20/20 about the flu shot girl

[heathergirl67]

20/20 on ABC is doing a piece on the girl who couldn't control her movements after she recieved the flu shot. It's already ten minutes in and the East Coast probably missed it, but maybe ABC will re-air it. I don't know how it will be, but I just wanted to let everyone know in case anyone is interested.

[lovebug]

had it DVRed

i watched it an thought it was very one sided and not in her favor. i feel bad for her and really *wish* the new would tell in such a way that the viewer can make up their own mind... i know THAT is wishful thinking...

[heathergirl67]

Either way I feel bad for her. I liked that they pointed out that even if the disease is all in her head, it's just as painful and not something that she can "just stop." I had an "all in my head" disorder, too. My m/c was very physically and emotionally painful. Afterwards I would get these cramps throughout my entire cycle that hurt so bad! For months I couldn't figure it out, until one day at acupuncture I realized that if I focused on pleasant, peaceful thoughts the cramps went away. So they were just manifestations of anxiety. Even knowing that didn't stop them, though. I will still rarely get them. So even if it's origin is your mind, your body reacts the same way.

That being said, it didn't really seem like they went beyond the surface in that story. I was under the impression that it was the topic for the whole hour, but it was only 20 minutes or so. After the neurologists saying that what she has doesn't look like "real" dystonia, I wish they would have shown video of people with "real" dystonia. So that we could see the difference. Poor thing. Even if it's just in her mind, I don't think she's intentionally acting that way. I really hope she gets the help that she needs, in whatever form it comes. If I were her I'd probably try every last thing that could possibly work. I hope she finds it.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by heathergirl67

That being said, it didn't really seem like they went beyond the surface in that story. I was under the impression that it was the topic for the whole hour, but it was only 20 minutes or so. After the neurologists saying that what she has doesn't look like "real" dystonia, I wish they would have shown video of people with "real" dystonia. So that we could see the difference. Poor thing. Even if it's just in her mind, I don't think she's intentionally acting that way. I really hope she gets the help that she needs, in whatever form it comes. If I were her I'd probably try every last thing that could possibly work. I hope she finds it.

I went to high school with this girl, she has dystonia and has a website about it. She has several videos on her site.

https://www.shakeyamy.org/Home_Page.php

[MountainMamaGC]

I would like to point out that Micheal J Fox can ice skate and play hockey perfectly. That doesnt mean his parkinsons is all in his head. The brain is a mysterious thing that we dont fully understand.

[amnesiac]

Please remember to remain focused on the general vax related topic:

Members may discuss news items in appropriate parenting forums such as breastfeeding items in lactivism, birth related items in the birth forums or chickenpox outbreaks in Health & Healing. However, keep in mind that threads still need to remain on-topic for the forum and should not be about individuals but about the general topic.

[SilverMoon010]

I was incredibly annoyed by this piece on 20/20. It was extremely one-sided and they kept showing that doctor who kept stating it could not be from the flu shot. I mean, hello???? I had a feeling it would be like that because, well, of course it would because it's being aired on mainstream television! They'll never say an ounce of the actual truth about vaccines on there.

That poor girl. She doesn't deserve all that she's going through.

[Iucounu]

Originally Posted by Mandy F

I was incredibly annoyed by this piece on 20/20. It was extremely one-sided and they kept showing that stupid doctor who kept stating it could not be from the flu shot. I mean, hello???? I had a feeling it would be like that because, well, of course it would because it's being aired on mainstream television! They'll never say an ounce of the actual truth about vaccines on there.

That poor girl. She doesn't deserve all that she's going through.

I saw it, and saw what I believe to be accurate reporting (I have followed this story extensively through other sources). If there were a link between vaccines and dystonia in this case, it would be very big news! The mainstream media would be all over a story like that.

Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the best one. Here, doctors have investigated the situation and ruled out vaccines as the cause. Why is it easier to posit a conspiracy than to believe the reports?

[ma2two]

Originally Posted by Iucounu

Here, doctors have investigated the situation and ruled out vaccines as the cause. Why is it easier to posit a conspiracy than to believe the reports?

