[2021-07-28] An ounce of prevention
I spent the day in bed.
Yesterday, I had vaccines against shingles and pneumonia. Like the vaccine against COVID-19, vaccines against shingles and pneumonia reduce my risk of contracting those illnesses or their severity if I do develop them.
In March 2020, I developed what might have been a mild case of shingles. My body ached; I had to sleep with ice packs on my left leg to dull the pain. And even though my body aches today, it's nothing like the pain I faced last year.
The nurse who administered my vaccines yesterday said that I would feel rough for 3-5 days. I hadn't realized that when I requested the vaccines. But I wasn't going to back out, having gone to the trouble of acquiring the drugs from my pharmacy.
I believe in preventive medicine. For instance, had I known about my faulty BRCA2 gene, I would have taken steps to reduce my risk of developing ovarian cancer. But I didn't. However, knowing what I know now, I can take action to reduce my risk of breast cancer.
Having had cancer, I'm even more attuned to preventing illness. I realize that I'm not invincible. So I eat well, don't smoke or drink, wear sunscreen, exercise, go for tests, and see my healthcare professionals regularly. As Benjamin Franklin said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
