Journal

I’m linking to this because my girlfriend is one of the most easily suggestible yawners around — it’s the cutest thing. She’ll yawn if the dog yawns. She’ll yawn if you say the word “yawn.” She’s probably yawning right now, reading this.
And for good measure: Emilie’s Don’t Yawn Game.

Salon Magazine has an scary article on the connection between vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal (a form of mercury) and autism. People were vaccinated with thimerosal preserved medicines since the 1930s, but in 1989 the number of vaccinations given to children went from 3 to 22, increasing children’s exposure to the preservative. What’s even more scary is the list of other problems that people exposed to thimerosal might have.

What is Mercury?
Mercury is the second most toxic element on earth to plutonium. It is a metal, a naturally occurring chemical element that is found everywhere in the environment. Toxicity of mercury has been linked to many different diseases, including autism, learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, depression, and bipolar disorder. The amount of mercury found in one mercury thermometer is enough to pollute a small lake. Mercury can be toxic when inhaled, eaten, or when placed on the skin. Low concentrations of mercury may appear to have no effect but signs of toxicity can develop later or become more noticeable with continued exposure. When toxicity in humans takes place loss of feeling or a burning sensation in arms and legs, psychological effects, loss of memory, loss of vision, loss of hearing, paralysis, congenital malformations, kidney toxicity, and death may occur. Prenatal toxicity can result in a child with normal appearance at birth but who later exhibits a developmental delay in the ability to walk and/or talk. Because of the long latent period for observable effects, the need for treatment may be recognized too late.

Yesterday, Stephanie went to her regular physician for an annual physical (because I insisted that she go) and the doctor found a lump in her breast. She went for a mammogram (several of them, and ultrasounds, too) this afternoon. The doctors believe the lump is benign, because it’s not the shape or texture of a cancerous tumor. She mentioned that it was probably a Fibroadenoma. The doctor said that she wasn’t worried about it, and we shouldn’t be, either.
But it’s large enough that they need to remove it. A lumpectomy is an outpatient procedure, which they’ll schedule here in a couple of weeks. So we’ll meet with a surgeon sometime soon, and then they’ll schedule the procedure. Once it’s removed, they’ll test it to ensure that it isn’t cancerous.
Needless to say, we were both freaked out all night last night and today, and Stephanie’s very concerned about how it will affect her breast and what it will look like and feel.
So, more doctors, and another hospital visit. We’re getting to be pros at this.