicker lashes and defined eyes should get safer in Minnesota on Jan. 1, when a state law banning mercury from mascara, eye liners and skin-lightening creams takes effect.

Minnesota apparently is the first state in the nation to ban intentionally added mercury in cosmetics, giving it a tougher standard than the federal government.

Retailers who knowingly sell mercury-containing cosmetics in Minnesota could face fines of as much as $700. Penalties could reach $10,000 for manufacturers who fail to disclose mercury on product labels, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

“Mercury does cause neurological damage to people even in tiny quantities,” said Sen. John Marty, the Democrat from Roseville who sponsored the ban. “Every source of mercury adds to it. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t here.”
Most makeup manufacturers have phased out the use of mercury, but it’s still added legally to some eye products as a preservative and germ-killer, said John Bailey, chief scientist with the Personal Care Products Council in Washington. That group doesn’t track mercury in beauty products and favors a national approach to regulating cosmetics, instead of laws that vary from state to state.

Federal law allows eye products to contain up to 65 parts per million of mercury. The exposure a person would get from a product used in small quantities around the eyes would not cause a problem, Bailey said.

“It’s added at very low levels, and for good reason,” he said.

Minnesota’s cosmetics provision is part of a larger ban targeting better-known sources of mercury, such as thermostats, barometers, industrial switches and medical devices. The law also covers toiletries, fragrances and over-the-counter drugs such as eye drops, nasal sprays, hemorrhoid treatments and antiseptics.

State pollution regulators said they don’t know how many beauty products containing mercury are sold in Minnesota.

The new law is intended as a warning to cosmetics manufacturers not to use mercury, said John Gilkeson, with the state Pollution Control Agency’s toxics reduction program. Enforcement will happen mainly when consumers complain.

Using eye makeup with mercury is unlikely to cause immediate health problems, but mercury accumulates in the body, so consumers should avoid exposure whenever possible, said Carl Herbrandson, a toxicologist with the state Health Department.

“Mercury is bad, basically in all forms that get into the body,” Herbrandson said.

No other state has specifically gone after mercury in cosmetics, said Stacy Malkan with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in Berkeley, Calif. Connecticut, Rhode Island and Louisiana ban products containing more than low levels of mercury, with some exceptions. New York and Illinois prohibit consumer products with mercury, such as figurines, toys and jewelry.

“Personal care products contain many problematic chemicals,” Malkan said. “Many ingredients aren’t listed on the labels.”

Mercury can retard brain development in children and fetuses, who are most vulnerable to the metal’s toxic effects. But it can also cause neurological symptoms in adults.

Mercury fumes can collect inside a jar of skin cream or a tube of mascara, and a person could inhale them when the container is opened, Herbrandson said.

Imported skin-lightening creams and soaps with high levels of mercury have been found in other states; they are illegal under federal law. Herbrandson said skin products with mercury are more dangerous than mercury-containing eye makeup because people apply larger quantities to their bodies.

So, let’s get this straight…. Minnesota bans Mercury for use in cosmetics which we are just putting on our faces, but NJ ADDS additional mercury to be injected directly into our bodies?????  Come on people, don’t you see anything wrong with this scenario????  I certainly do.

There is a link between Thimerisol and Autism.  Any parent with a child with Autism can verify this without a doubt.  So you think we’re nuts or just looking for someone to blame, that’s fine.  Until it happens to you and you join our ranks.  Until you join our fight.  Studies that have been done disproving the link have come from sources which have too much to lose should they find that link.  You want the proof?  Want to see my son’s test results - want to wonder where all of the heavy metals came from? 

If you are still reading this and still think that the benefits of the flu shot outweighs the risk, please go to amazon.com and pick up a copy of David Kirby’s Evidence of Harm. 

If you are still reading this and are wondering how you are going to get your child into school without getting the vaccination - NJ offers two exemptions; one is medical and one is religious.  Since no pediatrician will write you a medical exemption, you’ll need to file a religious exemption.  Be strong and don’t back down.  Your child’s health is at stake - and there’s nothing more important than that!  Oh yeah, and you can find “god” at anytime, even if you have already started vaccinating your child. 

26: 1A-9.1 of the NJ Public Health Law
According to 26: 1A-9.1 of the New Jersey Public Health Law children are exempt from vaccinations for school entry “whose parent, parents or guardian hold genuine and sincere religious beliefs which are contrary to the practices herein required, and no certificate shall be required as a prerequisite to such children being admitted or received into school or attending school.” Subd. 9. L.1989, c.538 & 3 eff. Jan.1, 1990, substituted requirement of genuine and sincere contrary religious beliefs for requirement of bona fide membership in a recognized religious organization opposing immunization to qualify for exemption. It is discriminatory to ask what religion one belongs to in order to qualify for an exemption from vaccinations; everyone is entitled.

MB-12 day.  Joy. . .  Success!!  I’m starting to get numb in giving him these now… it’s like I’m not taking no for an answer - clearly he needs them.  The days he gets them, he’s amazing.  New words, new everything.  He only cries for like a second, then it’s all over.

Nicholas had a great day at school today.  Finally, finally, finally, I got Nicholas to walk from the car, into the school, down the halls and into the classroom WITHOUT having to pick him up.  Not that he didn’t try to get me to pick him up - I just wasn’t gonna do it.  If Daddy and Grandpa can walk him in without carrying him, Mommy can too!

His movements while holding him are taking a toll on my hands.  They hurt and ache almost constantly now.  This. Is. Not. Good.

Wes came again today and Nicholas played with him for almost 2 hours straight!!  Again, he didn’t want him to leave at all.  I’m hoping once his ABA gets going after the holidays that he’ll still like Wes like he does now.

Nicholas sat with me for a long time tonight at his table.  He ate dinner and then decided he wanted chex-mix instead of raviolli.  Ok, fine.  So, we munched on the chex mix for a while. 

I’m so excited for him - next week, he’ll have a BIG BOY bed.   For Christmas, we bought him an organic mattress and organic comforter.  and new big-boy bedding too.  Planes, Trains and Trucks is his new thing - and that’s just what’s going to be on his sheets!  :-)  I’ll be able to sleep better at night knowing that he’s not breathing toxic fumes and not absorbing antimony heaven forbid he wet the bed.  The news tonight reported about a couple who had recently purchased a new mattress and the fumes literally made them both ill.  I don’t understand why this surprises anyone - have you ever tried to find out what is in your mattress?  Nothing you’d want to inhale into your body or absorb through your skin, trust me on that.

I got lots of great one on one time with him tonight.  Lots of fantastic eye contact.