Stranger in a Strange Land: Gardasil: My Daughter’s Worst Nightmare by Donna Malone

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Gardasil: My Daughter’s Worst Nightmare by Donna Malone

Allie Malone

Gardasil: My daughter’s worst nightmare

By Donna Malone
Murfreesboro Tennessee

Sane Vax, Ince, November 27, 2013

Cancer is a frightening word. Any parent in the world would do whatever was in their power to protect their child from this terrible disease. I had no idea adding Gardasil to our list of protective measures would turn our lives into a nightmare.

Allie is my beautiful 12 year old daughter. She is the youngest of my three children. Having been born 12 years after her brother and sister, she was a little spoiled. Allie made every day a party. For several years we could not eat a meal without someone spitting milk while laughing at something she said. She is a very clever, witty and funny girl constantly putting on shows for us! She has always been very healthy except for occasional bronchitis and a few bouts of strep throat. Recently, all that changed…

Allie received her first Gardasil shot February 2, 2012 along with 3 other vaccinations including the one for Meningitis. February was a month of severe nosebleeds, headaches, stomach issues and generally not feeling well. I never reported to the doctor as we do not call for every little thing. At the time, thought nothing of it.

Then in early March Allie’s thighs had this weird “pattern” on them, like a honeycomb or lace. It was not a rash as it was not raised. I did not know at the time that it was Livedo Reticularis – an indication of auto-immune issue or possibly Lupus – should have contacted the doctor, but didn’t think much of it EXCEPT that it looked so strange Allie took a picture of it – Odd.

On April 3, 2012 Allie had the second Gardasil shot then at the checkout counter Allie passed out and they took her to the back to let her lie down for a few minutes. By April 17, Allie was having pain in her leg… as though she had strained a muscle. By 10:30pm, on April 18^th, she could not sit up in bed.

She had to be carried downstairs and to the car. We went to the ER and she was sent home on crutches as she could not bear any weight on it. We were instructed to see an orthopedic doctor the next day. He ordered an MRI which showed minimal infection near her sacroiliac joint, so back to Ortho the next day.

Allie was in excruciating pain by then – on crutches and sent to her pediatrician because ortho did not know what to do. The pediatrician had no idea how to treat her pain and sent us to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Allie was admitted to Vanderbilt on April 20, 2012, where she remained for the next 10 days. She could not walk for 6 of those days. Her second MRI showed that the infection was a little bigger but too deep in her hip muscles and tissues to draw fluid to see what kind of infection it was. Her CRP level was 166 and normal level is 1-3. CRP is used to measure amount of inflammation in her system.

Allie was in excruciating pain even with a morphine drip. She was later put on oxygen and a wide variety of medications – Clindamycin first then Vancomycin, Oxycodone, Morphine, Toradal, Tylenol, and Benadryl. Anyone who knows about Vancomycin knows it is one of the strongest anti-biotics out there and the doctors said within 24-48 hours we would see a huge change in Allie’s pain.

It took nearly 80 hours after starting Vancomycin to see any change. At one point, the doctors were concerned that Allie was very anxious. Not sure what they expected from an 11 year old who was running and playing just 2 days ago and now unable to get out of bed. Allie said she did not believe we were telling her everything and when I reassured her that we were, she asked me if she had Cancer. I immediately said “NO!”, but as soon as the words left my lips, I knew I could not be sure as they still did not know what was wrong. At that moment, my heart broke for my baby girl. During Allie’s hospitalization at Vanderbilt, I had asked doctors if her symptoms could be related to the vaccinations and they said no – diagnosed her with Pyomyositis. I believe I knew even then that it was the Gardasil, but like so many I believed the doctors. They are the experts!

Allie had to learn to walk with a walker and crutches to go up and down stairs. She left the hospital on crutches due to pain in her hip and on a strong antibiotic – Zyvox. No physical therapy was recommended at that time. Allie returned to school on a half day schedule for the first week which was exhausting for her. Allie was very withdrawn for the next year after the hospitalization. I had lunch at school with her one day and a boy across the table said “she speaks!” I asked him was he talking about me and he said no – Allie. Before she would always get in trouble for talking too much. She really did not know a stranger. We were concerned but did not know exactly why or what to do.

The next year passed without a lot of incidents – normal nosebleeds, growing a lot – she is 5’8” tall. Allie was still having hip and pelvic issues and had made a couple trips to the doctor. She remained inactive as she was compensating for the pain and did not want to aggravate the muscles. Her pediatrician attributed the pain to her expedited growth. She grew nearly foot in 3 years.

