Happy Mother's Day to Mom Runners
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

  

 

 

Happy Mother's Day to Mom Runners

Run Across the Congo

 

By Tammy Duffy 

 

On May 23-30,  2015, an all-women team of runners will embark upon a 7-marathon, 7-day journey along the shores of Lake Kivu in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to raise awareness and funds for the inspiring female coffee farmers, farming families and cooperatives working toward gender equality and stability in the region and victims of VAS.

 

The first ever Run Across Congo will support and celebrate the resurgence of the Kivu Region through empowering women in farming communities. Runners will traverse the Great Lakes region of Africa for 300 km, hosted along the way by communities with whom organizing partners, On The Ground and Twin, have existing relationships.

 

Awareness and funds raised from the Run will empower women through programs that create access to knowledge, land, income and health care, enabling them to run their own lives and businesses. Run Across Congo unites non-profit, governmental and coffee industry partners with communities persevering through decades of civil war in Eastern DRC.

 

Funds secured by the runners and through other project fund raising will directly benefit women of three Congolese communities: female coffee farmers of the Muungano Cooperative, widows of slain Virunga National Park rangers and sexual assault victims receiving care in Lemare. 

 

Run Across Congo will use the same model the non profit, On the Ground,  developed for the successful Run Across Ethiopia in 2011 and Run Across Palestine in 2012.  These runs created several schools and the planting of thousands of olive trees respectively, for projects that are continuing to dramatically improve the lives of farming communities in the developing nations.

 

In speaking with one of the runners, Britt Cameron I was inspired by her every word.  Britt and her husband both are in the US Coast Guard.  They have 6 children and have grown their family through international adoption and foster care. Her youngest son, Kai, was born in DR Congo. She is not an endurance runner, however she has ran 4 marathons.  The elevation that they will run in the DR Congo is much different from the USCG base in NJ.  They will conquer this run and raise a lot of money for their ultra event. Britt is very excited to start this journey. 

 

The proceeds from Run Across Congo will provide transformative opportunities to these farmers by introducing practical initiatives supporting women’s empowerment at both farm and cooperative levels.  Funds will be used to empower and educate female farmers to become entrepreneurs, take control of their lives and create a brighter future for coffee communities affected by the civil war in the eastern DRC. 

 

The programs will provide the following:

·         Gender Action Learning Systems training

·         Training and leadership for women

·         Self esteem workshops

·         Literacy training

·         Educated men to involve their wives and daughters

·         Developing incentives at producer levels, promoting female membership

·         Continuing entrepreneur and business advice and support

·         Training women to develop small business plans, business advice and support.

 

One of the first stops along the way during this ultra marathon will be the community of Lemera.  The town is a hub for women who are victims of sexual aggression (VAS), many of whom walk four days or more with their children to receive medical attention.  Funds raised by the run will support the communities Lemera Hospital, which has treated 670 VAS patients in the last year. 

 

http://www.runacrosscongo.org/run/

 

The link above will allow you to visit their web site.  As these amazing runners commence their journey on May 23^rd, we wish them the best of luck. We also wish Britt and all the Mom’s running a very Happy Mother’s Day!

 

 

 

 

Exhibition for Lisa Macchi
Topic: ART NEWS

 

 

 

New HAM Exhibition Highlights New Works by Lisa Macchi

Artist Lisa Macchi says the experience of painting is a living, breathing process that’s intuitive, improvisational, visceral and seductive.

“It’s a physical dance with the piece for me,” Macchi said. “My process is not to think too much and let the work take its own course.”

Macchi’s solo exhibition, New Works on Paper, opens at the Hunterdon Art Museum on Sunday, May 17 and runs until Sept. 6. Everyone is welcome to attend the opening reception on May 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. which includes a gallery talk by the artist.

Macchi is an abstract expressionist working in a modern impressionistic painting/collage style. She finds inspiration in nature, relationships and the contrasting depths between shapes, colors and space. Viewers may discern various elements and symbols in her work, but the artist prefers not to discuss specifics.

