Swanson Coaching, LLC

How to cultivate a better culture?

Jeff Krasno from One Commune asks: “What type of oak will grow from an acorn planted in polluted soil?”

I believe (like most Americans) that so much needs to be done in our country to solve the problem of senseless violence and senseless deaths.

I believe that it must begin with nurturing emotional intelligence – and not shoving emotions to the side.

It begins with listening – really listening – to others.

We need to learn how to cultivate compassion for ourselves (and all beings).

It begins with learning to “glamorize” the soul, not the screen.

We should be rewarding introspection and curiosity, not narcissism and wealth.

It begins with honoring the being, not the doing.  The quiet, not the action.

What does it look like for our culture to take its depleted soil and add nutrients, fertilizer, and compost?

When you look across the horizon and see that the acreage is in the billions, this seems like an impossible task.

But then you look closer and see tiny pockets of green.  Spaces where people are cultivating beautiful gardens.  Their neighbors see this and are inspired. And then those neighbor’s neighbors are inspired.

And so it goes.

One person, one garden, one seedling, can make a huge difference in this country. In this world.

How amazing would it be to have a pandemic of compassion and curiosity spread across this planet!

How to cultivate a better culture?

In what ways, if any, are you contributing to the cultivation of “healthier soil”?

In what ways, if any, are you blind to where you are stepping? Did you notice that caterpillar on that weed and step anyways?  What if that caterpillar turns into the most beautiful butterfly?  And if it turns into a tiny ugly moth – does it make a difference?

What are you doing to contribute to change?

Or do you even want things to change?

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time, be well, be in compassion for yourself and others… and just be.

Sandy

Sandy Swanson is an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), a Certified Functional Health Coach (A-CFHC), and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).  You can learn more about her here and more about what coaching is here.

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FOR UPDATES and studies/research on vaccines and autoimmune disease, please scroll all the way down to “NEW FINDS” (under “RESOURCES”).

Vaccine hesitancy and autoimmune disease. Yep, been dealing with it.  The struggle is real, people!

I say that jokingly, but, I have lost many nights of sleep over whether or not to get the Covid vaccine.

To be clear: I am using the term “hesitancy” in the truest sense of the word: I am hesitant. I am not “anti-vax”, I am not “pro-vax”.

I consider myself skeptical as well as open-minded.

With that in mind, I’d like to share my thoughts and perspective here, as well as some resources.  I do this for three reasons:

One, so that my friends and family will better understand where I’m coming from.

Some of my friends have gotten quite judgy or angry with me for not immediately lining up for a shot when it was made available to my age group [which shall remain undisclosed].

This makes me a little sad as well as frustrated. I personally don’t feel the need to have to explain myself or my choices, but, since the world’s health is at stake, I get their concern.  I just wish that these people would actually listen instead of assuming they know where I am coming from.  There is so much nuance here, as with most polarizing topics. I invite you all to hone your listening skills, as they are needed everywhere, not just in the health and wellness industry.

Two, it helps my thought process to write it all out and get really clear on my thoughts and beliefs on a topic.  Changing one’s beliefs is a hard task. As a coach, I see these challenges every day in my client sessions.  Journaling and writing for me are super helpful (and why they are an important part of my online courses).

Think about your own beliefs about religion, politics, diet, health, or vaccines. Beliefs can run deep and can be hard to uproot or change.

Three, I’m sharing in the hopes that this helps someone else make a better-informed decision about the vaccine for themselves – or at the very least, not feel so alone in their confusion.

There is not a lot of information out there about the short-term and long-term effects of this vaccine on people with autoimmune diseases.  Of course, as time marches on, the more we know.

I have included a lot of resources that were helpful to me, including several resources from the autoimmune community specifically.

Here goes.  I hope this is helpful to you.

NOTE:  There are a lot of links in this post, I will put them in as I type and will offer additional resources at the end.  I hope to also update this post as more research becomes available regarding the effects of this vaccine on those with autoimmune issues.

If you have received the vaccine, please share your experience in the comments if you feel comfortable doing so, and share this post with others who may benefit.

This information is being provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. The provision of this information to you does not constitute advice or endorsement by Sandy Swanson, Swanson Coaching, LLC, or its representatives.  Please speak with your medical care team before making any medical decision regarding your health and well-being.

First, some science: T-helper (Th) Cells and Viruses when it comes to Vaccine Hesitancy and Autoimmune Disease

People with autoimmune diseases have imbalances in their “T-helper” (Th) cells.  Balancing the activity of Th1 and Th2 cells is – well, a balancing act.

Certain things (herbs, foods, environments) can sometimes stimulate Th-1 cells or Th-2 cells which can throw things off even more and cause a “flare” or worsening of symptoms.

