Monday, November 8, 2010

Flu Shot 2010

My final visit to my PCP for 2010 went well.  Blood pressure was perfect, pulse was good, weight was down (though nowhere near where we want it to be), meds were renewed, and flu shot was offered.  Now, I've said for years that I would never get the flu shot, not unless I started getting the flu.  I've had the flu twice.  Once in 5th grade, once in 10th.  I've been out of school for 15 years, so that gives you an idea as to how long it's been since my last bout.  My immune system is in good shape, despite the weight issues and the fact that I only have one kidney.  I'm in amazingly good health.  I also have a terrifying fear of needles.  Flu shots are not an option.  Outside of a dose of prednisone that I received last year (and I must stipulate that I was in so much pain from the inflammation in my carotid artery, and I had such bad side effects from the oral prednisone I took a few months earlier, I would have accepted decapitation if it'd been offered), I haven't received an injection of anything since I was five.  That was a tetanus booster, and I couldn't move my arm for days.  So, let me state again, flu shots are not an option.

And yet, I found myself asking questions about the vaccine, and then signing the release allowing them to adminster the shot.  It's been three days.  I've had no side effects other than a tender spot on my arm (which is surprisingly more sore today than it was all weekend).  When I got to work today, campus was abuzz with new of various influenza outbreaks in the area, so I think I'm glad I went ahead and did it.  Plus, the cost was included in my copay, so that was a plus.

My doc thinks that I'm making good strides in my weight loss goals.  While the scale is not showing much improvement (I'm still at just under 10 lbs lost), I'm feeling better.  I'm also standing up straighter (almost 5'6", my dream height!), which is usually an indication that I'm feeling good about myself.  I should also send a shout out to my chiropractor here, as well, b/c I'm sure he's had something to do with that in the course of the 4 years he's been treating me!

Best of all, I don't have to go back for a checkup for another 6 months.  Woo-hoo!  Fewer visits to the doc means less of a hit to the checkbook (especially considering cost of insurance is going up, and we didn't get a raise again this year)!