Thursday, June 28, 2018

Allergic, I’m telling you



Way back in the nineties, I sat in my booth at a show and watched a young woman openly coughed and sneezed her way through.  I intercepted her and asked her to leave. Her companion came in and cheerily said, “Oh, she’s just catching a cold!”

 It was October. We all know what you catch in October. I made an appointment for my first ever flu vaccination. For the next ten or twelve years, the minute flu season was announced, I went for the jab. The last time I had the flu was 1988, the year we all moved into the house together and began the business. I was so sick that year, I slept through the entire four day Thanksgiving holiday, and the following week.

About ten years in, I realized I’d begun sleeping away the subsequent three days after the shot. I paid attention that year, and it was true. Three days zonked. A few more days climbing from a well of foggy brain. I quit being vaccinated against flu virus. It was an annual argument with my PC, and too bad. I was through.

When the shingles vaccination was available a few years ago, my PC persuaded me to have it. I remembered my grandmother and my friend having shingles, and it was, as we said, a no-brainer. But in the drug store nurse’s office, the nurse and I discussed it, and we talked me out of it.

Last fall my persistent PC started in again, flu, pneumonia, shingles. The pneumonia was two shots, spaced some time apart. I elected to undertake the pneumonia and shingles a year apart. The pneumonia shot went off perfectly. Of course, it’s not grown in eggs.

I added shingles to the second pneumonia shot. Splat, out flat for three days. Not sick, merely unconscious.  The second shingles is six months later, or yesterday. I thought this time I’d try overpowering it. Sheer will, kick it to the curb.

First thing yesterday morning we were at the drug store. There were errands to run on the way home. Fortunately, Laura was riding shotgun. I would not let her drive; she had no breakfast and her judgment is extraordinarily bad without breakfast. Some targets were circled a few times. We never found the way into the gas station, though we passed it. At home, I fell into bed.

This morning we had a breakfast date with our friend, Linn. I ate my bowl of oatmeal; Laura and Linn talked. We came straight home; I went to bed. I’m sure Laura went to her library job; the day’s mail was on my desk when I got up for supper. The inside of my brain still has the shades pulled down. One more afternoon in bed, I think.

In other news, it has rained for three days. Here are three days of unemptied rain gauge:




Laura replanted the bulb that floated to the surface.


The rain makes everything happy.


Pig most of all.

31 comments:

  1. Pig with Flowers. :)

    I haven't yet had flu shots. I know folk my age who have, but as I've never been one to really suffer during flu season, I thought it best to avoid getting started with that whole thing. So far, so good.

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  2. the inoculations offered tend to get crazier each year. I had already had pneumonia vaccine and one for shingles, but have just been sent a reminder to "upgrade"...as well as a Mammogram. no thanks. I always get a flu jab, they do not bother me and I have not had flu for years. Sorry you are so allergic, man that sucks! STAY WELL!

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  3. just had my physical a week, two weeks? ago. first time with this doctor, youngish woman osteopath. she queried me about the shingles vaccine, I am reluctant, yes I had chicken pox, yes I know shingles is heinous. she told me to research the new two shot vaccine and we moved on to why I refused to take the med for osteoporosis, because I don't think it works (as in produce stronger bone) and the side effects if you get them are heinous. she agreed. then onto colonoscopy, no thank you but I did agree to poop on the paper and send that test in. not flu season so that one didn't come up but I don't get it either.

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  4. I've had diabetes for a long time so automatically have the 'flu vaccine every year. So far, touch wood, I just end up with one very swollen arm for a couple of days which I just take for granted now.
    The shingles one must be thought about this year … I'm still in two minds.I'm nervous but I do remember my mother being really ill with it, so will probably have it done.
    I'm glad to have the choice though.

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  5. Hari om
    There is no doubt vaccs save lives... but routine vaccination results in disease mutation and resolves little. Huge debate, of course, but am happily on tgd side of let tgd bodh deal. YAM xx (apols fod typos! Still not home.)

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  6. I haven't had a flu shot for a while - or even been offered a shingles shot.
    The flu shot leaves me zombified. Not sleeping, but ...
    Still envying your rain.

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  7. I had one flu shot without consequence but had the flu this past year. I will get it this year. We both had the shingles shots.

    Hope you are back to the land of the living soon Joanne.

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  8. Pig looks very happy.
    Over here we've not had any of the vaccines for flu, shingles or pneumonnia (isn't that fun to type?).....not sure if we're smart or not but that's the way it is...we haven't and will fight to the end to avoid taking them. Still....being unconscious for three days doesn' t sound all that bad lol.

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  9. Sorry you are feeling poorly and hope you are better soon. Generally the flu shot doesn't make me anymore tired than I already am though I get minor flu like symptoms for about 2 days and a sore spot in the arm where I got the jab. I haven't gone for the shingles hot yet. I got the pneumonia shot some time ago and am now awaiting an update from the doctor's office as they are making some changes about such. I'd prefer not to get shots but I think these days it is advisable in most instances.

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  10. I've had the flu shot every year since my father had his stroke, which would be eleven years now. I did it to protect him at that time. Aside from a somewhat sore arm one time only, I've never had any issues, luckily. In 2017 the shot was not very effective, and I caught a pretty bad bronchial flu. I kept thinking "this is how I will eventually die" it was so bad. I wish I could convince my elderly mother to get it but she completely dismisses it. I think any side effects are worth the chance at protection, because as we get older, or if we have respiratory troubles or chronic illnesses to begin with, the flu can mean real trouble.