What do these T-helper cells do?  From Dr. Datis Kharrazian:

“If you are TH-1 dominant, you are producing too many natural killer and cytotoxic T-cells. These are the ones that immediately attack the intruder.

“If you TH-2 dominant, you’re flooding your system with B-cells. These are the antibodies that tag the intruder so it can be more quickly identified next time.”

Most people with Hashi’s (but not all) have Th1 Dominance.  I have found that, possibly due to my Th-1 dominance, I don’t readily catch viruses (or maybe I do but I just don’t show symptoms).

I am not immunocompromised (having a weakened immune system), I have an overactive immune system.  This means my body is pretty good at fending off colds and viruses.

Who is to say I couldn’t fight off Covid if I acquired it? (rhetorical question here folks, because yes: there’s a lot we don’t know about Covid/long Covid and Covid/long Covid and autoimmune disease.) But still, there’s a lot to be said for being relatively healthy and having a strong immune system. See “The Cliff Metaphor” below.

Vaccines may have the potential to upset this balance of Th1 and Th2 helper cells.

From an August 2020 study:

“Potential antigenic cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and human tissue with a possible link to an increase in autoimmune diseases: “There are reasons for all the precautions involved in developing a vaccine, not the least of which are unwanted side-effects. In light of the information discussed above about the cross-reactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins with human tissues and the possibility of either inducing autoimmunity, exacerbating already unhealthy conditions, or otherwise resulting in unforeseen consequences, it would only be prudent to do more extensive research regarding the autoimmune-inducing capacity of the SARS-CoV-2 antigens. The promotion and implementation of such an aggressive “immune passport” program worldwide in the absence of thorough and meticulous safety studies may exact a monumental cost on humanity in the form of another epidemic, this time a rising tide of increased autoimmune diseases and the years of suffering that come with them.”

Another study from October 2020 stated that:

“The two main categories of diseases reported in the biomedical literature triggered by vaccinations are Autoimmune (e.g., Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Psoriasis, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Hepatitis, Uveitis, Pseudolymphoma, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Thrombocytopenic Purpura, etc.) and Neurological (e.g., Central Demyelinating Diseases, Developmental Disability, Febrile seizures, Narcolepsy, Encephalomyelitis, Autonomic Dysfunction, etc.). Others include Diabetes, Gastrointestinal, Joint-related, Necrobiotic Granuloma, Neutropenia, Pulmonary Fibrosis, etc.”

The human body is an amazing thing and does a really good job at maintaining homeostasis – that balance of being healthy and naturally correcting imbalances.

What if something threw off that natural balance – and that balance was never regained?

You’ve probably heard of “cytokine storms” from all the Covid coverage out there.  A cytokine storm is an immune response that goes off the rails and doesn’t stop.

From this article:  “When everything is working as it should, pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines work together to kill off an invader and then settle down so the immune system isn’t perpetually in attack mode. When things go awry, however, your immune system stays on the attack and you can end up with a cytokine storm.”

“When it comes to COVID-19, the coronavirus — likely coupled with a previously unknown defect in the immune system — is what leads the inflammatory cytokines to go haywire and essentially multiply. They “recruit and activate additional immune cells and amplify the immune response” so much so that the immune response starts killing off healthy cells in the body”, says Dr. Cron. “If left untreated, this can result in multi-organ failure and eventual death.”

For the average joe, cytokine storms may not be a big deal. However, if one already has imbalances in their immune systems… you see where this is going.

Th1/th2 imbalances provoked from vaccines may accelerate this cytokine activity, potentially leading to a cytokine storm.

Scary stuff either way.

I feel like I’m playing Russian Roulette, with a gun loaded with two bullets.

If I pull the trigger, I might get nothing.  Or I could get long-term Covid symptoms that do not go away. Or a reaction from a vaccine that does not go away.

Right now, Covid is the lesser of two evils for me.

This is my belief.

More here on Th1 and Th2.

The Cliff Metaphor.

I’m going to start with a metaphor (because those of you who have worked with me know I love my metaphors!) that I first heard on this podcast.

Imagine, if you will, a cliff.

Now imagine the world’s population at various distances from the edge of the cliff.

The people closest to the cliff are not in good health.  These are the folks with issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar.  People who don’t exercise.  Those who don’t eat well.  Maybe they are obese.

In short, metabolically, their health is not good.  Most (not all) of these people are near the edge of the cliff because they are not able (due to lack of resources, information, finances, motivation, etc) to address health issues with dietary and lifestyle changes.

Now, imagine that a stiff blast of wind called COVID-19 comes along.

It blows a lot of those people closer to the edge of the cliff – or over the edge.

The people in the back, however, those far far away from the edge of the cliff – they aren’t as affected because they are in much better health.  Maybe some fall down, maybe some get pushed closer to the edge, but for the most part, they’re ok.

