In recent years I went legally blind, with rare subcapsular posterior cataracts, but thank God artificial lenses implanted gave me 20/20 vision back!
Oh and I'm Type 2 diabetic for years.
Then I had reconstructive surgery on my stomach and intestines. 2019
I had been basically crippled for a couple of years, so I had a total hip replacement . FESTIVE! 2020
Then, I had 2 stents put into my heart. 2022.
Then because the cardiologist said I HAD TO TAKE BABY ASPIRIN, after the stents, although my surgeon who did my stomach told me I could never take aspirin again in my life due to the procedure, I woke up one morning and fainted walking my dog and spent 4 days in an ER, on an examining table, no bed, because I was totally bleeding out internally...because of aspirin. 2022
Then, Christmas 2022, I bent down to turn off my vacuum cleaner, and I couldn't get up. Paralyzed from the waist down for 3 months because my L4/L5 ruptured.
Finally had spinal surgery with titanium parts put into me and I walk as good as new. 2023
Then because of mysterious heartbeats, I have a MERLIN device implanted in my chest above my heart to send info 24 hours a day to my doctor. 2023
Then the MERLIN info determines that I have AFIB, and so to greatly lessen the chance of strokes, I had surgery to implant a WATCHMAN device inside my heart, which permanently seals off my left atrial appendage, where apparently 95% of strokes originate. LAA is sort of like the appendix, basically useless. This also let me stop being on 2 blood thinners which is ultra dangerous, you can bleed out just from a slight accident. 2024
Why am I mentioning all this?
Well, a lot of these operations had a LOT of pain involved, especially my back injury and the sort of Civil War surgery they do for a hip replacement. I'm used to pain.
But when I asked various friends about the shingles shot, one woman said , very emphatically "IT'S THE ONLY WAY MEN CAN LEARN WHAT CHILDBIRTH FEELS LIKE!"
So I was at CVS later that week for my first shot!
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