I found a bunch of tiny bottles of iodine in my nanny's room. They were on her dresser, in plain sight. While I don't normally go in her room, I went in there because our three year old went looking for her this morning and went in to the nanny's room. The nanny has taken today off to have a three day weekend. Why would anyone have 10-12 small bottles of iodine? I have to figure this out and see if it is worth consulting her. If my 3 year old had gotten a hold of them, then what? She has a bathroom with a medicine cabinet in her area.
Friday
Iodine?
Received Friday, March 6, 2009
I found a bunch of tiny bottles of iodine in my nanny's room. They were on her dresser, in plain sight. While I don't normally go in her room, I went in there because our three year old went looking for her this morning and went in to the nanny's room. The nanny has taken today off to have a three day weekend. Why would anyone have 10-12 small bottles of iodine? I have to figure this out and see if it is worth consulting her. If my 3 year old had gotten a hold of them, then what? She has a bathroom with a medicine cabinet in her area.
I found a bunch of tiny bottles of iodine in my nanny's room. They were on her dresser, in plain sight. While I don't normally go in her room, I went in there because our three year old went looking for her this morning and went in to the nanny's room. The nanny has taken today off to have a three day weekend. Why would anyone have 10-12 small bottles of iodine? I have to figure this out and see if it is worth consulting her. If my 3 year old had gotten a hold of them, then what? She has a bathroom with a medicine cabinet in her area.
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I think iodine has medical benefits.... I recall hearing somewhere that it can be used for weight loss.
Medicine for thyroid disease?
Just ask her.
"The many uses of Iodine.
1. Germicide: Elemental iodine is a potent germicide with wide spectrum and low tissue toxicity. A solution of 50 ppm (eg, 50 mg/L) kills bacteria in 1 min and bacterial spores in 15 min. Topically, Iodine is excellent for toenail fungus, ringworm, fever blisters, moles and skin tags, warts, hangnails, etc. Just a few drops on a q-tip is all it takes. Use daily until the topical gaffes are gone.
2. Water purification: Iodine has been used to disinfect water for nearly a century. It has advantages over chlorine in convenience and probably efficacy; many travellers find the taste less offensive as well. It appears safe for short and intermediate length use (3-6 months), but questions remain about its safety in long-term usage. It should not be used for a long term by persons with allergy to iodine, persons with active thyroid disease, or pregnant women....
3. Radioactive Fallout: There is no medicine that will effectively prevent nuclear radiations from damaging the human body cells that they strike. However, a salt of the elements potassium and iodine, taken orally even in very small quantities 1/2 hour to 1 day before radioactive iodines are swallowed or inhaled, prevents about 99% of the damage to the thyroid gland that otherwise would result. The thyroid gland readily absorbs both non-radioactive and radioactive iodine, and normally it retains much of this element in either or both forms.
When ordinary, non-radioactive iodine is made available in the blood for absorption by the thyroid gland before any radioactive iodine is made available, the gland will absorb and retain so much that it becomes saturated with non-radioactive iodine. When saturated, the thyroid can absorb only about l% as much additional iodine, including radioactive forms that later may become available in the blood: then it is said to be blocked. (Excess iodine in the blood is rapidly eliminated by the action of the kidneys.)
4. Fibrocystic Breasts: Many women develop "fibrocystic breast disease". In the 1970s, pioneering trace element researcher Dr. John Myers showed that iodine would eliminate even the most severe cases of fibrocystic breast disease. In "medium" to "minor" cases, 6 to 8 drops of SSKI or Lugol's taken in a few ounces of water daily will frequently reduce fibrocystic breast disease to insignificance within three to six months. [16]
5. Herpes virus: If the truth be known, there are many chemicals that destroy or inactivate the herpes simplex virus. Iodine is a very common antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal agent for topical use. A bit of a water soluble iodine complex like Povidine Iodine (Betadine iodine) might be added to the "zinc gluconate" wash to help in the struggle against herpes. Tincture of iodine is also used, but it is in alcohol, which may sting tender tissues. Iodine stains the skin and clothing, and it is absorbed into the skin where it has its activity. An iodine-colored zinc gluconate wash might be helpful in reminding one to retreat. Iodine disappears into the skin at rates that are different between people. For example, in a very small 1975 study patients with vulvovaginal and cervical herpes virus infections were treated with a regimen of external and intravaginal povidone-iodine preparations. In all but one case, the expected duration of symptoms and healing time were shortened.
