From a Facebook post made Sept. 20, 2019, by ADF veteran Dave Whitfield.
I was absolutely touched by this story, first sent to me by Alison Whitfield. Again, these are Dave’s original words and I haven’t made any edits to this.
Facebook: Dave Whitfield
THIS IS MY LIFE.
In 1997 I joined the Australian ARMY. In 2001 I was deployed to East Timor on warlike operations as a medic, I was beyond excited and was extremely proud to serve our country as we aided East Timor gain independence from Indonesia. When we first got in country we were told that we HAD to be involved in a malaria prophylaxis drug trial or be sent back home to Australia. As you could imagine nobody rejected the trial. The drug was Mefloquine. We were told that we could expect extremely vivid dreams for a week or so, Everyone’s dreams were extremely violent terrifying horror that was so vivid and so real.
The dreams never ever stopped nearly 20 years later and I hate going to sleep as the nightmares intrude when you’re awake. It’s extremely hard to tell the difference between reality and dream world. It was within the next year or so that I was discharged for medical reasons. My wife left and took my 5 children with her. Years and years of suicide attempts severe depression and psychotic events Extreme pain in every part of my body I can never get comfortable as every part of my body has to be moved as I can not be in one position for very long at all.
Facebook: Dave Whitfield
I suffer EXTREME seizures 2 to 5 or more times a week. Sometimes they last well up to the 10 min mark. If I’m lucky they last 4-5 minutes, I am fully aware during this. The pain is excruciating I have to try to remember to breathe. When I try to speak it’s just mumbling. My body jerks so violently that my already painful body is screaming at me the pain is so severe. When they stop I’m completely exhausted crying and hurting like fuck and I soon pass out cold where the nightmares continue and again I’m fighting for my life as I kick and thrash around all night.
When I wake my body doesn’t want to work my brain is mush. My hands which don’t work the best near refuse to do anything I have to be told what to do every moment for hours sometimes all day I forget what I’m talking about mid-sentence. Completing any task no matter how trivial is impossible. Remembering to eat shower go to the toilet any task is impossible. I have to be led around like I’m a little kid. As I am a man this makes me feel utterly useless and depression kicks in which leads to full-blown psychosis. My nightmares and reality are blurry to one. I’ve been prescribed anti-psychotics anti-depression and anti-anxiety medication and MS Contin morphine.
My lungs are ruined so I take meds for emphysema. I haven’t worked since I got out if the ARMY in 2004. I was once an extremely confident outgoing fit hard working man. Those days are long gone as I barely leave home. Going to doctors’ appointments I have to be taken and supervised by my wife Alison. An amazing lady who somehow loves and cares for me even though I can be extremely high maintenance with mood swings so severe they happen instantly for no reason. I can be the most loving to the most evil C@&t faster than Superman. Most days I have no idea who I am and I’m always whispering to myself to help me remember what it is I’m supposed to be doing. My memory is near nonexistent. My speaking hearing and eyesight are also badly affected plus so many other things too numerous to mention.
Facebook: Dave Whitfield
The untried drug they tested us with has killed so many of my mates through suicide the ones who are still with us are all distant shells of the once fit proud young men and women. This drug stole our lives and ruined them. I’m 47 and I haven’t worked in nearly 16 years. My symptoms are progressing so so fast that life at times is almost unbearable. They gave us this drug so they could earn hundreds of millions of dollars. The Australian defence force has offered no help no aid no compassion nothing. When I was discharged I was given a paycheck of $125 and a list of homeless shelters not even a thank you. I’m a veteran I deserved so much more. The government has to be held accountable for its actions. They are responsible for the lives that were destroyed and or taken. They robbed us of life. Without the help of my amazing wonderful loving wife I would no longer be here writing this. Alison my Funkin I love you so much I appreciate everything you have done for me. I pray that someday soon I will finally meet a specialist who will finally get me on the right treatment and pain management. Every day is a struggle for survival to try and see another tomorrow.
When I first ventured into the realm of veteran’s advocacy over three years ago, there were people who had doubts that I would stick around for very long, like a lot of others have done before. They had seen it many, many times. At that point, I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d be around for very long, not for lack of passion on my part, but for lack of the money to be able to continue further.
