Early Americans and Vaccines

Hi folks! Well, I guess I've gotten into the trend of writing a yearly blog post so here it is! Your 2020 blog post during a time when you probably don't have anything better to do than read it! First off, I just want to comment that this is a weird time for us all. Even as a microbiologist, never would I have imagined at the beginning of the year that we would be in the state we are in now, in a pandemic, sheltering in place, and wondering how things got out of control so quickly. I sincerely hope all of you are staying healthy and safe. I, an essential worker in the healthcare industry, am grateful to come to work everyday and provide products that are assisting during this crisis. For those that aren't working (and even those who are), I also hope all of you are finding things to do that are keeping you sane and happy during these uncertain times.

Now onto the topic of this post. Let's talk vaccines! I thought the topic was appropriate since there's a lot of discussion and research going towards a Coronavirus vaccine. I, personally, am interested to know more about it since the success of vaccines is dependent on the virus' genetic stability which we know Coronavirus (the family as a whole) does not necessarily fall in this category. These viruses typically mutate pretty rapidly. It's why there is no vaccine for the common cold which is another type of Coronavirus. However, I am not a virologist so maybe my understanding of this is way off. Now, this blog post is not to talk about my opinion on vaccines (awww, is that what you were hoping for? Well, too bad!) But rather a little history lesson on vaccines at the start of this nation. It's interesting to look at the evolution of opinions on vaccines over the history of this country. It seems like opinions have fluctuated over time and also as medical advancements have greatly decreased the burden of infectious diseases on society. People just aren't afraid of diseases like they used to be, I guess? So for those who value our constitutional rights and what our founding fathers had in mind for our country, let's ask an interesting question. What did our founding fathers think of vaccines?

George Washington was considered a great military leader by many. Did you know he was also a proponent for vaccine use and his controversial medical actions were likely an important factor that led to victory? At the time of the American revolution, 90% of deaths in the continental army were caused by disease. That disease was smallpox. Smallpox was a devastating disease that killed 30% of those who contracted it. Smallpox is caused by a virus that belongs in the Poxvirus family. Because the only host for this virus was humans, eradication was made possible with a worldwide vaccination program. Smallpox was officially eradicated in December of 1979. Unfortunately, the birth of this country was about 200 years shy of reaping the benefits of this. Washington spoke of how important it was to take measures to protect the army from this disease, expressing his concerns in letters to the third Director General of hospitals of the Continental Army, Dr. William Shippen Jr. At the time, a "vaccination" was the process of giving an individual a less deadly form of the disease. It was practiced by British troops and gave them an advantage in the war. Vaccination was controversial due to the fear that it would actually cause illness and was prohibited by the Continental Congress. Washington, however, was willing to take that risk and ordered his commanding officers to oversee mass inoculation of their troops. Kudos to Washington and his disobedience. Following the rules isn't always the best option. The ensuing protection and immunity of those soldiers was crucial as they were able to win critical battles that led to independence.

Smallpox virus

A victim suffering from Smallpox.

Thomas Jefferson, another founding father, also supported vaccination. He was a proponent of the studies by Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse who first introduced vaccination to the United States. Dr. Waterhouse vaccinated his whole family and even exposed them to infected patients to prove his confidence in the method. Jefferson went so far as to conduct his own trials and even made improvements to Dr. Waterhouse's methods which had some flaws. Leave it to Jefferson to doubt the guy who exposed his whole family to smallpox (I kid). His improvements made vaccine attempts in Washington, Petersburg, and Richmond successful where they had previously been unsuccessful. So not only do we have Jefferson to thank for writing the Declaration of Independence, we have him to thank for promoting a new medical innovation that eventually lead to eradication of smallpox 200 years later.

Edward Jenner was an English physician who invented the Smallpox vaccine. He discovered that milkmaids were immune to smallpox so we scraped cowpox blisters from their hands (which they contracted from the cows and it was a very mild form of smallpox) and used the scrapings to inoculate an 8 year old boy who then developed immunity to smallpox.

