EDIT: The two part shingles vaccine is new. You can read about it here. It’s supposed to be over 97% effective and good for 5 – 7 years, though it’s too new to know for sure but it may be effective longer.
As we all get older, our friends are getting older and it seems every day I’m hearing of someone suffering with shingles. We’ve been meaning to get one and that was on my list of things to talk to the doctor about but with everything happening with Vince when I went to the doctor, I never looked at my list. Luckily, I remembered everything else.
Yesterday when Vince got out of the hospital and went to get his Rx filled, they only had two pills for one of them and it’s something he takes twice a day so they told him they would have more in today. We went back today to get the rest of them. There’s a walk in clinic in the pharmacy area so Vince asked the pharmacist if I could get a shingles vaccine at the clinic and he said “I can give them too!” He talked to Vince about what had happened to him and about what meds he was taking and said it would be ok for him to get one too. Just as he was fixing to stick me, the pharmacist said “And you’ll come back in 2 – 6 months for the second vaccine!” What? Two? I was moaning and whining and Vince said “It’s better than having shingles!” Yes, it is but I think we’ve seen enough medical professionals in the last few days to last us a while.
As far as Vince’s followup, we thought he was going to be able to have the sleep study done tomorrow but the insurance didn’t approve it in time so it will be mid-March before he can get that done. Still waiting for an appointment with a cardiologist. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to be in a critical state and have to wait and wait to get things done. Too many sick people, too few doctors and too much bureaucracy/red tape.
About the sleep study . . it seems like once the insurance company approves the sleep study, everything else should just happen. No. The results go to someone to read. Then they go to the doctor, then he has to send them to the insurance company and they approve whichever cpap type machine Vince can get. Weeks . . not days! It just seems like everything is harder than it should be. We did have our blood pressure checked while we were out. Mine was 107/71. It’s a good thing mine is always low . . with all this going on, I’d probably be way over the limits for normal.
We still have to go out one more time today but then I hope we’re able to stay home for days and days . . and that I can knit and knit!
Dottie says
Thinking about y’all and hope you have a calm weekend….hoping Vince is feeling/doing better.
Linda says
I had the shingles vaccine a few years ago and nothing was said about going back for a second. Hope Vince is feeling much better. Have a good and restful weekend.
Tina in NJ says
The one they got was just approved. The older shingles vaccine, Zostervax, is about 60% effective. The one Judy and Vince just got is much more effective. I’ll be talking to my doctor about the new one next time I see her.
Teri says
I have not heard about going twice for the shingles vaccine either.
Hope Vince is feeling better and all gets worked out.
Sherrill Pecere says
Yikes! I hadn’t heard about the two parter either..definitely will look into that! I also know too many people who have suffered greatly with the shingles even after the vaccine.
Sue Edberg says
I had my annual physical 2 weeks ago and my doctor, who has been telling me to get the shingles shot for several years, told me to wait since the new shingles shot is so new and they really don’t have many statistic on it yet. So I have decided to wait for now. It is also more expensive than the old one!
Carol says
yep, welcome to the world of waiting and waiting and waiting. it was a several month process for me to have the 2-part in-lab sleep study, get results, etc etc – maybe 3 months – to finally get machine–and I don’t even have sleep apnea! it’s for another issue!
Joyce in Oregon says
Girl, you really know how to live it up! A few years ago I had a sleep study done and the doctor told me then that most sleep apnea issues are caused by acid reflux issues. Yep, got my acid reflux under control and my apnea greatly improved. Who knew? Glad you guys are getting everything checked out and you can get back to the serious work of knitting. 🙂
Annie O says
Zostavax was the original shingles vaccine and gave about 50% reduction in chance of getting shingles. The new Shingrix vaccine is a two part shot, 2-6 months apart and has much higher percent reduction in chance of shingles outbreak. The Zostavax will be discontinued. The unknown part is how much insurance will pay—-many carriers did not cover the Zostavax cost of about $200.
Judy Laquidara says
It was $180 per vaccine ($360 for the two parts) and our insurance paid it all. The pharmacy called and verified before we did it. The pharmacist said he thought Medicare Part D will cover it too.
Rebecca in SoCal says
I recently had my physical three days before my 60th birthday (when insurance would cover shingles vaccine–even though I’ve had them.) Had a follow-up appointment a few weeks later, and was to get it then, but she said “not today!” That was because they had gotten (approval for? supply of?) the new one, but it wasn’t actually available yet. Anyway, I made an appointment just for that, and my arm is still tender. That’s when I found out I need another. Two to six months is a bit of a spread! Hope I remember.
The birthday timing just was not ideal. I had to renew my driver license, three weeks before the new, nationally acceptable “True ID” licenses were implemented. I figured I’d rather pay another $35 if I want that than drive three weeks without a license!
