One of the distinguishing features of autocrats is that in their frenzy to eliminate enemies, they never finish their work. There are always more enemies lurking in this corner or that.
Old-fashioned dictators like Josef Stalin or Saddam Hussein used to go after people enemies, always finding new plots and traitors.
Our U.S. Food and Drug Administration goes after food and herbs and minerals and vitamins. One by one, or group by group, it seeks to eradicate those it consider threats, ostensibly because of “safety” concerns, even when no such real-life problem exists.
When it isn’t conducting undercover investigations of Amish farmers or private food clubs, as part of its effort to stamp out raw dairy products, it is diligently making lists of nutritional supplements to ban from the marketplace.
The FDA had compiled a long initial list of herbs, minerals, and vitamins it began targeting ten years ago-I counted 155. Among them, D-Ribose, SAMe, and a variety of internal cleanses.
Its main problem? They have been introduced since October 16, 1994, when the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act was passed. That legislation sought to protect nutritional supplements from the Big Pharma hacks at FDA by classifying the items as foods, but in a perverse interpretation of the law, the FDA is now suggesting it only recognizes as legal those supplements in existence when the legislation was passed. Anything introduced since then is “new,” and subject to extensive FDA analysis and assessment–in other words, costly and endless delays beyond the ability of small supplement makers to handle. Essentially, it is proposing banning the listed supplements, plus many others that didn’t make that ten-year-old list.
As I indicated, the list of 155 from 2001 is only an initial list. It says in its new Guidance Documents for dietary supplements posted two months ago that the list isn’t complete, and other supplements introduced since 1994 are targets. This means that nutrients many of us have been safely using over the course of three decades, including higher-potency versions of vitamins available before 1994, will be subject to the FDA’s oppressive policies that may mandate costly animal testing, which translates into forced withdrawal from the market, and higher prices IF the supplement is ever allowed to be sold again. As one example of what may well be prohibited: high-potency Vitamin D3 tablets commonly recommended by physicians to counter widespread vitamin D deficiencies that are now known to lead to various cancers and other serious health problems. Moreover, even pre-1994 supplements are subject to review, as supplement makers will need to document their production and sale.
This isn’t a new push by the FDA. I first wrote about it six years ago, explaining how it is related to conforming with rules of the United Nation’s Codex Alimentarius rule-making. Codex is about taking control of nutritional supplements out of the hands of small producers and consumers, and putting control into the hands of Big Pharma and Big Healthcare. Some of the health-giving supplements would continue to be available, but only under prescription from your friendly primary care physician, and available from Big Pharma at exorbitant prices.
Consumer outrage has slowed the FDA’s push on behalf of Codex, but not stopped it. The bureaucracy moves slowly, but it moves, inexorably, to achieve its key strategic goals. It seems undeniable, conspiratorial and demented as it sounds, that one of the FDA’s key goals is to gradually diminish the health of Americans by depiriving them of important nutrients, making them more pliable, and increasing revenues of Big Pharma and Big Healthcare.
Unfortunately, our legislature and judges seem intent on giving the FDA ever more power. The Food Safety Modernization Act is one primary example. The federal judge’s initial decision in the Allgyer case, dismissing a challenge to the FDA’s campaign against private food clubs is another.
Give an autocrat more power, and he’ll grab it. The FDA is currently drunk with power. As Michael Schmidt said following my previous post, “It will get much worse my friends, you have not seen the real deal yet. “ (Thanks to Steve Bemis, a Michigan lawyer who has investigated the FDA’s initiative on nutritional supplements, for information for this post.)
***
It looks as if the pseudonym issue has come up again. I can appreciate the concerns of those who are candid enough to post under their real names. As Mark McAfee suggests, I’ve accepted the pseudonyms because some people fear posting under their real names–regulators and farmers alike. Some of the recent court decisions and enforcement actions illustrate the potential problems. Once the regulators gain additional authority, they can use names accumulated from this site and others to hunt down farmers.
Longer term, though, as the food rights movement grows, I believe it will become ever more important for supporters to stand up under their real names and declare their beliefs and intentions. There are fewer and fewer places to hide.
Ill give you all something to refocus on. Five years ago on September 7th, we took our son to the emergency room because he had diarrhea all day with intermittent bouts of vomiting. By 7:30 p.m., he had blood in his B.M. and as you can imagine, we became quite alarmed. By 9:00 p.m., we were in the emergency room. Chris was in severe pain and became extremely weak. I can still close my eyes and see the blood and mucus oozing out of his rectum.
Over the next couple of hours he started vomiting and pooping every 20 to 30 minutes. He continued like this for 5 very long f***ing days. This time 5 years ago on September 9th, Chris started turning for the worst. They did a challenge test to see if he could eat food. They gave him a little apple sauce with a probiotic mixture. His response was horrendous; instant vomiting. His abdomen became extended and it was extremely sore to the touch. Looking back, this was the beginning of his acute pancreatitis.
