Listen to Me Today. com

LONDON – The first study to link a childhood vaccine to autism was based on doctored information about the children involved, according to a new report on the widely discredited research.

The conclusions of the 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield and colleagues was renounced by 10 of its 13 authors and later retracted by the medical journal Lancet, where it was published. Still, the suggestion the MMR shot was connected to autism spooked parents worldwide and immunization rates for measles, mumps and rubella have never fully recovered.

A new examination found, by comparing the reported diagnoses in the paper to hospital records, that Wakefield and colleagues altered facts about patients in their study.

The analysis, by British journalist Brian Deer, found that despite the claim in Wakefield’s paper that the 12 children studied were normal until they had the MMR shot, five had previously documented developmental problems. Deer also found that all the cases were somehow misrepresented when he compared data from medical records and the children’s parents.

[Related: Vaccine for rare cancer approved]

Wakefield could not be reached for comment despite repeated calls and requests to the publisher of his recent book, which claims there is a connection between vaccines and autism that has been ignored by the medical establishment. Wakefield now lives in the U.S. where he enjoys a vocal following including celebrity supporters like Jenny McCarthy.

Deer’s article was paid for by the Sunday Times of London and Britain’s Channel 4 television network. It was published online Thursday in the medical journal, BMJ.

In an accompanying editorial, BMJ editor Fiona Godlee and colleagues called Wakefield’s study “an elaborate fraud.” They said Wakefield’s work in other journals should be examined to see if it should be retracted.

Last May, Wakefield was stripped of his right to practice medicine in Britain. Many other published studies have shown no connection between the MMR vaccination and autism.

But measles has surged since Wakefield’s paper was published and there are sporadic outbreaks in Europe and the U.S. In 2008, measles was deemed endemic in England and Wales.

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Hearing is one of those senses that we take for granted until we start losing it.  In the mid 1990s I began to lose my hearing.  Now fifteen years later I have severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and Meniere’s Disorder which means that I struggle with vertigo issues along with the hearing issues.

So how has this impacted my life?  In the early days I could simply rely on my left ear which was unaffected but when both ears were involved it was time to act.  First order of business was to visit my Otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) who ordered hearing tests, balance tests and wrote an Rx for Valium to ease the vertigo symptoms.  It took some time to find a really good audiologist but that was a vitally important step. Interestingly enough the best audiologists I’ve worked with both have hearing loss—one from birth, the other as a result of kidney disease.  It’s a bit of a no brainer to say that they understand!  Anyone can perform a hearing test and/or fit a hearing aid but having someone who relates to your situation on an emotional level is a precious commodity.  One of the greatest gifts I received from my first audiologist was to understand that having hearing loss only limited my lifestyle as much as I ALLOWED it to.

I went through an intense period of fear.  Every day I woke up and the first thought in my brain was “Am I going to be able to hear well enough today to understand what people are saying to me?”  I could have easily become a recluse during this phase but thanks to an extremely supportive husband ,  a group of extremely caring friends and my faith in God I didn’t.  That’s not to say there weren’t many tears shed and hours of anxiety.  But I did come out on the other side to a place where I accepted my situation, became pro-active about letting people know I have hearing loss and assuming that there would always be SOME way to communicate with the world around me.  What a relief to finally reach that point!

Technology continues to improve and research is going on constantly to understand and treat hearing loss.  Thanks to my current audiologist I have state of the art digital hearing aids and Bluetooth devices to aid in using cell phone and television .  The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is finally beginning to address issues which impact people with hearing loss—visual paging in airports, loop systems in concert halls, assistive listening devices in theatres and celebrity involvement which  heightens awareness.

If you have hearing loss I am preaching to the choir; but if you are a full hearing person I can suggest that you raise your awareness level and reach out to anyone you meet with hearing loss.  Sometimes I find people avoid interacting with me perhaps because they are afraid I won’t understand them.  And then there are the folks like my daughter-in-law’s mother who never gives up.  She just repeats and ramps up the volume!

The bottom line is, when you look normal, people general expect the typical response to come from you. Be prepared for a moment of confusion, a change in attitude, and you making an adjustment so you are able to have a meaningful conversation. Situations will demonstrate how frail others are and how if you don’t fit into their box of expectations frequently they will pull back into a “protective” mode of thinking because they do not know how to respond. You must expect that to happen, and move forward in helping them get over their short comings. You can do it.

Author Emily Dame. To contact Emily with your questions:  emilydame@verizon.net

Recently while attending events, out shopping, or at church, I have been aware of how people respond to a voiceless person. Almost always it is a patronizing attitude from the other person. It is as if without a voice you lose your ability to reason, make judgments, understand complex issues, or are mentally impaired. That is why so many people with voice issues avoid social events and functions where people congregate. That’s my observation.

Let me give you an example. Kristin Armstrong was speaking the other night and I decided to go and hear her talk. The event was sponsored by a running organization in the community of Troy, Ohio. Armstrong did talk about running but also overcoming significant setbacks in a positive and determined way. Her set back was her divorce from Lance Armstrong, being a Mother to three children, and moving her life forward after the “dream” came crashing down. Today she is an author, speaker, ultra marathon runner, and all around good person.