Pretty neat, right? As far as efficacy of certain vaccines, I won't get into that here but you can always reach out to me if you want to have a more in depth discussion. I love me a good vaccine discussion, though I probably know much less than you think I might. That's why doing your own research is so important! The fact is, over the course of history, diseases have always been around and will continue to be around. Medical interventions have greatly decreased the number of deaths caused by certain diseases, vaccines being one of those interventions. Acceptance of vaccines in society is not a new controversy as is evidenced by events of the past. So be diligent, don't believe things just because it is the popular opinion, and be open to new possibilities and findings. To bring this all back to relevancy, we are still learning a lot about this novel virus in our midst and it will be a steep learning curve to determine the best methods to prevent death and disease. In the end, nature is gonna do what it's gonna do and we have to be smart to keep oursleves and our society healthy.

Thanks for reading!

Anxiety: A Story of Hope

Hello Friends!

Woah, remember when I used to blog? That was fun while it lasted. Well I suppose it's like they say, we're here for a good time, not a long time and my writing persona agrees. After my hiatus, I am back (but I won't promise the writing is here to stay, I gotta be honest with myself). I'll start off by saying that the reason I am writing to you today is because I am here to share my anxiety story. Why write about it here? Because this blog is a story telling outlet and although I haven't published many posts, this blog is about me and what I have to say. I felt an urge today to write and I guess I'm riding with it.

Most of you probably already know I deal with this, but for those that don't know me that well (by the way, thanks for reading my post!), you are about to find out. I have been dealing with anxiety since I was 6 years old. I can actually pinpoint the exact moment I felt this type of anxiety for the first time and never was the same after. I won't share the details of that event here, but if you're curious you can always ask me. It's actually a bit of a silly story when I think about it as an adult but it really affected me as a child. I dealt with anxiety off and on throughout my childhood and adolescence. I had a particularly difficult time when my house burned down in high school and the trauma of that event. I also had a very difficult time leaving home for college and learning to be on my own, fighting my ongoing battles with anxiety without my family close to me.

21 years later, I still struggle but the difference now is I know my strength and what I am capable of. If you have ever dealt with anxiety or depression, you know how absolutely crippling it can be. There are fears and doubts you create about yourself, about your capability to survive that can put you in the deepest ruts that you fear you can never get out of. Sometimes I fear I will ruin my perfectly good life because I will succumb to those fears and let them control me. And sometimes, the more I try to fight it, the deeper the hole I dig for myself gets. I know those feelings so well. Some days, I don't feel strong. Today for example, I decided I could not be at work because I did not have the energy or strengh to put on a face like everything was ok. And it's ok to feel this way sometimes, to let the feelings pass through.

I decided to take a trip to the beach today. Not the best beach day because it was very cold and wet but despite the gloom and the fog, I can somehow see myself and this life with more clarity. I can feel the joy in God's creations and His love for us. The lush green mountains, the sound of the crashing waves, the sand being picked up by the violent wind and creating waves of their own, the tremendous beauty of it all. I will say that the one thing that has pulled me through these feelings again and again has been my Catholic faith and the mercy of God. I review the lives of the saints and realize that they struggled with similar thoughts and feelings just like me but were able to fulfill their purpose, to serve God the way He wanted them to. I desire to do the same, to give myself and my love to others and to serve God in this way. When I think of how big love is, it makes my fears seem small. I once heard, fear paralyzes you but love, it moves you, and I don't know a truer statement. This is the ultimate answer to all our problems, I think. When we learn to love selflessly and be all we can be for those around us, we become the most strong and resilient.

My cold and rainy beach trip (Pismo Beach)

I do feel incredibly blessed in my life right now. I have wonderful support systems everywhere I go. I have been given the most wonderful opportunities including the chance to grow and lead in my job, the opportunity to buy my first home on my own and renovate it, I even have, for the first time, the opportunity to have a normal relationship with another person (those of you who know me know that I was in a long distance relationship for 4 years and he finally was able to find a job in the same town as me-yay!)