“I don’t want to sabotage the viewer’s imagination by saying too much about my work,” she said. “The work is abstract so viewers will draw from it whatever seems appropriate to them. Many times people will look at my work and say they see something in it that may or may not be there.

“There’s a sense of intimacy with the work that makes it very personal,” she adds.

Macchi frequently works with a special paper that she tempers and primes in a putty-colored patina of gesso, which works as a foundation and sealant. Adding this surface and color – what Macchi calls “the bones” -- gives the painting more depth and substance rather than painting on a flat plain white palette, she said. The artist then begins her very spontaneous process, creating work organically using acrylic, crayon, graphite and/or pieces of paper glued onto the work.

“My process is not to think too much and just let the work take its own course,” she said.

She received a Bachelor’s of Fine Art from the Tyler School of Fine Arts at Temple University in
Pennsylvania. During the 1970s, she attended the Art Students League in New York City
where she studied with renowned modernist Knox Martin and Peter Golfinopoulos.

Macchi put her art career on hold for several years to become a successful business woman and to raise a family, but her passion for art never faded. “I always knew I’d go back to my work,” Macchi said. “But when I did, I wanted to make sure I really immersed myself in it so I could learn and grow.”

Her work has been shown at several venues including the Riverside Studio in Pottersville and at New Century artist Gallery in Chelsea, New York.

New Exhibitions at Hunterdon Museum
Topic: ART NEWS

 

 

 

New Exhibitions at the Hunterdon Art Museum

 

The Hunterdon Art Museum has several new exhibitions opening Sunday, May 17 featuring works in collage, drawing and abstract painting. All the following shows run until September 6 unless otherwise noted.

Peter Jacobs: The Collage Journal – The First Decade. For the past decade, artist Peter Jacobs has started each morning by creating a collage from that day’s New York Times. The collages are   theatrical stages of abstracted color and rhythms, layers that imbue surreal narratives, symbolism hidden in humor, social commentary, cultural irony and pure visual perception.

To the Best of my Recollection. This new exhibition of drawings explores how we retell stories, and how information is lost or distorted when we consider the people and places in our lives. The four artists whose works are featured in the show – Alex Gingrow, Carlos Rodriguez, Frank Magnotta and Michael Scoggins – approach the art of storytelling from fresh perspectives using text, art and sometimes both.

Lisa Macchi: New Works on Paper. Lisa Macchi is an abstract expressionist working in a modern impressionistic painting/collage style. She finds inspiration in nature, relationships and the contrasting depths between shapes, colors and space.

Carol Rosen: In Memoriam. The Museum hosts a retrospective of the work of Carol Rosen (1933-2014), who was featured in a solo exhibition in 2013. The show includes her recent photo collages that focused on the Holocaust along with cast paper and sculptures of found objects that demonstrate her ongoing interesting in using unconventional materials in her works. Closes June 19.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

The Museum is at 7 Lower Center St. in Clinton, New Jersey, 08809. Our website is www.hunterdonartmuseum.org and our telephone number is 908-735-8415. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm and suggested admission is $5.

 

Junie B. Jones” Takes Center Stage at MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre May 30

 

 

 

 

West Windsor, N.J. – There’s big time fun in store when “Junie B. Jones” steps onto the stage at Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) Kelsey Theatre.  Theatreworks/ USA presents the irrepressible first grader in her very own musical on Saturday, May 30 at 2 and 4 p.m.  Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

Based on Barbara Park’s best-selling books, the production chronicles the outspoken and lovable youngster’s daily accounts as she describes them in her “top secret personal beeswax journal.”  Junie’s challenges include getting used to a whole new group of friends, meeting her teacher, adjusting to wearing glasses, participating in the annual kickball tournament and other angst-ridden moments of childhood.  Young audiences will easily connect with this warm and bubbly heroine, who finds a way to succeed in the end and learns important lessons along the way. 

