Walking the Talk--Preventive Medicine and Vaccinations

I believe that it is important to "walk my talk" (to put into practice what I advocate).  (See my blog post about "What if everything were perfect, just the way it is?").

My health care plan would only pay for the normal seasonal flu shot for 2009-2010 if my doctor administered the shot.  My doctor's office is not planning to get the vaccine until late in September, 2009.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have released the seasonal flu vaccine and pharmacies are already stocked.  Guidelines from the CDC advise administering the flu shots as soon as the supplies become available.

I went to my local Dominick's (Safeway) pharmacy and the pharmacist administered the flu shot.  Because insurance wouldn't cover the flu shot administered by a pharmacist, I paid $28 for the shot--well worth it to get it while I'm well and before flu season starts.  The vaccine should "stay in my system" for one year--through this year's flu season.

In October or November, if all goes well, the H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccine will be available and distributed.  I plan to be in line for that vaccination as soon as I can qualify for it.

I had a Shingles vaccination last year.  I had chicken pox as a child and my cousin--at the age of 60--contracted shingles.  The one-time vaccination is supposed to protect me from shingles for the rest of my life.

My 10-year pneumonia vaccination expires this year and I'll be getting another one of those as well.  When I had an annual physical with my doctor earlier this month, he advised me that I'm nearing the end of protection of my tetanus vaccination.  I'll be OK for another two or three years as long as I don't have a "dirty" wound.  If I have one they'll give a booster shot.

Preventive medicine--which, for me, includes vaccinations--is important.  As with an automobile, it's better to catch or prevent problems rather than trying to fix them.  Part of my preventive medicine routine is to have an annual physical and to have an annual eye exam--both of which I had in August.  I also go to specialists as needed.

In 2008 I almost waited too long to have my appendix out--it hurt in my back rather than in my right side.  I was fooled by the placement and, when the emergency room took a CT-Scan, it showed that my appendix had "flipped over" somehow and was at my back rather than at my side.  I had felt pain a month before I went to the emergency room and then it passed.  It turns out that my appendix was already dead and was about to burst.  (It didn't.)  The surgeon saw me about 7:00AM (I had come to the emergency room at 5:00AM) and said that he was going to "warm up" by removing a gall bladder, then I was second on his "dance" (surgery) card.  He did a laparoscopic appendectomy and I was out of the hospital within 36 hours of going to the emergency room.

I do water aerobics almost daily and the day before I had my appendix removed I had done 400 sit-ups in the water (thank heaven they were in the water).  I usually am in the water between 5:00 and 7:00AM and the next day, rather than going to the wellness center on the hospital grounds, I drove myself to the emergency room.

I'm pretty healthy and plan to stay that way.  How about you?