A little about me.

So I am finally getting around to sharing my story of how and why I started this blog. I would have never guessed 15 years ago that I would be on this journey of learning and changing my beliefs as not only a person but as a parent. When I had my first child, I was just like a large majority of the US. I went to the doctor regularly, as did my first born. If the doctor told me something needed to be done, it was just done without question. I never ever dared to ask the hardcore questions that ALL people need to ask and discuss when it comes to making medical decisions. I blindly followed the advice given by my CNM and her OB when I was told my son needed to be born by cesarean after only 14 hours of labor and reaching 7 cm. We were both fine and healthy, great heart tones, and I was ready to keep going, but it was getting late and I am sure they were getting tired of waiting around. The post op infection in my wound was torture on my entire family. My son was fully vaccinated as I bought into the hype that they were safe, why on earth would they give them to children if there was ANY indication that they were not safe. He went in for every single well baby check that I was told I HAD to bring him to. I was berated every time I took him in for one thing or another. For many years after he was born I continued thinking that ALL doctors know best and truly only had mine and my sons best interest in mind and would NEVER recommend anything that would carry major risk. Over time I have learned that most of the time this is not the case. I should have learned earlier when I was a young girl, watching my mom, fighting for her life from breast cancer. She had this cancer for roughly 10 years and when she brought the lump in her breast up to her doctor he told her it was nothing to worry about. Patted her on the head and told her to let him do the worrying. For 10 YEARS he did nothing. Not even a referral for a mammogram. Mom, blindly followed what he said as she had been raised the same way, doctor knows best. 10 years later when her insurance changed she though she would go in for a check up and see what her new doc would say, assuming it would be the same, that it was nothing to worry about. That day my moms life and mine came crashing in. Upon feeling the lump, her new doc informed her that she could guarantee that it was cancer and she was in surgery that same week. It had spread so much that it went into all her lymph nodes on 1 side and they all had to be removed. Her recovery was very long and painful, with staph infections and daily de-breeing sessions to clear away the dead tissue in hopes it would heal. Chemo and radiation both followed and this amazingly strong women endured over a year of hell, fighting for her life. I could very well have lost my mom. The prognosis they gave her was not very promising and I am so very thankful that they were wrong and 20 years later she is still with me and my family. I now have a total of 4 children and with each one I have learned more and more. I no longer vaccinate my children and I research any procedures or treatments that are recommended and I make it a point to grill the doctor now so I know fully what is going to happen, what all the risks are and to determine if the benefit will outweigh any risks. Now I do NOT want this to be mistaken as a doctor hating blog. I don't hate doctors in general, of course there are a few in my own personal like that I do despise from personal experience. But I think that there are still way to many people who put way to much trust in their doctors to make their decisions for them. Doctors are no different from you or me, we are ALL human. Doctors can and DO make mistakes all the time. We, all of us, need to start taking a bigger role in our healthcare choices. Doctors need to be more transparent to their patients about conflict of interest, for example I feel that any doctor that gets ANYTHING from formula companies(pens, lunches, free samples etc) should have to disclose that information with their patients when they recommend formula feeding. Anyway I think this has gotten quiet long, but I am planning on being more active with this blog, posting on a regular basis, hopefully every day! Thanks for reading!