Here’s a quote from Dr. Mark Hyman as heard in The Longevity Roadmap that resonated deeply with me:

“What we’re finding is 94 to 97% of the people who die from COVID-19 and the reasons our hospitals are full of patients with COVID-19 is not because of the virus…It’s because of the host.

When you’re inflamed because you’re overweight or obese, or you have one of these chronic diseases, which is caused by metabolic dysfunction, you are pre-inflamed.

Your body is ready to activate an even greater inflammatory response, which is what kills people from the virus.

The virus doesn’t kill people.

Our body’s immune response to the virus destroys our tissues.

So people are pre-inflamed, if they’re overweight or obese, which sadly is most of our population. 75% of us are overweight, 42% of us are obese, and only 12% of us are metabolically healthy.

That means 20 to 40% of people who are normal weight also are metabolically unhealthy because they eat a crappy diet.

And even if you’re not fat overweight, you can be over fat inside. You can be thin on the outside and fat on the inside, and you’re also susceptible to the same diseases and inflammation as everybody else.

When you’re overweight or obese, your immune system is suppressed. You tend to shed virus a lot longer so you spread it more.

Your immune system can’t respond to a vaccine like healthy people.

Therefore the immune system will not actually activate your own antibody responses if you get a vaccine, which is bad news, and you are less able to fight this virus.

So the whole state we’re in now, the lockdown of our society, the economic catastrophe that’s costing so many people their jobs and livelihood and trillions of dollars of economic losses globally is really because we are metabolically unhealthy…

… and the virus has landed on a susceptible host — and we can change that quickly — by changing your diet.”

I consider myself to be in that 12%  – nowhere near the cliff’s edge.

Despite experiencing autoimmune issues, I am quite healthy.  I consider myself pretty far from the edge of the cliff.

I have worked incredibly hard on my health over the past 10 years since my diagnosis with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis:

• I protect my mornings at all costs – I have a yoga/breathing/QiGong/meditation routine I do every single morning that is an important part of my healthcare regime.
• I prioritize my sleep and am very careful about everything I put in or on my body.  Food, meds, supplements, lotion, makeup (because what goes ON your body goes IN your body), etc.
• I get out in nature as often as possible. I go for 45-60+ minute walks 2x/day when I can.
• I’ve done an elimination/provocation diet to discover my personal food sensitivities.
• I stopped going out as much as I used to due to food sensitivities as well as smell/sound sensitivities.
• I’ve gone through countless doctors, many of whom dismissed my symptoms, misdiagnosed me with depression, and kept my thyroid severely undermedicated.
• I’ve tried 7 different types/combinations of thyroid meds to find one that worked for me (this alone took 9 years).

The past ten years have been a grand experiment in finding what works for me and what doesn’t.  I haven’t had control over all of the variables, but for the variables I can control (of which there are many), I know what works and what doesn’t.

In other words, I’ve worked my ass off to get to where I am today.

A year ago I finally connected with a doctor who took my healing to a whole new level.  She is not a “conventional medicine doctor”, she is a Functional MD who understands autoimmune disease and chronic illness.

It’s been great, and at my recent visit last week, my thyroid labs are finally looking great as are my iron labs and vitamin D levels. Huzzah!

To blindly introduce something I have no control over (like a vaccine) scares the bejeezus out of me.

Especially when I’m nowhere near the edge of the cliff and have a strong immune system.

This is where a lot of my vaccine hesitancy and autoimmune disease comes from.

I’ve gotten to know my body REALLY well over the years.

I have become the biggest advocate for my own health that I’ve ever had.

I’ve learned about various diets and how foods affect us.  What sleep does for us.  What exercise works best for me.  How to meditate and how to breathe better.  How to cope when symptoms flare.  Where to find support.

I’ve learned about how the thyroid hormones work, how T4 is converted into useable T3, and how the gut works; I’ve learned about methylation and the MTHFR gene, about epigenetics, about my own inflammation markers, and what food triggers cause inflammation for me.

I understand the effects of gluten on zonulin, a protein in the body that controls the “tight junctions” in the gut.  I know that I experience symptoms when ingesting too many high-histamine foods or high-oxalate foods so have to be ever mindful.  My body no longer reacts to certain foods (woo-hoo to healing the gut and doing the hard work!) but now other foods are now causing issues (sadface) as I age and my body shifts and changes.

I’ve learned how to read my own labs: thyroid, iron, cortisol, and others – all in the name of becoming better educated and more informed so I can make better decisions about my health and can ask my doctor questions, which she happily answers.

(If your doctor ever dismisses you for being curious about your own health, please please please find a new doctor.)

