Fogbow

Maybenaut wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:27 pm Public Service Announcement:

NARRATOR:

Maybenaut blew off her doctor when he advised her to get the shingles vaccine. Last summer Maybenaut got shingles and it was really horrible. After a misdiagnosis that sent Maybenaut to the ER in anaphylactic shock as the result of an allergic reaction to an antibiotic that she didn’t even need, Maybenaut was finally prescribed a course of Valtrex for the shingles, and she recovered.

Rather than get the shingles vaccine, Maybenaut again blew off her doctor and is now suffering from another shingles outbreak. This time she recognized it for what it was: an outbreak that could have been avoided.

Don’t be like Maybenaut.

Get your shingles vaccine.

I just got my shingles vaccine in January. Now I’m even happier that I did!

A few years I got a mild case of shingles. Caught it early, and doc in a box said drop everything and get the prophylactic. I did, and I hardly noticed it over the next 6 weeks. Now I’ve gotten the two shingles shots at Walgreens. The pharmacist said it’s good for life.

I’m full of vaccines.

That's called learning the hard way. Hope you feel better soon.

I mean

"Ask your doctor if growing older is right for you."

Well, it beats the alternative.

Maybenaut wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:27 pm Public Service Announcement:

NARRATOR:

Maybenaut blew off her doctor when he advised her to get the shingles vaccine. Last summer Maybenaut got shingles and it was really horrible. After a misdiagnosis that sent Maybenaut to the ER in anaphylactic shock as the result of an allergic reaction to an antibiotic that she didn’t even need, Maybenaut was finally prescribed a course of Valtrex for the shingles, and she recovered.

Rather than get the shingles vaccine, Maybenaut again blew off her doctor and is now suffering from another shingles outbreak. This time she recognized it for what it was: an outbreak that could have been avoided.

Don’t be like Maybenaut.

Get your shingles vaccine.

So sorry, Maybenaut.

Two years ago on the Friday before the Fourth of July, my wife (unvaccinated for shingles, cause it just takes too much time) showed me a minor outbreak on her trunk beneath her breasts. I suggested that it might be shingles, and she should get to the urgent care clinic immediately for diagnosis and anti-virals if need be.

True to form she said she'd wait until after the weekend and then go on Monday. Not much for me to do other than and tell her that anti-viral drugs must be administered in the earliest stages of an outbreak. Well, Monday came, and she was worse. Shingles was the diagnosis, and the PA gave her a prescription for an anti-viral but cautioned that it was likely too late.

She was absolutely miserable for five weeks. (Part of her misery was that I had to do all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and general upkeep. Hard to tell. Of course, I changed the linen all wrong every single time despite my crisp hospital corners and smooth contour sheet. )

Two years later, she is still in mild misery. She gobbles Gabapentin like candy to help with the burning and itching. Post herpetic neuralgia affects about 20% of the population who wind up with shingles. She still has tiny bumps that appear in the area that was originally infected.

So, to those of you still waffling out there: Get the damn vaccines. You don't want four weeks of misery with a chance of a lifetime of post herpetic neuralgia.

Got my second one last month.

Pulled something in my armbone. Eight ounces of fluid just above my elbow. Wore an Ace bandage a few nights, seemed like it was going away.

This morning I was taking off my socks and I injured it again. Another 6 oz. of fluid just above my elbow, and I am now wearing my Ace bandage.

and I hate getting old. How am I supposed to lift weights?

I can't, that's what.





Obviously, I need to stop taking off my socks.

Well, that's how I hurt it the second time!

Foggy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 8:44 pm Obviously, I need to stop taking off my socks.

Well, that's how I hurt it the second time!

Fortunately, you have a live-in wifehorn who can help, yes? Isn't that what the marriage contract is about? "For richer or poorer, in sickness and health, socks dressing and removal, 'till death do we part"

Ol' Wifehorn is spared: I worked out how to take off both socks using only my right hand. But the problem - the real problem - remains.

Little injuries take an enormously longer time to heal when you are aging. And the slightest little thing will re-injure you, unless you are careful as hell.

And I need my left arm. That's an important part of my life. I'm fond of being able to use it.

It's no fun being injured.

Yep. I had another echocardiogram today. My mitral valve regurgitation problem has worsened. Anyone had this issue? I feel fine and have no symptoms but my heart seems to be slowly deteriorating.

Foggy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 8:44 pm

Obviously, I need to stop taking off my socks.

