...but not the good kind of shots ;)
Figured this huge Peace Corps medical day was enough to warrant a blog post. My day started off with my usual egg sandwich, a great workout, some cleaning, and a trip to the post office. What happens next I do not wish on anyone. The nurse came in with a big lovely smile on her face. "I come bearing gifts!" she said in the most cheerful voice (maybe this is why nurses choose to practice, they get to stick patients with needles every day while they sit back and feel nothing--Chel? thoughts? I'm sure it's fun...) On the nurse's tray were five huge needles--images of some of my battle wounds can be seen below--She went with the tetanus first in my left arm...not so bad. Been there, done that. Next came the polio vaccine in my right arm...this one hurt a little more. After this I hear the nurse say, Now this one is for chicken pox and it goes in the fat of your arm (way to make a girl feel good about herself, lady!)...that one hurt the worst. Not even sure what the next vaccine was, but it was followed by a TB test in my forearm, five vials of blood taken and two urine samples. Following many pokes in my sore arms, my doctor began the usual awkward medical questioning as she filled out the forms Peace Corps requires, which consists of about 20 different sheets of paper (not including my dental and eye prescription forms) My body had had a rough day at that point and I began to think that I deserved another kind of shot...
FINALLY I am able to leave this awfully long doctors visit and, though it can be rough getting so many shots at once (with another thought in the back of my head that I have many more shots to receive in the near future), I had to remind myself that enduring about ten minutes of needles and peeing in cups is WAY better than actually contracting any one of these diseases. Next up, Yellow Fever shot at a travel clinic (pretty soon I'll be a walking immunization) and a few more medical visits to ensure my clean bill of health. Bring it on, World.
Sidenote: Happy first day of July! This is one of my favorite months because it means the fourth is coming up, which means fireworks at my grandparents and many beach days ahead. July also means that this "big bald soldier", Chris Moffett, that stole the hearts of my kindergarteners is coming home SOON. Yay! They'll be happy to hear about his safe return.
T-163 days until staging!