Over three years on, I’m still around and have accomplished a lot of things, thanks in very large part to a group of benefactors whom I refer to as my “guardian angels”. They have allowed me to pursue something that has not only provided me with a great sense of self-fulfillment but has also saved some lives. It has given me the chance to make a real difference in the lives of others.
I started a not-for-profit media company.
In those early days, I came to realize that the only way these stories were going to get told is if there was a separate media outlet to tell them on. There simply wasn’t enough interest on the part of the corporate media to run many of these stories, especially in Canada where the corporate media is now beholden to the federal government for millions of dollars in annual funding. They aren’t likely to be wanting to bite the hand that feeds them so very well.
From that point, I began to form a vision of what such an independent media outlet might look like, and how it would operate. After having a conversation with Stephen Beardwood at Veteran’s House Charity, things all started to fall into place, and soon after I started a not-for-profit media company and had a partner in Veteran’s House Charity.
I had and have a vision for Invictus Bellator Media Corporation (IBMedia Corp.), that one of its primary functions will be to share news and information with veterans in Canada and around the world. Much of this news and information will be related to the health and wellness of veterans, as well as legal issues that may impact them. By actively working to spread mefloquine awareness as much as possible, a number of lives will be saved, and/or people will see an improvement in the quality of their lives because of it.
Veteran’s House Charity
Veterans House helps provide funding and or development tools through partnerships to established NFP’s or organizations who want to connect with Veterans House Charity and its partners to provide programs or services for Veterans’ Mental Health and/or First Responders.
Veteran’s House Charity
Stephen Beardwood and the team at VHC worked incredibly hard, jumped through innumerable hoops, and had to meet a very strict set of criteria, but they would be able to give tax receipts for donations that were to be directed to one of its partner organizations, IBMedia being one of them.
You can get a Canadian tax receipt for your donation.
How to donate:
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to IBMedia, simply click Donate today below and you will be taken to the page on the VHC website where you can make donations.
Then, in the Order notes (optional) section, state that you would like your donation to be directed to IBMedia.
In the Order notes (optional) section, simply state that you would like your donation to be directed to IBMedia, this way you will be able to receive a tax receipt for your donation.
Note: tax receipts will only be issued to Canadian taxpayers or Canadian ex-pats who pay Canadian income taxes.
Donate via PayPal.
If you live outside Canada or don’t want a tax receipt you can also donate through PayPal in any post.
Other ways that you can show your support.
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Veterans For Healing Global (VFHG) is a Canadian company committed to helping veterans and their families heal through trauma and PTSD by providing specialized treatment plans, pharmaceutical-grade plant medicine, and ongoing personal support.
Veterans for Healing Global
Mission Statement.
Our mission is to help Veterans and their families live healthy, happy, and sustainable lives by providing alternative solutions through natural plant medicine, personal assistance, access to medical experts, and ongoing community support.
We believe in optimal health and are dedicated to uncompromised quality products, vital research, helpful social programs, and innovative treatments. By standing alongside Veterans and their family members, we’re able to provide the necessary resources for coping with trauma through rehabilitation.
Veterans for Healing Global
Following the success of the inaugural songwriting camp for veterans last year, Veterans For Healing Global will once again hold their international songwriting camp in the beautiful surroundings of Inverness, Cape Breton. Together with director of music Keith Mullins, another group of veterans will tell their stories through song as they progress through their journeys of healing.
Veterans For Healing is one of the organizations that have partnered with Veterans House Charity in the effort to bring healing alternatives to veterans who are suffering from PTSD or other such service-related injuries. A musician himself, Stephen Beardwood of Veteran’s House has attended both camps to lend his talents towards helping others and to tell his own story through song.
Let the healing happen.
VFHG merch now available online.
Veterans For Healing Global now has merch available online for purchase, so you can now support and represent VFHG.
Show your support and represent for $25, including 6-10 business day delivery to your home.
T-shirts.
Mefloquine advocate Trina Jenkins has come up with a design for a sharp-looking mefloquine awareness T-shirt that will be printed and shipped within Canada only.
Ordering.
