Retiring the Pincushion

For weeks and weeks now my arm has felt like a pincushion. The couple of times I have visited Belize, I haven't bothered with travel shots but since we will be there for an extended period of time we decided to bite the bullet. It started with an initial visit to see what exactly we might need. I thought hep A and B would be sufficient. Right! I wonder if those health nurses are on commission? Brynn and Kori are up to date on their regular immunizations so they need one shot and a trip to the doctor for malaria pills. As for me - three trips for Hep A and B shots and a trip to the doctor for malaria meds. Sounds pretty OK so far. Until you realize that all shots are into the muscle on the arm. OW! Just remember not to reach for anything on the top shelf for a week and don't let anyone touch your arm and you'll be fine. Then I started to feel hard done by. How come I need all these shots and my kids get off pretty much scott free? What can I do to make their lives more miserable (as is every mother's mandate - just ask the teenagers)? I know! There are stray animals everywhere and my kids couldn't leave an animal alone even if it were frothing at the mouth. They should have rabies shots!! I've heard they really hurt!! (evil, maniacal laughter) So I talk to Alfred. He thinks it's a great idea. We should definitely do all we can to protect our family. BUT he thinks I should have them too. I didn't realize that a husband's mandate was to make his wife's life more miserable. Actually it explains a lot. So in some moment of total insanity I agree. Do you know that the rabies vaccine is a bright fuchsia color? And if you hold your arm under a black light after getting the shot, your arm glows? That can't be good! These vaccines really hurt! And we bruise and swell after each shot (there are a series of three). But it will all be worth it when we don't have to fly out to Houston for treatment every time we are licked or bit by a stray, right. WRONG!! What they didn't tell me until we were already into the series (here is more evidence for the commission thing) you still have to go for treatment if a stray slobbers in any way on an open cut or scrape. So why are we going through this torture? So that we can wait a week after contact before we hit Houston instead of having to be there in 5 days. Are you kidding me? A mother's mandate may be to make her kids lives miserable but we draw the line at putting off needed medical care to accommodate a hair appointment. I cannot think of one reason I wouldn't get the kids medical attention as fast as possible. Did I mention that rabies is 100% fatal and that as soon as you start showing symptoms it is too late for treatment? Well it was too late to turn back and we finished the series. Yesterday was our last visit to the travel clinic. Today Brynn's arm looks like it swallowed a baseball and Kori and I can't lift our arms past 90 degrees but it's over!! No more pincushion arms! And one more step closer to Belize!! Only a month to go.