Flu Shot - 'Tis the Season.
I am a sucker.
Every time a free flu shot is offered through my place of employment, I always get one. And every time I get one, I always get sick a few weeks later.
So why do I keep getting them? This is what The Husband asks me each time...
"I am getting a flu shot tomorrow at work," I sez to him.
"Why the hell are you doing that?" he demands to know.
"Because it's free," I justify.
"But you always get sick, and we're about to be traveling," he sez.
"Yeah," I agree with him. "But it's like when they make my drink wrong at Starbucks... They give me both the correct drink and the one they made wrong. And I end up drinking some of both if I can't get anyone to take the wrong one."
"It's free, so why not take advantage of it?"
Funny enough, though... I almost decided against getting one at the last second. The nurse who came by our office to give them to us was really late. And when she showed up, we were all a little scared of her. She was an elderly nurse. And I offered to be the first one to get the shot.
I walk into the room, which has glass windows so everyone can see into it. She makes me sign some paperwork and a sheet for her records...
"No, I am not pregnant. No I am not allergic to eggs or chickens. No I have never had a bad reaction to a flu shot before." (Other than catching the flu.)
She begins to shove her chubby fingers, covered in huge rings, into latex gloves. She gets one hand in, and she starts putting the other glove on... Then her cell phone rings. She answers it and grumbles something in it. Apparently, it was her boss. She hangs up after the conversation. Then she speaks to me...
"That was my boss," she said, annoyed. "She was calling to see where I was. I don't know what she was complaining about though. I am only 30 minutes late today."
Oh dear.
"She is perpetually late?" I ask myself. "If she's careless with medical appointments, do I really trust her enough to inject me properly?"
"Come here darling," she beckons me. "Which arm do you want it in?"
I pause for a second. I look out the window to one of the girls in the office who had taken one look at the nurse and decided, "Yeah, I am not going to get one after all."
The chicken.
I bravely tell the nurse I get them in my left arm, since I use my right arm to write.
She swabs my arm, and then punches it with needle. She clamps down and pushes the vaccine into my flesh. She pulls the needle out, and wipes down the area.
A stream of blood starts trickling out of the teeny-tiny hole in my muscle. I wait for her to wipe it down again and give me a Band-aid.
She does nothing.
"Can I get a Band-aid for this, please?" I ask.
"Oh!" she says, crustily at me. "You want a Band-aid?"
"Um, please?" I ask her.
She slaps one on. It was bit difficult for her to peel back the edges of the Band-aid because her fingers didn't seem nimble enough to do it.
So far, I am fine. But who knows whether or not I will get sick in the next few days.
Every time a free flu shot is offered through my place of employment, I always get one. And every time I get one, I always get sick a few weeks later.
So why do I keep getting them? This is what The Husband asks me each time...
"I am getting a flu shot tomorrow at work," I sez to him.
"Why the hell are you doing that?" he demands to know.
"Because it's free," I justify.
"But you always get sick, and we're about to be traveling," he sez.
"Yeah," I agree with him. "But it's like when they make my drink wrong at Starbucks... They give me both the correct drink and the one they made wrong. And I end up drinking some of both if I can't get anyone to take the wrong one."
"It's free, so why not take advantage of it?"
Funny enough, though... I almost decided against getting one at the last second. The nurse who came by our office to give them to us was really late. And when she showed up, we were all a little scared of her. She was an elderly nurse. And I offered to be the first one to get the shot.
I walk into the room, which has glass windows so everyone can see into it. She makes me sign some paperwork and a sheet for her records...
"No, I am not pregnant. No I am not allergic to eggs or chickens. No I have never had a bad reaction to a flu shot before." (Other than catching the flu.)
She begins to shove her chubby fingers, covered in huge rings, into latex gloves. She gets one hand in, and she starts putting the other glove on... Then her cell phone rings. She answers it and grumbles something in it. Apparently, it was her boss. She hangs up after the conversation. Then she speaks to me...
"That was my boss," she said, annoyed. "She was calling to see where I was. I don't know what she was complaining about though. I am only 30 minutes late today."
Oh dear.
"She is perpetually late?" I ask myself. "If she's careless with medical appointments, do I really trust her enough to inject me properly?"
"Come here darling," she beckons me. "Which arm do you want it in?"
I pause for a second. I look out the window to one of the girls in the office who had taken one look at the nurse and decided, "Yeah, I am not going to get one after all."
The chicken.
I bravely tell the nurse I get them in my left arm, since I use my right arm to write.
She swabs my arm, and then punches it with needle. She clamps down and pushes the vaccine into my flesh. She pulls the needle out, and wipes down the area.
A stream of blood starts trickling out of the teeny-tiny hole in my muscle. I wait for her to wipe it down again and give me a Band-aid.
She does nothing.
"Can I get a Band-aid for this, please?" I ask.
"Oh!" she says, crustily at me. "You want a Band-aid?"
"Um, please?" I ask her.
She slaps one on. It was bit difficult for her to peel back the edges of the Band-aid because her fingers didn't seem nimble enough to do it.
So far, I am fine. But who knows whether or not I will get sick in the next few days.
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