asian bird flu
Flu season has come (or so I'm told) and the flu is popular here every year (again so i'm told). We have the option (maybe not the best choice of words) of getting a flu shot... something I have never done in my life... i never really have a problem with getting sick, and when i do, it only lasts for a few days... i realize that getting sick in another country is crappy, but i'm quite undecided (leaning toward the negative) about this flu shot... could this be in part because of my fear of needles? or maybe my last immunization experience? here's a little excerpt from my description of it:
6:15am Friday, January 23, my alarm went off and I slowly stumbled around my dark room pulling on clothes, trying not to wake my roommate. Out the door I went, not forgetting my stuffed camel, Humphrey. Braving the early morning cold, I met up with 4 other team members, perhaps the "morning" group when we go to Brazil? When Shantelle arrived, we finally embarked upon our expedition, discussing theories on gravity and the nature of light, and whether needles in fact DO hurt. "They're sticking a piece of metal into your flesh, of course it's going to hurt!" That was my sentiment.
At the clinic in Regina we met up with Tara and were soon ushered into a small room to watch a this twenty minute visual masterpiece on travel safety. After this we returned to the waiting room to nervously anticipate our vaccinations (well maybe I was the only nervous one). I was called in first, taking a deep breath and pulling Humphrey out of my bag, I followed the nurse into the small room where the shots would be administered. After lengthy explanations some of which sounded suspiciously like a sales pitch, I decided upon my immunizations and readied myself for the plunge. Closing my eyes and gripping Humphrey tightly, I tried not to cringe as the nurse swabbed my arm and instructed me to take a deep breath, I knew what was coming, and she knew I knew what was coming, and there it was. One down, three to go... After the third needle, everything went black, yes, I had fainted. It wasn't nearly as bad as that time in the mall when I had foolishly decided to get my ear pierced on a whim (I had been standing then, and many, many more witnesses had been around). The nurse gave me some orange juice, and I had to lie down on the floor. By the time I got out of the room, almost everyone else was finished. Now all that was left was to await the final, Yellow Fever shot, one which only lasted for an hour after opening and therefore had to be administered to us all right away. This one was the worst, I could feel the metal in my arm, feel the liquid being injected with a slight burning, tingling feeling. Managing to keep my consciousness, I returned to the waiting room where we prepared to head for lunch.....
oh memories....
6:15am Friday, January 23, my alarm went off and I slowly stumbled around my dark room pulling on clothes, trying not to wake my roommate. Out the door I went, not forgetting my stuffed camel, Humphrey. Braving the early morning cold, I met up with 4 other team members, perhaps the "morning" group when we go to Brazil? When Shantelle arrived, we finally embarked upon our expedition, discussing theories on gravity and the nature of light, and whether needles in fact DO hurt. "They're sticking a piece of metal into your flesh, of course it's going to hurt!" That was my sentiment.
At the clinic in Regina we met up with Tara and were soon ushered into a small room to watch a this twenty minute visual masterpiece on travel safety. After this we returned to the waiting room to nervously anticipate our vaccinations (well maybe I was the only nervous one). I was called in first, taking a deep breath and pulling Humphrey out of my bag, I followed the nurse into the small room where the shots would be administered. After lengthy explanations some of which sounded suspiciously like a sales pitch, I decided upon my immunizations and readied myself for the plunge. Closing my eyes and gripping Humphrey tightly, I tried not to cringe as the nurse swabbed my arm and instructed me to take a deep breath, I knew what was coming, and she knew I knew what was coming, and there it was. One down, three to go... After the third needle, everything went black, yes, I had fainted. It wasn't nearly as bad as that time in the mall when I had foolishly decided to get my ear pierced on a whim (I had been standing then, and many, many more witnesses had been around). The nurse gave me some orange juice, and I had to lie down on the floor. By the time I got out of the room, almost everyone else was finished. Now all that was left was to await the final, Yellow Fever shot, one which only lasted for an hour after opening and therefore had to be administered to us all right away. This one was the worst, I could feel the metal in my arm, feel the liquid being injected with a slight burning, tingling feeling. Managing to keep my consciousness, I returned to the waiting room where we prepared to head for lunch.....
oh memories....
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