To order, message Kentrina Jenkins with the following:
– the size and number of shirts you would like
– your name
– phone number
– your mailing address
These shirts are made by a company and shipped directly to you. Orders will be placed upon receipt of payment. Email money transfer is preferred.
Pins.
Trina has also designed some mefloquine awareness pinned back buttons that she is selling to help cover the cost of her trip to the rally this year. The cost is $1/pin with a shipping cost of about $3 for 10 pins anywhere in Canada.
Send Trina a message to get your order in today, there’s still time for you to get it before the rally.
While ScoMo might not have broken the letter of the law with his actions, it can be debated that he was in fact in violation of the spirit under which the makers of those laws wrote them. Think of it as a way of not being able to get away with something on a technicality.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, announcing that the government will launch a wide-ranging inquiry aimed at preventing a prime minister from secretly amassing new ministerial powers. Albanese’s predecessor Scott Morrison has been widely criticized over recent revelations that he had secretly appointed himself to five ministerial roles between March 2020 and May 2021, usually without the knowledge of the original minister. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)
Scott Morrison and David Hurley (Photos: AP/Kiyoshi Ota, Office of the Governor-General of Australia)
“The governor-general had no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated.”
Excerpt from statement released by the Governor General’s Office.
This statement in and of itself is absolutely laughable. Didn’t Hurley find it odd that after several months there didn’t appear to be ANY kind of communication about the appointments, either in the press or through the political grapevine? Why didn’t he make any inquiries? In the words of the esteemed television jurist, Judge Judith Sheindlin, “It doesn’t make sense!”.
Quid pro quo?
It is up to the Prime Minister to recommend to the Queen whom she should select as her next representative in Australia and the other members of the British Commonwealth. While I’m sure that in the vast majority of instances there is no quid pro quo offered, it would be naive to think that in at least a couple of instances throughout the history of the Commonwealth there was.
Apart from being a personal honour granted to someone who has performed outstanding public service, the position of Governor General could also be seen as a political plum appointment. A way of rewarding those who were loyal and valuable to the PM or his/her political party.
Then Attorney-General Christian Porter and then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull clashed over Turnbull’s last-ditch plan to bring in the Governor-General.CREDIT:ANDREW MEARES
Former Liberal PM Malcolm Turnbull attempted to politicize the Governor General’s office when he sought to have the GG interfere in an election result that would have seen his rival, Peter Dutton, ineligible to run for parliament, thereby negating him as the new party leader. He appears to have based his arguments around loopholes in the law, though this last-ditch effort borne of desperation would go nowhere.
The nuclear option.
If Anthony Albanese asked for Hurley’s resignation and this request was subsequently rebuffed, Albanese would then have the option of asking the monarch to replace the Governor General on his advice.
Queen Elizabeth II
Precedent.
Julie Payette, pictured on July 13, 2017, the day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced she would be Canada’s 29th governor general. Ms. Payette’s five-year term is scheduled to run until at least 2022, but she is now facing calls to resign after multiple former Rideau Hall employees told the CBC that she had allegedly harassed them.The Hill Times file photograph by Jake Wright
On January 21st, 2021, Canada’s 29th Governor-General, former astronaut Julie Payette, resigned with several years remaining in her term amid a growing toxic workplace scandal. Justin Trudeau didn’t seem to have vetted Payette, and if he did it makes it an even worse mistake. He picked someone who wasn’t appropriate for the position simply because they had celebrity cachet. Payette was also resistant to step down initially but eventually caved in after realizing there was no other choice left, sensing Trudeau might be forced to petition the Queen to replace her, making things even more of an embarrassment for her.
A boon for journos in Australia and everywhere.
Meanwhile, as ScoMo and Hurley double down, journalists are secretly hoping they fight it out to the very bitter end because frankly, this is the type of gift that just keeps on giving for us. I’m also sure that deep down, Anthony Albanese and the ruling Labor government are hoping for the same thing as well, if for no other reason than it will all but guarantee them election victories for some time to come.
Stay tuned for more weirdness.
I’ll do my best to keep you up to date with this bizarre political saga as events happen, so make sure to keep some popcorn handy.