Sandy Kahler says
I do have sleep apnea. My machine reads out that I need a new machine it is on its last leg . I have Medicare then private insurance . The test was ordered in Jan and just was approved by the insurance co.today March 1. Medicare will not order me a new machine until I have the sleep study. I have had sleep apnea for 30 years . I guess I could hope this illness went away but I doubt it. Insurance is no fun at all.
cassews says
Hope Vince is doing better and you can knit and relax before too long…
Pat says
The entire sleep apnea experience is frustrating so just be prepared. First thing you ought to know is that Vince will have a probationary period where they (Big Brother) will watch him to make sure he uses it at least 4 hours per night. At the end of the probation period you have to take the disk out of the machine so they can read it. I think you can miss 4 days/month but don’t quote me on that. If you do not use the machine enough, you are “not in compliance” and they will take it away. Fortunately, you don’t have to wear the big face mask any more, you can get a unit that has a piece by your nose that blows air up your nose all night. The machine will tell you how many times you stop breathing per hour, etc. If he is waking up with headaches, he will definitely feel better. I don’t feel rested when I wake up but I have issues from a car accident. My husband was supposed to get a CPAP but he ended up in the ER every time they tried to fit him. Since then, he got both Type I and Type II diabetes (very rare) and lost 40 lbs and doesn’t snore any more. Good luck with the whole process. I was warned that Apria is an company to avoid but I don’t know what you have available in Texas.
Janice says
My mother had the worst case of shingles that her doctor had ever seen. She had blister across her abdomen and under her breasts, up over her shoulders, all around her neck and in her hair. She was in incredible pain and nothing helped She had nerve pain in all those areas until the day she died, which was 5 years later. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. As soon as we could my husband and I both got the zostavax shot. I didn’t care what it cost we were getting it. I don’t know if a person can get the new vaccine if you’ve already had the old one. I’m going to find out though, the more protection the better.
Wanda says
My dear hubby now can’t sleep without his cpap. We even \took to this hospital stay. They didn’t let him use his but he can’t us theirs it makes to much noise is never quiet. Ours he gets in sink and you never know he is on it.He sleeps better and so do I now. He doesn’t wake up every 45 seconds like before . But you Get use to IT and cant Take A Nap In Recliner anymore . So that might be a win\win in spokespeople book of you know what I mean.
montanaclarks says
I’m going to check into the new shingles vaccine too–I don’t want shingles! I paid through the nose for my first one as I was “too young” for my insurance to pay but I wanted it and just paid out of pocket–$250. When Mike was so sick in 2010 his health care providers insisted he have the shingles vaccine–maybe he needs the new one too!???
Carolyn says
Thank you for getting the shingles shot and please make a note to get the booster! I had shingles 6 years ago for the first time. I wasn’t old enough for the shot. (I’m still not!) It left me with constant, excruciating pain around my ribcage and in my trigeminal nerve on my face on the left side. I’ve had shingles 5 or 6 more times since that first outbreak, sometimes with the rash, sometimes without. As of now, almost every nerve on the left side of my body is affected. Some are worse than others, but my trigeminal nerve is the worst. I live on Percocet and was approved for medical marijuana in October, which does help some. At least it helps me sleep. I still work full time, but when I go home I crash. It has completely changed my life. I do very little knitting or sewing anymore because the pain is so distracting. The meds have made it difficult to memorize a knitting pattern. Everything is a struggle. My husband has had to take over almost all of the household chores. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone! So, thanks for getting the shot and sparing yourself…I tend to preach to others about getting vaccinated for shingles! Rant over!! 🙂
Kathleen says
I hate how we have to wait to make a doctor appointment. I remember the days when my primary doctor thought I needed to see a specialist, she would give me the name and number and I’d call that day. Not anymore. The primary doctor sends a referral to the specialist (that takes a few days). The specialist office contacts the insurance comapny. (more days). Then they call me to make an appointment that will be weeks away. Why can’t I make the appointment while they are waiting on insurance since they have such a long waiting list anyway? I used to think our system was better than Canada’s because of their wait times. But we now have long wait times too. Something needs to change!
Terri Schanz says
I have severe sleep apnea. I had my sleep study several years ago. Halfway through the night they put me on a CPAP with oxygen. My doctor had the results 2 days later and I had my CPAP within a week. It shouldn’t take long for insurance approval. THe sleep study results are pretty cut and dried when diagnosing sleep apnea. You either have it or you don’t. I’ve been trying to talk my husband into having a sleep study, but he won’t because he says even if he does have sleep apnea, he will not wear a CPAP. It took some getting used to for me, but I was persistent and after a couple of weeks I was fine. I wear mine every night all night and during naps too.
Nancy says
Both my husband and oldest daughter are Polysomnographic techs. (aka. Sleep Techs) The insurance is no fun on their part either. My husband is now retired but our daughter still works in the field. The clinic that she scores for wants a 24 hour turn around on the sleep studies. This is an attempt to speed up the process of getting a machine to people who need it. Her other job is as a DME at a company that supplies the equipment once it is approved. I hear all the nightmares of the insurance issues. I have said for years that insurance companies are practicing medicine without a license. It became so much worse when Obamacare started. And once folks hit Medicare age it degrades again. And lord help you if you get approved, get your machine and then to not get back into the doctor within the timeline for medicare compliance. You will be returning that machine whether you need it or not.