Whoa, a lot of passion there. Two things- we are not only second generation homeschoolers, but I'm also a second generation registered nurse. I've been a nurse since I was still a teenager (19). I have seen a LOT of things in my practice. I very, very strongly believe in appropriate sexual education. Why are you insinuating that the vaccine and education regarding sexual education are mutually exclusive? That is ridiculous. Yes, I will be teaching my kids how to get and use birth control properly should they need it. I HAVE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T. Pastor's daughters, innocent homeschool girls that nobody would have thought would have had sex before marriage... cervical cancer, STIs, pregnancy. Countless numbers of them as I grew up as a homeschooled teenager. I will not be blind to the realities of being a teenager because it feels better to ignore the fact that many teens are sexually active. My children are worth more than that. And to give the shot at 12/14 and NOT to think that there may be a "good chance" that they will be sexually active within four years is naive. As fun as it would be to live in a fairy tale, I've seen the reality of the aftermath of living in that innocent fairy tale and it is MUCH harsher than offering preventative education and care.

I can't tell you how many friends I have who have had cervical cancer by 22-24 years of age, and have had to get various procedures to rid their body of the cancer. They didn't even know it was possible. And several of them have had significant difficulty getting pregnant or keeping a pregnancy after their treatment because of how it affected their cervix.

But it's not just for that. Even if your child stays "pure" until marriage, it is possible that their spouse has not. It is also, God forbid, possible for teenagers to be raped. Considering the 80% infection rate of sexually active adults, how can we consider this only for "sexually active" teens? (And making a disclaimer that obviously, it is every parent's right to choose which vaccines their child does and does not get- I just don't understand the thought that this is only for teens and adults who are sexually active). Adding- I became sexually active at 14. I had very involved parents, but I promise you that they had no idea. I was lucky that I didn't get pregnant or contract an STI, because my husband was not sexually active before we were married, and how much would that suck if he'd waited and I had an STI?

The American College of Pediatrics is NOT a reliable source. It is not the American Academy of Pediatrics and they (The ACP) are filled with a lot of bad recommendations.

And here is a great science-based article about the efficacy and safety. This is a great site to use (it links to studies) for any science-based information that you want :) https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/hpv-vaccine-safety-and-acceptance/

I've given tens of thousands of doses of it without my patients have any side effects other than a few vaso-vagal responses- though those happen with the same aged patients with blood draws, too. There is no scientific evidence, IMO, that negates the positive value it brings, and the most recent studies have shown that value is IMMENSE it its ability to reduce HPV rates in vaccinated males and females alike. When 80% of sexually active adults are infected with HPV, my kids will absolutely be getting it, along with the other scheduled vaccines as soon as they are able. It does hurt quite a bit, but no reason in my book not to still get it.

That is a very important point. Even if the specific vaccine doesn't cover the strain you get, it often does result in a much milder form of the flu virus for many. I don't understand those who say "but it doesn't cover every strain!" Of course it doesn't. But even in it's worst years (take 2014-2015 year for example), it still reduces incidence of flu (that season it was 25% in adults and 50% in children)- and has even higher rates of preventing hospitalization related to the flu because of what you discussed above. Last season, in many areas, it reduced incidence of flu by nearly 80%! Amazing. As a nurse, I see a huge reason to vaccinate especially for the immunocompromised patients who cannot receive the vaccine themselves, but the fact about the flu is that it can kill perfectly healthy teens and adults as well. I just don't see a drawback at all to receiving the vaccine, even if it's not a "good" year for a well-matched formulation.

I don't think side-effects (or lack thereof) from the vaccine is an indicative of the future efficacy of the flu vaccine you've received. As a pediatric nurse, I've received the flu vaccine every year for the last decade. Sometimes I get mild aches for a couple days afterward, but it never impacts whether or not I get the flu itself. I am exposed many, many times a year as I do the actual flu testing in our office. The only time I've ever gotten the flu is the year before I got my first flu vaccine in nursing school, when I was 17. It was horrible and took me two full months to recover from. Anyway, I am exposed to both droplets and sputum in my face every year from my tiny flu patients, and regardless of if I've had aches and pains or malaise after my flu shot (I'd say that has happened about 25-30% of the time for me), it has still protected me every year.

To add to the fun we are having in Charlotte, a bomb was just found at our main police department headquarters this afternoon. Will this ever end? 😩

Which is not the case at all in either of the two controversial shootings in Charlotte. They are investigated by the SBI/state attorney general (though to be fair in the Kerrick trial, they charged him within 24 hours through the local department and then sent it out for prosecution to the state).

I was speaking to your previous quote that, to me, sounded like they engaged him because of the marijuana only, which wasn't the case. If I misread, I apologize.