After a brief New York City-area tour in Spring 2004, “Junie B. Jones” premiered off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in July 2004 and is now one of Theatreworks/ USA’s most popular productions.  The musical is based on books in the Junie B. Jones series including Junie B., First Grader (at Last!); Junie B., Boss of Lunch; Junie B., One-Man Band; and Top-Secret Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B. (and Me!).

Theatreworks/USA is America’s largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theater for young and family audiences.  Since 1961, the company has enlightened, entertained, and instructed more than 90 million people in 49 states and Canada, now performing for about four million people annually.

Tickets are $10 for children, students and senior citizens, and $12 for adults. Free parking is available next to the theatre. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333. 

 

Heroin: Do Not Ignore The Signs
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 

Heroin: Do Not Ignore The Signs

 

It’s hard to imagine – heroin, in your house. Your child, addicted to this powerful and dangerous drug. For numerous families in Hamilton, NJ, the problem is very real and the stakes are very high. Heroin is prevalent throughout our region, wreaking havoc with the lives of teens and adults and bewildering their heartbroken parents. Heroin is easily available, relatively inexpensive and so highly addictive that what often begins as teenage experimentation quickly escalates to full-blown addiction. While the word heroin still conjures up images of strung out junkies loitering on street corners in urban neighborhoods, those stereotypes no longer apply. The most common substances kids use are marijuana and alcohol, but the new heroin users are predominantly young, white and suburban.

 

For parents, learning that their son or daughter is using heroin is a lifechanging moment. However they learn of it, the realization hits like an emotional tsunami – overwhelming and devastating. “When I found out that my child, a freshman, was addicted to heroin, it felt like an out-of-body experience,” says Mother X, a Hamilton resident. “I thought it couldn’t possibly be true. But it was, and my husband and I are still reeling with it. We felt every emotion: shock, anger, guilt, confusion and disappointment, even a sense of betrayal. But mostly we feel sad and scared.” Mother X’s reaction is a common one.

 

Parents are devastated and they react in  a lot of different ways. The most important thing is not to panic  but to take action. Whether parents suspect their child of heroin use, or know the child has a problem and are trying to deal with it, there are things they can do that will help their child, themselves and the entire family. It’s never hopeless.”

 

Common Mistakes Parents Make

 

Perhaps surprisingly, some parents actually enable their child’s substance abuse.  Giving your child money, letting them skip school, covering for them, lying to police to protect them from prosecution– these are some of the ways that well-meaning parents enable the child’s addiction. The stigma of heroin addiction and treatment is so great that I have even seen parents who permitted their teen to use at home or have driven them to get drugs, so that their child doesn’t have to face the ordeal of withdrawal.

 

If your child is stealing from you,  that child has an addiction which has progressed significantly. At that point, you need help. That child is far gone, deeply involved in substance abuse. Parents are reluctant to press charges against their own child, but this is an opportunity to get the legal system involved and get help. Do not feel that you are always with your kid and there is no way they are exposed to drugs. The moment they leave your presence they can be exposed and or tempted. Do not be naive and think, “ My kid would never get hooked.”

 

Parents are embarrassed when the  legal system becomes involved, but it is imperative that parents abide by the law. The biggest mistake parents make is failing to confront the problem directly. Many parents see the warning signs but sweep it under the rug, he says, because they are trying to cope with a mix of emotions and honestly don’t know what to do. It often takes a crisis for parents to act.

 

Red Flags: Recognizing the Warning Signs

 

One of the first signs of substance abuse in young people is a deterioration in school performance. There may be a change in personality as well – a previously engaged and happy child becoming withdrawn, irritable or angry, for example. Changes in sleeping habits are common. Excess sleeping, drowsiness or a lot of napping are definitely red flags, even though many teens normally sleep a lot.  You have to know your own child and pay attention to changes. Be involved. You can be involved in your child’s school and social life without being intrusive. Drive them to their friend’s homes and pick them up; talk with their friend’s parents. Know who your kid’s friends are; a change in friends is a huge red flag.