7. Ophthalmia neonatorum prevention. "Ophthalmia neonatorum" is defined as conjunctivitis with eye discharge that occurs during the first month of life. Various bacteria can cause this condition, including gonococcus and Chlamydia trachomatis . Several agents have been used as drops in the eyes to prevent this condition in infants, including erythromycin, silver nitrate, gentamicin, and Povidone-iodine. Tetracycline and penicillin drops have also been used. Although this condition is now uncommon in industrialized nations, it remains a problem in the developing world with an incidence as high as 20-30% and cases of blindness reported in Africa each year. Povidone-iodine ophthalmic solution appears to have broad spectrum activity against bacteria, and is less expensive than many antibiotics. It therefore may be a cost-effective option in some populations. One drop of 2.5% solution in each eye has been demonstrated as being effective in multiple studies.
8. Molluscum contagiosum: Iodine has been suggested as a topical treatment for molluscum.
9. Ovarian cysts: It's very likely that SSKI helps eliminate fibrocystic breast disease and ovarian cysts at least partly through it's interaction with estrogens….which brings us to another important use for SSKI (and other forms of iodine such as "Lugol's solution" and "di-atomic iodine"). All of these forms of iodine help your body to metabolize estrone (a slightly carcinogenic human estrogen) and 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone (a much more dangerous metabolite of human estrogen) into estriol, an "anti-carcinogenic" or at worst "neutral" form of human estrogen.
10. Dupuytren's contracture and Peyronie's disease are two "fibrotic" conditions that can be helped considerably by SSKI or Lugol's solution. In Dupuytren's contracture, thickening (fibrosis) occurs along one of the tendons in the palm in the hand, pulling the related finger down towards the palm. As the problem progresses, the finger often can't be straightened any more.
In Peyronie's disease, a very similar thickening occurs along the shaft of the penis, making erections increasing "curved" and painful. In both cases, rubbing SSKI into the thickened tissue at least twice daily softens and lessens the fibrotic area over a period of several months, allowing for more normal function.
For these conditions, it's additionally helpful to take para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) 2 grams, three times daily, and to rub a mixture of Vitamin E and DMSO into the thickened areas, also. However, if "caught early", SSKI alone will often "do the job".
11. Keloids are abnormally thick scars, sometimes as much as an inch thick, that can form after injury. Although anyone can get a keloid, they're more common among blacks than other ethnic groups. Rubbing SSKI into a keloid at least twice daily will ultimately flatten them down to a "normal scar", but it can take many months to a year for particularly bad ones. The treatment goes faster if SSKI or Lugol's is mixed "50-50" with DMSO.
12. Fistulas are literally abnormal tunnels through tissues, "tunnels" prevented from healing by chronic infection. Two not-unusual types are "peri-anal fistulas" (a "tunnel" from outside the anus to the inside of the rectum) and "recto-vaginal" fistulas. Although these fistulas can be treated successfully by surgery, they can often be healed by frequent swabbing inside and out with an SSKI-soaked "Q-tip". Patience is required: Complete healing often takes several months. The treatment appears to work better if the SSKI is mixed with DMSO, which enhances penetration.
13. Hemorrhoids. Richard Kunin, M.D. of San Francisco, is a "world class" expert on the use of SSKI and other forms of iodine. He has found that hemorrhoids will sometimes disappear literally overnight, when SSKI (20 drops) mixed with flaxseed oil (1 ounce) is rubbed in them at bedtime. He's also found that SSKI alone will do the same job, although it "really stings" when applied to a hemorrhoid by itself.
14. Arteriosclerosis. Over 30 years ago, two ophthalmologists observed that a combination tablet called "Iodo-niacin" (iodide 120 milligrams, niacin 15 milligrams) taken for several months could actually reverse atherosclerotic clogging of arteries. They proved this effect by taking pictures of clogged arteries in the backs of the eyes (retinal photomicrographs) before and after treatment. The published photographs showed a significant lessening of the cholesterol-laden artery clogging in the "after" pictures. [14] True to cause, no follow-up study has ever been published (probably because niacin and iodide aren't patentable). Recommended is 1 to 2 drops of SSKI or Lugol's and niacin-containing B-complex daily (along with essential fatty acids or fish oil) for anyone with significant cholesterol-related atherosclerotic clogging. Thyroid function must be monitored!