She played soccer in 6th grade, but being one of the youngest on the team she did not get a lot of playing time. However, in June 2013 Allie’s soccer team started conditioning to get ready for her 7^th grade soccer season and her hips again were hurting a lot! A trip back to pediatrician, who said she must have pulled a muscle in her hip and then the next week the other hip. She kept pushing through and continued to practice with her team. I was concerned as the pain seemed to be traveling. I was worried that the “infection” was back.

A couple weeks later Allie had what I believed was a panic attack. I had never seen anyone have a panic attack so I was not sure. In late August the season begins and she was playing a lot of soccer and after games and intense practices Allie walked like a “zombie”. That is NOT normal growing pains so back to the doctor again!

October 2013, 18 months after her hospitalization and 2nd Gardasil shot, Orthopedics pulled her from playing soccer due to hip pain. After 3 weeks of physical therapy and increased pain, orthopedics ordered another MRI on Allie’s hip and pelvic region. The MRI on October 1, 2013 showed no infection but 3 small ovarian cysts. Doctors say the ovarian cysts are too small to cause the pain and that the body will take care of the cysts as they are common in 12 year old little girls. So she continues with physical therapy 2 times a week. Allie is still in pain on a daily basis in her hips and pelvic area including her tailbone.

Recently, a good friend said I needed to befriend someone on Facebook as her daughter was having some of the same issues and that is when it all started coming together. I actually looked up the dates and pieced a timeline together from emails and Facebook posts and Caring Bridge posts while Allie was hospitalized. It was 1:30 in the morning when I searched my google calendar for the dates of the shots as I put everything on my calendar. When I found the date of Allie’s second Gardasil shot, I sat and stared at the computer screen for over an hour as the tears streamed down my face. I am CERTAIN that the issue Allie has with her hips is directly tied to the Gardasil shots.

I have since asked her pediatrician if it was related to Gardasil or the other vaccines she got at the same time and was again told no. However, he did ask if he could have all the information that I had brought for him – stories of other girls, reports, case studies, and Allie’s timeline. He is willing to help us understand all this and to order whatever tests we need. Once he reviews the information more thoroughly maybe he will know it is from Gardasil as well, but right now he said he could not be sure – medicine is very complex. Allie’s doctor also said that he was glad I had made the report to VAERS.

I am at a place where I do not know what to do for my girl! She was happy, sweet and would light up a room by making everyone laugh. Now she is withdrawn, doesn’t talk much at school, has started having migraine headaches, in constant hip pain and so ready for this all to be over. Even when Allie does go to bed early, she is up several times during the night not able to sleep. She has fatigue much of the time and does not play outside with friends as much as she used to.

Recently, Allie visited a homeopathic specialist. It was a very enlightening visit. She was able to tell us what toxins and bacteria Allie has in her system. The highest bacteria in her system is Trachoma, along with high levels of beryllium (copper) and aluminum. They also found formaldehyde, pesticides, glyoxalin, antimony, barbiturates, malabsorption, arsenic, insecticides, and herbicides at very high levels attacking her system and keeping her body from getting better. Allie’s CRP level is still elevated (40) and may have been since her hospitalization. She is now on a regimen of supplements to help detox her system of these chemicals and bacteria. I am seeing a spark of my sweet, funny girl again.

Once Allie is at better levels with the above mentioned toxins and bacteria, we will re-assess her and decide if she needs to see a neurologist, an endocrinologist, or be tested for Thiamine deficiency to assist her on the path to wellness. Allie’s pediatrician made a referral, and she has an appointment set with the infectious disease team and a rheumatologist at Vanderbilt next month. We will keep pushing forward until Allie is pain–free. A twelve year old girl should not have to live daily with this kind of pain.

By the way, there will not be a 3rd Gardasil shot for Allie! That is a strong statement for me as my mother died at age 52 with breast and other secondary cancers. Cancer scares me, but seeing my baby in the hospital for 10 days in excruciating pain scared me even more.

I believe Allie was a victim of Gardasil and I believe that had she been given the 3rd Gardasil shot it would have killed her as she barely survived the 2nd shot. The authorities will not acknowledge this as yet, but someday they will and until then I will be the advocate for my child.

I will decide what medications she needs and what vaccinations she needs or does not need. I will do the research and investigate the adverse effects of all drugs.

I strongly urge anyone reading this to do the same. Do your research. KNOW what they are putting into the bodies of our children!