Interesting how you value the opinion of Steven Novella, a rabidly pro-vax doctor, who never even met Ms. Jennings, over the clinical findings and results of a doctor who actually did examine and treat her.

Originally Posted by Iucounu

If there were a link between vaccines and dystonia in this case, it would be very big news!

Dr. Buttar did not diagnose Ms. Jennings with dystonia.

[Marnica]

I saw this piece and it was just like any other mainstream media piece about this controversial subject.

I told DH right in the beginning that Dr. Buttar would be labeled a fraud and a charletan......and 10 min or so in...yup pretty much how I thought it would go. So typical. Any doc offering alternative treatments is labeled as such.

I also love how Novella states quite empahtically that this COULD NOT be from the flu shot. Since no mainstream doc really could not help her or accurately diagnose her (to my knowledge nobody diagnosed her with Dystonia....this was something that she heard about and saw similarities in terms of her own symptoms) how can they say with certainly what did not cause it??

sigh....nothing ever changes

[SilverMoon010]

Originally Posted by Iucounu

I saw it, and saw what I believe to be accurate reporting (I have followed this story extensively through other sources). If there were a link between vaccines and dystonia in this case, it would be very big news! The mainstream media would be all over a story like that.

Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the best one. Here, doctors have investigated the situation and ruled out vaccines as the cause. Why is it easier to posit a conspiracy than to believe the reports?

Conspiracy? I didn't say anything about a conspiracy. I was disturbed how all the doctors on that program (except for the only logical one) said it could not be from the flu shot with no basis to back that statement up!

Regarding your point about the mainstream media, they would not be all over that story because they're too busy covering updates on important things in this world like Lindsay Lohan or Dancing with the Stars.

[baileyann3]

I'm sorry- I'm a bit confused.

I didn't see the 20/20 bit, but I did read around Amy's site. I didn't see anything mentioned about vaccines. It seemed as though she thought what happened to her was when the doctor nicked a nerved during a spinal tap.

Show me the light ladies

[amnesiac]

Please remember to focus discussion on the general vax-realted topic. Any posts focused on the specific individuals in the news piece will be removed.

[chaoticzenmom]

Originally Posted by Iucounu

I saw it, and saw what I believe to be accurate reporting (I have followed this story extensively through other sources). If there were a link between vaccines and dystonia in this case, it would be very big news! The mainstream media would be all over a story like that.

Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the best one. Here, doctors have investigated the situation and ruled out vaccines as the cause. Why is it easier to posit a conspiracy than to believe the reports?

Nobody ruled out vaccinations as the cause. They admitted that they don't know. Most of the doctors interviewed admitted that they hadn't even seen her.

I believe her when she says that it was triggered by the flu vaccine. I do wonder why the chelation therapy worked only temporarily, but I don't know much about chelation.

[heathergirl67]

Originally Posted by baileyann3

I'm sorry- I'm a bit confused.

I didn't see the 20/20 bit, but I did read around Amy's site. I didn't see anything mentioned about vaccines. It seemed as though she thought what happened to her was when the doctor nicked a nerved during a spinal tap.

Show me the light ladies

Really? She didn't mention anything about that on the show. She blamed the seasonal flu vaccine that she recieved. They asked her doctor about that, he said that the mercury in the shot is to blame. They ask an infectious disease specialist, he says that's impossible. Girl claims/suspects it's dystonia, which her doctor seems to confirm. Neurologists say that dystonia is diagnosed by watching someone's movements, and from watching her movements on tape it's evident that her symptoms do not match up with dystonia. Every other doctor who has seen her (besides the one who administers chelation therapy for her and blames the vax) says that she has a real disorder, but it's one of the mind. Her mind is creating this disorder, there doesn't appear to be anything physically wrong with her. They did emphasis, though, that she's not doing it on purpose. She doesn't buy it and will continue to look for help through other avenues. That's the basic gist of the show from what I remember. Is this in line with what everyone else remembers?

[heathergirl67]

Originally Posted by chaoticzenmom

Nobody ruled out vaccinations as the cause.

Actually they did. At least one stated emphatically that it was impossible that the mercury in the vaccine poisoned her and caused the reaction she had.

They admitted that they don't know.