15. Sebaceous cysts are cysts which contain oily, fatty material. They usually appear rather suddenly on the face or in the groin or labia. Rubbing in SSKI mixed 50-50 with DMSO will almost always persuade these cysts to go away in a week or two; it appears that the iodide "dissolves" the fatty, oily material contained in the cysts, allowing your body to slowly re-absorb and dispose of it. The famous chemistry professor Louis Feiser made a point of demonstrating to all the medical students that iodine and iodide would make oils, fats, and waxes (cholesterol is actually a wax) more soluble in water. This known action of iodide might likely explain why it might be needed in patients with lipomas.
16. Sialoliths, parotid duct stone. These are "stones" which can form in the saliva-carrying duct(s) from the major salivary glands ("parotid" glands, located at the "angle of the jaw"). 3 to 4 drops of SSKI taken in water daily reportedly will almost always dissolve parotid duct stones within four to eight months.
17. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema ("COPD"). Lugol's is an invaluable medicine, it gets into all body secretions, including often thick and hard to cough up bronchial secretions, which get infected very easily. As a well known and old time expectoran, it "loosens" secretions remarkably, making them much easier to expectorate, and it prevents micro-organisms from growing easily. With regular use, bronchial infection is a much less frequent problem for these patients. Depending on the severity of COPD, I recommend 3 to 6 drops of lugol's taken in water once daily. As COPD is usually a chronic condition, use will usually be indefinite, so make sure to monitor thyroid function!
18. Infected hangnails are perhaps the easiest to clear up this way, as are nagging bacterial infections around the edges of the toenails. Rub in the mixture several times daily, and the problem's usually gone in a few days. Herpes simplex ("herpes") ourbreaks can be "stopped cold" in the same way, but it often takes longer for the "sore" to heal itself over.
19. Enlarged tonsils. Persistent "swollen glands" in the throat or groin areas, see a doctor first! These can very rarely be signs of leukemia, lymphoma, or another cancer, especially in older people. But if all tests and studies are negative, rub in the SSKI with DMSO. In a large majority of cases, the "just swollen glands" will gradually fade away.
20. Onychomycosis. Fungus under the toenails is a difficult problem to treat. Even "conventional" anti-fungal drug treatment takes months to work, and (for safety) monthly liver function tests are necessary. Lugol's or Tincture of Iodine and DMSO rubbed on, around, and under the affected toenails doesn't work any faster, but it's just as effective, and definitely safer.
21. Vaginal infections. 20 to 30 drops in water, used in a small "douche" once daily for five to ten days will usually resolve the infection in several days.
22. Bladder Infections. 1-2 drops of lugol's in a glass of water, four times daily. Since the iodide excretion generally exits the kidney in four hours, for a severe bladder infection give it every four hours. I have treated successfully some of the worst bladder infections by this method. Lugol's works better than antibiotics, and unlike antibiotics, the infection is not so nearly prone to return.
23. Hypothyroidism. Even though iodine and iodide are absolutely essential to thyroid hormone formation, in most "developed" countries, hypothyroid conditions are not usually due to an outright lack of iodine or iodide. Still, hypothyroidism is occasionally helped by 1 drop of lugol's daily. Make sure to monitor the thyroid profiles!
24. Vegan gas. reducing the gas from eating beans! Macrobioticists have know for years that cooking beans with seaweed reduces bean flatus. If you're soaking beans before cooking them, add 1 or 2 drops of Lugol's, and let them soak for an hour or more. Pour offf that water before cooking, and add fresh water. You'll be surprised at the reduction in resulting intestinal gas! (Technical explanation: There's a naturally occurring enzyme inhibitor in beans which interferes with starch digestion in the gut, producing gas. Lugol's inactivates this enzyme inhibitor.)
25. Baldness: In Mexico, some people have used iodine as a means of preventing baldness. One woman used iodine for years as a preventive measure against her baldness. She used it as a rinse after washing her hair. Another woman told me to "cure" a bald spot by dabbing iodine on the bald spot or area of thinning hair. After a while, a crust will form. Eventually, beneath the crust fine hairs will start to grow. She said it can take about three months to see the results.