I have, with the help of my new doctor, figured out a regimen of meds and supplements to help my body do what it’s supposed to do naturally but has trouble doing due to the autoimmune nature of Hashimoto’s (currently consisting of: compounded thyroid replacement hormone, compounded LDN [low-dose naltrexone], DIM-CDG, Ubiquinol, B-complex, ALA/NAC, biotin, acetyl l-carnitine, Glutenflam, Enterovite, berberine, zinc, magnesium, B6, melatonin, and Vitamin D.  NOTE: Please do not run out and buy these supplements. Save your money, speak with YOUR doctor and TEST, DON’T GUESS before supplementing).

I consider myself extremely well-versed when it comes to my own health and wellness.  I know what works, what doesn’t.  Many folks within the “autoimmune community” are the same way.

Why is this?

Because the conventional medicine model has failed so many of us.

There’s a lack of good doctors who understand autoimmune disease who take traditional insurance (and let’s face it, most of us do what our insurance tells us to do, not what our hearts or guts tell us to do). They are not trained to treat the whole body – they’re usually trained to look at one part (e.g. endocrinologists look at the endocrine system, cardiologists look at the heart, etc).

There’s a time and place for specialized medicine, and it is important.

However, autoimmune diseases can affect the whole body. As a result, those of us with these issues tend to become incredibly well-informed and well-read on many subjects related to our own health.

Wouldn’t it be great if the entire population were this way?  If everyone made their health and well-being an absolute priority?

We’d have a lot fewer people near the edge of the cliff, that’s for sure – so when another stiff breeze of whatever virus/pandemic comes along (and that WILL happen), we’ll all be healthier and better prepared as a population.

I know most of the population is not this educated when it comes to their own health and bodies.  They depend on others to tell them what to do and they trust and accept whatever is said. They may not have the time, money, or resources to do their own research.  Or, they simply are following what has been done for years: Look to an authority figure to help, because they know best.  Trust your doctor.  Look externally, not internally, for the answers to all health issues.

However: when a doctor dismisses you for not feeling well and tells you “it’s all in your head” or “you just need a nap and you’ll feel better” or “you’re depressed, here, take these meds”  – when you KNOW in your gut that something is not right, that trust in the external world begins to erode a bit.

This happens more often than not for those of us with complex health issues.  The Hashimoto’s 411 group on Facebook, where I am a Senior Admin, has close to 100,000 members with autoimmune thyroid disease for a reason:  Our current healthcare system has failed to give us the answers we so desperately need and has, more often than not, dismissed our symptoms.

Health should be a priority for each and every one of us – that is my belief.  I believe we should be doing our own work instead of blindly taking meds without understanding what the options are for better health.  We should be looking at every single thing we put in our bodies. I believe we should be trusting our intuition and getting curious about what is preventing our doctors from listening, taking us seriously, and truly helping us – instead of brushing aside our symptoms and rushing on to the next patient.

More on beliefs in a minute.

Skepticism of the American Healthcare System and FDA/CDC and how this plays into Vaccine Hesitancy and Autoimmune Disease.

I just listened to a great podcast about why people in the health and fitness industry are particularly hesitant in getting the vaccine. You can listen to it here.

The podcast makes an excellent point in that while most of us in this industry are usually quite open-minded and interested in new science and new studies, we are also quite skeptical. We like to do our own research. To “trust but verify”.

Sidebar:  Just listened to another great podcast (#123 with William Irvine) about the tension between being open-minded and being skeptical – and having a good balance of these two which results in having a mind full of true and useful beliefs.  If we are too open-minded, we let everything in. For example, conspiracy theories and other ideas may flow in without any filter.  The opposite would be a person who is too skeptical.  That person ends up with true and useful beliefs, but all sorts of other true and useful beliefs would be left on the sidelines because he would be unable to open himself up to them.

There have been times when the FDA has just gotten things wrong. Think of the saturated fat debacle that still plagues our way of eating (one last time: saturated fat, in moderation, is good for you!).

How about when we were told that butter should be avoided and replaced with margarine?  The Cheesehead in me still cringes at that one.

Or that coffee is bad for you.

Think about the food pyramid, that most of our diet should be grains.

Oof-da.

And then there’s this latest comedy of errors of the “Nutrient Profiling System”  from Tufts University that states Cheerios, nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt and Lucky Charms are more nutritious than an egg fried in butter, ground beef, or cheddar cheese.

What the actual f***.

Bottom line: our government, when it comes to the overall health of this country’s population, has failed in so many ways.

So for me personally, there was a LOT of skepticism surrounding this vaccine for this very reason.  Why should I now suddenly trust my government when it comes to my health when they have already failed me in so many ways…?

I do, however, try to keep a very open mind, and I respect and trust science.  That said,

it takes an average of 17 years for research and studies to reach clinical practice.

Yeah, you read that right. SEVENTEEN YEARS for studies to make it to your doctor’s office.  And yes, there was a study on this.

