ALASKA CHAT for JULY! - Page 18

[liza-s]

Originally Posted by brightonwoman

Everything I've heard about the swine flu vax is that it's been very rushed and not well tested, and that even in the US they are not letting kids have it yet cuz they're not sure...um, if they're not willing to approve it for kids, why should I feel ok about having it for me? So I intend to stay far away.

There isn't a swine flu vax available yet for anybody. It won't be out until at least October. I'm not sure how they handle clinical trials in a vax like flu since it is a rush job every year to try and get the most current strains in the vax and produce the vax before flu season begins.

Particularly for an illness like flu - where you really can't avoid the sick people - it is very important whether you vax or not to practice really good hygiene and eat an awesome diet to keep your immunity up.

On this issue of how much harder the swine flu is on pg women - in May my company made it policy that if there are any flu symptoms in the office, all pregnant women have to telecommute. I appreciate it more if it was an "allowed to telecommute -we'll accomodate you thing" as opposed to must stay away. It seems it would make sense to send the sickies home. I suppose its easier to have a policy that probably affects 20 employess out of 600 nationwide rather than all 600.

[liza-s]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

And I work in a high school.. the "staying healthy" thing for me, is always going to be challenging.

And that is what scares me most... I feel like I will be in a pit of tigers when it comes to this.. location, location, location, right?

I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at my desk. If somebody coughs, sneezes or blows their nose they get a tissue and the bottle. At meetings, I've brought the bottle in with me and passed it around. (the bottle is wiped down alot too.) My co-workers laughed initially -thought I was paronoid. But then I told them it was because I'd just missed 2 day of work with because my son was sick with rotovirus. It is only passed around pretty much from people not washing their hands after the bathroom. And it wasn't from his daycare - b/c nobody else their was sick and 60 kids are enrolled there. If rotovirus was spread their they would have had a lot of sick kids. Huge ick factor. After that the swine flu made the news.

[Pure_AK_Crystal]

Woo! It's almost August!!!

[roadfamily6now]

has anyone here made herbal tinctures?

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Pure_AK_Crystal

Woo! It's almost August!!!

Don't remind me. I am NOT ready to go back to work.

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Don't remind me. I am NOT ready to go back to work.

Yeah, I hear ya

[unfrozncavegrl]

Originally Posted by Icequeen_in_ak

My daughter LOVES playing with boys. She's such a tomboy, that she relates really well with them. Keep me in mind if you would like to get together!

I hang out with a group of hsing moms that was getting together regularly when the weather was nicer. We have since petered out a bit. If you want to PM me your phone number, I will certainly let you know when we meet up again. Generally, we have been sticking to the Palmer area. We went swimming frequently when it was hot, been up to Hatcher Pass for hikes, and lots of playdates at the playground at Mat River Park.

The kids are all appx. 6 and under.

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Don't remind me. I am NOT ready to go back to work.

It just is so shocking to me how early school starts here. When I was in school, the year began the day after labor day. August is for summertime, not school!

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~

It just is so shocking to me how early school starts here. When I was in school, the year began the day after labor day. August is for summertime, not school!

Yeah, but we get out pretty early.. and I think the reason we start and end early is because of culturally relevant harvesting.. I used to live very rurally, and come April, all the boys would miss school regularly- whaling season and this was even the middle school boys. Add in fish camps, and other things.. and it makes sense.. I think it dates back to all those BIA schools that were the majority of schools in AK..

I do think its weird though that football season starts before the kids are actually in school.. if I was in high school I sure wouldn't roll out of bed just for practice..

[tallanvor]

Those of you in the Valley looking for a playgroup, I don't know of an actual playgroup, but there were a few of us that met on diaperswappers that would get together fairly often. I would check over there in the Alaska forum. Two families in particular that I can think of homeschool and the oldest kids among them are 5 and 6, I think. I think my Autumn was the oldest and she's 8.

[mamatoni]

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~

It just is so shocking to me how early school starts here. When I was in school, the year began the day after labor day. August is for summertime, not school!