The nurses were completely overwhelmed with the level of care he needed. He was propped up on a bedside commode, with pillows all around, attempting to sleep in between bouts of pooping and vomiting. The vomiting occurred because he was in so much pain. He would have a bowel movement, and instantaneously he would vomit.
This was the day he experience rectal prolapse from over use of his rectum. When his rectum bulged outside his anus, the resident doctor on call looked like deer in headlights. She had never seen anything like this. Tony was the one who gently pushed his rectum back inside his anus.
This day they also did a round of CT scans. They thought he had appendicitis. Imagine your child being in this situation and they want him to drink and hold down the stuff needed to do the CT scan. I have no idea how Chris accomplished this task. We got the scan done and he didnt vomit up the solution until after the scan was over. They concluded that he did not have appendicitis. All they saw was that his intestinal track was extremely inflamed. Wouldnt yours be if you had been shitting your brains out for 3 days?
Little did we know at the time these symptoms were all signs of pre-HUS. The Shiga toxin had invaded his intestinal track, entered his blood stream and began doing its damage. We, along with all medical professionals, were clueless. E.coli 0157:H7 turned HUS is rare.
Todays cows are not the same cows as 100 years ago. Keep that in mind when drinking raw milk.
Thanks for giving our struggle with the FDA more depth. The future is very scary…if you see what is really going on.
The pseudonym issue will continue to come up, when those who don't like, or won't (or can't) answer the criticisms that some feel obligated to offer. I suggest that anytime someone falls back on that, that more attention be paid to the content of those that are attempted to be discredited. Diversion can be a effective tool for those who don't want to be scrutinized or questioned.
Lets be clear here. Posting on this blog opens even those who use pseudonyms to be known. The internet is not an anonymous place. The authorities have the capacity to know the origination of every IP address. There is risk for some when they hit the send button…no matter what the content of what they write. Some of us feel that it's worth that level of risk, so that a full spectrum of opinions can be had. We are glad that you agree that the broadness of the movement, and diversity of opinion is beneficial for our effort.
Its always dangerous when the big and powerful dictate the terms on which the small exist…whether that be an overbearing government, or an ego driven owner of a large factory farm.
I am glad Chris is okay now . . . know you went through a great deal . . . as I have with my own son when he was an infant and facing an ECMO machine due to very severe MAS . . .but he is a normal 12 year old now. Many, many parents deal with childhood illnesses that require hospitalization . . . .
The one thing you have to realize is that you just need to let this all go and quit dwelling on the past . . move forward . . .and cherish your son.
I remember those dark, dark six weeks at Children's National Medical Center . . . I kept running into this mom who looked just as tired and scared as I was . . . we got to talking one day and I found out that she and her doctors had no idea that her infant son was born without a spleen . . . a minor infection set in and her son lost both of his arms and both of his legs . . . he was now out of the danger zone and his stumps were healing . . . and as we tearfully talked . . . she had hopes that her son would lead a normal life as they were thinking about fitting him with prothesis arms and legs very soon.
Reality set in . . . my son's problems paled in comparason to this child. I hugged this mom and cried with her but I was too embarassed to explain why my son was in the hospital . . . he was beginning to turn the corner and we no longer faced the ECMO machine . . . I knew he was going to be okay . . . I cried for this mom's little infant son who had no arms or legs for days afterwards . . .
Chris is okay now, Mary . . . be thankful and just move on with your life . . . so many other parents out there have had it much, much worse than you and I . . .
Kind regards,
Violet
http://www.kilbyridgefarmmaine.blogspot.com
I have said my piece about nameless commenters.
As to the FDA and their power and drunken stupor, this last week I requested that FTCLDF please take on the case of the now nearly 3 year old Citizens Petition that was submitted to the FDA. According to statute the FDA was supposed to respond to this petition in less than 180 days. They have not responded to the legally submitted request at all. They ignore the law, they believe they are above the law.
They are drunk….they are intoxicated. They are insanely psychotic. They have seized absolute power…as a result they have become absolutely corrupted by big pharma. We need Mike Moore for round two of Beyond Sicko at the FDA.
I hope that FTCLDF takes this case and submits the Writ of Mandamus. It could help the pending FTCLDF CFR 1240.61 case regarding raw milk interstate commerce. There will be a day, very soon, when the FDA will be changed. The mass death caused by the FDA regs is being exposed. On Tuesday evening next week, the Placerville Area Tea Party invited me to speak. I am not a Tea Party guy at all…..but I will embrace them and teach them as well. Teach…teach about FDA crimes. The CDC data is as far as you need to go….use their data against them.
The Teat Party is one party that all beliefs, all citizens can join. It is the one party that unifies America because it is about freedom and food.
"Its always dangerous when the big and powerful dictate the terms on which the small exist.."
So true.
"The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), once the world's "gold standard" for food, drug, and device regulation, has evolved from industry regulator to industry captive.