For example, Alessio Fasano’s ground-breaking research on gluten and autoimmune disease from 2013 has yet to make it to most doctor’s offices.  And yet, many doctors today will still tell you that diet has no effect on how autoimmune disease affects the body. (!!!)

If my math is correct, it will be around 2030 before this research on gluten will be common knowledge among primary care physicians, general practitioners, and endocrinologists.

Who has time to wait for that to happen when one’s health is at stake?!

Now is the time to be proactive when it comes to your health.  Be curious.  Question everything.  Find a doctor who is up to the challenge, not one who dismisses you.

I am lucky in that I am surrounded by lots of smart people who also happen to have autoimmune diseases and are incredibly proactive when it comes to their health.  We help each other by seeking out research and studies and we see how it stacks up against older research.

And yes, we are very, very skeptical.

Most Functional MDs tend to be on top of new research in this manner.  They are not constrained by the rules of insurance and make it a priority to be informed so they can better serve their patients.

These days most doctors are answering to the whims of insurance companies, not their patients.  Which is too bad.

To be clear: This is not a dig against “conventional” doctors.

This is a dig against the broken healthcare system we have.  Doctors are generally overworked, drowning in paperwork (thanks again, traditional insurance), and simply do not have time to keep on top of all the research and studies that come out every single day.

Speaking of studies: The studies and research regarding Covid and vaccines are fast and furious and this is great to see.  And it’s taking a lot less than 17 years to reach the public thanks to the nature of this pandemic, which is the way it should be (another belief of mine). If only all research were fast-tracked in this way!

And yet, there is still much unknown about the effect of Covid vaccines on those with autoimmune issues.  mRNA vaccines are a new thing.  Yes, mRNA technology has been around before and used in various applications – but it has never been used in a vaccine prior to Covid.

The Benefits of Waiting: More research, more studies to help with vaccine hesitancy and autoimmune disease.

There is one study happening right now that will look at how booster shots affect those who take immunosuppressive medications, which is a great step in the right direction in better understanding how vaccines affect those people with wonky immune systems (results expected November 2021).

There’s also the theory that natural immunity (from having Covid) may be a stronger type of immunity against Covid  [NOTE: this article has NOT yet been peer-reviewed]. Of course, acquiring Covid has its own risks, which is why “Covid parties” (like chicken-pox parties) probably aren’t a good idea.

There was also a study considering the effects of the vaccine on adrenal disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, and a few other conditions (August 2021).

Others are suggesting studies looking at the effect of the vaccine on those with thyroid issues (September 2021).  I myself have thyroid disease so this is especially exciting to see.

And, I just listened to a virology report that suggested that the 2nd shot of Pfizer and Moderna (mRNA vaccine) could be taken much, much later than originally thought (6-14 weeks instead of the usual 4 for the 2nd shot).  Would this be beneficial to those with compromised immune systems..? I would love to know the answer to this one.

More, please!

My Beliefs: My health, vaccine hesitancy, autoimmune disease.

We all have deeply ingrained beliefs.  Think about your own beliefs for a moment:  your beliefs about religion, politics, vaccines, your health.  What comes forward for you?

I have created some pretty deep beliefs around my health. Some examples of these beliefs include:

• I believe I know which foods are “good” and which are “bad” for me
• I believe that we all have the power within us to heal ourselves
• I believe that healing emotional trauma from the past can help heal our physical health
• I believe that energy work and mindfulness have tremendous healing capabilities
• I believe that everyone should prioritize their health above all else

Some other beliefs I have:

I believe that changing one’s diet and lifestyle can save lives

and

I believe that vaccines can save lives.

And:

I believe that not making diet and lifestyle a priority has the potential to cause irreparable harm to one’s health

and

I believe that vaccines also have the potential to cause irreparable harm to one’s health.

What if one’s beliefs are in conflict with each other…?

Aye, there’s the rub!

The Confirmation Bias is Real when it comes to vaccine hesitancy and autoimmune disease.

As hard as I try, it is difficult to not zoom right in on the reports of those who have received the Covid vaccines and had terrible, disastrous reactions.

We look for things that will confirm our fears (hopes, dreams, what have you). It’s so easy to “cherry-pick” the data to skew in favor of our beliefs.

And that data may already be biased depending on who has written it/is speaking about it.

As far as Covid vaccines go, there have been many cases of people who acquired subacute thyroiditis after the jab, as well as the two women that were diagnosed with Graves after getting the shot. Other examples of the vaccine possibly causing autoimmune issues include those who have acquired thyroid eye disease, the development of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, (I have a friend who has been hospitalized post-vaccine due to symptoms of possible Guillain-Barré;  it’s frightening what she is going through) and autoimmune hepatitis.

