So, I finally "grew up" and got some vaccinations

[Siwsan]

Flu AND pneumonia. No side effects, except for VERY slight tenderness at the injection site. Honestly, I'm NOT an anti-vaxxer - I just never bothered with the flu vaccine because, well, I've never had the flu. Covid scared me into the pneumonia vaccination. My odds of ever developing either are probably pretty low, given that I'm always masked when I go out and am sure I'll be pretty much self-isolating for most of the foreseeable future but, still. If my insurance is covering it, why the hell not take advantage and I'm pretty damn healthy for an old dame, but why take any unnecessary risks.

However, my anti-vaxxer nephew is disappointed in me. Oh well.

[hedda_foil]

1. Congratulations, Siwsan. Good on ya!

[NightWatcher]

2. Get the shingles one if you can. I had that last year and it's still bothering me

It fucked up my facial nerve on one side. Looks ok, but feels weird now. The pain back then was insane. I wanted to rip my whole face off.

[Siwsan]

5. I had shingles 2 years ago. Really wasn't a horrific experience, but I know I was lucky

It was across my left rib cage - mid sternum to spine. No bad pain but I had a few "big" blisters and I guess what was a type of neuropathy for a few months afterwards. I ITCHED but was numb so scratching was a waste of time. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to ever get it again but all in all, I was expecting it to be MUCH worse.

I take turmeric on a daily basis and suspect it helped to mitigate some of the inflammation. And, my APN said since I've had it, I'll have to wait a few years before I can take the vaccine. There's some sort of blood test she can order to check my risk for re-developing it. I'll think about it.

[NightWatcher]

9. I have lupus, polymyositis, and other shit and the nerve damage and itching was insane.

You might be safe and my Dr told me not to get the vaccine yet, because I have flares often.

My main thing is to keep stress down. Stress leads to inflammation which leads to flare.

[Siwsan]

10. I'm working on the stress thing, too

I have really, really, REALLY bad anxiety, right now. My APN put me on a medication that is supposed to help handle both that and the spikes in BP I've experienced. I've always had bad 'white coat' hypertension (with very good reason, unfortunately) but coupling that with getting older, having a family history of hypertension AND feeling such strong anxiety, my numbers are not good. I finally decided I have to do something to make life easier to handle.

Hopefully 2021 will bring us all a little peace of mind.

[Cirque du So-What]

14. My SIL just had a case of shingles

It was on her face, and there was concern that it would let get in her eye (that didn’t happen).

[Siwsan]

15. That is a scary scenario

My late sister's brother in law had it in his pelvic area, affecting his scrotum. Another really scary situation.

A friend of mine got the vaccination and shortly after developed a horrific case of shingles across her upper chest. Probably just a timing thing. She told me she first realized what was happening when she felt a really weird, sharp pain. Same thing with me - middle of my back, at the same time I felt a weird itch on my sternum, took a look and saw the first of the blisters forming. She was MONTHS in treatment with horrible pain and after effects. I've had absolutely none of those. I developed them in April and by June I was just dealing with the weird numbness/itching. I did take long, soaking baths in Epsom salts, every single night, too, so maybe that, along with the turmeric and VERY careful diet helped.

When I had chicken pox, as a child, I remember it not being a bad case so maybe that's another reason why my case of shingles was relatively mild.

[monmouth4]

13. OMG, this time last year I got it. Numbness around my back finally starting to come back. Most

horrid ailment I have ever had and believe me, I've had them all. The pain, oh gawd the pain.

[Siwsan]

16. The only real pain I had was right when it flared up

The itching was the problem, for me. I used some 'anti itching' gel, nightly soaks in an Epsom Salts bath and my niece sent me a list of foods to avoid.

[monmouth4]

17. I remember last year, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas. Must make up for that this year..LOL. n/t

[Hortensis]

3. Just plain smart. I confess we didn't get them either -- until

we got older and started feeling our growing vulnerability. And just plain became smarter also.

[Siwsan]

8. Having just lost a good friend to Covid, I'm starting to take life much more seriously

I've always been ultra cautious, since the pandemic hit, but just took the 'it won't happen to me' attitude. Now my eyes are open because my friend was also ultra cautious.

[Hortensis]

11. Your friend's last gift. We haven't lost any friends,

knock wood, but some of them have, and relatives.

We've been cautious and hiding since March, but inevitably we relaxed a bit, started stopping occasionally for drive-through food, etc. He's a healthy, active 80 now, though, and I have lung and other problems. So we're telling ourselves to buckle up for the worst of it so we'll be SURE to be able to just go on with our lives after. We have some serious hugs stored up.

[Siwsan]

12. We have our families and friends (including DUers!) to help us get through this.

My brother had Covid, early in the pandemic. He was at my house TWICE while contagious and before we really knew what was going on. Somehow I didn't catch it. I did have a cold, at the time, and I read there's a possibility that helped to protect me, since I was already fighting a covid virus. Either that or I was asymptomatic. I was in total self-isolation from March to May so if that was the case, there was NO danger of spreading it to anyone.

Thankfully my brother pulled through with NO after effects but he's not counting on any residual immunity.

I can't wait to be able to travel, again.

[Hortensis]

19. Thankfully, and your brother sounds smart. Yes, to that last!

We've talked about hitching up a tiny trailer and isolating on the road, but having to avoid so many places we'd like to visit properly has kept the conversation from turning into plans. At least we know an end to this is somewhere up ahead.

[3catwoman3]

4. Congratulations on your achievement.

Maybe your nephew will become enlightened.

[Siwsan]

6. I've given up hope for that ever happening

He's also not that 'concerned' with Covid. Fortunately, he lives far away from the rest of the responsible members of the family. Don't get me wrong, I love him to pieces, but none of us can make a dent in his weird belief system.

[retread]

7. We got the quadrivalent high dose this October. Not a time to ignore professional advice.

[AwakeAtLast]

18. I will probably get both next week.

I get pneumonia fairly easily.