The start date got a lot earlier when they switched the high school schedule so that the semester ends before Christmas break. When I went through 15 years ago we started around Aug 28th or so and had finals after break...wasn't so bad. I am bummed that this year (for the first time I believe) I go back during the week of the fair! I always love to take the kiddos during the day when nobody else is there, not this year though.

Do teachers in the Anchorage school district also go back Aug. 10?

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Yeah, but we get out pretty early.. and I think the reason we start and end early is because of culturally relevant harvesting..

We changed a couple of years ago to accomodate SBA testing.

[onyxravnos]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

has anyone here made herbal tinctures?

yep. whats up?

[roadfamily6now]

Originally Posted by onyxravnos

yep. whats up?

I was looking at them online and they look almost too easy.
Is it hard to do? Do you grow your own herbs or harvest them?

Do you actually use them?

:

[roadfamily6now]

We are hosting a German Intern for Rilke Schule this fall. She arrives in just 11 days!

I need a twin mattress, omg. Dang, I was so hoping I could snag one from Freecycle but no luck thus far.

We are also looking at making a hammock for my youngest DD and if we do that, the intern can just use Lessley's mattress. Seems she prefers to sleep in mom and dad's bed anyway.

Are the other Rilke Schule mom's going to the School BBQ / Picinic tomorrow??
We'll be there.

[onyxravnos]

No really not hard. I buy or harvest as I have a horrible black thumb. basically take herbs - put in jar with alcohol - put in warm dark area - shake daily - sit for 1-3 months - rebottle.

Obviously that changes a little if you are using bark/roots rather then leaves or if you want an non alcohol based tincture but the basic process is the same. I totally use mine, i've slowed down this summer but all winter I was using them like they were going out of style.

It's also way fun and makes you feel so 'with it'

[akwifeandmomma]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

Are the other Rilke Schule mom's going to the School BBQ / Picinic tomorrow??
We'll be there.

We might! Going berry pickin' in Girdwood tomorrow, not sure if we'll be back in time.

[akemt]

I think it quite insane to be giving it to pregnant women first and foremost! Personally, I make it a habbit not to try anything FDA approved till it has been on the market atleast 4 years (10 preferably!) since they are ALWAYS recalling FDA aproved medicines because they're killing people or doing permanent damage.

Aside from that, I think the swine flu is another overdone issue. It is a mild to moderate flu like the ones that pass through our communities often, I have yet to hear of it killing someone who hasn't had serious underlying conditions to begin with, and YAH, pregnant women are WAY more likely to need to be hospitalized with ANY flu, not just swine flu.

I'm not anti-vaccine, but I do believe in letting my own immune system handle what it can, and in not overloading a budding one (inutero or newborn) with toxic chemicals so that they can be "protected."

[BusyMommy]

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by akemt

I think it quite insane to be giving it to pregnant women first and foremost! Personally, I make it a habbit not to try anything FDA approved till it has been on the market atleast 4 years (10 preferably!) since they are ALWAYS recalling FDA aproved medicines because they're killing people or doing permanent damage.

Aside from that, I think the swine flu is another overdone issue. It is a mild to moderate flu like the ones that pass through our communities often, I have yet to hear of it killing someone who hasn't had serious underlying conditions to begin with, and YAH, pregnant women are WAY more likely to need to be hospitalized with ANY flu, not just swine flu.

I'm not anti-vaccine, but I do believe in letting my own immune system handle what it can, and in not overloading a budding one (inutero or newborn) with toxic chemicals so that they can be "protected."

I posted some links (back on page 11) to a case where the woman was young (20), described as "always healthy", "strong", and pregnant and still died of swine flu, but the rest of what you wrote I agree with..

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

I found these articles on swine flu and pregnancy if anyone is interested..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...93703#32193703

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...93703#32191719

.

In the first link it is about 1:30 into the article.
The second article talks about it pretty much from the start.