Needles!

Here are some pics of us learning to do IV's in our PCP course :) ....I almost passed out from that because they had to dig around in my arm cuz my vein disappeared. They kept lifting the needle up under the skin to see where it was, it was both disgusting and cool at the same time.

So yesterday I went to Swift to get my shots for South Africa. Marian only had to get two shots so I thought it might be about the same for me. Well, thats definitely not the case. I have to get SEVEN altogether. I got three of them yesterday, two in my left arm and one in my right.

Its kinda funny that the RN decided to put two in my left arm cuz I am right handed, but only the one in my right arm hurts, my whole arm is stiff and sore and I hardly slept last night because I was feeling sick. I feel like crap today too. Arg!

I got Hep A IM (intra muscular) in my left arm and Polio SQ (subcutaneous ...into fat) in my left arm and then I got Typhoid IM in my right arm, and that one freakin' hurt!!

Actually I almost passed out from the Typhoid one. The RN gave me the other two then I turned to give her my right arm and when she put the needle in something weird happened. Its hard to explain but it felt like something exploded in my arm and it went all quivery inside, then as soon as that happened I started sweating and the room started to get fuzzy and I knew I was going to pass out. So I put my head down and took some deep breaths and the RN helped me to the bed and I laid there for a long time. It really sucked. I didn't actually pass out, but I hate that feeling. Its only happened to me once before after someone digging around in my arm with a needle trying to find my vein to take blood. But that time I actually did pass out.

I have to warn every nurse who trys to take blood...do not dig around in my arm, you can poke me 3 times if you have to but don't dig around! lol. I think it stems from my childhood, because I clearly remember being held down while they were trying to take blood and couldn't find the vein. They just kept digging around inside my arm hoping to hit a vein, and I was screaming. Not fun.