When I was in college, I went to the home of my biology lab partner to work on a project. While we were sitting at the kitchen table, I got up to get myself a glass of water, and while doing so, I noticed the enamel had been completely scrubbed off the bottom of the sink.
I said, “Tom, what happened to the sink?”
He replied, “My mother’s a clean freak. She never believes anything is clean enough.”
Over the past 100 years, Americans have gotten cleaner and cleaner. To the point where we are no longer exposed to the germs that used to be common. And when we are, the results are often much more severe and the treatments lacking.
One man, whose child has pediatric ulcerative colitis, was shocked to learn that the treatment was almost as bad as the condition.
So, he began to do his own research and found a community of people who believe that by introducing parasites into their bodies, their immune systems will be “tricked” into working. One in particular, the pig whipworm, is suggested as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.
In my world, where CHECK FOR TICKS is a holy mantra, I don’t know that I could ever agree to try ingesting parasites to cure my rare disease. I can imagine ordering pig whipworm larvae on the internet, and getting tapeworm larvae by mistake (while ticks cling to the underside of the packing materials).
But I am sympathetic to people who are looking for relief from pain and illness. Sometimes, we reach the point where we’ll try anything just to feel better.