Well, that's how I hurt it the second time!

Fresh in my mind as hubby came home from rehab today.

humblescribe wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 3:41 pm
Two years later, she is still in mild misery. She gobbles Gabapentin like candy to help with the burning and itching. Post herpetic neuralgia affects about 20% of the population who wind up with shingles. She still has tiny bumps that appear in the area that was originally infected.

So, to those of you still waffling out there: Get the damn vaccines. You don't want four weeks of misery with a chance of a lifetime of post herpetic neuralgia.

I know I’ve been so very lucky.

I didn’t recognize the first outbreak as shingles at all, mainly because there was never any pain.

I also had another condition with similar symptoms so I wasted time going down the wrong road. I had these recurring pimple things on my nose that would erupt, scab over, go away for awhile, then come back. The dermatologist correctly diagnosed that as rosacea and gave me some ointment. She told me it might come back, and just use the ointment. The rosacea cleared up, but about a month later I got these little pustules along my scalp. They looked and felt like the rosacea so I used the ointment for a couple of days, but the rash had spread.

My dermatologist was out of town so I had to go to a different one. She diagnosed it as a staph infection and prescribed Bactrim. Later that evening I was in the ER in anaphylactic shock. They gave me prednisone in an IV which reduced the face-swelling a little, but it came back the next morning. I had to go back to the ER and they gave me more prednisone. The prednisone destroyed my immune system and the shingles rash went crazy. The next day was a Sunday and I was like, I have no idea wtf this is, but it’s getting close to my eye. So I made a 3rd trip to the ER in as many days. That guy diagnosed shingles and prescribed Valtrex.

It was well over a week between the time the rash started on my forehead and when I finally got a diagnosis and started the anti-viral. But in my case the Valtrex was very effective, and the rash was gone in a few days (although one part scabbed over and that took quite a while to heal and now I have a dent in my forehead and that part of my forehead is numb).

I don’t have any symptoms of neuralgia (knock wood), and this time I went to urgent care the second this latest eruption started. The Valtrex is already working, and I’ll get my vax as soon as this crap clears up.

So I'm headed to the doctor. I'm guessing either anconeus muscle or brachioradialis, but more will be revealed ...

Foggy wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:50 am So I'm headed to the doctor. I'm guessing either anconeus muscle or brachioradialis, but more will be revealed ...

You gots dinosaur bones?

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:08 am

Foggy wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:50 am So I'm headed to the doctor. I'm guessing either anconeus muscle or brachioradialis, but more will be revealed ...

You gots dinosaur bones?

Well they were just big chickens, so yeah.

Boring.

Torn biceps muscle, mild. Doctor told me to rest it. Also sending me to urgent care, but think about it. Pills aren't going to fix this. Surgery isn't going to fix this. Urgent care is going to tell me to rest it, just like the doctor told me to rest it. So maybe I'll rest it for a few days.

The shingles vaccine took me 15 to 30 minutes, with transportation. Can be combined with picking up necessities at Walgreens or whatever. First case mild and caught and treated early. Not worth risking a second. (Okay, still some risk but less.)

You do not want to get shingles on or near your eye.

Do not search images.

pipistrelle wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:24 am The shingles vaccine took me 15 to 30 minutes, with transportation. Can be combined with picking up necessities at Walgreens or whatever. First case mild and caught and treated early. Not worth risking a second. (Okay, still some risk but less.)

You do not want to get shingles on or near your eye.

Do not search images.

I live in BFE. Unlike flu and covid vax, shingles vax isn’t free. My insurance co requires me to use CVS. My local CVS will administer flu and covid, but not shingles. So I have to drive an hour each way. I could pay out of pocket and go to Walmart, and I might do that if it’s not that expensive.

Out of pocket for seniors can cost up the $324.

AndyinPA wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:57 am Out of pocket for seniors can cost up the $324.

I have group insurance so am used to this.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all Health Insurance Marketplace plans and most other private health insurance plans to cover all ACIP-recommended vaccines, including SHINGRIX, with no cost sharing (deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance) if administered in-network.

pipistrelle wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:58 am

AndyinPA wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:57 am Out of pocket for seniors can cost up the $324.

I have group insurance so am used to this.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all Health Insurance Marketplace plans and most other private health insurance plans to cover all ACIP-recommended vaccines, including SHINGRIX, with no cost sharing (deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance) if administered in-network.

That's good to know. I haven't had the newest one, but I know I had a copay for the one(s?) I did have.