Originally Posted by
Dienekes
Much truth there. My father delayed getting into the doctor and by the time he did he had a full blown case. He was 80 plus at the time. The pain was excruciating and nothing really alleviated it. He eventually got to where he could sort of zone out. He was quite the stoic but it was heartbreaking to see knowing I really couldn’t do a thing about it.
About 10-12 years ago I heard that there was a vaccine, which turned out to be the “old” one that loses its effectiveness over time. However, I ran, not walked—to get it ASAP. By then I had had a case of it start up, which I nipped in the bud. Get on it early and you can knock it back with a week’s meds. The word is FAST. I also browbeat my wife into getting the shots.
The weird thing is that my son got shingles at 40. The conventional wisdom is that it’s supposed to hit people 55 and over. He got the meds in time, but how he got it at that young age is a mystery. On theory is that stress was a factor.
I got to he new shots that are supposed to protect you longer about a year ago. My insurance picked up the tab—but after what I saw my Dad go through, I’d cheerfully pay big bucks for the protection.
Shingles are NO JOKE.