On Wednesday I took the girls to the public health clinic here in town for some vaccinations. Vivi needed to finish up all the early childhood vaccines and Zoey for a tetanus booster and the HPV vaccine. We got there just as they opened for the afternoon. There was one little girl and her mother ahead of us. They were in and out in about fifteen minutes. Then it was our turn.
We went in the little office with the nurse. She explained all about the diseases we were preventing, the possible side effects. She had to see if Vivi was done with one or not. The nurse had to set up in little plastic trays all the vials and syringes. It took some time. There was a bit of build up.
Zoey went first, to set a good example for Vivi. And because Vivi insisted. Zoey was calm. She did shout "Owww!" on the HPV. She said it stung like crazy. While we were finishing up with Zoey the second nurse came in.
Vivi's turn came. She began screaming! "I won't get a shot! Momma, don't let them give me a shot! Don't let them hurt me! Momma, Momma, noooooo!" She climbed me like a monkey. She was screaming in my ear. I was mortified and laughing at the same time. I was trying to soothe her, too. It was so surreal.
I sat in a chair with Vivi clinging to me, face planted in my chest, arms around my neck. One nurse held her arm, the other did the deed. She was screaming. Until the needle went in. Then she was silent. She pulled her head back and looked me in the eye. Surprise written in her face. It was only a little pinch. For the next two vaccines she was much more calm. She thanked the nurses when we were done.
As we left, the waiting room was filled with about a dozen folks. All of them smirking. They heard everything.
12 comments:
Awww, a kiss for Vivi from this side of the world :)
Oh my. I remember hearing my sister screaming her head off when we were kids. It took two nurses, a doctor, and my mother to hold her down. I love your description of Vivi's reaction to actually *getting* the shot. Not as bad as she'd feared. Amazing stuff, fear.
I remember when I was the kids age . . . I always hated getting shots! Even to this day I have a hard time with it!
Hahahahahahahahaha! Yes, that was Jetty a couple years back, just like Vivi... Ah, the good ol' days.
Good for Zoey, both for being a good role model for her little sis and for getting the HPV shot. And a cute photo of them both :)
Hey, Trixie. This immediately made me remember a childhood friend of my daughter... This poor kid was not only deathly afraid of taking a shot, but until this day (age 27) she can't take a pill without hyperventilating.
Vivi did great! My daughter had a few times at the hospital like that. I've been there!
The anticipation is sometimes more horrid than the actual deed. Glad that Vivi pulled herself together. I remember throwing a real tantrum when I was about 9 years old...I'm sure my father was terribly embarrassed. It was the one and only time I acted like that...thank heaven! Vivi won't be so frightened the next time.
Two out of my three daughters face shots with outward calm, then they faint! I had my 15 year old do that to me in the drs office a couple of months ago. I was writing a check for co-pay and down she went like a tree right behind me. Office nurses can move pretty fast when they need to. She was mortified. Daughter number 2 is a stoic, grit your teeth sort, she is pregnant with her first child, so we shall see.
Caroline in South Dakota
Bless her little heart.
I don't know what's worse:
1. When they are old enough to know that it's coming, or
2. When they are babies and all happy....then suddenly feel the needle and their little world falls apart.
You're the best mom ever! Every girl in the world should get the HPV vaccine! Yet I know a few very smart women who for some bizarre reason think their daughter doesn't need it... Why would you not want to prevent your child from getting cancer?
Oh Trixie, I know I shouldn't laugh, but since I don't have any kids, you know I would have been one of the folks smirking in the waiting room. ;-)
I'm glad it ended up not being as bad as Vivi thought it would be.
I hope you all got a chance to stop for a delicious treat somewhere after this painful event....
Lil Sis -- I must confess to more than smirking when I read this. We all love to hear your adventures in real parenting after all your academic explorations when ours were that young.
Please give Vivi a hug from Uncle Bill.
The weirdest reaction to getting a shot came from my 3 year old daughter when she was about a year and a half, or maybe two. She got the shot and said, "again!"
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