Guess What!
I went to the drug store this morning to get the shingles shot. As I always do, I asked what this would cost over and above what Medicare and my supplementary insurance. would cover. She said, " $99." 
I asked her to check again to be absolutely sure; she did and I declined the shot. I should not have deviated from my position of never accepting any medication advertised on TV unless I am going to die without it. I do take medication but strictly generic. It is likely I will be sorry if I get shingles but I will face that when or if I have to. Fred had shingles once and I had to make a special trip to the doctor to get the Good Drugs so he could sleep. As it happened, the Good Drugs were generic… If I get shingles, I will deal with it.
Goals for today:
Buy groceries.I went to Food Lion which was in the same area as the drug store –and, you may remember, the post office
but I didn’t go there today. I had a list and got everything on the list and some crisp red apples. It was difficult to bring it all in but after three trips from the car to the apartment, it was all in. Most of it is put away and there are just a few things that will go into the cupboards rather than the refrigerator or freezer.- Open boxes. I have one which is half open–"Books and papers" and so far that is all there is! I will open and peer into the tall thin boxes also today. One of them has to hold the book shelves, right?
- I need to print out the forms that have to be filled out for my new ophthalmologist and tomorrow I will drive out to the address to make sure I know where they are. I can’t remember if my appointment is later this week or next week but it is on my calendar so I will look later.
- OK, time to put the cans and the jars into the cupboards.
My sister got the shingles and said she would have paid almost any amount of money for the shot if she knew how bad it was. She said it was horrible and she was sick for several months.
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Well, having read your entry and then ILuvCats note, I’m not sure what I would do now. That’s a lot of money but having known several people, including my brother, who have had shingles, a couple who have died from them, I’m really torn about at some point getting the shot.
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I checked on the shot one time at Sam’s Club when they were offering them, and they were $250!!! Considering the likelihood of my getting them, I declined. Reading about your 3X trips to bring in the groceries reminded me of my former landlady, who was 80 years old. She was very innovative in getting things done. She had a little flatbed thing on wheels, about 2 feet long and 18 inches wide (I think) that had a handle to push it around with that she would load up with her groceries and wheel it into the house (Or at least as far as the doorstep), making it easier for her to get stuff into the house. I’ve also seen some other handy wheelie things that might be helpful.
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I remember Food Lion from when I lived in Florida! I always liked the lion symbol on their sign. I have had shingles numerous times… starting in my 20s. The first time I got it, I had NO idea what it was until it was very far along. OH, so uncomfortable! It was at my waistline, and I had a job where I had to wear pantyhose. You can only imagine. When I had insurance, I was able to keepa prescription of Zovirax around. That helped immensely when I felt it coming on (I could always tell, as one painful sore would develop somewhere along my spine). Whenever I feel like it might be coming on now, with no access to Zovirax, I take my big doses of L-lysine, garlic, and Vitamin C. I also just try to keep my immune system as healthy and well-cared-for as I can (supplements, sleep, lowering stress, etc.). SO far so good… fingers crossed. I don’t know if I will consider the shot in later years… Especially if it’s that expensive! Wowee! Good luck with the new eye doctor! Take care,
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yep, i had to pay about that much for my shingles shot but i’d rather pay for it than get shingles. i’ve heard that is awful to have and i don’t want shingles. it usually takes me several trips to get all my groceries inside. if i get a case of water i have to have blake carry it in for me when he gets home from school. you’ll get those boxes emptied sooner or later. take care,
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I am not surprised by the high cost of the “Shingles Shots”. They have to pay for all the ads on TV. I have had shingles twice. 🙂 – – – –
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My nephew gets shingles a lot but the idiot only thinks about the shingles shot when he has shingles. Of course you can’t get the shot then! You’re making progress on those boxes!!! Hugs,M
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When we lived in Germany, our house was situated at the back of the block, within a series of townhomes set one behind another. We had to walk almost the entire length of a block to get from the parking lot to our house. It didn’t take me long to confiscate my daughther’s little red wagon on grocery shopping day. It was perfect for hauling all the groceries from the car to the door inone trip. How exciting was it to find a box properly labeled with the contents?!?
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I have no real experience with Shingles, and hopefully being a nurse will be the farthest that I get to experience such, but from what I have heard, it is quite unpleasant to say the least. However…knowing that the shingles shot is targeted toward upper middle aged & older individuals (from the commericals ^ whatnot), you would think that the price would reflect such. I am not sure if possibly there is a health department somewhere near and maybe could direct you toward the appropriate resources where it would not be so expensive? Obviously the shot could wait, but to know that there is a resource possibly out there otherwise may be good to know!
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That is a terrible amount for them to charge people for a shingles shot! There are lots of older people who don’t have much money to live on and can’t afford to pay that much! I hate stuff like this. If Shingles is supposed to be that bad, then shots should be given at a much much lower cost to people!! hugs, Nicky
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Would the Shingles shot be less at your doctor’s office?
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