    Hope you're back to yourself shortly.

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  11. Wow. I've never had a reaction like that to a flu shot. The strangest reaction I ever had was the time the doctor gave me a B-12 shot. I couldn't find enough to o. I even scrubbed my ceilings.

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  12. Well, at least you get 3 days of good sleep with your injection! All I get is a sore arm sometime, lol.

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  13. I get the flu shot every year because I have a lot of contact with people. I have no side effects, aside from possibly a sore arm. Now that pharmacists can give some shots, I get my friend to give it to me at her pharmacy. She is excellent. Don't even feel it. I've not had the shingles vaccine, but I've heard stories of how awfully bad shingles can be. I know husband has thought of it, but neither of us have had the shot. (yet) -Jenn

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  14. Wow, you have a strong reaction to the flu shot. But perhaps the rest is good for you?
    I would be happy about the rain, but the little apple tree just off my deck simply fell over in the supersaturated earth. I don't think we can fix it, and it was not new when we moved in 38 years ago. And the branches are full of apples.

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    1. Stand it up, prop up the main branches with some really strong forked posts or logs or something similar, tamp down the earth firmly to resettle the roots, then wait and see. The tree might just surprise you. But after that fall, you should probably harvest the apples to give the tree a better survival chance.

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  15. Wow, you do get an allergic reaction! Good to get the shots, but bad with how your body reacts to them. I didn't get the flu shot last year and got the flu so its on my agenda to get a flu shot this year. And now that I'm 60, better see what else they recommend prevention wise.

    betty

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  16. No wonder little pig looks happy, he has been rolling around in all the mud, happiness - such a carefree life, no worries or debates for him over the merits or disadvantages to having shots. I always scorned the flu jab, then one year I fell ill with flu, really ill. Next time it was offered, I had the shot. Always the full debate before I have or reject any, because my natural inclination is to decline.

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  17. That does sound like an allergic reaction for sure. Thankfully I haven't turned up allergic for any of the jabs I get, which really is only the one flu jab each year and the tetanus one last month when Lola bit me.
    I'm loving the way your garden looks right now and pig certainly does look happy with his gerberas.

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  18. The pig really looks happy. I wish we had some rain here too.

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  19. I suppose suffering the effects of the vaccines must be better than the illnesses themselves, but still hard to put up with.

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  20. You must be extremely allergic. I suspect in 25 years time or so we will be able to be genetically tested to see how we would react to shots. I don't have any reactions at all to either flu or shingles, though from what I hear even a week feeling rough after the shingles shot is better than getting shingles itself.

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  21. I get a flu shot every year because I have asthma and diabetes, and I don't have serious side effects from the shots.

    As a child I had chicken pox and then had shingles when I was in my 40's. The doctor has recommended that I get the shingles vaccination. What I don't understand is why actually having had shingles once already, I can get them again, and many people get shingles multiple times in their lives. How is the immunization more effective at giving immunity than a case of shingles is. I didn't ask the doctor at the time because I thought I would just go ahead and get the immunization, but then I got to thinking about why the immunization works. Still need to ask the doctor about it.

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  22. Big Daddy and I need the new Shingles vaccine but we cannot get it until November due to his chemo treatments. I have had shingles and it was no fun, and neither are the meds. We do get the flu shot every as no side effects but lately I have been getting a light flu every year. Crazy.

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  23. Glad you survived the shot. It's a horrible bug, but sleeping three days is a little drastic an allergy reaction. Hope you are ok.

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  24. I'm allergic to egg and I've had bad reactions to several vaccines in the past.

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    1. I'm good with eggs--over easy, scrambled light, Benedict. Just came back from your blog and the campfire potatoes with everything, including eggs. I would cheerfully sit around a campsite to have that for breakfast. I think I'm just allergic to stuff grown in eggs that aren't chickens.

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  25. I can ALMOST be jealous of you for those 3 days of slumber. I wouldn't mind a few days of just 8 hours. Obviously, what I am saying is that I am immune to your symptoms. Still, If it were me, I might be tempted to endure them for the sake of the protection afforded.

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  26. Sorry to hear of your unfortunate reactions to various jabs. I've had a flu jab several times and also a shingles jab, and had no ill-effects whatever. But we all have different metabolisms, and I guess some react violently to a vaccination while others take it in their stride.

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  27. I have asthma, so I have to be hyper about the flu shot, as flu has landed me hospital several times. I am also not charmed when somebody blithely says "It's just a cold!" like it's no big deal. When your lungs are compromised, just a cold can turn into weeks' worth of complications. How I wish sneezing, coughing people would stay home!

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  28. I used to think I would have the flu jab when I reached 60. The doctor has been asking me to have it long before that. I have now upped the age to 70 and my medical notes now include a request to stop sending me reminders. I last had the flu when I was 14. I think it gave me immunity. I rarely even catch a cold. I might have the shingles jab because I had really bad chicken pox as a child and I'm sure it's lying dormant just waiting to rear its ugly head.

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    1. Knock on wood, both of us. I feel that bout of flu I had in 88 was so horrid I am immune forever. Even from colds. But pneumonia and shingles I was willing to vaccinate against.

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