"Political scientists are not surprised. The evolution from tough regulator to passive regulator to industry captive is a pattern in Washington. Unless an agency engages in a major system of reinvigoration, the spiral continues. But the FDA seems comfortable being the hand-maiden for industry; it has brought big bucks to the agency and lucrative jobs after time at the FDA.
"The big bucks are in the FDA's pay-to-play approval system. Drug companies pay seven-figure amounts into FDA coffers to gain approval of their drugs."
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/09/09/fda-coverup-on-the-mercury-dentistry-issue.aspx
"I have said my piece about nameless commenters."
That's fine but you still pissed quite a few people off in the process. Again!!!
I grew up sick. Literally. In fact I still am sick. I still suffer from a metabolic disease that I find unacceptable. Physicans downgraded its severity and told me not to worry. At the hands of these physicans my condition has worsened. In my quest to try to fix this issue on my own I started to notice that much of hte writing seemed very legalistic and shallow. I noticed that these writings often never wanted to call for a cause. Their answer was always more research. I knew in my heart that someone knew something about this situation and wasn't going to feed me a bunch of bullshit. What did I find? Long story short, that nutrition and supplements are the best providers of health, and NOT big pharma drugs (by the way the FDA is finally getting around to reviewing the dangers of bone drugs).
The FDA NDI draft guidance and the related Senate Bill (S1310) sponsored by the disgusting and awful Dick Durbin really shook my faith in this country. I mean it REALLY shook me to my core. I am not a farmer, nor am I a doctor, nutritionist or anything in that field. My education is in Engineering, and I all I can say is that this just PLAIN WRONG.
I absolutely do believe that Big Food and Big Pharma have a vested interest in keeping people addicted to their products and then jacking up the prices. They sell it on the propaganda of safety or try to tell people they are truly interested in their health and welfare. They want people to rely on them, and they want people sick. And if you really paid attention, it seems their answer to cancer is to be screened more often (more money for them). But getting screened does not solve the source of the problem. Their propaganda reeks worse than cow manure (yes, I know I'm insulting cow manure).
I would like everyone to reads this blog to help join in the fight to keep dietary supplements available. They really help me, and maybe I'll write more (this post was letting go of some pent-up anger). The Alliance for Natural Health is a great organization and so is the National Health Federation (who are quite active in CA).
By the way, after reading David's book, I purchased my VERY FIRST gallon of raw milk from my local health food store. I absolutely loved it, and I love using it in my morning whey smoothie!! YUM!
WAPF was established in 1999 and the mission to promote raw milk began. Beginning in 2005, multiple raw milk outbreaks each year began. There have been many children who drank raw milk contaminated with E.coli 0157:H7 that turned into HUS.
September 10, 2006
Tony and I are exhausted. For the past two days, weve been taking turns being on potty duty with Chris. Every few hours we rotated. One would assist Chris and the other would attempt sleeping on the chair beds provided for parents. By this time, Chris was no longer in bed. There was no point. He was too weak to move from bed to potty chair each time he had diarrhea. He sat propped up on the potty chair with pillows all around his body and head. He would doze off in-between bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. One parent would sit with him holding the vomit tray.
This was his 4th day of relentless diarrhea. This was the day doctors and nurses became alarmed. There was a new level of concern for Chris. All fecal bacteria samples kept coming back negative and they had ruled out appendicitis, so there was frustration as to what was wrong with him. (Note: many children who later go on to develop HUS, have their appendix mistakenly removed.) Each hour, Chris was deteriorating. They had to start giving him morphine for pain. He hadnt eaten since the morning of the 7th, so TPN (intravenous nutrition) had been ordered.
In the afternoon, we were transferred a hospital that had all the pediatric specialists. A sigmoidoscopy was done. They determined that Chris most likely had colitis and a biopsy was taken, but it would take a few days to get the results. (Note: In case you ever find yourself in this situation with your child, all colons infected with E.coli 0157:H7 look like colitis).
This was the beginning of what I call our run with bad luck. All fecal samples were testing negative for bacteria and Chris colon was in serious trouble. (Note: some children who develop HUS lose all or part of their colons.) Based on the negative results of the fecal samples, an antibiotic was given to Chris. Looking back, Chris had all the signs of pre-HUS, but it is impossible to determine if the antibiotic triggered HUS or saved his colon or both. Most children develop HUS on day 6 to 8.
By the evening, Chris no longer had the energy to hold up his head. He was so weak, he could barely speak. We had to put a diaper on our seven year old son. He was so humiliated, but it was the only way we could deal with the continued diarrhea. I remember this being a comfortable night compared to the last two because we were isolated in a room for three patients, so Tony and I each had our own bed. We still had to be on rotation duty with Chris and his diarrhea. I have to tell you it is challenging to change the diaper of a seven year old because his legs were so long. Getting all parts wiped clean was not fun, especially when youre doing it every half an hour. We had to figure out a procedure so that the bed sheets didnt get soiled. The blue bed pads became our good friend.