This  is what happened and the basis of this article. The organizer of the event is also a runner. He is developing a program for training to run a ½ marathon next year in April. Cool. Group runs, running schedule, accountability, and before you know it, you’re running 13 mile ½ marathon.

So here is the rub…I had my trusty pen and tablet to write out my question, and did. My question was, “is this your program?” His answer was “yes” and started to walk away. I went after him…question 2, are you going to have group runs and when? He did say Wednesday and Saturday. It was the look, body language, and expression on his face indicating he was ready to leave. It is the dismissive attitude that is so offensive. My question: is it me, is this guy a jerk, or is he ill prepared to deal with a voiceless person?

The answer is probably “all the above.” It is out of my control if he is a jerk and is ill prepared to deal with a voiceless person. However, I can do something about myself and how I view this type of attitude. People have such a hard time with dealing with situations outside their comfort zone. Life is much more pleasant when everything fits into its proper place. But get real … lives change on a dime. Every person you talk to is a cat’s hair from being in an uncontrollable situation. Life does not ask for permission.

My attitude needs to be:

1) Don’t take it personal
2) Be prepared for a predictable response
3) Think about how YOU can make it easier and help the person through their uncomfortable feelings
4) Keep moving forward
5) Take control back

You know who you are. Having a speech (or lack of) disability is “just the way it is” for you … get over it. There is nothing wrong with you. People are predictable, so you are the one that needs to be prepared and figure out how to ease the tension. Unless you choose to stay at home and hide from a world full of opportunities, YOU need to stretch yourself.

Find comfort in giving it your best shot at living a full and interesting life. You owe an explanation to no one. Enjoy who you are and the uniqueness you bring. Self-degradation is unhealthy, besides being painful. You are who you are, and it is amazing how you can motivate others by what you do.

Always remember you are not alone.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

By William Ernest Henley

Photo by Mary Faith

Being Challenged by not being able to speak can have a huge impact on how you see yourself. An active normal life can literally change over night. Lt.Col. David “Dutch” Helms tells his story about how he met his challenge and again embraced life. Lt.Col Helm is the founder of the organization WebWhispers.org.

The early 1990′s were my not best years, to put it mildly. I separated from my wife in 1990 with the divorce taking a year before it was final. In the interim, I had met another woman and fallen madly in love with her. We planned to tie the knot in September of 1992…but, 3 weeks prior to the wedding, she called it off and reconciled with her ex-husband instead. I was decimated!!

Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with cancer and radiation was recommended. At that time, I was stationed and living overseas – but was medivaced to the USAF Cancer Treatment Center, Wilford Hall, Lackland AFB, Texas….a great facility, but none of my friends or family near…. it was just me and doctors and nurses. No one ever told me about the IAL (International Association of Laryngectomees) or the existence of laryngectomee support groups, so I had no support help at that time. I found out about them later.

Unfortunately, the radiation failed to arrest the cancer and I quickly became severely depressed I could not stand the thought of going through the rest of my life with no voice and a hole in my neck. To that point, my entire life had been about talking and singing. My “jobs” had been military jet pilot, negotiator, teacher, instructor, coach, emcee for events, narrator, briefer, discussion leader, etc. I sang in choirs, barbershop quartets and choruses. I simply could not imagine going through life without a VOICE.

Thus, being told that a laryngectomy would be necessary, while I was still suffering from going through the divorce and the canceled wedding, really shocked my whole system. Lacking the nearby support of family and friends, drove me deep into depression and to near suicide. I simply couldn’t think of a reason to live.

Luckily I got help and spent over a month in a military mental health facility “getting a grip on life” again. Afterwords, I pressed ahead with treatments and finally the laryngectomy. After the surgery, my best friend since junior high school, with whom I had remained in contact over all the years, offered me the opportunity to live with him, his wife and family while I “recovered”. This gesture and experience really saved my life and finally got me out of most of the depression.

It forced me to be with people (in this case, two adults and three teenage girls) every day…forced me to talk, get accustomed to using my new voice in all sorts of social situations – shopping at the Mall, ordering pizza’s over the phone, and being there when they entertained their other friends. In essence, living with them forced me to become re-engaged in living.

At first, I felt like a freak with a computer voice and a funny hole in my neck. But this feeling gradually passed as I became more involved with “living a normal life”. I was thrilled when I traded in my electro-larynx for a TEP/prosthesis voice – that boosted my confidence in myself and my ability to communicate.

All this time, I was learning that being a laryngectomee was NOT the end of the world; that leading a good, interesting, and rewarding life was still possible. I’ve been “on my own” and in my own place now for almost 18 months, living as normal a life as possible and I love it!

Another thing that helped me cope was this silly computer!! Having the computer with its games and especially the Internet capability, has been a Godsend! This machine not only provided entertainment and education possibilities, but also the tools to learn new skills – Yes, old dogs can learn new tricks.