So to end, thank you to those who help me through my hard times, no matter how small the gesture is, and you all know who you are. Don't ever hesitate to help someone in need, to compliment that stranger that looks like they're having a bad day, even offering a smile can make the world of a difference to someone. And don't be afraid to express what it is you're dealing with, because mental health issues should really be talked about more. If you offer to talk about your feelings, you could motivate others to do the same and we all can start healing from our wounds. Love fully and without inhibitions. And enter into battle to conquer your fears, because they may not go down easily, but I guarantee you, friends, you are stronger than they ever can be.

Much love and God's grace to you all.

Sorry for the blurry picture but I actually thought it was really appropriate. I may seem distracted, blurred, or not all there sometimes. But deep down, I carry joy and a smile wherever I go, I just have to know where to find it.

It's a transpoosion!

*Disclaimer: If you are offended or grossed out by talk of fecal matter, this post may not be the best read for you. If you enjoy telling and hearing poop jokes, please read on. 

 At my work, I see poop on a daily basis. And I do mean human poop. Just to give a bit of background so you don't think we do this for fun (although the other day two employees were fighting over who got to work with the poop that day-it was weird), we are testing a couple of products that my company manufactures. These products are intended to be used for stool screening, so it is appropriate that we use poop of the human variety as a testing matrix for our studies. I never get tired of saying that I had a shitty day or that it was a load of crap when asked how my day at work went. So I thought I would dedicate a post to talk about poop, since I deal with it much more often than I ever thought I would, and gut health is actually a topic I enjoy discussing.

If you read my Furry Friends and Benificial Bugs post, you may recall that I briefly mentioned how much we benefit from the microorganisms that reside in our intestinal tract, and how we actually couldn't live without them. If bacteria make up 60% of the dry mass of feces (no joke), they've got to be doing something important, right? The relationship between humans and their gut microflora is very much a symbiotic one. Microorganisms in the gut ferment unused energy substrates, train the immune system, prevent growth of harmful species that could make you sick, regulate the development of the gut, produce vitamins for the host like biotin and vitamin k, and produce hormones to direct the storage of fat. That's not a completely inclusive list either, just a few of the main points. Drastic modifications or imbalances in the gut microbiota are associated with obesity, and certain species that can be found in the gut are thought to be capable of causing disease or infection or even increasing the risk of cancer. So a healthy gut microbial community is crucial for a healthy you. This means not only is it important that you actually have a gut microflora, but also that the composition of the bacterial community in your gut is one that promotes healthy living.

In college I took a course in medical microbiology and I remember the day we learned about the organism Clostridium difficile. This is a bacterium that causes infectious diarrhea and the resulting infection can cause pseudomembranous colitis (inflammation of the large intestine). Diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal cramps can occur for up to months or even years when infected with this bacterium. Infection is commonly associated with prolonged antibiotic treatment. When antibiotics are taken for long periods of time, the flora in the gut is wiped out and it allows for bullies like C. diff  to take over and cause disease. Sometimes, stopping antibiotic treatment is enough to alleviate symptoms but other times, the bacterium has taken such a strong hold that treatment is difficult and even the last resort antibiotics (like vancomycin) don't help and can actually make the situation worse. So how do you treat such a nasty infection? It was in my medical microbiology class that I first learned about fecal transplants. Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like. Refer to the oversimplified comic above if you are still confused. Most of us in the class were dumbfounded by the idea but I remember one individual saying, "Yeah, I've heard of it. It's a transpoosion!"

In Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT), a fecal microbiota preparation using stool from a healthy donor is transplanted to the patient's colon. The idea is to replenish the community of organisms in the patient's gut so that they can overcome infection. Donors, of course, must be screened just like you would need to be before donating blood. After providing blood and stool samples, and passing the screening, donors make frequent donations (at least 4 times a week) for a minimum of 60 days. Talk about feeling pooped out after all that. Patient's then receive transplants via a nanogastric tube or a fecal enema. The procedure has shown a cure rate of 90%. More recent research is being done on encapsulating fecal microbiota preparations to provide an easy, oral method for receiving treatment. You know, poop pills. You might be wondering who is behind all this crap (last one, I promise) and where is all the poop being kept? Well, stool banks are becoming a real thing. OpenBiome is the

name of the nonprofit organization, launched in 2012, that is working with clinicians to make FMT easier, cheaper, safer, and more widely available. OpenBiome really does give a shit (Ok, seriously that was the last one) about helping those who suffer from C. diff infections. If you would like to learn more about this organization or FMT, I encourage you to read more on www.openbiome.org. I included an informational video from OpenBiome's website at the end of this post for your viewing pleasure. Thanks for reading!

