Immunizations
Well this definitely was one part of the prep that I was not looking forward to. I think some of you may be wondering as you look at the pictures in this post why I appear to be such a baby about getting my immunizations. Perhaps I'll share some of my immunization background.
The last needle I (Jon) had was when I was 19, and perhaps my recall doesn't serve me well but I don't remember it being a very pleasant experience. Let me think...I remember filing through in a long line of other guys my age who were probably also anxiously wondering what lay ahead for them, and the line was moving along quite briskly. I didn't hear any screaming up ahead or anything, but then again I probably wasn't paying much attention to that since my thoughts were consumed with psyching myself out. As I got closer to the action I realized why the line was moving so quickly. It turns out what I envisioned as being a nice gentle nurse with a short, little, thin needle, held in nice controlled hands, was actually what turned out to be a fairly agressive arm-stabbing psycho-nurse. She was driving those needles so far into those shoulders that it looked more like she was punching them as they went by. Again, maybe it's the trauma that has skewed my memory. Anyways, all I remember at that point was suddenly it was my turn to get punched, so I braced myself. The needle looked so huge that I wondered if I was in the right line. Perhaps this was the line intended for farmers to bring livestock in for cattle steroids or rabies immunizations for elephants. As the harpoon-sized needle went in I felt a surge of pain shoot throughout my entire body and I thought I was done for. I looked up at her angry blood-shot eyes and I just sobbed inside as she threw her head back forcefully and let out an ear-piercing cackle. Then, it was over, I just received my first tetanus shot (that I remember).
Anyways, that's all beside the point, the point is that now I had to do it again, but now SIX TIMES in a ROW!!! Since I had to go first I thought it only wise of me to tell the nurse a little of my previous experience, hoping she might have some measure of mercy upon my tattered soul and forever bruised shoulder. I made the logical suggestion that I lay down just in case I fainted.
What finally ensued was not at all what I expected, nor remembered from my previous immunization experience. I think this time the difference simply was having a super amazingly skilled nurse with lots of experience with post-traumatic needle-syndromed victims like myself. Some of the needles I hardly even felt, they were like little mosquito bites compared to the lethal injections from the disease-slaying vaccinator I have such vivid memories of.
Then it was Dana's turn. Dana doesn't like needles, but I think that's as far as it goes for her. She just sat there like it was no big deal as I lay there on the nurse couch still expecting something terrible to happen to me. I think she gets paler thinking about needles than she does by actually getting them. She got her third out of three done and I realized I should probably sit up before I looked too overly wimpy. I got some pictures of Dana "looking" like she was in pain afterwards which made me feel a little better (such a sweety) even though she was only pretending.
And that was that!! It was over!! Wow, after that I feel like I could do anything, although I think needles are the least of my worries at this point, there are a lots more things to overcome in the future, like giant malaria-carrying mosquitos and wild Alpacas and guinea pig eating, but hey, it was a good start...
The last needle I (Jon) had was when I was 19, and perhaps my recall doesn't serve me well but I don't remember it being a very pleasant experience. Let me think...I remember filing through in a long line of other guys my age who were probably also anxiously wondering what lay ahead for them, and the line was moving along quite briskly. I didn't hear any screaming up ahead or anything, but then again I probably wasn't paying much attention to that since my thoughts were consumed with psyching myself out. As I got closer to the action I realized why the line was moving so quickly. It turns out what I envisioned as being a nice gentle nurse with a short, little, thin needle, held in nice controlled hands, was actually what turned out to be a fairly agressive arm-stabbing psycho-nurse. She was driving those needles so far into those shoulders that it looked more like she was punching them as they went by. Again, maybe it's the trauma that has skewed my memory. Anyways, all I remember at that point was suddenly it was my turn to get punched, so I braced myself. The needle looked so huge that I wondered if I was in the right line. Perhaps this was the line intended for farmers to bring livestock in for cattle steroids or rabies immunizations for elephants. As the harpoon-sized needle went in I felt a surge of pain shoot throughout my entire body and I thought I was done for. I looked up at her angry blood-shot eyes and I just sobbed inside as she threw her head back forcefully and let out an ear-piercing cackle. Then, it was over, I just received my first tetanus shot (that I remember).
Anyways, that's all beside the point, the point is that now I had to do it again, but now SIX TIMES in a ROW!!! Since I had to go first I thought it only wise of me to tell the nurse a little of my previous experience, hoping she might have some measure of mercy upon my tattered soul and forever bruised shoulder. I made the logical suggestion that I lay down just in case I fainted.
What finally ensued was not at all what I expected, nor remembered from my previous immunization experience. I think this time the difference simply was having a super amazingly skilled nurse with lots of experience with post-traumatic needle-syndromed victims like myself. Some of the needles I hardly even felt, they were like little mosquito bites compared to the lethal injections from the disease-slaying vaccinator I have such vivid memories of.
And that was that!! It was over!! Wow, after that I feel like I could do anything, although I think needles are the least of my worries at this point, there are a lots more things to overcome in the future, like giant malaria-carrying mosquitos and wild Alpacas and guinea pig eating, but hey, it was a good start...
Ha!! Too funny Jon!!! You do look rather pathetic, although I ALWAYS lay down for all of my blood gathering experiences so I'm with you on the fainting idea. Dana does have a trace of fear in those eyes though!
ReplyDeleteI know, every time I look at these pictures I think, "man, why was I being such a baby about it?". I think six needles at once has at least partially cured my needle phobia, hopefully.
ReplyDelete