Ebola

I watch the news most nights and for the past several days, Ebola has been one of the featured stories. Discussing how a nurse may have been infected, tracking down people that may have been exposed, and so on. It now sounds like some test antibiotics are being taken from Canada to a few people in Africa. For those that are dealing with this outbreak, I hope the test is successful.

It seems that every few generations has an outbreak of a disease that ends up causing new breakthroughs in medicine. Polio was the most recent one that comes to mind. It was uncertain how it was spread and the effects of contracting it were serious. In the same way, new theories are coming up that Ebola may be spread through the air.

Fortunately, with polio a vaccine was developed that halted its spread. I can't say I've heard of it occurring in recent history. Hopefully Ebola will have similar results in the generation to come.

When an epidemic or crisis occurs, it seems that the regular rules for vaccine testing are relaxed to a great extent. I have an uncle with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and he has been waiting for a new medication to be approved for many years. Unfortunately, for my uncle and thousands of others with PD, the testing and approval process in the US is very slow. It is good to be careful when dealing with medications, but I sometimes think there's a little too much testing. When a drug has been proven affective and not to have major adverse reactions, it should be used. The last part is the tough one though since every medication has unintended consequences.

People have asked me before if I think I will ever walk again. A lot of progress has been made on SCI research, but I honestly don't believe I'll see a fix in my lifetime. If a scientist came out tomorrow saying that he found a solution, the proving and authorization time would likely take as long as I've been injured already. Plus, my bones and muscles are in bad shape after so many years of non use.

In the off chance a treatment or medication came through, it would depend on the situation if I would do it. If it was uncertain to work, and my going through with it would help someone else, then I may consider it. However, if it was a certain fix, and I may delay someone else from being helped, I would be last in line. One thing is certain though, I would NEVER use something like embryonic stem cells that cost another life. A few short years on earth is nothing compared to eternity and answering God on the decisions I made.

That's all I have for this week. We'll see what comes up next time.