EDIT 12/11/21:  Here are two more posts concerning Guillain-Barré Syndrome (more recent finds all the way down the page under “RESOURCES”):

Research letter “Rate of Recurrent Guillain-Barré Syndrome After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine” (09/1/21)

CDC study stated that more cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome were being reported after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compared to mRNA vaccines. (12/11/21)

Here’s a fun fact: When someone has an autoimmune disease, it is quite common to acquire more very easily.  We call this “collecting” autoimmune disorders.

There are also reports that those with underlying co-infections like Lyme, EBV, herpes, or have mold sensitivities tend to react the strongest to the vaccines.  These infections may not be apparent or diagnosed – they can be pretty stealthy.  And they are quite common “root causes” of autoimmune issues.

I have not been tested for any of the above as that can get pretty spendy, and I’m trying to be methodical about where I put my money when it comes to my health.  But if there was something hanging out inside of me, would a vaccine trigger something…?

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or MCAS (mast cells are a type of immune cell) is something that some people with autoimmune disease experience.  Will the vaccine trigger something for these people?  Make things worse? I don’t have MCAS but have a friend who does.  She’s decided that if/when she gets the Covid vaccine, she will get it at the hospital, and stay a few hours in case of a severe reaction.

These reports of vaccine-related autoimmune issues are of great concern to me, someone who already is experiencing an autoimmune disease.

More info here for those interested in MCAS and Covid and the vaccines.

The Swiss Cheese Model of Safety.

When it comes to vaccine hesitancy and autoimmune disease, I’ve found that the “swiss cheese” model helps explain where I’ve been in terms of this pandemic, and where I’m going.  The model goes something like this:

Swiss cheese slices are mostly cheese, but, there are some holes in almost every slice.

The more slices of cheese we have, the more layers we have to protect ourselves. This means the less chance that Covid is gonna find its way through the holes.  Some of these layers might be:

• social isolation
• physical distancing
• washing hands
• disinfecting surfaces
• wearing masks
• having a strong immune system from living a healthy lifestyle
• natural immunity from a previous infection
• immunity from a vaccine

The more layers there are, the less risk there is of Covid getting through the holes and infecting a person.

And yes, with vaccines there are still holes, so “layering your cheese” is still highly recommended.

So far, I’ve been doing great with the first four layers (social isolation, physical distancing, washing hands, wearing a mask, disinfecting surfaces).  My Swiss Cheese is pretty cheesy despite there still being holes. This is a good thing not only because I am from Wisconsin, but also because there are smaller/fewer holes for the virus to get through to me.

I’m lucky in that I live in a place where over 82% of the population is now vaccinated (as of my writing this, October 22, 2021).  I feel very safe going out grocery shopping (while still masking up and keeping my distance) or meeting friends outside for lunch or coffee.

This has served me quite well for the past 19 months.   I have had no desire to travel (or to be with people – but that’s been my modus operandi for years –  no offense, people), and no employer telling me what to do.  One of the many joys of being mostly self-employed! 🙂

Now, as things are opening up and people are going back to work in person, I am facing a vaccine mandate from an employer.

I would soon be around people most of the time.

And this job is in Florida. So. There’s that hot mess.

I would also be surrounded by colleagues for two months, for hours every day, in close quarters. Quite a different scene from the one-woman party I got going on here.

Knowing what we know now about this virus being transmissible even if you are vaccinated makes me quite uneasy thinking about this new environment, well outside my tidy little bubble.

Even though I still have confidence in my own immune system and its ability to fight off viruses, I don’t want to be responsible for passing along the virus to someone who is not as healthy as I am.

The first two layers of my Swiss Cheese would be pretty much toast.  Mmm, Swiss Cheese on toast… geez, gluten AND dairy, look what this pandemic is doing to me! Gah!

Did I mention the struggle is real??

Personal experiences are SO helpful to those of us who are vaccine-hesitant and have autoimmune disease.

Thankfully, as more and more people get vaccinated, in addition to more research and data to consider, there are more and more personal experiences from real people.

It helps me to see how people like me are reacting. Most of my friends with Hashi’s and other AI disorders have gotten the vaccine and have not had horrid, long-term reactions.

Reading other people’s experiences has helped alleviate some of my fears and concerns.  I am grateful to those who have voiced their opinions and experiences, thank you!

I will include some of these resources below under “VACCINE THOUGHTS and EXPERIENCES FROM THE AUTOIMMUNE COMMUNITY”.

My decision.

I’m grateful I was not forced into this earlier, as I would not have been ready.  I’ve done a lot of work this past year since the vaccines have been released; I’ve been reading, researching, and waiting.

My conscious layering of Swiss Cheese has served me well. Staying on top of my diet, sleep, and exercise has kept me far from the cliff’s edge.

Bottom line: I still don’t want the vaccine, but, considering my upcoming work situation, the tables have turned: It is now the lesser of two evils.