I quickly established a Home Page on the Internet and, as a lark, attempted to create a Larynx Cancer information site, primarily to help poor folks like me who, when initially diagnosed, needed help getting reliable information, assistance, support and guidance. This “info site” gradually blossomed into the WebWhispers Club that we have today. My association with the site, both creatively in building it and socially/psychologically in participating with everyone in it, has been extremely helpful in coping and living, and that is a gross understatement.

My suggestions for you:

1) See a doctor about possible physical problems – For example: I had thyroid problems but did not know it for a full year after surgery. Once placed on daily Synthroid tablets to take care of this, my attitude greatly improved.

2) Force yourself to become active and involved in life again, doing as much, as physically possible, of what you did before. You will feel self-conscious about your voice – but only at first. This feeling will pass with time and will pass sooner if you get out and use it in all situations. Nothing will happen if you just choose to sit at home and hide from people and life. You may think you are not ready….Hell, no one is ever ready to face things like this. But, waiting to be ready is not an alternative. Getting out is something you need to do, ready or not…. and you don’t GET ready until you start to DO something. Launch yourself back into life. Surround yourself with all the support you can. You will soon discover that it ain’t all that bad!!

3) Make sure, if possible, that you have something you can do and enjoy doing. Resurrect an old hobby, create a new one, set up a project to occupy your time, energy, brain power, and spirit!! Ideally, find something that requires interaction with other people. Try to help yourself find a good reason to get up every morning… other than to simply watch TV, read, and eat.

4) If all else fails and you are still depressed, seek professional psychological help with individual or group therapy.

I came through and so can you!!!

Dutch Helms, El Lago, Texas

Lt.Col. Dutch Helms founded WebWhispers.org

For more information go to:

http://webwhispers.org/about/founder.asp.

There is one area of medicine that a lot of people are making their way into in order to make a good living. This area that is experiencing a boom is speech pathology. Speech pathology is an area that deals with speech disorders and their treatment. One of the biggest speech disorders is stuttering. This is where the person struggles to speak and can be related to several factors. The primary reason that a person has this speech disorder can be related to them being shy of speaking in front of other people.

In Speech pathology, a speech pathologist is able to help a person get over this disorder and gain the confidence that they need to speak in front of people all the time without stuttering. Another person that may benefit from speech therapy, is a person that has recently been involved in an accident. Speech pathology can help in training a person to be able to speak again. This is helpful for a person who may have received a head injury and their ability to speak has been impaired. This is when a speech pathologist can help the person learn to speak all over again. These people are frustrated with the fact that they are not able to speak freely and express themselves without limits. This condition can lead to them feeling trapped in their own world, since they are not able to get their thoughts out effectively.
Continue: Speech Pathology-Helping People Speak Better

Jennifer Wenger
(301) 496-7243
jwenger@mail.nih.gov

Your ability to make sense of Groucho’s words and Harpo’s pantomimes in an old Marx Brothers movie takes place in the same regions of your brain, says new research funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), one of the National Institutes of Health.

In a study published in this week’s Early Edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers have shown that the brain regions that have long been recognized as a center in which spoken or written words are decoded are also important in interpreting wordless gestures. The findings suggest that these brain regions may play a much broader role in the interpretation of symbols than researchers have thought and, for this reason, could be the evolutionary starting point from which language originated.
Continue: Words, Gestures Are Translated by Same Brain Regions, Says New Research:

What happened in Chicago? Several weeks ago, there was a conference held by an Internet marketing group. Its name was Gateway to Wealth. The trip was impressive and full of surprises.

To start with, I wanted the experience of not having a voice, depending on myself alone, and go to an event with many other people. All strangers, but typical of a conference a person would attend. So I packed my clothes, gassed up the Jeep, and headed for the Windy City! It is a 5 hour drive. About half way there I was imagining what to wear at the different events. You can see what I was concerned about. Then there was a realization, my clothes were hanging in my closet at home! No longer was I dressing for success. In my mind for a second, I imagined people saying, “look at that poor guy, no voice, and no clothes.” A Quick analysis of what I was wearing, what was in my grip and it looked to me like a pair of pants and a shirt would get me through the weekend. Lesson # 1, don’t depend on your clothes to get you through. Continue: The Gateway to Chicago turns into a story…

The stronger your mind and body are, the better you will feel about yourself.
Try this fun routine for 8 minutes at home and begin finding the new you.
IF IT IS TO BE…IT IS UP TO ME…You determine the path you follow. Continue: Who Needs a Voice to Feel Better?

One week from today, the Gateway to Wealth Convention will open its doors with the Masters sharing information on the Internet marketing business. They will be sowing their knowledge about how to use Internet marketing and certain techniques to influence consumers to purchase products. Clarity on these ideas can only be gained through participation and questions. Too often the “voiceless” community insulate themselves from certain individuals who can dramatically change their lives. That avoidance is because the path they have been forced onto seems overwhelming and has dictated who they are. That, my quivering reader, is not the truth that you should be living by. Continue: Gateway to Wealth = Gateway to Freedom