26. Heavy Metal Detox. The bioavailability of a Lugol's containing 12.5 mg elemental iodine was evaluated by measuring 24 hr urine levels of iodide together with the minerals, trace elements and toxic metals before and after administration of this preparation. The results obtained following iodine supplementation revealed that in some subjects, the urine levels of mercury, lead and cadmium increased by several fold after just one day of supplementation. For aluminum, this increased excretion was not observed usually until after one month or more on the iodine supplementation. [15] Preliminary data so far suggest that orthoiodosupplementation results in detoxification of the body from the toxic metals aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury. One of the old materia medicas listed using iodine for mercury detoxification. [Mercurial Poisoning, and other chronic metallic toxaemiae, —Potassium Iodide, to promote elimination of the poison.]
27. Precancerous skin lesions: From my own clinical experience, repeated application of Lugol’s to the skin appears to cause regeneration of the skin from the bottom up, causing eventually sloughing the old version of the skin off. It is very helpful in granulation of new skin in leg ulcers when used twice daily as a wound spray. For suspicious spots, if there was a pre-cancerous lesion on the old skin, it is replaced with new skin minus the lesion. There does not seem to be any skin lesions which are not helped or cured by this procedure. In some cases I found clinically obvious low thyroid conditions also needed to be treated to be more aggressively. Minor lacerations and healing of surgical wounds respond well. If skin regeneration is from the bottom, then there is little or no scar formation. It is better than vitamin E, but that helps too.
28. Cuts and scabs. It is my belief a water solution of iodine (like Lugol's) is an important therapeutic agent for skin. Because of its effectiveness and the results, perhaps many skin diseases are related to local tissue areas of relative iodine deficiency. Perhaps the most graphic lesions are the "keloid" (worm) incision scars formed after surgical procedures. If the iodine intake and tissue levels are adequate, such as in Japan, keloid formation doesn't happen (17). In addition, iodine's ability to trigger natural cell death (apoptosis) (18) makes it effective against all pre-cancerous skin lesions and likely many cancerous lesions. The local site is replaced with normal skin.
Our older generation tended to put tincture of iodine onto a fresh wound to prevent infection. This turns out to be helpful. It is much more effective (and doesn't hurt) to apply iodine repeatedly after a scab has been formed also. The iodine put onto the scab helps to organize total repair of the tissue. It is implied a similar approach could be taken to burns of all depths but at the same time the physiology of burns suggest there is an acute lack of thyroid hormone.
29. Common cold. The next time you feel that scratchy throat or that first onset snuffle, reach for a bottle of Lugol's and start snorting from the open top. You may be surprized to see it rapidly quench a rhinovirus infection before it sets in.
30. Breast Cancer: Based on an extensive review of breast cancer epidemiological studies, R.A. Wiseman [25] came to the following conclusions: 92-96% of breast cancer cases are sporadic; there is a single cause for the majority of cases; the causative agent is deficiency of a micronutrient that is depleted by a high-fat diet; and if such an agent is detected, intervention studies with supplementation should lead to a decline in the incidence of breast cancer. It is the opinion of several investigators that this protective micronutrient is the essential element iodine. [26] Demographic surveys of Japan and Iceland revealed that both countries have a relatively high intake of iodine and low incidences of simple endemic goiter and breast cancer. Whereas in Mexico and Thailand, just the reverse is observed -- a high incidence of both endemic goiter and breast cancer...."
"People who avoid dairy, seafood, processed food, and iodized salt can become deficient. Iodine deficiency can cause low thyroid function, goiter, and cretinism. "
Iodine is used for thyroid problems. So if you don't produce enough iodine you need a supplement. Poor functioning thyroids lead to weight gain so if you don't produce enough it is vital to your health and can help you regain your normal body functioning and weight. There are also other factors such as brain development etc that can be affected by iodine shortage esp in children.
Overdose in children is possible and dangerous! She needs to keep it out of reach. Other than that there is nothing to worry about- it's just like vitamins keep them out of childrens reach and keep your child out of her room. He/she needs to learn that even if it is in reach to leave it alone!
Im sure she wasnt expecting the kid to wander in her room.
Given Lindsey's very detailed list of potential explanations, I wouldn't worry too much about her having the iodine. But it would be smart to tell her that the baby wandered into her room today and when you followed in to get him you saw all of the iodine and simply wish she would keep it stored in an area where he would be CERTAIN to never have access to it should he wander off again, as toddlers are known to do, or learns to open doors.
Better yet, her room should have a lock on it and when she's not in it, should be locked.
I have Dupuytren's Contracture and I can't imagine using iodine for it. I've never had any doctor tell me to try it. This sounds like folk medicine. BTW, even surgery can't fix Dupuytren's.
she probably has an eating disorder. Like, duh!