Right now I feel pretty good in terms of my health. I have minimal symptoms.  There’s still some muscle weakness as well as some puffiness when eating too many oxalate-rich foods.  My pesky histamine issues are all but gone if I mind what I eat.

My gut is feeling pretty good too;  I won’t get into the nature of my fabulous bowel movements, but, when you consider that at one point I was only having one per week and now I have one every morning like clockwork – well, let’s just say my gut is functioning really well, which in turns helps everything else in my body (elimination of toxins, absorption of nutrients, meds, and supplements, creation of neurotransmitters, assimilation of macro and micronutrients, etc).

I’m really hoping none of these things change.

So. I’ll be getting the vaccine.

I’ll update this post after I receive my first and second shots (going for the Pfizer).

The protocols I will follow before and after receiving my vaccine:

The best information I have found is through the IFM (Institute for Functional Medicine) website.

First of all, vaccine aside, they have great info on how to stay healthy during a pandemic (and otherwise).

Here is their Pre-Vaccination Protocol.

Afterward, I plan on taking it easy, eating well as always, drinking lots of water, and taking Epsom salt or baking soda foot soaks (which just feels really nice anyway).

UPDATE: Pfizer shot #1 Monday, October 25th, 2021.

Felt pretty good going into the pharmacy. I made an appointment and did not have to wait long.

After being seated in “the chair” I spoke to the pharmacist about my concerns with Hashimoto’s and autoimmune issues. He stared blankly at me, which did not inspire confidence in my choice.

(I realize that pharmacists, like everyone in the medical world these days, are doing their best.  But still:  sigh.)

While I felt pretty good with my decision, I was not ready for the emotions that came flooding out when the needle went into my arm and the plunger was pressed.

Even though I have worked hard on shifting my beliefs, there was something inside of me that was still terrified – like I had let my body down.  Denied what I believed to be true about my health.

Damn, beliefs run deep.

Physically, I had no immediate allergic reactions, but I wasn’t expecting any.  My deltoid muscle got more and more sore as the day went on (this was expected). I didn’t sleep well that night (rare for me these days).

The next morning I woke up with a slight headache (also rare for me) and was a little tired.

Two days after the slight headache persisted, as did the sore arm muscle.

Three days after I felt “normal” (relatively speaking, no comments from the peanut gallery please).

I’ll continue to update as time goes by as I am still concerned about delayed reactions or long-term issues.

Hoping there’s nothing but a lot of crickets in this space.

And: I’ll also be waiting 12 weeks, not 3, for my second shot.

UPDATE:  Pfizer shot #2 Thursday, December 30, 2021.

I decided to get my 2nd shot at 9 weeks (rather than 12 weeks as I had planned) “just in case” something happened.  I did not want to be in my car driving to Florida in the middle of bumblef*** nowhere in case the shit hit the fan.

One pharmacist took my vaccine card and added this second shot to my record. A second pharmacist came out and, as he was prepping my arm and the needle, asked “no reactions after the first two shots?” um…. yeah… no. Nope. No reactions after the first “two” shots.

Didn’t feel like explaining that this was my 2nd shot, not my booster. No energy for that.

I was not as emotional as I was for the first shot.  Reacting “normally” definitely helped here.

My deltoid muscle got pretty sore again. The following day I felt like I had been hit by a truck – low energy, fatigue, general malaise. Felt fine by the day after.

The third day after I awoke with a headache, again, rare for me.  But now I am thinking that these might be related to change in barometric pressure as there seems to be a pattern… interesting, as I haven’t experienced headaches in about 20 years.

Will keep you posted if anything goes awry.

PS: Do I plan to get a booster?  As of now, no. But we’ll see how the mandates and future variations of COVID play out.

How you can support someone who is hesitant about getting the Covid vaccine:

First, don’t assume they are in the wrong.  Beliefs are not right or wrong, they just are – and beliefs can run deep and strong.  To judge and dismiss another’s beliefs (about anything) does no one any good.

Second, learn how to listen better without inserting your own agenda.  As a coach, this is something I work hard on every single day, both in and out of my client sessions.  This Ted Talk is a great introduction on how to listen better.

(Special shout out to my mom, as well as my “partner in crime” Diek, and the Mods and Admins of Hashimoto’s 411 – especially Pearl, Jan, and Shannon.  You all have mad listening skills, which I deeply appreciate.)

TWiV (This Week In Virology) speaks to this very question about supporting those who are vaccine-hesitant.

Third, if you know someone has their facts completely wrong, gently challenge them.  The keyword here is gentle. Sometimes people get facts and beliefs all tied up in knots. If they are not ready for these to be teased apart, it may be best to let it go and move on.

