Bring on 2014 – Happy New Year!

NYE 2013-2014.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Congratulations!  You made it through 2013!  For those of you who were sick in 2013, there were probably moments that you didn’t think you’d make it through.  You made it though.  You made it to 2014.  Congratulations and may there be many more years for you to look forward to!

I wish you all hope and healing in the new year!  I have no idea how long your road will be, or if 2014 will be better or worse than 2013 for you, but I sincerely hope that it is better in every possible way.  I hope that it is a year of healing for you.  I hope that your pain subsides.  I hope that you get the support you deserve.  I hope that you either gain back what you have lost due to your illness, or that you come to appreciate what you still have.  I hope that you are able to access the people, methods or techniques that help you to move on from your illness.  I hope that you find peace, healing, love, happiness, patience, hope, etc.

For myself, I haven’t thought of any specific New Year’s resolutions quite yet, but I hope that this picture sums up my 2014:

2013 was an empowering year for me.  I started writing about FQ toxicity in June of 2013.  I truly had no clue that anyone would want to read the things that I wrote, but it turns out that people like what I have to say.  I don’t think that they like what I have to say because it’s pretty or because I’m anyone special (I’m not).  I think that they like what I have to say because what I write about is important.  It’s important that the word get out about the dangers of fluoroquinolones.  It’s important that people stop being hurt by the frivolous and foolish over-use of DNA damaging chemotherapy drugs that are being pushed as “safe” antibiotics.  It’s important that people make the connections between many of the mysterious modern diseases that plague us and fluoroquinolones.  Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, all autoimmune diseases, anxiety, depression, dietary intolerances, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, diabetes, Gulf War Syndrome and even autism can be tied to fluoroquinolones.  These are not little problems.  They are serious concerns and it’s important that they be addressed and fixed.  In bringing attention to the role that fluoroquinolones play in each of these diseases, I’m bringing attention to something important.

It’s quite empowering and, though I’m sure that what I just said sounds egotistical, I am humbled by it.  The over-use of fluoroquinolones is a big problem that leads to multiple levels of other serious problems.  The problems are systemic and difficult to bring attention to, much less solve.   Paradigm shifts and systemic changes are needed in order for meaningful change to come about.

It’s a big task, but someone has to do it.  That someone may as well be me.  It may as well be you too.  Even better, it should be all of us together.

We can do this.  We can make change happen.  We can stop people from getting hurt by fluoroquinolones.  We may not be able to save everyone today or even tomorrow, but we can try.  And in trying, we are doing something.  We are making the world a safer and more just place.

“Trying” can be something little or something big.  It can be handing out cards warning people about FQ toxicity, it can be attending the FQ Awareness Rally in Washington D.C., it can be starting a blog, it can be talking to your friends about what happened to you, it can be filing a lawsuit, it can be enacting legislation, etc., etc.

In 2014, I resolve to DO SOMETHING about fluoroquinolone toxicity.  I hope that change comes about.  But if it doesn’t, well, I have my 2015 resolution set, and I’ll keep trying until people know about the causal links between fluoroquinolones and chronic diseases, until the frivolous over-use of fluoroquinolones is stopped, and until they stop giving these poisonous drugs to children.

If you feel inclined, I hope that you feel empowered enough to do something about fluoroquinolone toxicity in 2014 too.  It will take all of us to bring about change.  We can do it though.  We have to be able to.  No one else will and it’s important.  So, bring on 2014.  Let’s get ‘er done.