Culminating with rallies planned for Sunday, September 18th in Saskatoon, Sk and Kingston, Ont.
It is just a little over a month now until the 6th Annual Veteran’s Mefloquine Rally, with rallies planned in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Kingston, Ontario for Sunday, September 18th, 2022.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
This year I will be joining Marj Matchee, Dave Bona, Bruce Given, and a number of other special guests over the weekend of the 17th and 18th in Saskatoon. I’m excited to be there because it will be the first time since the fourth rally two years ago that many of us have seen each other, and I am very happy to be seeing them.
Friend and fellow advocate Kentrina Jenkins will be in from New Brunswick, along with some notables that we haven’t seen for a while.
Paul Miller.
Paul Miller, partner at Howie, Sacks, & Henry and lead counsel for the Canadian mefloquine veteran’s mass tort action will be in Saskatoon on Saturday, September 17th, and will speak during the mefloquine information session that is scheduled from 11am-3pm. It will be live streamed for those who want to listen in but can’t be there in person.
A special as yet unconfirmed guest speaker.
We are waiting to hear back from another very special invited guest as to whether or not he will be able to attend, so stay tuned for further updates.
Kingston, Ontario.
Richard Delve will be hosting the Kingston rally again this year, and he and his team are trying their best to get some VIPs. Stay tuned for further developments.
If you aren’t able to make it to any of these events in person, you can always participate virtually by tuning in to the live streams and by showing your support on your Facebook page.
An actual strongman and two jerks who are only technically “strongmen”.
His pedigree.
Pierre Trudeau speaking at a fundraising meeting for the Liberal Party at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montréal, Québec 1980
Unlike the more average middle-class family Morrison grew up in, Justin Trudeau grew up with his two brothers in the privileged environs of Ottawa political society, all three being born while their father was in office. Being the oldest he was cast in the spotlight at an early age, meeting the countless world leaders and celebrities who orbited within his father’s life. He would be compared at times to John F. Kennedy Jr., or John-John.
Despite learning at his father’s knee and being the “crown prince” and heir apparent to the political throne, he didn’t aspire to politics and chose instead to pursue an education in the arts, and later worked as a drama teacher and gave snowboarding lessons.
Those who know me know that I will often refer to Justin as “Little Potato”. During a 2016 trip to Beijing, Chinese social media users began referring to Trudeau as “Little Potato”, as his name sounds like the Mandarin word for potato. I just happen to think that he’s about as smart as one, so it works out nicely that way.
The real brains of the outfit.
By and large successful politicians have a team of people behind them who act to support and advise them. With the help of a good political strategist, even the most intellectually challenged of candidates can become elected, which is a credit to the abilities of the strategist. There are of course examples of this happening throughout election history, like Karl Rove who was in charge of the campaign for George W. Bush, or Steve Bannon who masterminded Donald Trump’s victory.
Steve Bannon and Karl Rove were often portrayed as evil and satanic by comedians.
It isn’t uncommon for these strategists to end up working for their successful candidates, typically in positions like a Chief-of-Staff or Principal Secretary, where they can then establish themselves as the power behind the throne. Such was the case with Little Potato and the strategists and advisors who were able to get him elected.
Gerald Butts – The Kingmaker
Courtesy: Alchetron
Hailing from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Gerald Butts first met Trudeau in 1993 while they were both attending McGill University in Montreal. They would become best friends, going on to help one another plan their respective weddings. While at McGill Butts was elected as the president of the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate and won two national debating championships in consecutive years. Butts obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English literature from McGill.
He would enter into the world of politics after graduation, landing a job as a research assistant in the office of Senator Allan MacEachen helping to organize material for MacEachen’s future memoirs which were ultimately never published. But Gerald Butts had grand ambitions of one day holding the reins in the Office of the Prime Minister, or PMO, which is one of the four central agencies that manage the behemoth organization of the federal government.
Since their days on the McGill debate team, Gerald Butts has wanted to become Prime Minister. But he knew early on that Trudeau was the one with the money, name, and charisma to step out front.
The central agencies.