 

Kids with heroin addiction often get high before school and can’t stand to be in class..  Key points to watch for are such behaviors as nodding off, falling asleep often, having pinpoint pupils, dark eye circles and rapid weight loss. Heroin is an appetite suppressant and girls who use it commonly do so to avoid weight gain.

 

Control the Things You Can Control

 

Although they may feel overwhelmed and uncertain, parents are not helpless and their actions can go a long way in supporting their child’s recovery. Take away their driving privileges.  If your child is getting  high, he or she should not be driving. Stop helping them by keeping them entitled.

Many parents will still let them drive and this is dangerous. They WILL drive high. Plus, a car gives them the means to go to get drugs. If your child has a car or is still driving yours, pay attention to the car’s mileage; kids will go far to get drugs, to the hubs where there is a lot of drug activity.  If there are prescription drugs in the home, lock them up. Substance abuse is a progression that commonly begins with prescription drugs and alcohol.

 

Sedatives such as Xanax or painkillers like Vicodin and Percocet are popular and are present in many homes.  Kids  know where to look and will use what’s available; they like the relaxing effect of these drugs. Oxycontin leads right to heroin; the effect is the same and heroin is actually less expensive.  Taking away cell phones and cash are also helpful measures.   These actions may not completely prevent your child from using, but they place obstacles before them that make it more difficult for them. If your child has a job and has their own money, make them accountable for it. A heroin habit can become expensive.

 

Strengthen Your Relationship with Your Child

 

Involvement in the child’s life is the best strategy for parents whose kids are already using, as well as a preventive approach for parents who are concerned. Essentially, all kids are vulnerable, peer pressure combined with the challenges of adolescence and an environment offering easy availability of drugs make a perfect storm of risk.  Kids who take drugs may be dealing with emotional pain, or they may be bored and experimenting with risk taking behavior. Many kids have too much unsupervised time; they need their parents to be involved and spend time with them. Know who they are, what they’re doing, who they are with. Talk to them and be there so they can talk to you. Stay close to your kids, talk to them, and hug them. When you hug your kids, you not only connect emotionally but you have an opportunity to assess them closely for physical signs of substance abuse, such as pinpoint pupils.

 

Part of being a good parent is monitoring your child. Keeping an eye on behavior is one aspect of this, but another is one that many parents find uncomfortable – going through their child’s belongings.  Checking up on your child by going through their backpacks and pockets depends somewhat on the relationship, but when parents have concerns they need to trust their intuition and be bold. Your kids may be doing something dangerous and illegal in your house and you are responsible.  They can Recover. Perhaps the most critical point is that there is plenty of help available to parents and they should not delay seeking it. Heroin is a dangerous drug and an overdose can be fatal.

 

Heroin use can also cause Hepatitis C, a liver disease that is largely asymptomatic but gradually does severe damage to the liver; injecting heroin places the user at very high risk for contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. “Parents should act as soon as they are aware that there is a problem. Kids can get clean. They can recover. The longer they are in treatment, the better the prognosis. They can still recover and lead full, healthy and happy lives.

 

How does it feel to take heroin?

 

Heroin produces a “rush” of euphoria and a warm, drowsy, contented feeling. Users may have constricted pupils and want to sleep a lot. Tolerance to heroin builds quickly and more and more is required to get the same effect. It is extremely addictive. Heroin withdrawal is characterized by nausea, aches, chills, sweats, tremors and muscle spasms.

 

How is heroin taken?

 

Heroin is made from morphine. On the street, it comes in a powder form that is nearly always “cut” or diluted for sale. It may be cut with sugar, starch, talcum powder, flour, powdered milk or similar substances.The color varies, but it may range from white to dark brown; the taste is bitter. It is sold in plastic disposable bags.  Heroin can be taken in many ways – it may be snorted, smoked, injected or even eaten, although that is unlikely. For injection, heroin powder is mixed with water and then may be injected subcutaneously (under the skin) or intravenously (into a vein).To smoke heroin, it has to be heated to create vapors that can be inhaled; this is often done by heating it on a piece of foil.