"The healthy functioning of the thyroid is essential to maintaining metabolism and preventing the accumulation of body fat," writes Burton Goldberg in Alternative Medicine. An underactive thyroid gland slows your metabolism; you thus burn dramatically fewer calories and feel sluggish. In addition, in Asian Health Secrets, Letha Hadady explains that an underactive thyroid gland promotes excess weight and cellulite by causing water retention.
After-effects observed following thyroid removal surgery helped prove the connection between the thyroid gland and metabolism to the medical community. For example, according to Gayle Reichler's book Active Wellness, thyroid removal caused one patient to gain weight daily and feel that her "system had slowed down considerably." Unless your thyroid has been completely removed or damaged, your symptoms will not be quite so severe; however, even moderate hypothyroidism can make you gain weight and body fat.
Iodine makes up less than a hundred thousandth of a percent of your body weight, but your thyroid cannot function without this trace mineral. If you have too little iodine in your diet, hypothyroidism and weight gain will occur. "I believe that an insufficient intake of organic iodine in today's modern diet has led to a serious and chronic form of low-grade hypothyroidism," writes Donald R. Yance, Jr. in Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer. Increasing your iodine level will allow your thyroid function and metabolic rate to return to normal.
Is your three year old freakishly tall?
Sorry, but I kind of have to assume you were snooping. Actually, I don't really think it's an assumption. I doubt your 3 year old is tall enough to reach a dresser and you'd probably have to pick them up and read the labels to find out what they were. Now maybe you meant something shorter than a dresser, that your 3 year old could reach, but I doubt the bottles said "IODINE" in clear block letters big enough for you to read without investigating. That's called snooping. Snoop if you want--it's your house--but at least admit to it.
Well, you shouldn't be snooping in her room. Maybe, she will read this and lock her door when she goes out. Since, you use your child as an excuse to search her room.
Who said the OP was snooping?
A bunch of idiotic nannies trying to control the post again.
I'll tell you one thing, no nanny is going to lock any door in my home. She'd find herself out on the lawn.
Re read the post. The mom never said the child saw the iodine or touched the iodine, just that she saw the iodine when she went in after her 3yo.
"Better yet, her room should have a lock on it and when she's not in it, should be locked."
I agree. her room should be locked so that the child (or anyone else) cannot go in when she isnt around.
Idiots abound--
With all due respect, while you are on the subject of "A bunch of idiotic nannies trying to control the post again" why is that YOU seem to always ASSUME it is a nanny when these comments are made. .. at the risk of sounding hateful as you seem to be towards the demograpic which encompasses nannies.. it seems as though YOU might be "a bunch of idiotic moms trying to control cyeberspace again." Seriouly... THIS is a public forum. Why sling hateful/exclusionary comments like that?? Now, while granting you DO have the right to do so since this IS indeed a PUBLIC forum, I am just wondering why you want to exclude nannies like it SEEMS you do...?
loves the girls,
You said it. This is i saw your nanny where nannies come to discuss things, not www.getalife.com where you can meet other people who have the same opinion as you, that the nannies are hateful.
Uni-Dad---
Thanks. It's not that I think one particular group has a right or more thereof to speak their minds, I just feel as though all people should be able to be included without fear of persecution. That's all-- really! And for that matter nannies SHOULD be allowed to speak their thought and send in their reports--- afterall it might be a NANNY that saves your child from their poor caregiver while at the park (etc..) with his/her own chrage. It's not always SAHM or SAHD that see negligent caregiving!
I'm not trying to freak you out, but iodine is used in the meth manufacturing process. Obviously your nanny is not making meth in your house (you'd definitely know) but I just thought I'd throw that out there. Someone I went to school with was arrested for selling large quantities he stole from a lab--not because it was stolen, but because the DEA considers it illegal to sell for use in drug manufacturing.
Iodine is used in medical settings as a disinfectant--it's the yellowy-brown stuff they use on your skin before surgery.
Like others said, she could be taking it for a thyroid issues or nutritional reason. If she doesn't eat meat and uses sea or rock salt (uniodized) she might otherwise not be getting the RDA of iodine.
