That’s an incidence of 1 in 100,000, and therefore considered a ‘rare’ event.

What would the alternative be of not vaccinating 40,000,000 people against the flu? Sure, 4,000 people may not develop GB syndrome, but how many people would die? 10,000? 100,000? 1,000,000?

Have you read Osler’s Web? I highly recommend that book for the history (and health authority politics) behind CFS.

What I contracted initially was definitely viral. My husband, who was not known to me at the time and lived on the West coast, also contracted the same virus.

We both experienced symptoms over the years, unaware that what we each chalked up to working too hard and repeated “flu” was actually CFS. The diagnosis finally came several years ago, long beyond the better prognosis of an early intervention according to the Specialist who diagnosed us.

The story of a virus and how it changed our lives doesn’t end there.

What I am about to write will give you and anyone else reading this an understanding of why I now get vaccinated for seasonal flu, and most recently H1N1 viruses.

They say lightening doesn’t strike twice. Fast forward to early 2000’s and my husband and I contracted another flu virus. That’s all we thought it was. Just a flu.

I won’t bore you with the blow by blow account of how it progressed from flu symptoms to other very painful and debilitating symptoms. But, I can tell you it was bad,

Onto the medical merry-go-round and we received the Fibromyalgia diagnosis first, then CFS diagnosis.

My symptoms progressed and the Drs. began to suspect MS. More tests. Growing list of symptoms: night sweats across a section of my back so severe that I could literally wring the moisture out of the sheets, paralysis, numbness, throat muscles don’t respond and can’t swallow saliva, and on. My husband followed with similar symptoms, but did not experience the paralysis in his legs or feet.

During the lumbar puncture, the Neurologist didn’t find MS. He did find I have positive monoclonal proteins (bands). There are several types of cancer that can develop depending on the Ig classification, Lymphoma for example. The type of monoclonal band I have is for Multiple Myeloma.

3% of the population over 80 years of age develop this condition. I’m just shy of 30 years under that demographic. So, it’s a bit early.

The reason I mention this, is that it is possible my situation evolved as a result of CFS (Osler’s Web explains the incidents of Lymphoma that evolved during the epidemic).

And, it is also possible that I have monoclonal bands because of a virus, possibly the last one I contracted that led to the Fibromyalgia diagnosis.

As it stands today, I get my blood run when there is bone pain and/or another specialist orders it and/or once a year. When my levels hit 10, then a bone marrow punch, staging, typing and whatever treatment is available to reduce pain and maybe give me a bit more time.

I was up to 6 last winter, but back to 4 again. The levels can fluctuate, but they won’t ever go away. The abnormal self cloning cancer cells are there.

And most recently, new immune deficiency on IGg subclass and my lymph glands on both side of the neck and thyroid show nodules which are being monitored. Any growth and biopsy. Fun, huh?

But the end of my nose doesn’t hurt. That’s a coping mechanism I use to laugh and keep going when the sword of Damocles becomes a bit oppressive.

My husband has started the night sweats and he has tremors and is waiting for another MRI. So far we know it’s not Parkinson’s.

So, I have wondered many times if we had gotten flu shots, maybe we might not have contracted those two viruses. Maybe it wouldn’t have made any difference.

I just hope by disclosing a bit of what myself and my husband experienced, that maybe people will reconsider how serious a virus can be, and of what it can trigger by it’s impact on your immune system.

If a vaccine is available, take it. A vaccine isn’t bullet proofing and not 100% effective, but it’s the best we’ve got right now. Hand washing alone won’t cut it. At work, you wash your hands and then touch something. Then what, wash again? hand sanitizer? gloves? (not sterile once you’ve touched something, same as masks.

Bacteria and viruses abound and some of them extract a heavy price.

Personally, if my health were different, and I had a healthy immune system, even one pumped up with Vitamin D3, I wouldn’t put it up against Ebola Marbug or HIV, and they are both viruses.

Hope this makes sense.