A lesson learned; don’t put off getting preventive vaccinations

Some people have told me that they missed my columns during January. I appreciate that. However, due to my illness I wasn’t up to writing any.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

My wife and I are into preventive health. We have taken all covid shots that are available, flu shots, shingles, you name it, we try to stay ahead. However, were going to get the RSV shots, but RSV got us first.

Everybody at this office but iron man Trevor has been sick with RSV and colds. Mark White coughed so hard that he passed out and his wife had to take him to the ER at the hospital. But warrior Mark, like all the rest of the staff worked to get the paper out each week.

A couple of weeks ago it got so bad that I told Linda, our office manager, on a Thursday afternoon to put a sign on the door stating that we were closed due to illness and for all staff to work from home on Friday if they felt like it.

But for me I’m much older than the rest of the staff and the illness seemed to hit me the hardest. For three weeks I suffered to the point where my wife said that she didn’t know whether to take me to the hospital or to the funeral home.

Thankfully, my wife Judy prevented me from getting to the point of no return. She kept insisting that I should go to the doctor but I didn’t follow her advice. She then, on her own, called the doctor and made arrangements for me to see him.

It was a good thing that she did. The doctor said I had pneumonia. He went into action immediately and I was supplied with medicine and a breathing machine. They also did the test for RSV which was positive.

Unfortunately RSV is contagious and I gave it to my wife. Thus both of us were sick, but she is the stronger of the two and fared better than me. I am back at work now, but at about 90 percent. I am still weak from the virus.

Here is the lesson that all older people should learn from situations like this. Don’t put off getting preventive shots for the flu, pneumonia, RSV  and all the other preventive diseases. Had I had the RSV vaccine I would not have suffered for three weeks.

While I was away I had intentions of writing about the good work the Corbin Public Works did with the snow removal. Our street, like many others in town, were scraped and made passable.

Also, over a month ago Corbin City Manager Marlon Sams had the crew out on Highway 770 in Laurel County picking up the trash that collects there so heavily. Already that area from the junction of 312 to the Interstate bridge is filling up again. There seems to be some people who don’t care about the beauty of our area and use it as a trash deposit. It would help if Laurel County would pitch in and help with the cleanup.

Thanks Marlon and Happy Birthday!