A New Paradigm on the Road Less Travelled - Part 1 – An Introduction to the Road

By Kim M. Watson, RN, MScN

New year, new beginnings in many ways. We are right now travelling the road less travelled. For those of you who have been on the road for a bit, you already know that. For those new, you will learn to love the ride! And yes, you are in the driver seat, now you have to decide where you will go!

Like any great journey, it usually goes a bit smoother if you have a map, or plan. For this one, it is a bit like Columbus, some of us set sail without a clear idea of exactly what we will find, though knowing we have to do this, that perhaps the world is not flat! Some of us were born to do this. That is the story for me as I move forward, this is my destiny. Do not get me wrong, I have ended up in places had I had a map I would not have gone to, though I may have missed part of the adventure, the knowing and would have lost something valuable on the path. In the last few years I started to get discouraged, question if what I knew to be true was not yet to be revealed, only to now see it was needed to help me reaffirm what I know is my destiny. My belief and knowledge of whom I am and where we need to go has not waived, even when my will did. You may ask why I am telling you this. Because I am sure before you are done with things, you too will question if you are up to the task, and I can tell you – YOU ARE! Stay on this path, be open to the ideas, and in the end our healthcare system in Canada will prosper and health will not be focused on disease (or dis-ease), though on healing and wellness (even in the face of death).

Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Elements of our healthcare system are the problem, so we need to shift in the way we approach the future of healthcare. Now how will we achieve this you ask – through a paradigm shift. A paradigm shift is a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. In order to transform our healthcare system we will need to embrace a change, or at least turn 60 to 90 degrees away from the general principles that rule our conventional, allopathic healthcare system of today.

An integrative healthcare approach to the delivery of care will draw on the best that the scientific approach can bring, though we will need to refocus on:

 

·         Caring for the whole person (holism) – focusing on mind-body-spirit of persons.

·         The practitioner-patient relationship will be key with an importance placed on caring, compassion, health and wellness. 

·         The patient in the driver seat of care, at least the one to determine the route!

·         A truly multi-disciplinary approach to care.

·         Willingness to use various complementary therapies, which are viewed as unconventional modalities of care.

·         Scientific evaluation or research – a new look on how to study this approach. 

Implementing an integrative approach will involve these key concepts, and likely more. In Part 2, I will start the discussion about these concepts. For now this is a brief introduction to some of the basic components this author has seen used today with various groups, persons, or organizations moving to an integrative model of care. These are also foundational elements of a holistic nursing practice and philosophy, for which I am familiar. I hope to peak your interest in this discussion, to challenge some of your core concepts perhaps, and invite you to embrace a new path, one that will eventually move us in the right direction towards health – for patients and our healthcare system as a whole!

Thanks for tuning in, and I look forward to discussing this more in Part 2.

 

Blessings, in love and in light, Namasté, Kim

 

To Or Not To...Flu Shot

By Brenda Pearce

 

Well here we are!  Not just the New Year, but 'Flu Season'.      

In many parts of the world, we mark the peak of Flu Season with vaccinations in early fall.  For many people, it is a time of rolling up our sleeves and taking the hit again, because we are told to.  Many feel that it is the right thing to do, and many others feel it is not.  But what is the truth? I think it is something that needs to be discussed. 

As a healthcare worker, it is expected that we take the flu shot.  We are bribed with pizza parties, and chocolate bars to ensure that the numbers of vaccinated is high with the aim of 100%. Working in Long Term Care, I am part of the team that inoculate the residents of our home.  We are inundated on media with cute jingles, and commercials featuring the medical officials advising us to get the flu shot....  It is the right thing to do, but is it? 

I want to share some information with you to make you think and to advise you to question everything.  Don't do something because EVERYONE is doing it.  In this day and age when now, more than ever, there are more and more vaccinations being promoted through public health on Canadians of ALL ages, I think it is time to think this through.  I will include some items for you to check out as part of YOUR due diligence.  You have to think for yourself, and not line up blindly at your PHU, Dr. Office, or Pharmacy. Question everything, and think for yourself. 