Most heroin users begin by smoking it, but eventually progress to injection. Injection is actually less expensive, because it takes a smaller amount to get the same high. Injection also is said to provide a better “high.

 

Talk to your kids......do not ignore the signs. 

 

Happy Mother's Day to Dog Moms
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

But, can we be mothers to species other than humans? I am the provider for two beautiful furry kids, Sophia Louisa and Ana Louise. But, I usually think of them as my children, my companion animals. Even though others may see me as a dog-mom, with my children being of the furry sort.

Even though my dogs are not my children, I am very happy to be spending Mother’s Day with them and my Mom of course. Whether I take them for a hike, drive them to the beach, or sit by my side at an outdoor cafe, they are still my full responsibility.

I pride myself with being a very conscientious care-taker for them, providing a very healthy diet, plenty of exercise, daily reward-based dog training, environmental enrichment, participation in dog sports, playtime, and an infinite amount of love. They won’t ever graduate from high school, leave for college and produce offspring. But, when I adopted them, I promised them a forever home. They get room and board with free medical and dental for life. I am their provider, care-taker, training partner, agility partner, and human snuggler, even if I am not their mom. My kids are very smart. Smarter than the kids that cannot even count change in the department stores these days.

A study in New Scientist reported that pet dogs rival humans for emotional satisfaction. After playing with their pets, dog owners experienced a burst in a hormone linked to infant care. I honestly have had more experience playing with puppies than taking care of infants, so I can’t compare. But, I do know that my engagement and relationship with my dogs is extremely emotionally satisfying and bonding. It’s not surprising to me that Dr. Rollin McCarty, Director of Research at the Institute of HeartMath, conducted an experiment and found that heart-rhythm entrainment, or synchronization, occurs between people and their dogs.

There are 75.1 million children in the United States. Statistics in the government projects that number will increase to over 100 million by the year 2050.  At the end of 2009, The Humane Society reported there were 77.5 million owned dogs in the U.S. and 93.6 million cats. The pet over-population problem is out of control.

So, this Mother’s Day, I’m going to enjoy being a mom, if only for a day. I enjoy it every day. I’m not going to feel guilty raising good canine citizens instead of  children. My kids ae quality citizens, with only the best of manners. My kids never talk back, they do not lie to me, or constantly ask for money and act ungrateful. These are things I see my relative’s kids, friend’s kids and neighbor’s kids do daily. Kids today have become a species of “I am entitled and I want it now and I do not have to do anything for it.” They are a generation of Superbrats.  I have watched my friends and relatives give their kids everything, pay for their college, give them cars and the kids are just brats. They never say thank you and are just plain rude entitled superbrats.

 I’m going to be proud of my choice to not add to the over human population and remind myself that I am helping the pet over-population.  I love being a dog Mom. Happy Mother’s Day to all Dog Mom’s, Cat Mom's, Iguana Mom's Bird Mom's , etc.  out there!  Have a happy day!

Heroin: NJ's New Epidemic
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

A Slice of Life
Topic: ART NEWS

 

 

 

A Slice of Life

 

HAM Presents the Art of Peter Jacobs Who Draws Inspiration

From The New York Times for “The Collage Journal: The First Decade”

 

 

This morning, Peter Jacobs rolled out of bed, poured himself a cup of coffee and reached into his leather shoulder bag for an X-Acto knife, some glue, a 9-x-12 inch self-healing matt and a 12-page Strathmore watercolor pad. He retrieved his copy of The New York Times from his front porch, and sat down at his kitchen table where he spent the next two hours creating a collage from the newspaper.

This is exactly what Jacobs did yesterday, and it’s what he will do tomorrow. In fact, Jacobs has basically adhered to this routine for the past 3,663 mornings in a row (and counting). Since that first morning, Jacobs has filled 308 Strathmore books, and has gone through 342 X-Acto blades and 374 acid-free glue sticks.