Haha!

Floor Tile Fashion

                               

I've never had a good eye for fashion. When I was little, I distinctly remember having 3 of the exact same pairs of shorts and I would wear them everyday. They were navy blue and had a
Woodstock applique on the side. I would couple my shorts with a white polo shirt, and boom, I was out the door! You know in the cartoons, where the characters wear the same outfit every day? I guess that was what I was going for. There is also the rare moment when you get to peek inside said cartoon's closet. Usually you end up seeing what looks like a clone experiment from a fashion lab. Sometimes, I wish I could live like that now and not have people think I'm crazy. Wouldn't it be so much easier? Don't get me wrong, I like to dress up when I have the time for it, or when I get the sudden urge to try to replicate an outfit I saw in a magazine (although it never looks as cool as it did on the model). But for the everyday routine of waking up and getting ready for work, sometimes I wish I could just pick my outfit from a sea of sameness like they do in the cartoons and be done with it.

This is the outfit I wore every day of my life as a
seven year old. I was seven so I could get away with it. Right?

I am writing this post because I thought about this topic after what someone told me at work today. I picked out an outfit like I do every morning. I felt pretty good about it. I have a very simple, casual sense of style and I like to imagine that people see me and think, "She is so casually cool." Then something happens where I'm reminded that people are not thinking that at all. As I am walking through the parking lot early in the morning, our summer lab intern passes me and says, "You are Hardy'd out today!" To which I reply, "Huh?" (By the way the company I work for is called Hardy Diagnostics). She tells me that I match the pattern on the floor in the breakroom. I laughed because I genuinely did think it was funny, and then had a moment of realization that the intern saw my outfit and the first thing she could compare it to was the ground in a room we weren't even in. This didn't upset me, and it still doesn't, but it did remind me that people are probably never actually paying attention to what I'm wearing. When they do notice, it's doubtful that it's for a good reason. 

The outfit I was wearing when I was compared to a floor pattern.
I had to take the picture with Coraline because I hate pictures
with only me in them. I feel awkward and never know what to
do with my hands. This picture was tricky and it took me a
couple tries to convince Coraline not to scratch my eyes out.

And here is the floor I bore an uncanny resemblance to.

The comment made by our lovely intern is certainly not the most horrible comment I have received about an outfit. In fact, I don't consider it horrible in the slightest bit. I just gave it as an example and I have received more offensive comments about some poor fashion choices in my past. But most of those probably deserved to be ridiculed. The point is, I like the way I dress and I think it properly represents who I am as a person. So even though I may dream of the day when I have to wear a uniform to work (more for the ease of it all, not so much to avoid getting made fun of), I will continue to make questionable outfit choices, and I won't be ashamed to laugh about it. Maybe tomorrow I'll manage to accidentally match the wall pattern in the bathroom. 

Furry Friends and Beneficial Bugs

This is my nephew Ethan with my dog nieces, Mika (left) and Chloe (right). 

They say that dogs are man's best friend. What's not to love about a dog? They offer companionship, protection, and let's be honest, we love having them there to clean up any food spills we make on the kitchen floor. In case anyone isn't convinced that dogs are super awesome, it has also been demonstrated that dogs can improve gut health and alleviate the symptoms of allergies. Too good to be true? Let's hear some of the facts.

Researchers found that dogs contribute to an increased diversity of bacteria in house dust and exposure to this house dust actually dampens the allergic response to several allergens. It's like magical pixie dust, except it probably can't make you fly. The way researchers tested this was by feeding different types of dust to mice. Makes you wonder where dust falls on the food pyramid. They fed one group of mice house dust from a house with dogs and to another group of mice they fed house dust from a home with no dogs. The mice that were fed the dog house dust showed a decrease in airway immune cells and other components that are important players in the allergy response. So basically, the dog house dust told the mice's immune system to chill out a bit, there was no reason to overreact. Development of childhood allergic diseases are known to be associated with overactive airway immune responses. This means that exposure to dogs during infancy might reduce the risk of developing diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. Neat!