The federal government is a complex organization consisting of over 150 different departments, agencies, commissions, corporations, and other entities. To manage and keep things as organized as possible, these various organizations are managed by four “central agencies”, these being;
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)
The Privy Council Office
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
The Department of Finance Canada
The PMO represents an important central agency in the Canadian government. The term “central agencies” refers to a group of government administrative bodies whose responsibilities extend across all policy areas. This is due to the Prime Minister’s position at the pinnacle of executive political power in the federal government, and the PMO’s role as the Prime Minister’s personal exempt staff. The PMO acts as an extension of the Prime Minister in his/her dealings with other parts of government and the parliamentary system as a whole and, in this context, plays an important role in political decision-making.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is made up of a team of officials, partisan political advisors and administrators, which provides support to the Prime Minister. Three characteristics are important in this context. First, the PMO is intended to serve the Prime Minister exclusively. This is in contrast to other central agencies, such as the Privy Council Office, which serves the Prime Minister, and, more broadly, the federal cabinet.
Second, the PMO is a “partisan” organization. Personnel of the PMO are loyal to the prime minister, not as the head of government, but as the leader of a political party and as a politician who seeks to maintain his power in a democratic system. In this context, the PMO provides support and advice to help the Prime Minister govern in a manner that will maintain his control over his/her political party, maximize his/her influence in government and the House of Commons, and ensure future electoral success.
Finally, the PMO is comprised of “exempt staff.” These are government officials who exist outside the federal public service and are exempt from regular Public Service Commission staffing guidelines, controls, and protection (though, they are subject specific terms and conditions set out by the Treasury Board of Canada). The Prime Minister enjoys wide discretion in choosing the staff of the PMO, and often selects individuals who can be trusted to show strong personal loyalty.
In 1999 Butts took a position in the office of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, helping to develop policy before becoming McGuinty’s principal secretary. He would ultimately become the Liberal premier’s principal adviser where he would become involved in shaping the government’s progressive legislative agenda, in particular with regard to environmental policy.
WWF Canada.
In 2008 Butts left to become the president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada. While there he would receive some rather significant increases in his compensation until the time he left in 2012 to help run Trudeau’s election campaign. Despite having resigned in order to take the position, WWF Canada paid Butts over US$360,000 in severance pay. The WWF would later go on to be the recipient of the Trudeau government’s largesse, receiving federal grants worth millions of dollars.
The power behind the throne.
Courtesy: WikiwandThe Gruesome Twosome
Butts put together a successful campaign for Trudeau and was duly rewarded with the job of running the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as Chief of Staff while also being Justin’s chief adviser. Together with Trudeau’s other key adviser Katie Telford, Butts would be the ones setting the legislative agenda and making sure that Liberal MP’s were in lockstep. They would also be the ones to coach Trudeau, giving him his talking points on issues and doing their best to ensure he didn’t appear intellectually challenged and self-absorbed, but, as good as they might have been, there was only so much that they could do.
Then, in early 2019, Butts was forced to resign in the wake of a scandal that could have brought down his boss and meal ticket.
Jody Wilson-Raybould was elected to Parliament in 2015 representing the riding of Vancouver-Granville. Once a crown prosecutor in provincial court, Justin Trudeau named her as his Minister of Justice and Attorney General, making her the third female and the first member of Canada’s First Nations community to hold the position. She was by all accounts a capable and competent minister.
SNC Lavalin
SNC Lavalin is a large construction and engineering company based in Quebec. In 2015, the company found itself facing criminal prosecution for allegedly bribing officials in an effort to win lucrative contracts with the Libyan government. If found guilty, it faced the possibility of not being able to bid for Government of Canada contracts for a long time, something which would have a negative effect on employment in Quebec where the company employed thousands.
A 2018 change in the Criminal Code allowed for deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs), which allowed for corporations to pay fines and take other steps to redress any wrongdoings in order to avoid prosecution. A DPA in this instance was rejected by the Public Prosecution Service, which was under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice which Wilson-Raybould headed as minister.
Pressure from the PMO.
In January of 2019, Wilson-Raybould was suddenly and rather unexpectedly moved from justice to veteran’s affairs, a move that was reported in February 2019 by the Globe and Mail. According to the report, the move apparently took place due to her resisting pressure from the PMO to intercede on SNCLs behalf with the Public Prosecution Service, in order to get them to negotiate a DPA with SNCL.
