The Battle Continues

One thing's for sure - I could never be an addict, shooting up with needles all the time.  After going through all this treatment, there's no way in hell I could self-puncture myself with even more drugs.  Nuh-uh.  No sir-ee bob.  


Yesterday I had to receive all my vaccines, like Polio, Hepatitis B, Tetanus and one other one I can't remember the name of.  As I sat in the exam room playing Hold'em on my iPhone, the nurse comes walking in with a stack of needles,  eerily reminding me of the doses of meds I'd receive in the hospital.  I tried to recall what it was like to receive these when I was a child.  But no memories surfaced.  I knew the Tetanus shot would make my arm sore, as I have had that one a few times over the years just from being a clumsy ass.  So I politely asked,


"What are these going to make me feel like afterwards?"


Nurse:  "Well, it's hard to tell really.  Everyone reacts differently.  I once had a patient pass out."


Me:  "Whoa, really?"


Nurse:  "Oh yeah!  I left her for a minute after administering them, came back in the room and she was lying face first on the floor."  


At this point, I'm thinking 'oh, that's just freakin' great.'  I start to go over all the medications I'm on in my head, wondering if any of them could cause a reaction like that.  She then starts gloving up and un-capping the needles.  My attention is quickly diverted to her hands.


Nurse:  "We call it the Vaso-vagal.  Happens all the time."  


Seriously?  That's going in my blog, I start thinking.  


I must spread awareness.  Shoot me in the face.  Vaso-vagal?  I don't know what's scarier...people passing out from vaccinations, or that it happens so damn often, there's an inter-office term for it.  She then lifts up my sleeve and,


**poke**
**poke**


Other arm - 


**poke**


Nurse:  "But you'll be fine, don't worry."


**poke**


Me:  "Yeah, next time - lead with that."


She just laughed.  I didn't pass out.  But I elected to stay for a few minutes afterwards just in case.  Needles to say, my arms feel like an old set of 2x4's.  All creaky and aged.  Small price to pay I guess, considering.


Vaso-vagal.  Hmph.