"The "Shingles" Vaccine"

Since a number of my family members have gotten cases of "shingles" , I decided to get a vaccine for the disease...

I called my General Practitioner Doctor to see if he would administer the shot.  He said that he would refer me to one of the local hospitals, and that I should call for an appointment.  I did, and was told that the cost would be $100.  When I called my medical insurance provider to see if it would be covered, I was told that it would be, only if administered in my doctor's office. At a hospital,l there would be a $200 co-pay.

My doctor does not offer it because of the cost to obtain it, and  due to the cold temperature maintenance that is required during its transport and storage.  When I called back to the insurance company to explain this "catch 22", I was told that a pharmacy under contract with them, would deliver it to the doctor, and then it would be covered at no cost to me. This would be the third thing (a $10 flu shot, and the cost of the annual physical) covered by my $7,200 CURRENT annual premium!  He just had to fax a prescription request, and this would be done.  When it had not arrived two weeks after the request, I visited (because as usual calls to the office were never answered) my doctor to check on the order. I was told that it was faxed on October 15, and that his office had no way of tracing it.  So,  I called my provider to trace the delivery.  I was told that even though there is only one shingles vaccine, they would not trace it unless I provided its medical name.   I called my doctor brother who provided this...Varicella Zoster Vaccine...and then I provided it to customer service.  I was told that they had received a faxed request on October 22, and that it was scheduled to arrive at the doctor's office on Wednesday, November 16.  When it didn't arrive by Friday, November 18, I tried calling back to no avail.

Meanwhile, I heard that the vaccine is not guaranteed to prevent shingles, and in fact in some case, it causes them!  If the vaccine arrives next week, then I may get shingles from it right before a Holiday!  If I cancel the non-arriving order, I will not be able to reorder it and still have it covered!

As an aside,  recently an acquaintance had fallen and needed to go to the hospital for a fractured back vertebrae.   A procedure was done, but during it, the patient got Mrsa Staph Infection (still all too common in our hospitals).  The infection went to the heart, and caused its failure that resulted in the patient ending up in Hospice in a terminal state.  His "Living Will" resulted in no life support, and his family and friends awaiting his passing...

"Life Lessons..."

As I've mentioned, I was fortunate to know both sets of my grandparents and their brothers and sisters (my aunts and uncles), and to have parents who devoted their lives to their children.  All related their life histories, life experiences and advice.  Some of these follow...

My paternal grandfather, international vice president of GE, who had South and Central America as his "territory", complied his in an autobiography, and left copies for all of us.  He played golf, and his fiddle, and had his cocktail  hour scotch on the rocks, nearly daily...

My paternal grandmother greeted us with "spit kisses", gathered us around the piano to sing, and in front of one of the first TVs to watch "Lawrence Welk", and prepared her pot roasts and creamed chicken on white toast...

My maternal grandfather, a surgeon and president of the New Jersey Medical Association, had graduated early from college and always took financial care of all extents of his family; and he started his practice during the 1930 Depression.  He taught us how to save and how to work for a living, and for all chores that needed to be done...

My maternal grandmother had a father who was the best friend and right hand man of Eastman Kodak.  She was truly a renaissance woman...she raised her family, was an educated nurse, was an accomplished oils, charcoal, and water color, and sculpting artist, was the president of the Woman's Auxiliary to the New Jersey Medical Association, an incredible cook, and a traveler.  In her latter years she told me "never lose your spirit of the child within you".

Dad tried everything and maintained his positive attitude thru 30+ years of a progressive disease.  "Never write down what you don't want to retract." "When you are mad at someone or something, sleep on it, before lashing out." "Even if you don't know an answer, answer anyway with an aire that you are correct."  "Ultimately cheaters never prosper!"

Mom lived "The family always comes first!  Watch out if anyone doesn't treat her children as they deserve to be treated.  Never let anyone know family issues.  Strive for excellence!  Immediately show your appreciation for someones' good acts..."

I am a product of all of them...

"Education?"

What are we thinking?

During the 1960's, while I was in high school, we started dropping academic requirements (for example the foreign language requirements) in the interest of personal expression and "free choice".

In more recent years, costs cut backs have removed the arts, physical fitness, clubs, and vocational training from the schools.