Each morning he scans the newspaper for inspiration. He might slice out sections of pattern or color. Or, waving his knife like a magic wand, he’ll make a face, object or gesture disappear from a photo. He’ll attach the pieces onto the pad, and rearrange them to his satisfaction before the glue hardens.

The Hunterdon Art Museum will celebrate Jacobs’s work with an exhibition titled “The Collage Journal: The First Decade” which runs from May 17 to Sept. 6. The opening reception is Sunday, May 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. and includes a gallery talk by Jacobs and refreshments. Everyone is welcome.

The collages are paintings with paper, theatrical stages of abstracted color and rhythms, layers that imbue surreal narratives, symbolism hidden in humor, social commentary, cultural irony and pure visual perception, Jacobs said.

“The Collage Journal is integrated into my daily life as a meditation, contemplation and daily source of creative expression,” Jacobs noted.

Jacobs’s first step in this decades-long journey began on March 31, 2005. He was enjoying breakfast and reading The New York Times with his wife, Elizabeth, a sculptor. They were discussing the importance of discipline in making art and about finding projects that have weight, when Elizabeth suggested they create some art each day.

Jacobs had worked with collage for 35 years and wondered where in his daily life he could go for inspiration. He found the answer right at his fingertips.

“I rarely have a predetermined concept based on the news, nor an end result in mind from the start, Jacobs said. “Generally, there is a stew of what I am visually awakened by, my feelings of the moment and subconsciously, the news. I initially respond to certain elements from the newspaper -- colors, textures, architecture and stories -- and extract them. I continue to construct and deconstruct layers through a visual dialogue. Overall, it is a very intuitive process.”

 

No matter the circumstances, Jacobs has toiled steadily at his work. When his wife needed surgery, Jacobs brought his tools and worked at his wife’s bedside. The notion of taking a cruise almost brought shudders as he worried about having access to a daily newspaper.

Through the years, Jacobs’s work evolved into a “poetic narrative,” as he drew a deeper appreciation for the purity of art and its mysterious qualities. But whatever changes occur, the creative process has remained constant. Jacobs equates his work to “a puzzle (in which) I try to create a different ending to each time.  When I start each collage, I have no idea where I’m going to end up. . . That, to me, means I’m never compromising.”

The exhibition’s title “The Collage Journal: The First Decade” offers the clearest clue about Jacobs’s future plans. “No one knows what the future will bring, but I will continue to bring a new work into each day as long as the New York Times delivers newspapers,” he said.

When Healthcare Becomes Health Scare: Part 2
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

the right patient;

the right vaccine

the right time;

the right dosage;

the right route, needle length, and technique;

the right site; and,

the right documentation.

If any of these above processes are not being followed at the time you are getting your vaccine, leave the establishment. If something happens post injection, always go to your physician, ER and or report it to the CDC.

 

The link below is used to report any adverse event to a drug or injection.

 

 https://vaers.hhs.gov/index

 

 When a vaccine is administered, even if the patient has previously received a dose of that vaccine, a patient’s status can change from one visit to the next or a new contraindication or precaution may have been added. Screening questions that should be asked of every patient.  Many state immunization programs and other organizations have developed standardized screening tools. 

I have worked in medicine for the past 30 years. There are specific requirements that we have as healthcare workers that we all must meet. There are no exceptions. One of those requirements focuses on vaccinations. There are many vaccines that we are required to get in order to work in the healthcare sector. It’s one of our many admission tickets to our careers.

 

Some of these very vaccines require a series of shots. After ten years some vaccines require a booster and or a repeat of the vaccine to ensure immunity to the said disease. 

 

Recently, I had to finalize one of my series of shots. I was due for my third and final shot in the series.  I had no issue with the first two in the series which were administered by my personal physician. 

 

During a National Meeting for the company I work for they had a “shot bar”. This shot bar was utilized for the team to get all their vaccines up to date.  A private company was brought in to orchestrate this event.

