OT October Chit Chat

[agate]

Feel free to say something negative too.

I don't mind saying something negative:

SOMETHING NEGATIVE.

[Howie]

Okay then.....your feet stink! There!!!

[Catdancer]

Medicare will pay for flu shots and pneumonia shots. Both are a covered under plans you may have through the Affordable Care Act, otherwise called Obama care.

One shot that you have to pay for (although private ins may cover it) is the shot for shingles. I can speak from experience: it is horrible, the most painful thing I've ever experienced, and even now, two years later, I still suffer residual effects. I urge you to get the shot, if at all possible.

[Parsi]

...

Parsi or anyone, how much does that shot cost? I know most have insurance, but what would it cost out of pocket. I don't want one, never have, just being curious.

No out of pocket for hubby or me. So insurance covered it all. At Shopko we even got a $5 coupon off $25 storewide purchase (with exclusions).

First time shots for either of us. It's an inactive vaccine.

[Howie]

I've always been of the belief, right or wrong, that our immune systems are all revved up, and ready to combat any virus it encounters. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I haven't been sick since way before MS. Not even a cold or the sniffles.

How has everyone else been since MS as far as getting colds and flu?

[Cat Dancer]

Howie, your hermit lifestyle is more likely why you don't encounter colds and flus, more than your understanding of the immune system. I get probably one cold in winter, and sometimes a second in summer. I've avoided the flu for the most part, but then I've gotten the flu virus every year for years, too. I got colds much more often when we had lots of visitors, and I was out and about, working and doing volunteer work. Now that I haven't done that, I haven't gotten sick, or if I have, it's been a pretty minor cold, 3-4 days in duration.

[SalpalSally]

Okay then.....your feet stink! There!!!

Mine don't! At least I can't smell em. LOL!

[Howie]

Good point Cat, but I wasn't always a Hermit. I was very outgoing, and mingled with many of you germ spreaders, but never got sick!

Mine don't! At least I can't smell em. LOL!

Wow Sally, it's a good thing you can't. I wish we all were so lucky not to smell your feet! SOMEONE OPEN A WINDOW!!!

[agate]

Howie a hermit? He's always going out to stores and other places. He's very much the man about town. Everywhere you look, there's this guy in a thong.

Cat, it's odd how shots affect people differently. I had no problem with the shingles vaccine at all but was badly wiped out by the pneumonia vaccine. It was worse than any flu shot reaction I've had, and some flu shots have meant a week or more of feeling rotten and aching.

This time it's been mild. My arm's still quite sore, 5 days after the shot, but the achy feverish feeling seems on the way out. I've switched from Tylenol to aspirin because I prefer aspirin. I think it works better but the flu shot people always tell you to take Tylenol for any shot side effects.

So I take Tylenol for as long as the side effects are pretty bad but as soon as I'm better I'm back to aspirin.

Today I didn't think I'd be able to do this but I actually got to the farmer's market with my son and DIL. We went to a bigger and better one than I've ever been to and had a really nice time looking at all of the food.

I came home with an acorn squash, two ears of corn, some cherry tomatoes (combined yellow and red), brussels sprouts, many types of apples, a bell pepper, and a Japanese pear, which I've never tried. And a fairly large new potato.

They had live music (country and western) and stalls selling artisan bread (at a hefty price) and even varieties of butter. Everyone was agreeable and in a good mood and not minding the occasional raindrop. I used my walker and the kids helped by carrying the things I bought. (The "kids" are in their 40s.)

[Howie]

Darn kids, walking around all young and everything.

What's a good OTC pain medication? I take two prescribed pain meds for my shoulder, but if I miss a dose, or am late, I will know it pretty fast. I take Ibuprofen for my lower back, but that's starting to not work as well.

Aren't the Doan's pills for back pain mostly Aspirin? I have no trouble with Aspirin. I need something, hurting all the time is getting old....or I am.

Agate, I'll bet if you made me a good meal with all that food you got, it would really make me feel better.

[agate]

I love aspirin. I use enteric-coated aspirin. I take 4 a day routinely for arthritis, more if I'm in pain for some other reason.

I've never tried Doan's pills. They're not the same as aspirin but, like aspirin, they're an NSAID--and can irritate your insides. They're magnesium salicylate. Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid.

Extra-strength Tylenol was what I took for Avonex side effects because that's what was recommended but I didn't like the way it made me feel. Hard to explain--a bit spacey, maybe?

If Tylenol is recommended over aspirin by some medical provider, that's what I'll take but only for as long as I have to. I've heard some negative things about Tylenol.

I always take 2 325mg aspirin pills at a time. One pill just doesn't work as well.

[Howie]

Tylenol has never worked for me. I guess I can try the smallest bottle of Doan's to see if they do me any good. It's like the MS drugs, certain ones work for some, but not others. And OTC must be the same, it works for some but not others. I guess that's why there are so many different drugs for the same thing.

I'm eating way over the recommended dose of Ibuprofen, but I have to for it to work. And now it's starting to not work, and I can't increase the dose higher than it is. A rock and a hard place.

[stillstANNding]

What is the name of your prescribed drug. From there, we might be able to help you better.

ANN

[Pegakafarmgirl]

What a day we had,, I was informed, by Joes family,, get ready for company,, we had 30 people here,, Joes sister who is sic,, wanted a hayride/cookout,, so we had the family over. all I had to do help was a grill/hayracks,, everybody else brought the rest,,,, and she rode the horse,,it was a beautiful day,,,,,,, now we do Thanksgiving next week

[Parsi]

Aleve worked the best for me against the side effects I had with Avonex.