The health of the people in our country

[Fryowa]

I got the shingles vaccine, after some thought. I had a couple of colleagues who got shingles and it's rather awful. You can also have some ugly neurologic and ophthalmic sequelae from shingles.

So, I got the vaccination series and I also had a 102 fever. I was informed of the side effects, however. Maybe complain that you weren't told about those side effects! You should have been told.

My first vaccine dose gave me a 102F fever that same day. They don't tell you about the side effects.

So when I schedule the vaccine I should get it in the winter time so I can crack my bedroom window when it's 20 degrees out?

Honestly I'd probably just take the afternoon and next day off and start taking ibuprofen preventatively. There's always netflix shows to catch up on and if I end up not getting a fever all the better.

After seeing people with shingles I do NOT want it.

 

[PCHawk]

That’s fine until you get older. The likelihood of bad complications once you hit 65-ish goes way up from respiratory infections no matter how healthy you are.

Also, not getting yearly physicals once you turn 40 is idiotic, especially if your insurance pays for it. I found out 3 years ago I was diabetic and had zero symptoms. Runs in my family. Don’t eat junk food, not overweight, don’t smoke/don’t drink, no soda. Had no behavioral risk factors and A1C went to 8.5 in the space of 12 months. I cut all carbs and got my A1C down to 4.3 with no other changes and it’s still there with no meds. If I hadn’t had my physical I’d not have known and maybe been dead now.

Had a classmate of mine this past year get his physical and had weird numbers on his blood panel, ended up finding out he had very early stage colon cancer. Zero symptoms.

It isn’t about what you need to do to stay healthy once you hit 40/50/60…it’s about finding things you don’t know while there’s still time to fix them. If you have kids you’re being irresponsible by not getting yearly physicals and blood panels. If it’s just you then let ‘er buck if you want.

Thats good to hear that blood screening from physicals can catch some early cancer. Anyone know if a blood screening only catches some kinds of cancer? It seems pointless to shove a finger up the ass if a blood sample catches prostate cancer so I assume it doesn't.

 

[PCHawk]

I've always hated going to doctors but since I had kids (and with a push from my wife) I do yearly physicals now. I agree with others who have said dying early because you don't go get physicals is dumb when you have kids.

 

[SCHawkeye2]

So when I schedule the vaccine I should get it in the winter time so I can crack my bedroom window when it's 20 degrees out?

Honestly I'd probably just take the afternoon and next day off and start taking ibuprofen preventatively. There's always netflix shows to catch up on and if I end up not getting a fever all the better.

After seeing people with shingles I do NOT want it.

Had shingles.
No. You don’t want it!

 

[Fryowa]

Thats good to hear that blood screening from physicals can catch some early cancer. Anyone know if a blood screening only catches some kinds of cancer? It seems pointless to shove a finger up the ass if a blood sample catches prostate cancer so I assume it doesn't.

They didn't catch the cancer from it, they saw some weird numbers on his blood panel that made them look at a bunch of other things and through a bunch more testing they led their way to it. But his doctor told him if he hadn't come in for the physical he probably wouldn't have known about the cancer until symptoms started and it might have been too late to take care of it.

 

[PCHawk]

They didn't catch the cancer from it, they saw some weird numbers on his blood panel that made them look at a bunch of other things and through a bunch more testing they led their way to it. But his doctor told him if he hadn't come in for the physical he probably wouldn't have known about the cancer until symptoms started and it might have been too late to take care of it.

I understand. The blood work let them to catching it.

 

[Westernhawk]

Thats good to hear that blood screening from physicals can catch some early cancer. Anyone know if a blood screening only catches some kinds of cancer? It seems pointless to shove a finger up the ass if a blood sample catches prostate cancer so I assume it doesn't.

The PSA test (prostate specific antigen) is a blood test that is an indicator. However, it's not ultra specific as a higher PSA can also be caused by benign enlarged prostate, so if your PSA is high, they might have to do a digital rectal exam.