Like any good scientist, the researchers had lots of questions after they made their findings. In the world of science, one answer only leads to many more questions, the most important being, how does this work? So they examined the mice, specifically what was in their gut. I'm sure you all know that your gut is the home of a community of bacteria that are incredibly important for digestion, protection from bacteria that can make you sick, and just overall body health and function. It's like I always say, bacteria are my friends! They found that in mice that were fed dog house dust, there was an abundance of one specific species of bacteria called Lactobacillus johnosonii. This species can also be found in the human intestine and is part of a group of bacteria that are associated with probiotic activities.

This is an image of stained Lactobacillus acidophilus cells.
There are many Lactobacillus species and they live happily in our urinary,
 digestive, and genital systems. They are also found in fermented foods
like yogurt and in probiotic supplements. Aren't they cute?

Once the next piece of the puzzle was solved, the study was taken a step further and a third group of mice were supplemented with our friend Lactobacillus johnsonii. Lo and behold, these mice also exhibited diminished airway responses to allergens. It still is not known if the dust itself was the source of this beneficial bacteria or if components in the dust somehow altered the gut bacterial community to shift towards a population high in this particular species.

Although much more research is needed to prove that humans can benefit in the same way the mice did in these studies, these findings may one day lead to the development of probiotics for infants that could reduce the risk of developing allergic conditions. In the meantime, if you own a dog, you might just have a good enough reason to dust your house a little less often.  

Humble Beginnings

Hello world! I guess that's a bold statement considering the likelihood that not many are actually going to read this. Let's try again. Hello friends! I have been wanting to start a blog for quite some time now but was held back because I couldn't think of a clever title for it. Last night, I started reading through an old journal of mine. It's got a fabric book cover with hand sewn buttons, loose and askew, reminding me of the fact that I never lose the ambition to be crafty and creative, I just never execute my ideas the way I originally see them in my head. Anyways, as I was reading through it and came upon the last entry made two years ago, I became inspired to write a new entry and thought, hey, I kind of like this writing deal. This influx of inspiration, I think, gave me an idea for the title to this blog. So thanks, journal, I will continue to neglect writing in you and write for this blog instead! I like to believe that these moments of sudden clarity result in a forthcoming change, as if they cause you to suddenly start to see the world differently and it gives me hope that maybe one day I won't worry so much about the little things and be okay with the fact that I lose the remote every time I use it, and I lock my keys in the car at least twice a month.

This is the journal that kickstarted this blog.
If it were a person it would have the
"face only a mother could love". 

So you may still be wondering about this strange title since I somehow haven't managed to talk about it yet. This blog will chronicle the unfortunate, yet hilarious events that I encounter much too frequently. From awkward social situations, to making a complete fool of myself in front of lots of strangers, I've got stories that will (hopefully) make you laugh. You may also come to find that it's completely okay if you're a clutz (also, you never grow out of that, so stop thinking you'll wake up one day and realize you were actually this graceful ballerina all along who simply hadn't grown into your feet yet). Just to get things started, I already had a doh! moment today. This is my second time writing this post, I deleted the first one on accident after I had already completed it, edited it at least five times, and even had my editor look over it (I'm calling her that even though she's my sister because it feels so sophisticated).

Being a microbiologist that likes to write articles for my company's newsletter, I may also throw in some science tidbits here and there since I feel an obligation to keep my readers educated on very important matters in the world of microbiology (doesn't that sound super fun?). I promise that when I write about these types of topics, I will not write them with the mind of a scientist but rather, with the mind of a silly human who just happens to be a scientist. Do you get the title now? 

I titled this post humble beginnings because I'm alright with the fact that my sister is probably going to be the only one that reads this post and that it may be awhile before I gain any followers. I also want to write solely for the sake of writing because it brings me a sense of comfort and now I can have an excuse for spending far too long in bed on a Saturday morning. So stick with me, it's bound to be a goofy ride and if all goes well, you may just learn some stuff too.