I remember looking at Chris feeling such sadness and helplessness. I was naively hopeful at this point because we received the diagnosis of colitis, even though instinctually it made no sense to me. Chris never had issues with his bowel movements. I kept wondering how colitis could to be triggered so quickly and with such extreme symptoms. The next morning would give us the answers and take us down a new road to hell.
Mary, I have read your story and comments in David's book. I wonder if this statement couldn't be a bit misleading because it does not give all the details that you originally wrote which included:
"He also stated explicitly to the resident doctors that at no time should Chris be given antibiotics until the cause of the presenting symptoms was identified" because it would make his situation a lot worse. And apparently that is exactly what happened. So it seems to me that there is good evidence that Chris' case was not handled properly by the medical system and that much suffering resulted. Could some of that suffering been avoided had antibiotics not been given? That too we cannot know.
I can appreciate your desire to warn people, and to also make valid points about the differences of dairy pathogens today as compared to the past. But those pathogens appear in many other food sources also, and in apparently much more abundance since raw milk is such a small percentage of the dairy supply. We face huge risks every day, and other behaviors carry far more risks (such as driving a car) that we don't even think twice about because the benefits outweigh the risks.
What happened to Chris was terrible, and your story certainly should be told, as it was in David's book and on this blog. But I'm not sure it justifies trying to create a fear among raw milk consumers or potential raw milk consumers that is not comparable to similar risks we all take every day without a lot of fear.
Mary….
RAWMI was formed as an answer for all children. Chris being the first.
I look forward to next year when RAWMI starts off on some serious investigative raw milk research. I will be proposing a large scale Campylobacter Antibody Titer study to determine if long term raw milk drinkers are immune from Campy. If so…that knocks down one bad bug. More to come. It could be that many of the so called pathogens become non-pathogens when a raw milk drinker consumes a biodiversity of bacteria ( little bits of everything at levels so low that immunity is imparted ). Great science supports this and several other studies support this as well.
Mary, safety is absolutely essential, but exposure to biologically diverse elements to provide immunity is critical as well.
One of RAWMI's first projects will be the gathering and classification of thousands of real world consumer raw milk testimonials. Each testimonial will be classified into it's medical category. We now have for the first time…tens of thousands of anxious cooperative raw milk drinkers that can be studied and polled about raw milk.
The RAWMI website would have been up this week, but the directors chose to postpone and expand the website capabilities with bigger better software. We are working hard to open it in the next ten days or so. The RAWMI email addresses will be active next week. Stacy Pearson will be here manning the phones and coordinating efforts on the 28th of September.
The Anti-raw milk Russian Roulette days at the FDA are numbered. Between, grass roots teaching and dollar voting, solid science, the truth, collateral legal attack from all sides including Emord and FTCLDF, WAP, legislative efforts across America, RAWMI research & safety plans….solid data….teaching x3, mid night ice chest mooooooshine rendezvous, the FDA does not stand a chance. In less than five years…they will be inviting Raw Milk to the table for peace talks….you watch.
The FDA killing spree can only last so long. At 20% GNP pharma can only suck so much life out of America before the stench of pharma death becomes apparent and even the political people can not afford intervention after illness and prevention prior to illness will be the only channel left to follow.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raw-Milk-Institute/105639059539091?sk=info
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jukcyFz35ZAJ:goodfoodfestivals.com/santamonica/speakers/mark-mcafee/+raw+milk+institute&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
"RAWMI is reducing the confusion about how to write a food safety program or how to implement its elements whether the farmer will milk 1 cow or 500. One of the main missions of RAWMI is to assist in the development of national raw milk standards and then facilitate the LISTING of farmers that will then utilize these standards to expand safe raw milk production"
IF I was a dairy farmer with 1 to say 5 cows, I would have no problem listening to what others say, it may fit my farm, or it may not fit my farm. Why would I need to WRITE a food safety program or follow your rules for "implement its elements"? If I've been producing raw milk without any issues for however long, why fix what isn't broken?
(FYI I have written policies & procedures per Medical standards for HHA, so I am familiar with govt acceptable requirements)
By stating Implementing elements….at what cost? Who is to say my farm needs any changing? These words have the ominous overtures of govt oppression.
Mark, You have posted that words need to be chosen carefully, you are absolutely correct in that…..YOUR words are making RAWMI sound like your way or no way….. YOU are sounding just like the govt entities-dictating to the masses how they will live, what they will consume……
I would like to believe that is NOT what your mean….your words need to prove otherwise.
Teaching at all levels is without dispute. Mandating or dictating how something has to change to will only cause separation within the environment.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_18843100
"listeria was reported today in addition…."
