I was discharged from the hospital on November 27, 2009 to recover at home from my near-death health crisis. I continued to be my surgeon's patient until 2011. When I was brought in to the General on November 4, 2009, I had a severe case of pneumonia. Once I was released, my doctor desperately wanted me to get a pneumonia vaccination.
He advocated to get it for me, and even sent me off to the General's Infections and Disease Control Department where I had multiple interviews with the medical staff there, including the doctor whose last name was Angel. They were fascinated by my story, my near-death and survival. But in the end, I was too young and they concluded that it likely wouldn't be effective for me at that time. They left it to me, but advised against it, much to my surgeon's frustration.
Unfortunately my surgeon died several years ago. I wish I could tell him that today, finally I had a pneumonia vaccination, Prevnar 20. At 59 with a "lung history" and diabetes, I am now fully eligible for the vaccination. It is apparently a lifetime vaccine. Pneumonia is painful and scary. If you are eligible for a vaccination, do it as soon as you can.
Prevnar 20 isn't covered by my health insurance or the Ontario Health Insurance Program, but there are two other pneumonia vaccines that are. In Ontario, you have to get a prescription from your doctor, go to the pharmacy to fill the prescription, and either get the doctor to give you the injection or get it done by the pharmacist, which costs another $20 here.
I am highly relieved to be vaccinated against pneumonia. I think those are all the vaccinations I am getting in 2022, but if need be, I'll get more. Whatever it takes to stay safe and healthy.
I am very grateful to my surgeon for saving my life and for his attempts to keep me safe afterward. He and his medical team worked hard keeping me alive in 2009 on the operating table.
I like to think that he'd be happy at all my efforts to stay healthy and live a good, long life. He did give me a forty-year warranty back then, so I still have a long time to go, all being well.
On Giving Tuesday, I would highly recommend you give to a hospital foundation if you can. Here's the link for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.