cb

Don’t think twice about me being jumped – especially by him. I’ve been swimming in the deep end for a long time now.

Sorry to hear about the spleen. You need that somewhat. A flu shot might be helpful to you. I never get them because I never get sick. Well, rarely get sick. Even though I shake hands all day at least twice a week.

Thanks for the well wishes.

A pin cushion huh? No fun in that. Maybe I’ve been lucky or foolish, but I’ve made 18 trips (about a month each) to Japan, Israel, and Afghanistan without any shots. My last trip was in 2003. Sometimes I think Doctors are over precautious.

Since my spleen has been removed due to a fall, I’ve been thinking about getting a flu shot as at 75, my get-up-and go has about got-up and went.

I hadn’t thought about that, but it’s a good word. At least I’ll know that I can’t give blood when we host our next blood drive. The only shot I didn’t get is the one for Japanese Encephalitis, which is something that the CDC says is prone to where we are going – but not during the time when we are going. That is also a three shot series that I hear is pretty expensive. I will probably have that series when I come back so I will be good to go again regardless of the time of year I go.

Blessings on you as you prepare to travel to Vietnam. I trust that the feeling of being a pin cushion will pass quickly. I’ve had all of the series that you mentioned above plus yellow fever. We weren’t in a malaria-prone area so didn’t have to worry about that. The one thing you’ll discover if you haven’t already is that you aren’t eligible to donate blood for up to a year if you’ve traveled outside the US to certain countries, and I’d almost guarantee that Vietnam would be on the list.

I trust that the Lord will richly bless your efforts as you go.