"One of the main missions of RAWMI is to assist in the development of national raw milk standards…"
But on December 24, 2010, Mark wrote:
"I have no knowledge of any national standards that are being drafted."
http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2010/12/22/key-lesson-in-judges-ruling-against-michael-hartmann-dont-go.html?currentPage=4#comments
And on December 29, 2010, Mark wrote:
"…but I assure you that I have not been made part of the development of any proposed national standards."
http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2010/12/29/out-of-the-loop-proposed-raw-milk-standards-are-nearly-ready.html
Let me guess…you just "decided" over the last 8 months to join up with Wightman's National Raw Milk Standards. Did I get that right?
Mark has been caught in a lie, yet again. Here is your leader, people.
You are right . . . Mark wants to dictate . . . his RAWMI institute has never, ever contacted any raw dairy that I know of in Maine for input on his institute . . .
If you have, Mark . . . please let me know.
This is Mark's gig . . . he wants to homogenize the raw milk movement his own way . . . sorry but your way, Mark is the very antithesis of the Local Food Movement. , , , wich includes dairy, meat, grains and produce . . .
Every Foodshed is unique and cannot be pigeonholed into a "Certification".
I hate certifications which is why I am not "Certified" . . . Organic, Grass, Humane, Pasture, etc., I don't want to pay a fee for a certification as a farmer . . . and deal with more stupid paperwork when I can be out on my fields or barn husbanding my animals or tending my crops . . . my customers can see for themselves what we do . . . and btw . . . the best of the best like Joel Salatin or Eliot Coleman have no "Certifications" either on their farms:)
Kind regards,
Violet
http://www.kilbyridgefarmmaine.blogspot.com
Im not misrepresenting anything. Yesterday was September 9th, so I wrote what happened 5 years ago on September 9th. The warning you mention was given on the morning of September 8th when Chris was seen by the first doctor. Also, not all facts are correct in Davids book. This is not his fault. I was not available during the timeframe he wrote the book because of the lawsuit. Since then, David, Mark and I have collaborated and corrected misinformation. If a 2nd edition of the book is ever released, these changes will be made.
Fear is a great motivator. If what I share scares anyone, then I hope it makes producers and consumers of raw milk hyper focus on the need to keep pathogens out of the milk. Also, Im not overlooking other foods that cause illnesses. Maybe you missed reading this sentence, What are the real consequences of drinking contaminated raw milk or any food contaminated with a Shiga producing E.coli.?
I think that the PTB in California were trying to link straws to Mark's farm . . . and Mark got scared . . . because he was outsourcing colostrum at that time . . . (which I would never drink as it contains antibodies beneficial for COWS AND NOT HUMANS).
E-coli can be passed in schools, day care centers, etc., I think you and your son drank raw milk for the first time . . . and this is what stuck when you were questioned by the doctors . . . but your son also ate spinach and so did one other child that came down with the same strain as Chris . . . only this child never drank raw milk . . .that is the smoking gun here . . .
Mary . . . do you still drink Mark's milk? and if not and you have your settlement . . . why are you still posting on this blog?
My three year old, Brynne, has been drinking raw milk since she was 8 months old and eating raw cheese and yogurt since she was 5 months old and . . . she is the picture of health and vitality . . . taller than most kids her age and is never, ever sick . . .
Mary, I beg you . . . start drinking raw milk from a very small dairy in California . . . if you can find one that is 100% grass/hay based with healthy and beautiful cows and then come back to us and let us know how you and your kids are doing . . .
RAWMI is not the answer . . . good small farms are . . .
Kind regards,
Violet
http://www.kilbyridgefarmmaine.blogspot.com
The research plans you've outlined above sound very ambitious. Regarding this research, I have two questions:
1. Who will be paying for this research? OPDC, you personally, investors, a USDA grant, or will it come from the fees taken from RAWMI farmers? Or a combination thereof? Be specific, please.
2. We all know that when an organization like the dairy industry or pharmaceutical industry funds research that it tends to be "skewed" as to favor the industry funding the research. How will you prevent that from happening with the research that RAWMI sponsors?
Thanks in advance.
E-coli can be passed in schools, day care centers, etc., I think you and your son drank raw milk for the first time . . . and this is what stuck when you were questioned by the doctors . . . but your son also ate spinach and so did one other child that came down with the same strain as Chris . . . only this child never drank raw milk . . .that is the smoking gun here . . .
So Violet, please humor me. Who was this other child who ate spinach but did not drink raw milk and came down with the same strain as Chris? Is this an urban legend passed around in the raw milk community? I chuckle when I hear are the different versions of reality. If you really had done your research on the OPDC 2006 outbreak, you would know that it involved 6 children sprinkled throughout northern and southern California. Five children who became ill consumed OPDC products and 1 childs family had a history of consuming OPDC products, but claimed they didnt during the timeframe this child became ill. 5 of the 6 children tested positive for the same blueprint of E.coli 0157:H7 and one didnt because they never isolated the any bacteria in this childs stool sample. If you had been paying any attention to what I wrote today, you would know this child was Chris. Also, two children developed HUS. One was Chris and the other was Lauren Herzog. We met each other at the childrens hospital. You will hear all about that on September 17th.