On the show she stated that more than one doctor who directly treated her diagnosed her as having a disorder whose name I can't remember. The disorder is basically that her mind is manufacturing these symptoms, but nothing is physically wrong with her.

Most of the doctors interviewed admitted that they hadn't even seen her.

If I remember correctly, three physicians were interviewed. One was the doctor who treats her with chelation therapy and believes that the flu vaccine gave her mercury poisoning. The second was a doctor who had never seen her, but was not commenting on her case specifically. He was asked if anyone could get mercury poisoning from the flu shot and he said that it was impossible. The third was a neurologist who offered an opinion on whether or not she had dystonia, although he had never seen her in person. He did say, though, that dystonia was a diagnosis made by watching the person move. And after watching her move on tape he was confident that her symptoms did not match those of dystonia.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by heathergirl67

Really? She didn't mention anything about that on the show.

Shakeyamy (dystonia blog) and Desiree Jennings (20/20 subject) are different people, unless I'm very confused.

[Angela512]

It makes me angry that they say, "Vaccines couldn't have caused this problem." even though they cannot prove it any other way. A friend has a little boy who would suffer from seizures within a week of getting vaccinated every single time...as the time between the vaxes became more and more, he would stop having them until he got vaxed again. They took him to specialists and had every test run on him...and were told, "We don't know why it's happening, but there is no physiological reason for it." Yes, she was told that it was impossible that the vaxes were doing this to him...but, finally decided to stop vaxing him...and he has not had a seizure since then.

You don't need to injest/inject tons of mercury to have side effects to it. This whole thought that a "little" bit of mercury is ok is BS. The fact is that everyone is different and everyone has a weakness to different things...some could be to mercury...others to nuts...and still others to casein. You cannot look at someone, look at what they're eating/intaking and tell them that it's all in their mind and that the symptoms that they are having are unrelated to vaxes because the amounts in the vaxes are "so little". So, I totally call BS on that one. It would be like telling someone who has a severe peanut allergy that the popcorn they're eating had "just a touch" of peanut oil in it and the reaction they are getting is "all in their head".

[chaoticzenmom]

Originally Posted by heathergirl67

Actually they did. At least one stated emphatically that it was impossible that the mercury in the vaccine poisoned her and caused the reaction she had. On the show she stated that more than one doctor who directly treated her diagnosed her as having a disorder whose name I can't remember. The disorder is basically that her mind is manufacturing these symptoms, but nothing is physically wrong with her.

If I remember correctly, three physicians were interviewed. One was the doctor who treats her with chelation therapy and believes that the flu vaccine gave her mercury poisoning. The second was a doctor who had never seen her, but was not commenting on her case specifically. He was asked if anyone could get mercury poisoning from the flu shot and he said that it was impossible. The third was a neurologist who offered an opinion on whether or not she had dystonia, although he had never seen her in person. He did say, though, that dystonia was a diagnosis made by watching the person move. And after watching her move on tape he was confident that her symptoms did not match those of dystonia.

They said that she couldn't have gotten mercury poisoning from the flu vaccine, but they cannot say that the vaccine did not trigger her "whatever she has." People get Guillain-Barre syndrome from Flu vaccines. Guillain Barre is a neurological disorder. I wonder how many people reported this to their doctors and were told that it was impossible for the flu vaccine to have caused it. Now, it's on the label as a warning If it can cause one neurological disorder, how can it be ruled out as a cause of others? It can't.

We're all different. I can't handle the smell of perfumes and cleaning products. They make my head ache horribly. Some people can handle them just fine and at one time, I could too. I need one Tylenol, some people need 5. People have different tolerance levels for chemicals.

[heathergirl67]

I don't think any of the doctors interviewed said that it's impossible that her symptoms were caused by the flu shot. If I remember correctly the interviewer asked a question along the lines of, "Is it possible that the mercury in the flu shot poisoned her, causing these symptoms?" And the response from the doctor was "No." As for whether or not she has an allergy or sensitivity to mercury- it seems doubtful to me. It seems like she would have had a reaction to mercury from eating tuna fish or any of her previous shots. And if it's a matter of the mercury building up improperly in her system or that a mercury sensitivity just recently set in, then it would just have been a matter of time before she developed those symptoms, from exposure in every day life.