 

After I received my shot, within one hour I began exhibiting symptoms. These symptoms intensified over the course of two days while I was at the meeting. The symptoms included: severe pain shooting down my entire arm (injection was given into my deltoid), loss of range of motion of entire arm, numbness down my entire arm, hand and fingers and swelling to the arm and hand.

 

At that point I started to be concerned. Muscle soreness is typical with a vaccine shot, but this went beyond soreness. It was now the third day after the shot, and I should have been feeling better by now.

 

I would pride myself in having a high pain tolerance.  I am not one to complain of pain or take pain killers, even after major surgery. So, for me to complain of severe pain, I was in pain. On a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the highest, the pain was an 8.

 

Upon returning from the meeting, I called my doctor and upon examination he immediately sent me to the Emergency Room.  I had lost complete functionality to my hand (was unable to pick anything up and unable to squeeze his hand on examination) and arm. The pain crescendo’d  to an 11 by this point. I was extremely concerned with the loss of functionality of my limb and hand as well.

 

The ER physician performed an examination and various tests by specific experts. These tests revealed that evidently the vaccine injection I received was injected directly into my nerve.  This suboptimal injection was the direct cause to  the loss of functionality, numbness, swelling and pain to my arm and hand. They asked specific questions about the process in which the contracted injection company took to ensure the safety of the patients.  They also asked for the vaccine lot and expiration information, who gave the injection, etc.   The idea of a “shot bar” mystified all of the medical staff.

 

As I listened to the physician share with me what the outcome of this vaccine injection had created, I was quite annoyed and upset. They also shared with me that they did not know if I this haphazardly issued injection created permanent damage to my limb. As a triathlete and extremely active person, I was very upset by this news. They also did say that I could wake up in a few days and be 100% better, it was anyone’s guess. I had reached out to the contracted company who did the injections and it took several days and several calls to their corporate headquarters (after calls to the local franchise were avoided by the nurse responsible for the event) to get the information as it pertained to the vaccine injected. They are required to give you the name of the manufacturer, lot #, expiration date, etc. This information was needed to submit an adverse event log to the CDC on the administered vaccine.

 

The regiment that was taken to help facilitate bringing me back to normal was: a series of steroid pills over the course of 10 days, physical therapy, acupuncture, the use of KT tape and the use of micro electronic bionic impulse technology. This micro-electronic impulse technology improves blood circulation, boost tissue energy and accelerates the efflux of inflammatory substances.  The cost of all of this came out of my own pocket. The contracted company who did the injection, who felt compelled to inject the vaccine into my nerve also did not take responsibility for their mistake. All the doctor bills are coming out of my own pocket.  

 

As each day progressed the swelling in my limb and arm is decreasing, my mobility is gradually increasing, the numbness and tingling has begun to dissipate, etc. I was extremely pleased with the progress. Even though there has been magnificent progress, I am not back to where I was prior to the shot, but am hopeful.

 

The last sentence my doctor shared with me scared me, Long-term treatment. Long-lasting arm and hand pain is not what anyone hopes for.

 

In doing research on this, I discovered that the government already has a name for this type of vaccine injury: shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, or SIRVA. Can you imagine that this happens so often due to the lack of competent health care workers that the government has actually given it a name. That did not happen over night, the name SIRVA., for nothing happens quickly in the world of government.

 

As of 2010, it’s a known type of vaccine injury, and a study on it found several identifying characteristics. In most cases, those affected are women, the person administering the injection was standing while the patient was seated, and the injection was placed too high on the arm, resulting in the injection being delivered into the bursa. This is exactly true with my injection, the person administering it was standing when she gave me my shot.

 

This led to the recommendation that the upper third of the deltoid muscle should not be used for vaccine injections, and the diagnosis of vaccination-related shoulder dysfunction should be considered in patients presenting with shoulder pain following a vaccination. (The Dept. of Health & Human Services accepted this recommendation, along with also recommending that the person administering the vaccine be seated if the patient is seated to reduce error.)