I seriously doubt it's anything to really worry about, but I think it's appropriate to ask her about it and make sure that she keeps it somewhere where your son can't find it. You could install a lock on her door to which both of you have a key.
i dont think the issue is that she has iodine. at least that's not what i gathered from the post.
i think the issue is that she has 10-12 small bottles of iodine.
one or two or maybe even three, yeah, i think i would understand. but 10-12? that IS a little odd. just sitting out on a dresser or otherwise not in the bathroom.
especially that ALL of them were sitting out there. if she's using iodine for some medical purpose, and if for whatever reason she stocked up on 12 mini bottles of iodine, why did she bring all 12 out?
maybe she just purchased them, who knows.
but the point is... why so many?
you can speculate all you want on why she bought 12 bottles, but the fact is, it IS odd. and if you disagree you probably just want to argue for the sake of arguing.
If you live in a 3rd world country you would put a drop or two in your water. Do you have well water? That might freak out a city girl.
Dating myself, but for a good tan you can put some iodine in baby oil for the perfect cancerous tan.
OP iodine is a medicine and you are a nosy BITCH. Nannies are not slaves, th emore things change the more they stay the same. Thats why the nannies on thi sboard will always say the y searched through all your stuff when u r not at home. Mind your own business. Your son ran in the room, rather than get him and leave IMMEDIATELY you begin to snoop. What a nut job u are.
Snoopey,
Shut the fuck up. She has a right to know what is going on in her house. What if it was something flammable?
If you have a live-in, you should know the general condition of their room. My sister had a nanny who kept all kinds of food in her room. She had a microwave but she had all kinds of take out containers and ice cream containers and apple cores and soon the whole house had roaches!
When I was in college, I worked at a drugstore called CVS and we would routinely be cleaned out of iodine. They used to sell small bottles like you would describe. I think about 10-16 could fit on a shelf. For some reason your nanny has basically a whole shelf. And yes, it is used to make meth. They use iodine crystals to make high grade stuff, but crystals are hard to get so they use the tincture-topical solution.
I doubt she is making meth in your house but maybe her boyfriend or someone is. I have never known anyone to do a little meth, so it doesn't sound like she is a user. You would definitely know.
The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, iodine, and red phosphorus. The required hydriodic acid in this variation of the hydriodic acid/red phosphorus method is produced by the reaction of iodine in water with red phosphorus. This method yields high quality d-methamphetamine. Another iodine/red phosphorus method, limited to small production batches, is called the cold cook method because the chemicals, instead of being heated, are placed in a hot environment such as in direct sunlight.
Iodine is POISON!
My Dr. had a fit when I told him I put a couple of drops of Iodine on an ulcer in my mouth..
I can't believe you all are talking of ingesting it. It even says on the bottle that it is for external use only!
Did she recently get a tattoo? I know some tat shops will give you sample bottles of Betadine Iodine, which is a orangy, yellowy colored liquid. It is used for disinfection. I agree however, they should not be with toddlers reach. Also, if I had a nanny instead of being one there would be no rooms in my home that would be locked to bar my entrance.
Iodine is an important part of the human diet. Table salt is iodized. It's not poison, but i can be harmful in too large a dose.
THERE ARE NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS ALLOWED. PICK A MONIKER!
The mystery is solved. Spring is near, nanny will be wearing sandals and she has green/yellow/crusy/decayed toenails. She is soaking her toenails in the solution, hence the # of bottles.
keep hope alive
stupid idiotic bitch, get off my case, you asshole and ignoramus. you are also a snoopy bitch. birds of a feather flock together, so go wipe your feathery ass and leave me the hell alone swipe butt
Hey troll, are you getting pissy just for our general amusement, or was there some actual important reason?
There is a folk recipe for a skin cleanser using epsom salts, iodine, and something else you find around the house (I am drawing a blank on what it is!), and I wonder if maybe she is just making her own skin tonic. I have gotten the 'recipe' in a number of emails since the holidays, so its making the rounds as a miracle cure for all skin ailments.
cali mom:
meth can make people delusional, paranoid and violently angry...
i do believe that her reasons for having iodine are confidential. i work for a lawyer.
honest nanny,
no. just, no. yes she doesn't have to tell. yes she is renting a room, but she can get fired for it no questions asked. she is living in someone else's house, whether it is her room or not.
if you are renting a room in a house you can't expect to be able to do whatever you please. if i found out my roommate was manufacturing drugs, i would absolutely out them and get rid of them.
i am *NOT* saying that the nanny IS manufacturing drugs. just that, if she WAS, OP could be liable.