In a flu shot, there are such things as the dead virus of choice as determined by the WHO, also an ethyl mercury derivative whose safe dose is unknown.  This ethyl mercury is used as a preservative as vaccines are in multi dose vials and with each withdrawal of vaccine there is a risk of contamination.  Due to the concerns regarding the presence of Thimerosol, it has been removed from several childhood vaccinations.  However, what are the long term effects of injecting this into your body every year, year in and year out?  There are some who say that this is the same amount of mercury as is in a can of tuna.  Hmmm… worth considering, because as of yet, there is little discussion about this.  What about the egg protein?   The flu vaccine is grown in eggs.  The manufacturers contend that the risk of contamination by eggs in the vaccine is small, but there is a risk. However, some sources say the vaccine contains chick embryonic fluid.  There is a move to produce the vaccine without the use of eggs. It is in the U.S., but the drawback is that anyone with a latex allergy cannot take it.  In the U.S., their flu shots contain the seasonal flu virus of choice for the year, along with the pandemic flu vaccine for H1N1.  Or you can get an aerosol version of the flu shot.  Here in Canada, if you have an egg allergy, please be careful and aware of which vaccine you are to receive.  

What are some of the side effects of the flu shot?  At the site of injection, there may be redness, pain and swelling.   Those are localized symptoms.  Some people say that once they get the shot they get the flu.  Experts say that you cannot get the flu from the flu shot as the vaccine contains only dead flu virus, and only one of many strains of flu, and that if you get the flu shot, and catch the flu, it is likely not the virus in the flu shot. Hmmm… this really makes you think.  So the vaccine is grown in eggs, withdrawn from the embryonic fluid, and the virus in the flu shot is dead. The flu shot is injected into the recipient and the idea is that the antibodies in the body go to rally up against the intruder so that when a live virus enters the body, there are enough antibodies to ward it off.  How do we know if we have enough antibodies?  We don’t.  There are reports that the flu shot actually increases the prevalence of contracting the flu.  There are reports of vaccine induced encephalopathy.  Look into the prevalence of vaccine related injuries, and weigh the risk of contracting injury vs. the potential benefits of not getting the flu shot.  The flu can go on to develop into pneumonia and can cause death.  I have seen this in the elder frail.  I have seen this first hand.  How about in healthcare workers who get the flu.  They are injected with the dead virus and their bodies are weakened as their body rallies to fight the intruders, then they are bombarded with the live virus, and their body is stressed again and as the antibodies rally to fight off the onslaught, they are very exposed, and very tired, and get sick too.    

 

So when the flu shot is based on what is thought to be the virus of choice for the year, and yet the flu that spreads like wildfire is a different strain, then why would you want to inject this into your body if you still run the risk of the flu? So when this is going on, like this year, when the strain running rampant is the Hong Kong flu and the mass injected vaccine contains a different strain,  like I said question everything and make a choice that is right for you. Public health say that the best protection is the flu shot, and, oh yeah, it is not too late to get it now! 

 

There is a lot of cross information on flu shots.  It comes down to your own research. Make a choice and do not let yourself be coerced into getting it or bribed, but do so of your own accord.  Do you have allergies to eggs, or latex?  Do you feel that the risk of vaccine side effects is worth taking the shot?  Be careful where you are getting the vaccine, some people may unknowingly go into anaphylactic shock due to unknown allergies to vaccine components.  Ask if there are safety precautions and training by whomever gives you the shot, especially if the shot is given in a pharmacy or non-medical facility. Do research if you have children and look at which countries have banned it for children, and consider their reasoning as part of your decision making.  The flu shot is considered essential for frail elderly...  Consider if their body can sustain the synthesis of the vaccine?  What are the long term effects of injecting small amounts annually of ethyl mercury into your body? Viruses do not respond to antibiotics well. 

Symptoms can be treated immediately with remedies such as salt water rinses for sore throats, honey and tea drinks, and by keeping well hydrated.  Nasal lavages, taking increased vitamin c, and taking antipyretics like Tylenol hourly to reduce aches, pains and fever can help, but make sure not to exceed daily limits.  Ensure that you get enough sleep during flu season so you do not become run down and more susceptible.  Then there are the emotional things of reducing stress.  Maintain levels of exercise so you do not become sluggish.  Get enough sunlight exposure to boost natural vitamin A and D levels. Keep busy, engaged, and active.  Keeping a positive mindset and envisioning yourself as healthy and resilient can help. Limit your exposure to direct coughs from sick people. Wash your hands frequently, sneeze into your arm.  Also, there is always good old fashioned chicken noodle soup! 

 

What are alternatives? 

Naturopaths have flu shots that do not contain allergens, and usually have drops or dissolving tabs that go under the tongue, which are highly effective.  However, they are not recognized by healthcare employers.  If you choose to not get the flu shot then you need to create a back-up plan or look at alternatives.  Think things through and do not go through the period without doing something. PRIM is a grass roots movement with an aim of informing Canadians and helping them make better informed choices about their own self-care.  Do your due diligence, and may this article be the start of a great conversation regarding the seasonal flu shot that helps create a movement to make better information available.