new pediatricians, vaccinations, and roadblocks, oh my!

there will be no capitalization in this post because i really should be in bed and, most importantly, am tired of being expected to follow rules. yeah - it's one of those kinds of posts...

i am one of those moms who demands an alternative vaccination schedule for my kid. why? the short of it is the recent concern that links certain vaccines to autism. yes, 99% of the medical community says the shots contain no more mercury (the suspect autism trigger), but what about the doctor who still has a stash he is trying to get rid of? and yes, they say parents of autistic children feel the need to blame someone for the illness, so vaccines are an easy target. and yes, autism typically rears its head, mostly in boys, between 12-24 months, which just happens to be the time kids get the shot, so many medical professionals deem this to be more coincidence than concern. still, i am altering the schedule... better to be safe than sorry, right?

andrew has gotten most of his shots basically on time (i do believe in the responsibility of community health) with a few exceptions and/or delays at my request. the main scary one is mmr (measles, mumps, and rubella). he was due for the mmr vaccine at 12 months. we were still in tx. i declined it. he was over 15 months when we saw the brand-new sc pediatrician (who i initially really liked) and i declined it again, asking about the possibility of [dr d, let's call him] splitting it up. dr d said he supported me in my decision and i needed to look into ordering the three separate shots, or else delay the combined mmr until 2-3 years of age. he also said i would have trouble finding them separated but if i did, he would be happy to administer them. i was slightly annoyed by a highly-paid professional requesting that i do his work, but i marched on. i spoke to six different pharmacists, all of whom treated me as a crazy woman, until i finally found out that merck does carry the separate vaccines, however, they don't sell to consumers and the doctor would have to order the shots. silly me. back to the drawing board. hindsight would tell me dr d had sent me on a wild goose chase, but still i trudged on. i spoke to dr d's very flippant nurse and she assured me she would check into ordering them for me. after two days of hearing nothing back, i called her again. "oh, i was meaning to call you," she said. "we can order them, but you have to buy the box of ten for each shot." 30 freaking shots for 3 i needed. ludicrous. i asked if maybe they could buy the boxes since i was sure other parents would be interested in purchasing single versions of the shot. she very matter-of-factly told me that i was the only person she had ever heard of who requested the split shots. no deal. i told her thank you and was online the next minute searching for new pediatricians....

i didn't mention that insurance companies will not pay for the separate shots. my major beef here is with big brother - jon and i are exercising our rights as parents by making personal health decisions for our son in an attempt to preserve and protect his health, which will very likely save these insurance companies thousands of dollars in the future, so why do they still get to dictate major decisions like what we inject into his little body? it is so maddening. so, i am not following the rules. he will get these separate shots, no matter what the cost (mentally or financially) and the people who oppose our decision can, well, you know what they can do. it's not pleasant.

i appreciate you making your way to the end of this huge rant. please, oh please, comment. i am in major need of cheerleaders. if you're still too chicken to comment (you delurkers), then at least do me the favor of voting in the poll at the top right.