Teachers salaries have been cut.  Teachers become responsible for buying their own class supplies from these reduced salaries. Meanwhile, administrative facilities, numbers and salaries have increased.

Last week, the news reported that in one south Florida county, final exams have been made "optional" because of the undue stress placed on the students to study for them.  A few weeks before that, another south Florida county decided to remove printing and cursive instruction from the elementary schools because it interfered with the thought processes for "texting"!

Go to most restaurants and retail establishments, and ask for change or a basic addition or percentage calculation and see what happens!

Compare our US educations with those overseas...we need to reevaluate our educational priorities...

"Best Laid Plans..."

Despite planning, you never really know how a day will unfold...

Yesterday, as usual I awoke, read the paper, responded to e-mails, and listened to the news while eating breakfast.  It was going to be  a full day!  I left for a tennis round robin cancer-support fund-raiser, to discover lots of participants, no parking left in the adjacent lot, and over an hour delay in beginning.   Since it started late, I left before its luncheon because I had so much to do...

My first stop was blocks away (I should have walked!), and after stopping, and going in, when I left, my 2-year old "car of the year" wouldn't start.  Thinking it was the battery (even though it had recently been replaced!), I tried to see if anyone around had jumper cables to get it started so that I could take it to the dealership, two miles down the road.  I then called the dealership to see if they could send someone down, but they were preparing to close (early Saturday hours), so they had no one to spare, and told me they'd check it if I could get it towed there in 30 minutes.  They reminded of the car's 5-year free road service towing, and I called..."We can have someone there in 40 minutes"...too late, but at least I could have the car taken there for a Monday check.  Meanwhile, conveniently I noticed a car rental agency two doors away...it was preparing to close...but they had a car...$70 plus fees til Monday...instead I decided to call Mom to borrow her car later.

After fifty minutes, two men pulled up in a blazer.  They asked for my driver's license for identification, and then attempted to "jump start" the battery to no avail, told me to call back to the road "service" to get a tow truck, and left.  "It will take 90 more minutes for the tow truck to arrive"...After 2 hours with no arrival (and nearly giving up on the dealer's service), I called another club membership road service out and requested a tow truck again. From them, another mechanic arrived that once again tried to jump the battery and after also failing, said the starter must be defective, and that the vehicle would have to be towed!  I called back to the first group that informed that their requested truck was running behind and would arrive in yet another forty minutes!  With each periodic automated calls would come to question if I still wanted "service"...but then my new cell phone battery ( I had three new cell phones in the last few months in an attempt to get one with a battery that would hold a charge!) was dying!  So as it had been determined that the car battery was still working, I sat in the hot car with the phone plugged into the car receptacle.  Then, I realized that my driver's license was missing!  The first mechanics left with it!  I was able to track down the guys who didn't remember taking it, so it was gone, so I had no license for the weekend, while possible my identity was being stolen, and nothing could be done until Monday!  I called the County police to report the theft, and they informed that after 911 they no longer were dealing with stolen licenses!

After 6 hours the tow truck arrived!  I asked why they had taken so long and they said that they had been sent about an hour north for another car, and that they were "slammed" with cars that needed towing!"..."For $100 we can take your car down to the lake, dump it in, and give you a form for insurance to get a new one, Bud!"  They loaded the car and took it the two miles to the closed dealership.  The key deposit box had no pen to fill in my information...

A friend picked me up and drove me to get Mom's car to use for the rest of the weekend.  I drove home, parked out front (I had the garage door opener in the other car), plugged in the phone to continue charging it, showered, had  a quick salad, and as the day of chores had been  a "wash", I decided to go the outdoor "Italian Fest" concert.  As soon as I opened the front door, it started to POUR, and my umbrellas were in the other car too!  So that idea was literally "washed out" and was not going to happen!  After the rain slowed, I decided to try to salvage the day with some chores!  I left to fill Mom's car with gas and the pump was broken.  I went to the grocery store, and got food for the week.  I drove home to a dark house...the exterior bulbs had burned out!  I got out and dropped the dozen eggs on the concrete!  I went inside to get replacement bulbs and when I unscrewed the fixture lenses, I broke the plastic fixture covers!  I went inside and started to boil some water with spaghetti, and the pot "boiled over"!

Then I REALLY gave up..."best laid plans can't always occur when fate has alternatives!"