According to Trudeau however, there were no improprieties on the part of himself or anyone in the PMO, and he claimed that he left the matter up to Wilson-Raybould’s discretion. She would later testify before a Commons committee that there had been a “consistent and sustained” effort from the PMO to have her intervene in the matter and that she had received “veiled threats” from the PMO and the other central agencies. She would go on to name the Clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick, and Trudeau’s best friend and principal secretary, Gerald Butts, as being among those who attempted to unduly influence her decision in the matter. She was repeatedly reminded that SNCL was a major employer in Quebec and that there would be major implications for the party in the next election if she didn’t step in and take care of things.
Butts falls on his sword.
On February 18th, Butts resigned from the PMO claiming that he was doing so “in the best interests of the office and its important work”. Katie Telford would later go on to become principal secretary, though most people were of the opinion that Butts was still running the show from the outside.
Re-elected two years later.
Trudeau would manage to survive what could have been a politically fatal scandal to win re-election in September 2021, despite the Liberals having received nearly 200,000 fewer votes than the opposition Conservatives. That’s just the way things work in Canada because of the way our electoral system is set up, and more often than not the Liberal Party has historically benefitted from it.
The SNC Lavalin scandal is but one of many examples that demonstrate just how much power the Prime Minister and the PMO have, essentially being able to do whatever they like at any time and having to be accountable to nobody. The matter involving Adm. Mark Norman is another good example that demonstrates how much power the Prime Minister and PMO actually have, using the law as a sword rather than as a shield the way that it was intended.
Justin Trudeau – Aspiring Chinese Communist Strongman.
Like his father before him Justin Trudeau has an affinity for communist China, having stated so in the past, and his actions seem to bear this out. I would therefore classify him as being an aspiring communist Chinese strongman, which I have no doubt would be much to the chagrin of Xi Jinping.
A lesson for ScoMo.
Scott Morrison would have seen much more success as a strongman if he had followed the Trudeau model, which has worked quite well for its intellectually challenged namesake. If he had, he wouldn’t be spiralling out of control and headed for certain disaster right now. So let this be a lesson for all those other aspiring political strongmen out there. By following Justin Trudeau’s example, even the biggest idiots can achieve political success and become the strongmen they truly aspire to be.
Courtesy: The Australian
An important lesson for voters everywhere.
Let this also be a lesson to those living in other so-called democratic nations. It is up to those living in these countries to stand up and begin demanding some accountability from their elected leaders, in addition to demanding real and meaningful political reforms that would inhibit a national leader’s ability to act as a dictatorial strongman.
This Mefloquine Story was sent in by Gunter from Belgium, who has been suffering since a holiday to India almost 25 years ago.
If you have a Mefloquine Story of your own, drop me a line and tell me about it. Email ibmediacorp@gmail.com and I will publish your story too.
I’ve been suffering from this horrible side effect for almost 25 years now.
I’m 49 years old and live in Belgium. Here is my story;
I went to India in 1996 on holiday. The doctor prescribed me an antimalaria drug named Lariam. So I took a weekly pill.
After I took the first pill I had crazy dreams and a feeling that was not good, but I didn’t realize that it was from those drugs, Lariam. After 2 weeks on holiday, the horror began. One evening I started feeling sick and had to go to my hotel. Once there I started to vomit and had severe diarrhea. Realizing now that my body was trying to work out that poison but it was already too late.
I start to have severe panic attacks and terrible thoughts. From that moment my whole life changed and never came back as before.
I came back to Belgium and stayed for 3 weeks in a university clinic but they didn’t find anything. However, I was fighting for my life with severe panic attacks, sickness, depression, and many other terrible symptoms that I never had before. I visited a psychiatrist for years because every investigation turned out negative and still I was feeling so sick. So I started thinking that there was something wrong with me in my head psychologically. This went on for years and years. I took anti-depressants for years, and nothing was helping me.
I went for hundreds of investigations but always nothing. It was really hell for me. Luckily I have a strong character and survived. But unfortunately, many people kill themselves because of those severe side effects that I felt too.
