Shots

So, for that magnificent vacation that we have planned to Peru and Ecuador, we had to get some immunizations. Safety first! We went to the travel clinic at the best hospital I've ever walked into, Mt Auburn in Cambridge, MA, where they promptly shot us up with Yellow Fever vaccine, an MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot - evidently they're not so confident in the ones we got in the early 70's, Hepatitis A, and tetanus/diphtheria boosters. Jeepers.

So, I didn't eat before we went and almost passed out. Not from the pain or even getting shot up. This lady knew what to do with a needle, I barely felt a thing. I just got really dizzy. I recovered from that just fine with a little food. Went to work. Where I promptly began to suffer really bad hip pain, back pain, and stiffness of the joints. I kinda thought I might feel under the weather, but I wasn't expecting that. I also wasn't planning to work until 7:10, but I did.

We got about 35 pages of info when we went in there. Yesterday I finally read them. Evidently I'm one of the 25% of women who experience this with some of the shots, and it's nothing serious, it'll go away. I think having 4 Big Ones on the same day had something to do with it.

They also packed us up a bunch of scripts for antibiotics, malaria prevention pills, and altitude sickness preventative medication. Jeepers. I've barely been to the doctor twice in the last 5 years, and now I have more meds than I've taken in 15 years!

I guess I'll take the warnings pretty seriously. Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it! And lots of deet in the jungle.

Oh yeah, and don't fall off a cliff or get hit by a car.

Comments

alan said…
When I was in boot camp they gave us a round of 13 or 14 shots, I have no idea what they all were! I have often wondered if I requested my records if they would even list them!

All good advice and planning it sounds like. Memory cards are in order I'm sure as well, as well as batteries. I'm not sure about AC voltage converters...I know if you go to Europe you need them...

I "know" a Master's student, a diabetic who went to England last summer to address a Virginia Woolf conference and had to take her insulin with her, but was only allowed to carry on "her normal dose". A lot of good that might be if you get stuck on a runway somewhere for hours! (Sorry, still mad about that one!)

Better to take something you don't need than not have it when you do!

Forgive my scarcity of late; I think of you often and appreciate so much each kind word you've left for me!

alan
Anonymous said…
Must be genetic. When your father and I were preparing for our honeymoon abroad, we had to undergo three sets of shots. I got violently ill each time.
Chris Curtin said…
Are you feeling better?

Don't forget your sunscreen ;-)

When are you guys going?

Chris
HAR said…
That must have been a tad frightening? My friends spend a lot of time traveling during the year and they need all kinds of shots as well.
I absolutely agree, safety first.
Kimberly said…
I am big proponent of vaccinations, but stories like this make me uneasy nonetheless. Hope you're feeling better now.

When we went to Tunisia the doctor gave me prescription for pills to use in case I experienced "explosive diarrhea." Fortunately, I didn't need them!

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