Immunization. Check.
So I leave for Tanzania in about a month and a week. Today I had to get my last immunization for the trip, which was a Yellow Fever shot.
Yes. Yellow Fever.
Had anyone told me a few years ago, "Hey, so you're going to go on a mission project trip to Tanzania and you have to get at least 2 shots before you go..." I would have said, "Yeah, no. I don't do trips where I have to get immunized"
I hate shots. HATE them. Like I still try to talk the doctor out of them when I have to get one. And let's not even start when he has to draw blood. I've been known to say (a time or three), "Didn't you just get my blood last year? I don't think it's changed." The only reason I don't have a tattoo is because I cannot stand the thought of a needle jabbing into my skin over and over and over again. And yes, I know that after a while you "don't feel it" but I don't care. I can barely handle the prick that goes into my skin when the needle meets it's point. I still will never understand with all of the brilliance in modern medicine how we have not figured out a way to get the immunization into the bloodstream w/o using a needle.
All that to say...I have successfully been immunized to the point where I'm wondering if I've missed any? I feel like with the Yellow Fever shot that's kind of my ticket to go into any country and be OK. I feel the same way about the Polio and Typhoid shots. "Bring it on disease! I'm immunized!"
And I have to admit that once the shot was done, it was a great relief. I felt like I could start to really get excited about the trip and the kids who're going with me.
Of course in about two weeks or so, we have to start on our Malaria meds. But there's no needles with that. We all just might be violently ill for a few days.
Still, I'd rather be violently ill than have malaria.
Yes. Yellow Fever.
Had anyone told me a few years ago, "Hey, so you're going to go on a mission project trip to Tanzania and you have to get at least 2 shots before you go..." I would have said, "Yeah, no. I don't do trips where I have to get immunized"
I hate shots. HATE them. Like I still try to talk the doctor out of them when I have to get one. And let's not even start when he has to draw blood. I've been known to say (a time or three), "Didn't you just get my blood last year? I don't think it's changed." The only reason I don't have a tattoo is because I cannot stand the thought of a needle jabbing into my skin over and over and over again. And yes, I know that after a while you "don't feel it" but I don't care. I can barely handle the prick that goes into my skin when the needle meets it's point. I still will never understand with all of the brilliance in modern medicine how we have not figured out a way to get the immunization into the bloodstream w/o using a needle.
All that to say...I have successfully been immunized to the point where I'm wondering if I've missed any? I feel like with the Yellow Fever shot that's kind of my ticket to go into any country and be OK. I feel the same way about the Polio and Typhoid shots. "Bring it on disease! I'm immunized!"
And I have to admit that once the shot was done, it was a great relief. I felt like I could start to really get excited about the trip and the kids who're going with me.
Of course in about two weeks or so, we have to start on our Malaria meds. But there's no needles with that. We all just might be violently ill for a few days.
Still, I'd rather be violently ill than have malaria.
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