i would encourage OP to talk to her about it if she is honestly considering termination, at the very least to get an explanation. yes it may be embarrassing for the nanny depending on what she uses it for, but better that and keep her job than get fired and not be able to use that employer as a reference.
and if by chance is *IS* somehow misusing it, better OP finds out now rather than later.
having iodine is fine. having 12 bottles of it is what makes this suspicious.
and, just because you work for a lawyer, doesn't mean you know everything their is to know about the legalities of the situation.
that's like saying "i work for a heart surgeon, therefore i can perform heart surgery".
seattle, i didn't mean that because i work for a lawyer i know everthing. i did say, "i think," not "i know."
i'll ask my boss after work today, yes i know her being a live in affects the situation, but i also know you aren't allowed to ask a lot of questions in an employer/employee relationship. you're not even allowed to ask if the nanny is married!
There are no rules when it comes to interviewing household employees. You have to have six or more employees for most laws to be in effect. For someone who claims to work for a lawyer, not much sense has rubbed off of you.
People hiring nannies are still allowed to place ads that say, "Irish nanny wanted", refuse males, Jamaicans, married women, older women, younger women, tatooed women, etc, etc, etc.
honest nanny,
instead of asking her im sure a quick google search would have sufficed.
i found this in the civil rights act, that which defines an employer:
(b) The term "employer" means a person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has twenty-five or more employees for each working day in each of twenty or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year, and any agent of such a person, but such term does not include (1) the United States, a corporation wholly owned by the Government of the United States, an Indian tribe, or a State or political subdivision thereof, (2) a bona fide private membership club (other than a labor organization) which is exempt from taxation under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954: Provided, That during the first year after the effective date prescribed in subsection (a) of section 716, persons having fewer than one hundred employees (and their agents) shall not be considered employers, and, during the second year after such date, persons having fewer than seventy-five employees (and their agents) shall not be considered employers, and, during the third year after such date, persons having fewer than fifty employees (and their agents) shall not be considered employers: Provided further, That it shall be the policy of the United States to insure equal employment opportunities for Federal employees without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin and the President shall utilize his existing authority to effectuate this policy.
since the employment non-discrimination act states that employers may not discriminate against employees, we can conclude that a nanny is not considered an "employee" and therefore does not have that protection.
Seattle,
Maybe she got the 12 bottles from her doctor? Sometimes instead of writing a prescription doctors will just give you a lot of samples of medicines. I don't think it's so suspicious.
"come on"... come on. seriously. lets just get real.
you do not get a prescription to iodine. you buy it at the drugstore. you are just looking for someone to start an argument with.
the only thing similar would be iodine in tablet form and it is uncommon and is not straight iodine.
so lets get real here, darlin.
and the doctor is not going to give her 12 samples of anything. whether it be iodine or xanax. that would be a huge waste and how would they make any money at all?
they give samples of things that they DO write prescriptions for, not things they DONT write prescriptions for, and since they dont do that for iodine, they didnt give her 12 bottles of iodine.
I feel like the comments on this site have taken a turn for the worst. Have responses always been so immature and hateful?
But I digress, OP, I think that you should confront her whether or not you were snooping, which I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say you were not, but ask her about it straight up.
I'm a nanny myself and I have multiple medical issues in which I have informed the families I have either interviewed with or worked for. Barring the use of iodine for Herpes or vaginal infections or something of that sort that could be embarrassing or shameful to the nanny, she shouldn't be ashamed to tell you. If it is indeed something like a Thyroid Disorder, you'd think she would have informed you of it since it can be a rather serious affliction. I guess what some define as private is different though, as I've said before, I have no problem informing my employer or potential employers of something that may affect my ability to work or would cause me to bring dangerous medications into the home (which in this case is mass amounts of Iodine) where a small child could get a hold of them isn't really private in my book.
I am SO D-O-N-E with this site and it's attackers!
Every time I check in to read different posts and check the comments all I see is arguing! I'm not saying that people shouldn't be opinionated, but when someone like "honest nanny" writes a comment to the OP about looking into the legal side of this you go off the handle and attack.
Seriously? Why Seattle did you take it so personally? And to say something like, "we can conclude that a nanny is not considered an 'employee' and therefore does not have that protection" is just hateful to all nannies on this site. I do believe that they file their taxes as a "HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYEE". And if they are required to file for worker's comp. they are considered an "EMPLOYEE." Maybe next time instead of clicking the first link in your google search you should look further and you would have found this article under the HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYEE description by the IRS. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=97877,00.html
If a nanny is being paid "by the books" and the letter of the law is being followed then these types of racial and discriminatory questions would be illegal and the HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYER could be sued.
