It was just a few short months ago that my father succumbed to complications of COVID-19. Around the same time, my older brother was admitted to the hospital with it and stayed nearly six weeks before coming home. At that time, I thought our family was DONE with COVID-19. Unfortunately, we were not.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my husband was infected with COVID from a co-worker. He suffered at home for two weeks before finally being admitted to the hospital with low oxygen levels. Two days later, I, too, tested positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, I was able to recover at home with God by my side, the thoughts and prayers of good family members and friends, and a powerful arsenal of high-powered anti-viral and antibiotic meds. My husband has made great progress and is expected to be able to come home soon, as well. God has been good and faithful to us and once again brought us through this latest "COVID storm." 

Although our many dear family members and friends have prayed for us and been VERY supportive throughout our fight with COVID, several have unashamedly begged to ask the question, "Did you get your shot?"  Of course, they were referring to the COVID-19 vaccines that became available earlier this year to help protect and prevent serious complications of COVID-19. My short answer to this question has always been "No", and WITHOUT feeling the need to explain or defend my answer. However, in light of all the bold controversy that now surrounds these vaccines, I feel inclined to not only elaborate on my answer, but to throw BACK a few questions to anyone else who feels the need to ask.

Having lost my father to COVID-19, and seeing my older brother fight a six-week battle with it, one might assume that me and my husband would be one of the FIRST in line to get the vaccine when it became available. However, due to the rushed way the vaccines were developed, I nor my husband felt comfortable taking it. The horror stories in the beginning of dangerous side effects and even deaths from the "experimental vaccines" were enough to keep us from being too eager to poison our body with a drug that had only "emergency FDA approval" at best. As more documented cases poured in of other innocent and unsuspecting victims experiencing horrific side effects of the vaccines, my husband and I did our own research, weighed the risks and benefits, and decided at the time that we would rather NOT be one of the governments "experimental rats" for a virus that held a near 98% survival rate. I discussed the situation at great length with my own Doctor, who provided SOUND medical proof that for me, the vaccine would do more harm than good, due to the fact my immune system was ALREADY compromised from having Sjogrens's Syndrome, and the vaccine could possibly send it into "overdrive", thus putting an even GREATER strain on my body. She was more confident in my body's own natural immune system to successfully fight COVID, should I get it. I am now living proof that she was right! As a matter of fact, three weeks before I came down with COVID, I had started an "autoimmune diet" in which I fed my body only the highest and healthiest foods in an effort to improve some of the debilitating side effects of Sjogrens that I lived with every day. I firmly believe that change in diet also helped to improve my body's own immune system and help me fight COVID without ending up in the hospital like my father, brother, and husband. 

In the months prior to us getting COVID, both me and my husband continued to take safe measures to protect ourselves against the virus. We wore masks if required, used hand sanitizer often, and kept away from large crowds of people. Still, we were well aware that we lived with the calculated risk of catching COVID every day. We just chose to live our lives as carefully as we could and leave the rest to God. We were comfortable with our decision to NOT get the vaccine, and I, for one, felt SAFER without it!

As more and more people became infected with COVID, the government's push to FORCE everyone to take the vaccine mounted. Along with it, "vaxxers" became increasingly hostile and judgmental to those who had NOT yet received the "jab".  Anti-vaxxers were accused of being "selfish, heartless, and uncaring" toward their fellow men. The government encouraged this cruel behavior by using high profile officials, entertainers and high-pressure rhetoric to pit vaxxers against anti-vaxxers, creating even more hostility, confusion and division. I became sick and saddened as I watched our world being divided into two hostile camps. A vaccine that was "supposed" to bring us closer to fighting a common enemy, had in fact, pushed us further apart and caused normally nice, caring people to become hateful, cruel, and mean savages toward one another. I remember reading a post on Facebook recently about a young man who had succumbed to COVID-19. Friends and family members were discussing the fact that he had not had the vaccine. Immediately, hard core vaxxers chimed in with hateful remarks like, "he got what he deserved", and "I have no sympathy for him".  I was astonished at the absolute HATRED, HYPOCRISY, and UNDESERVING VITRIOL that was being spewed right in front of this young man's family and friends! I gotta tell you - if getting a COVID-19 vaccine is going to make me THAT mean, cruel and smug towards others, I'd rather DIE with COVID! 

Because this is a global health pandemic, most people seem self-righteously justified in asking others about their personal health choices, when ordinarily, it would be deemed "none of their business." I admit, I myself have haphazardly let the covid vaccine question slip from my lips a time or two. But in light of the hateful comments I've been reading from hard-nosed vaxxers about it lately on social media, I feel inclined to throw back a few questions that maybe they need to ask themselves:

1. Why are you so anxious to put something in your body that is "experimental" at best, and has been documented to have some serious and even FATAL side effects?
   
2. Is your decision to get vaxxed based on SOUND medical evidence, or just your desperate fear of a virus with a near 98% survival rate?
3. Do you think getting the vaccine makes you BETTER than others who choose NOT to get it based on what's best for THEM?
4. How would you feel if someone accused you of being "selfish" for doing what you thought was best for YOU? 
5. What right do YOU have to advise others of what is BEST for them medically? Maybe you need to lose weight - do you think skinny people have the right to tell you to go on a diet?
6. When's the last time someone PAID you to take a flu shot? How does it feel to know you are "bought and paid for" by the U.S. government to be used as unsuspecting guinea pigs?
7. Why do you suppose the FDA STILL won't stand behind the vaccines after all this time?
8. How do you feel knowing your insurance company will REFUSE to cover ANY side effect from the vaccine you just took - now or EVER?
9. Can you take the vaccine and still respect the rights of others to make their OWN decision about getting or NOT getting it?
10. Do you think if someone dies from COVID who had NOT gotten the vaccine that they "got what they deserved"?

