how my family is getting boned up the ass by a hospital

[Grndslmhttr3]

Yup, same. I mean I get the occasional cold or whatever but I've never been vaccinated for the flu or anything because I have an immune system of steel and never get sick to the point where I actually feel the need to see a doctor.

I hate it when people refuse to get vaccines because:
a) If you've never gotten that strain or subtype of the flu before, it doesn't matter how good your immune system is, you're still going to get pretty sick.
b) You're increasing the likely hood of spreading it to someone for whom vaccines often don't work due to compromised immune systems (e.g. AIDs patients, the elderly, etc.)

Actually I forgot to mention b as a reason that I don't get vaccinated.

[Snugglebear]

I would highly recommend eating a ton of fruit and vegetables. You can eat meat too, just try to eat at least 90% high fiber plants.
And NO processed shit.
That will usually fix your gut flora, assuming you don't use any antibiotics, including antibiotic hand soap.
The microbes in your gut are almost always your friends, not enemies.
Lots of problems like IBS seem to have roots in disorders of the human microbiome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora

Processed food is OK in moderation, same with using disinfectants. The goal is to use them intelligently and not on everything. You still want to use antibacterial soaps and wash your hands often during cold & flu season, but not every 15 minutes with wipes/hand sanitizer in between.

I hate it when people refuse to get vaccines because:
a) If you've never gotten that strain or subtype of the flu before, it doesn't matter how good your immune system is, you're still going to get pretty sick.
b) You're increasing the likely hood of spreading it to someone for whom vaccines often don't work due to compromised immune systems (e.g. AIDs patients, the elderly, etc.)

Just be sure to wait if you're in a low-risk group. The last few years have presented tons of supply problems combined with unpredictable demand (thanks to the media and poor governance). Initial batches of flu vaccines, for instance, really do need to go to the young and elderly first. Also, you may not get that sick if it's a new strain of flu; just look at how many people tested positive for the Mexican oinky flu (sorry, due to poor governance/political correctness invading the public health systems, I have to be specific that it is in fact pig flu from Mexico, and not the "kinder, gentler" H1N1) without getting sick.

[joe]

they always say it's impossible to get the flu from the flu shot but i swear i never get the flu - except when i get a flu shot. then without fail a few days later i get the flu.

[Snugglebear]

Is it a full-fledged flu or just a quickie? I ask because my own experiences with the flu vaccine have shown that within 24-48 hours of the shot I'll have a low fever, headache, lack of appetite, muscle fatigue, and general malaise. It's always gone within another 48-72 hours. That's not actually a real flu, rather an excessive immune reaction to the vaccine.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm

[Melissa]

I had to get the flu shot when I was studying nursing. I never had it in my life. I don't get colds or anything, I'm generally very healthy. I got that shit and.. I never felt this terrible in my entire life. I thought I was going to die. it was like the symptoms I expected times a billion. I kept passing out and everything. It took three days to go away. I never got it again... and I don't plan on it.

[SurNim]

You still want to use antibacterial soaps and wash your hands often during cold & flu season,

The common cold and flu are both caused by viruses...
and antibacterial hand soaps kill good bacteria as well.

[joe]

[Bogey]

Yup, same. I mean I get the occasional cold or whatever but I've never been vaccinated for the flu or anything because I have an immune system of steel and never get sick to the point where I actually feel the need to see a doctor.

I hate it when people refuse to get vaccines because:
a) If you've never gotten that strain or subtype of the flu before, it doesn't matter how good your immune system is, you're still going to get pretty sick.
b) You're increasing the likely hood of spreading it to someone for whom vaccines often don't work due to compromised immune systems (e.g. AIDs patients, the elderly, etc.)

Actually I forgot to mention b as a reason that I don't get vaccinated.

You're a bad person.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Survival of the fittest, bro.

[Django]

I read the whole thread ,and just came here to post this. I hope you guys get it.


Deal with it

[Bogey]

Survival of the fittest, bro.

That's not how it works.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Eh whatevs.

[Snugglebear]

The common cold and flu are both caused by viruses...
and antibacterial hand soaps kill good bacteria as well.

Regular soap works pretty well to remove viruses and bacteria from your hands which reduce the likelihood of transmission. The antibacterial agents are just extra protection against said bacteria. Killing good bacteria on your hands isn't really an issue; your stomach acid is going to wipe out the vast majority, anyway. What does get through usually hitches a ride on food... assuming you don't bleach it, boil it (i.e. British-ize it), or dip it in antibacterial soap, too.

I read the whole thread ,and just came here to post this. I hope you guys get it.

And what happens once Cuba modernizes, with increased access to cars, cheap gas, and has people with less time and more disposable income? They've done some great things from a public health standpoint and place lots of cultural value on health, but that's not everything.

[Dr.Boo]

A few years ago I had to see a gastro-specialist. Because I had too much acid reflux. Did a gastroscopy where they shove a tiny camera down your throat. Then did an echography of my abdomen, several visits to the docs and several medications to take.

When I reveiced the bill, I paid approximately 76€. All inclusive.

You guys there in America are fucked. Really fucked. 9000$ for taking care of fucking influenza is totally insane. No wonder America was the country with the highest death rate for swine flu. We had just as much infections here, but here people can afford to be sick. In America, people can't afford to see a doc, can't afford to take the necessary medication so they die. It's sad. The most developed and powerful country in the world yet so many people die from diseases that are so simple to take care of.

I don't see how anyone can be against socialized health care.