Flu Shots...(on a lighter note)

Let's just say that Emmett is way braver than both of us combined.  Neither of us have ever gotten a flu shot before. But as an oncology patient, Emmett HAS to get one, and we are strongly encouraged to get one as well.  Our insurance company is designed to make things difficult, however, and the only way they would cover it was if we got them in a doctor's office (Walgreen's "a poke for a bloke" flu shot clinic and Uncle Jack's Garage apparently aren't good enough).  Getting a primary care physician is almost always more trouble than it's worth, and so we opted for the "easy way out" and decided to look for an alternate solution...and boy did we get what was coming to us.

One day while Emmett was inpatient at Children's Hospital Boston we came across a flu shot clinic in the lobby (excuse me, I misspoke -- it's now officially "Boston Children's Hospital" to emphasize Boston, though they're too cheap to change all the decals just yet).  Turns out it was only for staff, and they were too smart to accept my visitor's badge as an employee ID (I did try), but it started wheels turning that perhaps we could get our flu shots in the hospital.

When we were back in Emmett's room we asked if there was any way they could give us flu shots.  With trepidation, the nursing staff acknowledged that they could have a CNA sneak some vials from the pharmacy in their back pocket.  They also had a stash of unaccounted needles they could raid.  And then Jess, Emmett's nurse, could administer our shots.

So we were faced with a decision...our thought process was as follows:

PROS:  (1) Get the shots quickly without the hassle of a primary care, and (2) experience firsthand the nursing care Emmett receives in the hospital.

CONS:  (1) This is a PEDIATRIC hospital, not an ADULT hospital, (2) administering shots to adults is subtly different than administering them to kids and requires a slightly different skill set, (3) they only had elephant size needles available, and  (4) this gave Jess the perfect opportunity to get back at me for all the geeky, engineer-esk questions I've pestered her with over the last eight months (honestly, who wouldn't want to learn all there is to know about maple syrup urine disease?).

Notice there are twice as many cons as there are pros.  (In my defense I should mention that I didn't know con number 4 existed until later).  But we had to make the decision quickly, and unfortunately I am a cheap engineer and convenience and thrift prevailed.

We had to wait about an hour while the goods were secured, all the while getting more and more anxious.  When Jess finally arrived she first showed us the needle to calm our fears.  Katy was thrilled at the sight.

Then she put the exposed needle on the extremely sanitary hospital food table while she prepared our torture devices.



Being a gentleman, naturally I let Katy go first. (She insisted, actually.)



Now time for the elephant needle.  I prepared for the torture as best I could.

First clean...

Then poke...

Then twist...and pull...and drip.  No joke.

"Adult anatomy really is so much different than kid anatomy," she said.  "And besides, who knew it was possible to hit nerve, bone, and artery with one needle?  I really should get a medal.  But don't worry, the body heals...eventually."

And it did...a week later.

Kidding aside, it really was a great experience.  We were both so excited to experience what Emmett experiences in some small way.  And the care was great -- really great.  That's probably the thing we've been the most pleased with in coming to Boston -- the care in Boston Children's Hospital.  And Jess, I wouldn't have a flu shot from anyone else.  You really did a great job and I hardly felt a thing.  I wouldn't have even known I was bleeding had it not been for the blood on the window.  And it's not your fault my heavily muscled arm is so difficult to get a needle in and out of :)

The best part of it all was to be able to show Emmett our band aids!  About that time he started getting excited about the band aids he would get after shots.  It was cool to be able to show him our band aids to let him know that we'd gotten shots too.  I kept mine on until it fell off two weeks later so I could show it to him all the time.

Emmett's the real warrior -- he's got multiple pokes