So this phantom child who ate spinach but did not consume an OPDC product couldnt possibly have the matching strain to Chris because they never isolated any bacteria in Chris stool samples. Just to set the record straight, the hospital never asked us if Chris drank raw milk. They went through a litany of questions that never included raw milk. My husband was the one that told them he had been drinking raw milk for a couple of weeks. The news about the spinach outbreak hadnt even hit the news until September 14th. We took Chris to the emergency room on September 7th. BTW, he did not eat Dole packaged spinach that was implicated in the outbreak. He ate spinach from an open bin we purchased at our local health food store.
It is important that you know all the correct facts if you are going to come up with theories about my sons illness.
As for posting on this blog, I was here long before you were and I think David kind of likes me. I gave him good material for his book. LOL We all need a good sense of humor when dealing with the topic of raw milk.
Egocentric Pilots talk like this right before they crash and kill people. Training, size and risk appropriate standards coupled with a customized farm plan, that each farmer creates…changes the risk profile entirely. If you want to fly with empty fuel tanks, dirty fuel, flat tires, no seat belts, loose bolts on your wings….go for it. It is a free country. Marler has your number and your number will come up….just like the Russian Roullette game that the FDA warns about.
If Random Roullette is your bet…fly by yourself and do not take others with you. I envision a future of reliably safe raw milk for every one that wants that choice. That is a planned event. It is not random or unplanned.
I talked recently with an 80 year old retired RN whose dear brother came back from WWII service in Japan and although in excellent health and still a young man, not much later died suddenly of two simultaneous cancers: liver and gall bladder. One particular MD, as old as dirt himself, figured it out. There had been a number of cases like this among servicemen who had lived in Japan and it had nothing to do with Hiroshima or Nagasaki. It was, somehow, the diet.
I neither cross-examined her nor corroborated the story.
My working definition of an accident is two or more mistakes coincident. On one mistake you can usually skate. Two is asking for it. Three you got it. So take care of your shit and at the same time make it as easy as possible for the other guy to do the same. The result is lower probability of accidents. God sees to His own acts, while we have our responsibilities.
Iola Granola: thanks for taking the time to read the 27 pp ruling.
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
Mark, why did you want to know our real names again?
Maybe my comment wasn't so tongue-in-cheek after all.
As the rest for the U.S. was remembering 5 years post 911, we had our own personal 911.
At 6:00 a.m. they took a blood and urine sample. I became alarmed because the urine was pink, as if blood was there. I pointed it out to the nurse and she said it wasnt blood and probably a reaction to medication or TPN. After another night of diarrhea, although it began to slow down, we had eliminated putting the diaper on him. It was easier to allow him to expel the substance coming out of him onto the blue bed pad. Sometime that morning, Chris expelled a huge amount of golden liquid. It covered the entire blue pad. Thanks to the antibiotics, this would be the last bowel movement Chris would have for a while. It was a much welcomed relief. It was a positive that Chris was no longer defecating, but there was something that seemed different about him that morning.
I remember having this nervous feeling. There had been some sort of shift in him. I didnt like that his urine was pink and this golden liquid that came out of him was not poop like. I also didnt like how Chris felt to me. By that I mean intuitively felt. All moms have this gift with their kids. He felt different.
When the doctor made her rounds that morning, I told her something was wrong with Chris. That there had been some sort of shift in him. I pointed out the urine and bed pad. The look on her face changed. She looked alarmed. She said she would be right back. She went to check to see if the results of his blood work had come back yet from the 6:00 draw.
When she returned to Chris room she looked solemn. In a very serious voice she told us that we had a very sick child on our hands. She was doing another blood draw to confirm her suspicions, but she thought Chris may have an illness that could involve kidney failure. Tony and I were in shock. We had just jumped from diarrhea and vomiting to kidney failure. I started crying hysterically. This was my entire fault. I should never have given him raw milk. Tony tried to console me. (Note: I thought the milk was safe to drink because it was tested.)
When the doctor returned, she confirmed the worst. Chris had developed Hemolytic Uremic SyndromeHUS. (Note: although we had not met her yet, Lauren Herzog was also diagnosed with HUS on the same day and was not given antibiotics.) She told us that Chris would need to be sent to a childrens hospital that had a pediatric intensive care unit. She was working out the details and didnt know if he would be taken by ambulance or helicopter. In the meantime, Chris would need to be catheterized so they could monitor urine flow. Typically this would not be a huge ordeal, but Chris hadnt been circumcised and his foreskin had never retracted. Tony and I had to hold him down as the doctor forced back his foreskin. Chris screamed out in pain as tears rolled down our faces. Little did we know this was only the first of many painful procedures Tony and I would hold Chris down for. This emotional numbing feeling began. I think this must be what happens when a person experiences shock.