To the OP: I would also advise you to look into your legal rights here in this situation.
On the last posters note, Seattle:
You don't need a prescription for Iodine. I doubt she is doing anything wrong or serious with it, barring total craziness or psychosis and poisoning the family. But I sincerely doubt that...and as another poster said about Meth, but you'd have to be pretty freaking ignorant and oblivious to life, to have a meth lab in your house and not know.
Doctors DO give mass amounts of samples. Not all doctors make a pretty penny off of a prescription they write. Occasionally they are promoting certain 'scrip drugs and will generally push them.
I'm not sticking up for OP's nanny because I am a nanny, I didn't do so in my last post. I think OP should ask and wasn't trying to argue about what rights anyone has, but you're spouting BS about anything and everything which you do not know as absolute fact. But Iodine is used for many normal things as well.
And maybe OP's nanny is paranoid and thinks there will be a nuclear attack?!
YAYYY CONSPIRACYYYYY!!!
I think Nanny should have alock on her door so you cannot snoop in her room. I am not buying that your 3 yr old opened her door and so you just went in an saw this stuff. You went in and went thru her things admit it. You do not need a prescription for iodine & else did you find? If she were hiding it it would not have been out in the open on her dresser and I bet it wasnt and I bet that door was LOCKED...something doesnt smell right with this story. It is way too easy for that door to be unlocked and you stumbled into her drug cache if that is what you call it. I think it takes a lot of nerve to go thru someones private things. It doesn't matter if she is renting the room or if it is part of her salary you have no right to go in her room unless it is to fix something .
Seattle,
Why would I want to pick a fight with you over hypothetical iodine? I have no idea why the nanny has several small bottles of iodine, but if it is for a dermatological use, as some people have suggested it could be, a doctor certainly could have given her several small bottles of it. I have never been given a prescription for certain skin creams from derms, just handed a paper bag full of samples. I've also been given samples of non-prescription creams and tinctures at the doctor. I'm not sure why this is so unlikely to you.
funny how those who say they are "SOOO DONNNEEEE!!!" with the site and its "attackers" goes right on to argue themselves.. hypocrisy.
come on,
it could go either way. the doctor "could have" given her 12 bottles of iodine, or she could have bought them for some reason. had she been given them by the doctor, no i don't think that is odd. had she purchased 12 bottles... yes i do think its odd. and OP clearly did as well since she reported it.
i don't think she was snooping either, because 12 identical bottles on a dresser is peculiar and would draw attention.
we can just agree to disagree at this point because to be honest it can really go either way unless OP comes back and gives more details. there's no way either of us will ever know, and i really cant say that either of us is more or less wrong/right in the end.
Seattle,
Thanks for trying to understand my side. You're right- it's silly to guess at this point.
I don't know if this is a case of snooping or not. I'm unclear on the rights to privacy of someone living in a room in someone else's home. This kind of situation is exactly why I would never be a live-in.
come on,
me either. i think its a brave thing to do, being a live in.
i just keep thinking... wouldn't the kids always come in and bug you? i would feel like i'd always have to be out of the house on my off time. it would be easier if you had a separate entry or a MIL apartment type of thing where you're secluded. but i doubt many people have those types of rooms available in their homes.
Seattle,
Exactly. You would have to set some very clear boundaries at the beginning. It seems like it would be much easier to take advantage of a live-in nanny as far as working more hours than contracted for, etc.
I wouldn't call it brave to work as a live-in- sometimes it's the only option. Right now in Portland there are very very few nanny jobs, and most that are open are live-in positions.
as much as i don't want to im probably going to end up working as a nanny when i get back to seattle. only because there are no other jobs available.
i moved to utah 4 1/2 months ago for my job. i absolutely hate utah so i quit my job but havent been able to get back yet.
i wish this country would crawl out of the shithole its in :(
Good luck, Seattle. It's tough out there. I thought I'd have no problem lining up a new job when my old one came to an end, but it's been impossible. Luckily I qualified for unemployment benefits (because my employers paid me legally. Nannies- take note!).
this is particularly why each and every persons privacy needs to be respected. nobody can explain another's actions or habits accurately enough without serious speculative errors. exactly why you should never use a free "app" on your phone, unless you want your cameras and phones turned on and their contents recorded without your knowledge.
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