Re: INFLUENZA
Valerie Brew-Parrish (brew-parrish(AT)juno.com)
Thu, 16 Oct 1997 19:33:12 -0500
Hi Carol,
Yep! It does work! I worked at a health service at a university.
Students were coming in by the droves with flu, colds, etc. I felt like
donning a mask as I am still susceptible to nasty germs and I get about
four colds a yr. which isn't too bad really. Anyway, I asked the doctors
how they stayed so healthy. The answer stunned me. They said they were
swallowing their Amantadine! I asked what it was and they said it was an
anti-viral medication. I asked why I had never been given Amantadine. The
reason is, by the time a patient gets to the docs office it's too late
for the Amantadine(Symmetril) to work. It has to be taken within 48 hrs.
of symptoms. Well, I thought this prescription should be in my medicine
cabinet! I called my doctor and she agreed. I did some research and
discovered Amantadine has been around for yrs. Since World War II. Then,
Accent on Living had an article about how Amantadine was used for pps. A
few yrs. ago, Amantadine was improved. Now it's Flumadine. It doesn't
tear my stomach up as bad as the Amantadine. It I feel a cold or if Tara
or Rick come down with a virus, I start taking the Flumadine. I have been
saved from many colds this way although it doesn't work all the time. I
think you should talk to your doctor about it.
I have been thinking about you Carol. I thought your explanation on what
is "normal" in your response to Andrea was eloquently stated. You hit it
on the head! I feel bad that Andrea is so destroyed over her daughter's
accident that she refuses to listen to the people who can help her the
most. The pain is eating her alive and I pity her more than her little
girl. I don't believe Mandy's life is ruined. So many of us were Little
Mandy's. The woman hasn't a clue how offensive her remarks were to us
and how hard we all tried to help her. I re-read all of the comments and
considering how she implied that adults with SCI were responsible for
their conditions, and we are all thrilled with our disabilities, it's
amazing we were all so tactful. She made me feel like the Borg(any
trekkies out there?) of Star Trek saying we were half human/half machine.
I hope she takes your advice and gets some counseling. I also hope she
gets her daughter out of that hospital setting. Non-disabled people just
don't "get it" most of the time. My daughter calls herself a "half gimp."
Even though she has no disability, she thinks like a gimp. She
understands our unique humor and gets infuriated when people think we had
her so she can take care of us! Tara has a deaf friend(Tara signs
proficiently) at school. The teacher will look at Tara and LOUDLY
ENUNCIATE each word to my daughter so she can sign back to Christina what
is being said. Yesterday, he brought over a note to Christina written IN
HUGE LETTERS! Christina signed to Tara "the-------must think I am blind
too"! Tara and her friend burst into peels of laughter. We roar when
non-disabled people scream at my husband like he's deaf. Life can be
amusing when you have a disability as well as frustrating. Andrea made me
search in my soul when she chided us for being so grateful for our
disabilities. I am not grateful for my disability and I wouldn't wish it
on anyone. I have dark nights of the soul but they are not always
disability related. I miss my mom who died before Tara was born. My mom
accepted my disability and loved me for whom I am. I worry about paying
my mortgage and other bills. I honestly don't dream of being able-bodied.
My disability is who I am. If I am cured someday--fine. If not, that's
o.k too. Cyndi Jones,(polio survivor) editor of Mainstream, Carol
Gill,(polio survivor and vent-user & psychologist) and many other people
in the disability community have said even if a cure was available they
would stay disabled. What would you do Carol? What do the others on this
list think? Would you opt for cure or stay disabled? Many deaf people
adamantly refuse cohlear implants because they truly want to be deaf.
About the only thing I feel that my disability has cheated me out of is
playing the guitar. I just can't teach my feet to strum the strings
although I know someone who does play guitar with his feet. I would have
liked to ride a two wheel bike. Stupid maybe. Rick would like to be able
to "see" so he could drive...every blind person's fantasy. Well, I
certainly have been verbose tonight. So, goodnight Carol & everyone else;
sweet dreams!
Val