I think its high time we ALL step back and get down off our collective high horses where this vaccine is concerned. I firmly believe our corrupt government set this pandemic in motion and is using it to fuel the fires of hatred and division until we end up totally destroying each other. At that point, we will ALL be at their mercy and under a complete totalitarian form of government. And for those of you who were so anxious to get that vaccine, I hope you liked it because I have a feeling you'll be getting them quite OFTEN!

Fear is a funny thing. It's like a spider - it traps you in a sticky web and forces you to fight helplessly until you end up killing yourself before the spider does. Then all he has to do is spin you up in a nice, neat little ball and save you till he's ready for dinner. That's how I see many of you who have rushed into having the COVID vaccine. Scared, helpless and so desperate to avoid getting sick that you jumped headfirst right into the government's spider web of lies, deceit and desperation. Now, I'm not trying to "vax-shame" you if you've had the vaccine. What's done is done. If it makes you feel better, safer, healthier, etc., then kudos to you! As long as you don't condemn others for not getting it, you have my utmost respect. But with talk of "follow up vaccines", you'd be foolish to think the government is going to let you stop at just ONE. Oh NO! Better get ready to roll up that sleeve a few more times in the near future - there's plenty MORE where the first one came from! 

But what IF there were alternatives to the jab that worked just as WELL to help protect you against COVID-19? Well, there ARE! And you can be sure the government is NOT going to tell you about them, but I WILL!

The Good Lord made us all with a unique way of fighting off disease and infection in our body - it's called our IMMUNE SYSTEM. Since we were babies, our immune systems have been working and growing to help us fight off foreign invaders in our bodies from chicken pox to cancer. It's a well-oiled, delicate system that, when in tip top condition, can fight off the most powerful enemy. Unfortunately, we take better care of our vehicle than we do our immune system. For many, a lifetime of neglect has left their immune system sluggish, tired, and vulnerable to foreign invaders. 

As I mentioned earlier, I was on a very strict autoimmune diet for three weeks before I came down with COVID. My diet consisted of only fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats - primarily fresh caught fish, organic chicken and grass-fed beef. I looked and felt better than I had in years and I'm sure those three weeks I was eating healthy "primed" my immune system and enabled my body to successfully fight against the COVID virus that later attacked my body. (I did have some additional help from strong anti-viral and antibiotic meds, but my symptoms early on were still mild and I didn't end up in the hospital!)

Along with changing my diet to strengthen my immune system, I took several supplements recommended by my Doctor. Some of these included Vitamin d, Zinc, Super B Complex, Biotin, Fish Oil and Vitamin C. She also most recently suggested I add NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine). She suggested that all my supplements be of the highest quality and referred me to the Life Extension brand.

Finally, a strong immune system thrives when the body is fit, active and not poisoned with carcinogens like cigarette smoke or excessive alcohol. Before I got COVID, I walked my dog EVERY morning for at least 20 minutes though a rugged terrain of woodland paths, small hills, and gravel roads. I have not smoked in over 20 years, and only drink red wine or beer occasionally. My weight (although down right now from COVID) is ideal for my height and size, and I keep my body toned by jumping on my mini rebounder 3-5 times a week. This also helps to drain my lymph system and keep it healthy. 

These are just a few "alternative ways" you can help strengthen your immune system to help in the fight against COVID-19 WITHOUT having to inject an unknown poison in your body that could make you sick, or even worse have dangerous lifelong side effects. Unfortunately, I haven't heard not ONE "medical expert" from the CDC, WHO or other government medical organization suggest or advise us to spend more effort in strengthening our OWN immune system. All they care about is how many experimental patients they can fool into rolling up their sleeve to test out their newest poison. I, for one, refuse to be one of their guinea pigs. And fortunately, now since I've had COVID, I will have antibodies for a good long time! NATURAL antibodies - the way the Good Lord intended!

No matter which side of the COVID vaccine debate you're on, PLEASE respect EVERYONE'S choice to decide for themselves whether or not to take it. I was again horrified earlier today when I read that the movie star Jennifer Anniston was "cutting off" people in her life that didn't get the vaccine. Apparently, antivaxxers weren't "good enough" for her and she didn't want them in her life. How unbelievably SAD! I'm afraid now she has a WORSE problem than getting COVID - she now has a "heart problem." And NO vaccine in the world can cure THAT! If you feel like you have to cut people out of your life because they won't get the vaccine, I pity you. Or if you feel anti vaxxers are cold-hearted, selfish people that don't care about anyone else, maybe your own heart is in the wrong place. And if you feel you are better than someone else because you got the vaccine, I hope you're not one of the unlucky ones who STILL gets it! (Breakthrough cases are growing every day!) Because the crow you dish out, will taste even WORSE when you have to swallow it yourself! Furthermore, your insistence on someone else getting the jab is only going to make you look like a BULLY and is NOT going to change their mind!

I can honestly say I've never judged any of my friends or family members for getting the vaccine. In fact, at some point in the future, IF the FDA can provide MORE sound evidence that the vaccine is safe AND effective, I might even reconsider my decision to get it! But until then, I'll do what's best for ME, and YOU do what's best for YOU, and may we meet in the middle as CIVIL human beings to help each other through this pandemic nightmare!