Now I learned and discovered the terrible side effects of this horrible drug Lariam. This helps me to keep fighting against the symptoms. So sad for me that this drug took away my happiness and everything to enjoy in my life. I was just 24 years old!!! So sad I can do nothing against the ones that are responsible for this Drug and the terrible things that it does to people.
This Mefloquine Story was sent to me by a brave young woman from Australia named Naomi, who wanted to share her story. In 2010 went to Vanuatu with an organization called Teen Missions International, and prior to leaving, her family doctor prescribed mefloquine for malaria prophylaxis. Soon after she began experiencing serious side effects, but it was only after returning home that she would discover this with her father. This is the first time that she is going public with her story, based in part on her desire to raise awareness of the dangers of mefloquine.As always I have made some minor structural changes to the text that haven’t changed the meaning or intent of the statements herein.
If you have a MEFLOQUINE STORYof your own to share, you can send it to me by email at ibmediacorp@gmail.com.
This is my story…..
In 2010 (I was 16 at the time) I went on a Missions Trip with Teen Missions to Vanuatu. My doctor had advised me to take an antimalarial drug to prevent me from catching malaria. The drug that I got prescribed was called mefloquine, sold under the brand name Lariam. I started taking it 2 weeks prior to going overseas and continued taking 1 tablet weekly until I returned from my trip.
It was only when I returned home that my parents realized something wasn’t right about my behaviour. My dad found out I was having side effects from Lariam. He only discovered this after reading the inserts and doing a bit of research online that what I was experiencing was a result of this antimalarial drug.
I’ll go back to when I was in Vanuatu. The group I went overseas with I had only met 2 weeks prior at a bootcamp to prepare you for what’s to come. One night I remember having an extremely vivid dream and apparently I was shouting weird things during the night to my roommates. The next morning I wastold that there had been an earthquake during the night, which I had been oblivious to. I still remember one boy who said, “you’re weird”, and he was right. I wasn’t my usual self; they didn’t know any better because we had just met. I had hallucinations, but to me those things were reallt there and existed.
Coming back to Australia I can recall that the worst side effect for me was the insomnia. I literally didn’t sleep during the night for weeks. When I was up during the day I was like a zombie, in a sense sleepwalking. I did a lot of crazy things. For one, I threw my iPod in the bin thinking it didn’t work when in reality it just needed to be charged. I threw unopened chip packets in the bin (I mean, who does that?!). I rememeber eating my favorite cereal, Sultana Bran, and at the time claiming that it tasted like poison.
One time I was trying to have a shower with my clothes on. My mum had to help me undress. One of the craziest things I did was when I visited my dad’s work. I saw these two ladies who were vacuuming. I shouted at them and said, “why have you vacuumed up my mum?!” I was totally serious and angry. You can imagine the looks on their faces.
I had major paranoia of the government; thinking they were trying to kill me! Every time I would watch the news I would literally think they were directly taling to me. One day I went outside seeing a helicopter above our house thinking they were after me. Every time I went in public I would see the video surveillance cameras and think that they are focusing on me. While in the car with my mum I was convinced there was a bomb inside.
I missed the first 2 weeks of year 12 due to my serious side effects. For the next two years I had horrible depression which I never previously had. I even had to take anti-depressants. On a daily basis I had thoughts of committing suicide for no apparent reason. What saved me was a group of dedicated followers of Jesus who continually prayed for my recovery. I even remember they anointed me with oil. I truly believe in the power of prayer and that God can work miracles and thankfully I am a survivor.
It’s been 11 years since this experience and I have never previously went public about my side effects of mefloquine. I didn’t want to be on of the statistics which don’t report on adverse effects and want to raise awareness into the dangers of mefloquine. It is important to be aware of side effects from anything. That is why I believe in informed consent and personal choice as to what goes into your body.
Recognized as the “Empire of Afghanistan” on August 19, 1919.
Courtesy: reddit
Afghanistan ironically marks its Independence Day today, though this is hardly the first time in its history that Afghanistan has done so. For the second time now, the Taliban is but the latest in a historical string of oppressive rulers to bring despair to the people of this central Asian nation.
A long history of conflict.