While we were waiting for the travel details, a nurse was trying to give us hopeful information. She told us about other children who have been diagnosed with the same thing and they do recover. The words that stood out the most were (1) if you are sent by helicopter, it means he is really sick and (2) if 10 doctors ever come in the room all at the same time that is not a good sign.
We received the news that Chris would be flown by helicopter, not good. That meant he was very ill. The next decision being discussed was whether I was going to be able to fly with him. They told me it had to do with weight, so I had that going in my direction. I couldnt imagine 115 pounds was going to make a difference. Looking back, I dont think it had anything to do with weight. I think they were psychologically assessing me to see if I would be an asset to Chris. If I appeared to be emotionally in control, I could go. If I was an emotional basket case, I wouldnt be going. This is something important to keep in mind if you ever find yourself in this situation with your child.
At this point, my number one goal was not to scare Chris. I didnt want him to know how sick he was. So far he had handled the past 4 days with grace. No crying meltdowns or screaming. He still said please and thank you. He did ask us why God made bad bugs. I never could answer that question.
We presented the helicopter ride as a fun adventure. We both wore helmets that had microphones, so we could speak to each other. He was weak, but seemed to enjoy the ride.
We didnt know it at the time, but we were sent to a childrens hospital that didnt have the capacity to do kidney dialysis. (Note: 50% of children who develop HUS need kidney dialysis). If you ever find yourself with a child who has HUS, make sure to ask if the hospital you are being sent to does dialysis. Remember the run with bad luck I talked about. This was the 2nd bad luck issue.
The hospital we were sent to was part of the HMO we belonged to. This was the first pediatric intensive care unit we had ever been in, but from the beginning something seemed very wrong. Chris was not placed in a room. We were in a large room shared by many sick children. It was like an emergency room. Each bed had a curtain to pull around for privacy. There were about 6-8 beds total. We were in an extremely small space; enough for two chairs and a single bed. Thats it. No chair bed for a parent to sleep on. This would be our home for the next 3 days.
Family and friends began to gather in the waiting room. Everyone took turns rotating into Chris space in the room. Luckily, we had the first bed in the room, so our visitation rotation didnt bother other families. By this time, Tony and I were beyond exhaustion. This was day five in the hospital and we had only had interment sleep. We needed fresh, alert people to assist us. Two of my closest friends stayed with us for those 3 days. One was in charge of me and the other of Tony. They were a godsend.
So much happened this first day at the PICU, I wont bore you with all the details. The important highlights are:
1 .They inserted a central line in Chris chest for TPN and blood draws
2. They started loading him up with fluids and some meds with hopes of keeping his kidneys working
3. The pee bag hung at the side of the bed and we monitored the output every hour. If it began declining, it was not good.
4. The attending physician was a jackass. It did not go well from the beginning with this man.
5. There was cable TV and Chris was very content watching his favorite shows. He also enjoyed everyone visiting.
6 .It was the first night we were separated as a family. They did have this room down the hall were we rotated to sleep. We each got 4 or 5 hours straight of sleep.
7. I called a friend and she started a prayer chain with friends from the school district we worked for and at churches in our community.
That night was spent watching and praying that the pee bag would stay full. There was still hope that he may not go into complete renal failure.
Perhaps Mark ignores such things, real though they are?
On the topic of the Codex and Agenda 21 in general:
Ignorance can bite real hard. It purely wont matter whether an indivdual was paying attention beforehand. Or not. Dont act surprised. Liberty and freedom are high maintenance and the enemies of both of those work constantly at undermining them.
Time to dump, dissociate from both the Codex and Agenda 21. Those that promote them will use any tool handy to do so. If they notice that the pulse quickens and the eyes get big and maybe glow over some issue, then they will use that issue as a tool, if they can. But they are no friend of across-the-boards good health and sound economies that are outside of their controls. Even movements along the lines of good health and food choice are monitored and methods to guide and control attempted. Science cant lie but liars can certainly use science. We have been trained to obey anything clothed in a white jacket with a stethoscope draped over its neck, for one example. I thoughtlessly made obeisance to a clothing dummy in a medical uniform store once.
Many in the Santa Cruz, California area that were active early-on in Agenda 21 have rejected it and are knowledgeably, actively, dumping it.
The non-profit scams are being pretty thoroughly discussed too.
I will tell you the truth: these societal parasites, unchecked, will incessantly weaken any country.
1+1=2.
Mr. J. Ingvar Odegaard
People, crops and cattle are exposed to, vaccines, pesticides, herbicides, prophylactic antibiotics, radiation, GMOs and a mind boggling list of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. What purpose does all this destructive technology serve other then to beat nature and the populace into submission?
Attempting to manipulate and control that which has existed for millennia based on current knowledge and the application of destructive hit and miss technologies is a reflection of wanton irresponsibility. Such an approach will exacerbate the complexities of disease and disorder, distort reality and further erode our health.
We are not masters of Gods creation but rather we are subject to it. Learning to humbly respect and live in harmony with it is our greatest challenge.