In the meantime, if you are experiencing vaccine hesitancy and autoimmune disease, please check out the resources below.  I also welcome and appreciate your thoughtful comments and invite you to share your experiences:

Did you get the shot?  What was your thought process for this decision?

If you did get it, what emotions came up for you? Which shot did you choose? Any physical reactions past the usual?

And: In what ways did your beliefs come into play – if at all?

As always, thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

Sandy

PS. I would love to be a support if you are dealing with vaccine hesitancy and autoimmune disease.  To book your Complimentary Session and Assessment, click here.

Sandy Swanson is a Certified Functional Health Coach (A-CFHC) and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).  You can learn more about her here and more about what coaching is here.

This information is being provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. The provision of this information to you does not constitute advice or endorsement by Sandy Swanson, Swanson Coaching, LLC, or its representatives.  Please speak with your medical care team before making any medical decision regarding your health and well-being.

RESOURCES for Vaccine Hesitancy and Autoimmune Disease

Here are a few things to help you in your own research.  I’ll try to keep this updated.  If any of you come across studies or research related to autoimmune disease and the Covid vaccine that isn’t covered below, let me know and I’ll add in some links.

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STUDIES, RESEARCH, ARTICLES on COVID AND VACCINES:

This Week In Virology aka TWiV (great video and podcast, new episodes every few days, Episode #825 from 11/1/21 addresses a lot of questions and latest research)

Covid Updates and Latest Information from IFM (Institute for Functional Medicine, updated frequently)

Here’s a great video from IFM on how the different Covid vaccines work.

Info on vaccine efficacy, ingredients/tech details, and possible adverse reactions – also from IFM.

JAMA Network – search results in the Journal of the American Medical Association (search terms: vaccine, autoimmune – newest).

Vaccine injury and legal recourse (10/2021)

RNA-based vaccines and risk of immune-mediated disease 3/2021

Yale Medicine:  Guilliane Barré Syndrome and the Johnson&Johnson vaccine (7/2021)

VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). From their “about” page: “VAERS is a passive reporting system, meaning it relies on individuals to send in reports of their experiences to CDC and FDA. VAERS is not designed to determine if a vaccine caused a health problem, but is especially useful for detecting unusual or unexpected patterns of adverse event reporting that might indicate a possible safety problem with a vaccine.”

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VACCINE THOUGHTS and EXPERIENCES FROM THE AUTOIMMUNE COMMUNITY:

Autoimmune Wellness has a great post with people sharing their experiences with the vaccine.

Mickey Trescott (of Autoimmune Wellness) also did an interview with Dr. Terry Wahls about the vaccine (Dr Wahls has MS). (3/2021)

Dr. Wahls also has a blog post about the concerns of the vaccine and autoimmune issues. (1/2021)

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A GREAT OVERVIEW OF VACCINES FROM SOMEONE WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE:

Sarah Ballantyne does a great job of explaining the vaccines on The Whole View podcast.  These are lengthy and science-y listens, but well worth it for a deeper understanding of vaccines:

#440 – overview/history of vaccines and mRNA technology  (1/2021)

#441 – Pfizer vs Moderna  (1/2021)

#443 – Vaccine Myths and Facts (2/2021)

#454 – Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca (4/2021)

#455 – Updated Vaccine Studies (5/2021)

#468 – Delta Variant (8/2021)

NEW FINDS (dates are when these links were added to this post;  studies may have earlier dates):

Research letter “Rate of Recurrent Guillain-Barré Syndrome After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine“ (09/1/21)

Eileen Laird of the Phoenix Helix website released a podcast discussing vaccines with Dr. Aly Cohen.  Lots of great resources in the show notes! (11/12/21)

Long but an excellent listen: Marcus Aubrey Podcast discussing the vaccine and vaccine injuries with Microbiologist Dr. Aditi Bhargava (the director of laboratory research at UCSF who helped develop mRNA technology), professional mountain biker Kyle Warner, and school teacher Brianne Dressen. (11/24/21)

Another study on the effects of waiting for the 2nd dose of mRNA vaccines:  A Higher Antibody Response Is Generated With a 6- to 7-Week (vs Standard) Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Vaccine Dosing Interval (12/09/21)

A CDC study stated that more cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome were being reported after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compared to mRNA vaccines. (12/11/21)

Not vaccine-specific but interesting: Persons aged <18 years with COVID-19 were more likely to receive a new diabetes diagnosis >30 days after infection than were those without COVID-19, “SARS-CoV-2 infection might lead to type 1 or type 2 diabetes through complex and differing mechanisms”.  Mentioning this study because type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease.  (1/8/22)

The above photo that Tom Schierlitz took of my hands was taken in NYC many moons ago during the height of my hand modeling career.  While looking for a link to share some of Tom’s other beautiful still-life work, I discovered he died in 2018.  Rest in peace, you crazy mad genius.

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