The earliest recorded history of the area today called Afghanistan goes back to the 6th century BCE when a Persian dynasty ruled until about the middle of the 4th century BCE when they were defeated by Alexander the Great. The nomadic Kushan people ruled from the end of the 3rd century BCE until the 3rd century CE. From then until the 7th century CE the region was fragmented and under the control of another Persian empire.
Islam comes to the region.
Arab Muslims began to take control of the area following the Battle of Qadisiya in 637 CE and then began to conquer and convert the local tribes over the next century. A variety of Islamic dynasties ruled over Afghanistan until 1220 CE when the Mongol empire conquered Central Asia under Genghis Khan. The Great Khan’s descendants ruled until early in the 16th century when Persian and Indian rulers would contest control until the mid-1700’s when indigenous Pashtuns called the Durrani took over. They would rule until the late 1970s when communist factions took over amidst an internal struggle for control within the Durranis.
Mohammad Zahir Shah, the last King (Badshah) of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973.
The Soviet Invasion.
In late December 1979, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev ordered 80,000 troops into Afghanistan in an effort to help prop up communist Afghan leader Babrak Karmal who was under threat from a tribal insurgency.
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev extends a comradely greeting to Afghan party boss Babrak Karmal.
For the next decade, the Soviets would have their hands full against the US-backed mujahadeen, thanks in large part to one of its most talented field commanders, the great Ahmad Shah Massoud. Making effective use of the difficult terrain and Stinger ground-launched anti-aircraft missiles, the mujahadeen were able to frustrate the mighty Soviet Red Army, forcing them to withdraw in 1989. Thus ended what would become known as the Soviet Union’s Vietnam.
Photo: Wikipedia
Enter the Taliban.
What followed was more conflict as a civil war erupted between the new government and the various mujahadeen factions, who were also fighting amongst each other for control. Then, in 1996, a fundamentalist Islamic group made up of religious students that were known as the Taliban would come out on top and seize power.
September 11th, 2001.
In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks on American soil, al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden became the most wanted man on the planet, and he was a guest of the Taliban, who were refusing US demands that they immediately hand him over. In November of 2001, the US led an invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture the Saudi terrorist, however, he and the Taliban managed to escape to neighbouring Pakistan.
The Mayor of Kabul.
Afghan leaders selected the US-backed moderate Hamid Karzai to lead a provisional government in December of 2001. A new constitution was ratified by regional leaders in a Loya Jirga, or constituent council, in early 2004, and later that year Karzai was officially elected President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in a landslide victory. Karzai would gradually begin to fall from favour in Afghanistan as economic problems and corruption would plague his administration.
He would also begin to lose favour among his American supporters following his calls for US troops to leave Afghan villages after a soldier went on a rampage, killing 16 innocent civilians in their own homes. There would also be doubts as to how much control Karzai actually held over the country, with many people referring to him mockingly as the “Mayor of Kabul”.
Corrupt governance plagues the country.
Afghans would head to the polls again in 2014, this time selecting Ashraf Ghani over the well-known one-time Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the preferred candidate of the United States, who would ultimately enter into a power-sharing agreement with Ghani. While he has fans outside of Afghanistan, it has been widely rumoured that Dr. Abdullah isn’t as popular at home, which is likely due to his alleged corruption.
Back to the Taliban.
Taliban soldiers ride down the street in a pickup truck during a celebration of the first anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power on August 15, 2022 in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images)
After making a return and completely embarrassing the United States and its Allies, the Taliban paraded some of the $7.1 Billion American Dollars worth of equipment they received as a housewarming gift from the fleeing foreign army. Not only did Joe Biden fail to save those who were left behind, but he also provided the Taliban with all the means in the world to hunt them down and kill them too.
My hope is that Afghanistan will one day be well and truly independent, however, I honestly can’t see this happening any time in the foreseeable future. The only choices they seem to have had essentially come down to either extreme fundamentalists or the greedy and corrupt.
There is one group of Afghans who are independent now though, and it is made up of the millions of members of the Afghan diaspora across the globe who have managed to escape to freedom. To them, I say Happy Independence Day.
The Advocate-Equalizer 