Ken Conrad
Well said Ken! Great post…
That poor child had horrid care….Why didn't a NICU RN cath him? You do NOT need to retract foreskin to cath a male, unless there is an anomaly with the structures. Using the correct size cath and manuvering the foreskin opening you can see and/or feel with your finger where you insert cath. Geesh!
And they STILL are opened for business…..
From Sylvia's link:
"Martin said Cargill added two additional anti-bacterial washes to its processing process in Springdale after the first recall and instituted what he called "the most advanced sampling and monitoring system in the poultry industry."
Oh, just what we all need… more antibacterials in our systems to wipe out our own native species.
I saw a headline today… our native bacteria never recover fully after being wiped out by antibiotics: http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/09/04/gut-biota-never-recover-from-antibiotic-use-extends-to-future-generations
And now, whachabet that Cargill gets a release to use more antibiotics to forestall infection with salmonella, making the problem worse…
"Cambodian boy suckles from cow after parents leave"
http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/story/10111073/
Don't forget to look at the series of five photos showing the 20 month old boy drinking raw milk straight from the tap. What a smart kid!! He knows what he needs… figured it out from watching a calf suckle!!
"Low Blood Cholesterol Compromises Immune Function"
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/immunity3.html
If FDA et al weren't so hyped up to push grains, low-fat and statins, more people would be able to resist infections naturally.
I had read in several "mainstream" articles that the big pharmaceuticals were researching statins as a treatment for infectious disease. What a joke! These clowns will stop at nothing for a profit regardless of who they hurt.
"1 childs family had a history of consuming OPDC products, but claimed they didnt during the timeframe this child became ill."
Mary, the E-Coli bacteria that infected your son is widespread now in wildlife, and vectors can now be found in human to human transmission . . . all possibly caused by CAFO farms where your son's e-coli was evolved due to the feeding of antibiotics to CAFO livestock for many decades . . it is found in produce grown in Mexico etc., I don't have to go into all of the outbreaks over the years . . . google it for yourself.
I have been reading David's blog for over five years now and have been drinking raw milk for that timeframe as well . . .
I wish we had consumed raw milk sooner but prior to moving to Maine it was an illegal product unelss you were in a cowshare agreement . . . the closest one was over an hour away . . . I am so glad my children are able to drink this wonderful product now in Maine . . .both of my kids have not seen a doctor in over two years:)
David likes me too btw:) When his book was written I was not a farmer selling to the public just yet (my sheep had just arrived a year before) and I was not the local food activist that I am now . . .
We are having our first open farm day on October 15th . . . it will celebrate our local foodshed and many local farmerswill be here to sell and give out free samples of products on our farm . . . I am calling this a mini "Taste of Downeast Maine". Several speakers have been invited to discuss local farm issues . . . you are more than welcome to come and see for yourself what we are doing in our small corner of Maine . . .
Kind regards,
Violet
http://www.kilbyridgefarmmaine.blogspot.com
The problem, he said is that salmonella is "ubiquitous" and can come from soil, water, poultry feed and any number of sources.
http://news.yahoo.com/more-ground-turkey-recalled-because-salmonella-132246744.html
What if things had gone different for you the first time you gave your children raw milk? What if they had become ill instead of becoming healthier? How would you feel if your child almost died from consuming raw milk? I am not your enemy. Im just sharing the other version of raw milk consumption. It is not a storybook ending for all that drink raw milk. If contaminated shit gets in the milk, it is not a pretty story.
So lets take Chris and the child that parents claim didnt drink raw milk during the timeframe of his/her illness out of the picture (new flashparents have the capacity to lie). That still leaves 4 children who all had the matching blueprint of E.coli 0157:H7, different from the spinach outbreak, and the only common food they consumed was a product from OPDC. One child developed HUS.
Violet, after everything my son endured, he should be struggling with all sorts of immune challenges. Most children post HUS do. The reality is that he is not. He is healthier than he has ever been. This is because we have invested in seeking the help of a naturopathic doctor. He started his health regimen the day he left the hospital. Raw milk is not the only way to build a healthy immune system. Other than a brief cold or a fever for a day, Chris has not been ill with anything serious since leaving the hospital on November 2nd, 2006. He is almost 13 years old and doesnt have a cavity either. Explain to me how this is possible without drinking raw milk.
Another tidbit of information you might find interesting. My son reacts to the peptide Casomorphin which is found in milk. It acts like an opiate on his brain. He is also highly sensitive to whey protein. We took all dairy out of his diet a year ago, and he began to flourish in school. Most of his focusing issues improved dramatically. He was no longer being drugged by dairy products.
I always suspected dairy products caused him issues. I tried raw milk and almost killed him. I went to professional doctors who specialize in the immune system and finally found the help my child needed.
The road to improved health does not need to include raw milk. My personal opinion, the risk is too great. I think Ive earned the right to that opinion.