Comment by nel on January 6, 2013 at 9:42pm

I have been getting the flu shot since 1983 diagnosis , so does Hubby not living with d . I am age 72 plus , he is 82 plus .I had a tetanus shot in left arm , flu shot in right arm at the same time ( was bitten in hand by dog ) ...the tetanus shot more achy than the flu shot ; I do have a low pain threshold( hubby claims ) ...hubby as usual had no complaints :) ...and I could not open your link Bram

Comment by Judith on January 6, 2013 at 10:06pm

Nel Rules. But it's a great example of our variations. My husband (as an emergency first responder for 30 years) ALWAYS gets a flu shot. I have not had the actual real life AWFUL flu since 1976 and so refuse to "tempt fate" with the vaccine. I don't get one, but am absolutely willing to admit that one year, I might regret that decision.....Roll the dice. Buck up your immune system however you can, whether you have the shot or not!.....Blessings...Judith in Portland

Comment by Terrie on January 7, 2013 at 12:31am

Yes, I've been getting the flu shot for about 9 years now since I almost died from one terrible flu the year before that. The mucus was so thick in my lungs that I couldn't cough it up much or barely breathe. Also I had to sit up to try to sleep. Nothing to fool around with. There have been growing flu cases here since December and going across the country. I think they said on the news that it's one of the worst ones that is included in our vaccine this year. Happy to have the shot. Haven't had the flu since I started the vaccinations, thankfully.
I had no side effects from the vaccination or Tetanus shot but my Hubby and Daughter had the sore arm muscle from the flu shot.

Like Nel, I had the Tetanus shot in the Spring when I hit my head and needed 7 stitches. They offered, I received. :o)

Comment by Teena on January 7, 2013 at 1:28am

Hmm...I could not seem to open the link you provided Bram. Im using Chrome. Maybe its just me? And yes, Ive been having flu shots yearly ( with hubby and dear Mom) since 5 years ago, when I was initially diagnosed with diabetes.

Comment by Brian (bsc) on January 7, 2013 at 4:46am

There are a few key reasons to try to avoid the flu. Having diabetes means that we have weaker immune systems, making us more vulnerable. When we get sick, if we have trouble eating, we can have difficulty managing our blood sugar. And when we get sick, our blood sugar rises. And once we have been knocked to the floor leaking at both ends with high blood sugars, we can get dangerous flu-related complications like pneumonia (many bacteria feed on glucose). So in addition to the flu vaccine, I also try to get the Pneumococcal vaccine.

Comment by Bram on January 7, 2013 at 5:17pm

Hi All - thanks so much for your experiences. Brian - that is a good idea about the Pneumococcal vaccine, I actually hadnt hear of that. Please check out the link below, should be fixed. I sometimes think that I am "healthy enough", but really should plan to get it each year.

target="_blank">http://http://www.trainedbyinsulin.com/1/post/2013/01/sick-season-flu-shot...

Comment by nel on January 8, 2013 at 12:07pm

I have received the Pneumonia vaccine at least 8 years ago and am due for a repeat .
PS Bram Welcome to Vancouver, Canada !!

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