 

A report on this injury was given during a  2010 Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines meeting  (pages 15-28 or so), where it was revealed that among those without prior shoulder injuries, only a third who developed SIRVA ever fully recovered. Meaning there’s a chance that an improper injection can lead to life-long joint pain in that shoulder.

 

And here’s the kicker: Your immunity is compromised with these suboptimal actions of healthcare workers. My doctor said it’s unlikely that I gained any immunity from that shot, since it went into the nerve and not the muscle. I am paying thousands of dollars now in doctors bills to haven been given brachial plexus neuritis, that has a chance of causing chronic shoulder pain. So this means to ensure that I do have immunity, another shot is in order. Lovely.

 

I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this, so here are a few tips for you the next time you have to have  any vaccine injected into your arm:

 

1. If it seems too high of a position, say something! I wish I had followed my own advice here. My arm actually bled quite a bit after the injection. This should not happen as well. A shot should not be given just under your acromion process (the knobby end of your shoulder), but should be given at least two finger widths down. Needle size should be carefully considered, too. Better to say something rather than be injured. Not sure how to bring it up? Try this as a starter when the alcohol pad is rubbed on the spot: “Huh, that seems really high on my arm. I don’t remember getting any other shots that high.”

2. Ask if you can stand while the shot is given. If the provider would prefer that you sit, ask that person to sit as well, so that you’re both at the same level. Injecting from above tends to result in the injection being given higher on the deltoid, which increases your risks. Trying to estimate two finger widths down while standing provides a skewed view of the site and means your shot will likely be placed too high.

3. For the flu shot, ask if you’re eligible for Flumist. The Flumist version of the vaccine is sprayed into your nose – no needles! Not everyone is a good candidate for this version of the vaccine, since it’s a live vaccine, but if you’re eligible you’ll prevent any needle injury by avoiding it altogether.

4. Consider who administers your shot. Pharmacies are convenient for flu shots, but how well do you know your pharmacist? Many may not have the experience of your doctor’s office nurse. On the other hand, you may have a better relationship with your pharmacist than your doctor’s nurse. Ideally, you want someone who has a good amount of experience in giving shots, and who gives them with some regularity.

5.  If you are going to a clinic...watch them. Do they wash their hands well between patients? There was no sink nor did I see anyone leave between patients at the shot bar I attended.  

 

TRUST NO ONE! IT'S YOUR BODY! YOUR TEMPLE! 

 

However, one point regarding this: sometimes, you get a bad shot, no matter the person giving it. I’ve had my flu shot at Walgreens in the past, by one of their pharmacists, and didn’t have any issues. Nearly any medical professional has a risk of giving a bad shot, even if they’ve been involved in your care since you were a baby. That’s why it’s important to pay attention and ask questions if something seems wrong, even if the professional is someone you trust. I would highly recommend not participating in a “shot bar” in the future.

 

I’m not going to say that the solution is to never get another shot. But I do think we should all consider each shot as a careful medical procedure. Any medical procedure has the ability to help, but most also have the ability to harm if done improperly. We should be cautious in who we choose to give us a shot, and we shouldn’t feel dumb or bossy to speak up and ask questions if we’re uncertain.

 

The changes in healthcare and how healthcare facilities and physicians are reimbursed has driven new ways in which healthcare is administered. It is not always administered in the best interest of the patient. There are however processes being developed by the government that penalize bad medicine and reward positive patient experiences and outcomes.  

 

As of today, my shoulder has almost a full range of motion again, although a few movements continue to be painful. A low-level ache is present nearly all the time (I’m told this is what arthritis feels like?) and I still can’t sleep on that side. I have occasional numbness/tingling in my fingers, but it’s less and less each day.  I have noticed a significant weakness in that joint now, so I’m taking it slow and easy with lifting anything or too much movement.  Like any injury, things take time to heal. 

 

Be careful out there. You never know what can happen. Always be diligent.