That's actually not completely correct. They did NOT engage him because of the marijuana, because their warrant arrest on the other criminal was their priority. Shortly after, the suspect in the car (that we now know is Mr. Scott) flashed a gun at the (undercover) officers. At that point, that became priority. They left the scene to gear up in marked vests, and returned to engage and arrest him. As an officer's wife IN Charlotte, NC, I can tell you that the exhaustion is real. Our officers have been working 12-24 hour days depending on their roles, and today is day seven. I am hoping it calms down soon.

Check out Joshua Becker! He has several books and a blog. I've seen him speak in person, very inspirational. There are also a few podcasts he's guest hosted on.

I've followed her story as well. Really sad for the struggle she's had. Even after all of that, she's still not done fighting- she still needs a SS# to do many things, and is having a hard time getting one.

I would also like to hear the other perspective personally, because one-sided stories are never the "whole" story.

People have a need to be moved by airplane to places. What should they do instead? It's a public mode of transport. Leave the correction up to the airline because verbally abusing other passengers can cause you to be kicked off. The last two times I flew, there were dogs in the cabin. Barking the ENTIRE time, loudly. It was annoying, but oh well. They are allowed to be on the flight, just as children are. My infant daughter thank God, slept the entire way, but I was terrified she would scream. She was insanely constipated and not feeling well. I lucked out. There was nothing I would have been able to do had her ears hurt from the altitude changes or if her tummy hurt from her constipation. And God forbid if I'd needed to nurse her on the flight- we've seen how that goes. Parents have enough to worry about on flights and ensuring the angelic behavior of their unpredictable (young or medically challenged) children shouldn't be one of them.

Ridiculous. Ask for earplugs. You don't have an expectation of peace and quiet on a plane unless it is your own private plane, period.

Any updates? Since today is August 16...

So my husband and I met at 15, married at 20. We were both homeschooled, so we were both "ahead" in college compared with our peers. He was still in college (in person, not online), I was a year into a nursing career. It was wonderful. We were mature and we were ready. We have been married for almost a decade, I have become a SAHM and he has climbed the ladder of his company, gotten his Masters degree and is headed for a prestigious job next year. We are both very, very happy with the timing of when we got married, and we talk about it often. It helped us to work together toward our goals. We both lived at home until the day we got married, and we got to grow up together. We have yet to have a major "problem" in marriage, and he is truly my best friend. Having said that, we wouldn't recommend early marriage to everyone. Our friends who got married from 18-22 are all divorced. And there are many of them. Maturity and realistic expectations, along with getting married for the right reasons, are all an important part of the equation.

So I'm a Christian. But I will not, ever, stop to help a motorist "stranded" on the side of the road. I will call 911, report the problem and follow-up as needed with police/fire/medic. There are too many things that can go wrong... and my very young children are always with me. I am not risking our well-being on the side of the road to help someone that can be help by professionals. I felt bad for feeling this way and decided not to respond... then came across this article in my newsfeed today. Good samaritan helped these teenaged boys pull their truck out of a ditch... and was promptly robbed and murdered once he got their vehicle freed. http://www.wtoc.com/story/32768632/police-north-charleston-teens-charged-with-robbing-killing-good-samaritan

Both of my kids had colic as newborns- from about 1 month until 3-4 months, crying non-stop, especially at night. I found out with my second that she had a dairy and soy protein allergy and it all made sense. My oldest also had it and I had no clue. I felt horrible, because I was able to fix it by changing my diet. They were both 100% EBF, not a drop of formula, so iron was not the issue for us. We also thought reflux with my second at first- then came the green and mucousy diapers, and then blood tinged and it clicked in my head. My oldest never had the blood, so I didn't make the connection. As soon as I cut out the dairy/soy, she was feeling better in 3-4 days and grew out of her allergy at 8 months.

Not crazy! If you are willing to take the time, it can be done. I PT my oldest at 18 months without difficulty with the three day method and we never had any issues. He's 4.5 now. My 20 month old daughter is sort of potty training herself right now (I started putting both on the potty for #2's when they were 10/12 months because we cloth diaper and it was easier than cleaning up poopy diapers) by just having a little potty near-by. There is a really awesome window of opportunity from 18-22 months or so to potty train from what the books say. I've found it to be very true!

My husband and I were homeschooled as teens. We met at 15. He was forbidden from dating me... his mom actually said the words "nothing will EVER happen between them" to my mother at a homeschooling meet-up. Ha! We've been married for almost a decade now.

If you end up having to get the vaccines, maybe it's possible to have the allergist administer them so that she won't be so nervous? Has she ever had a reaction to vaccines before- or never had a single vaccine?

Super jealous! We are facing a move across the country and will get as little as two weeks notice from my husband's employer. I want so much to put our house up NOW while the market is hopping, but it will likely be late Summer. Congratulations!