C'mon, Who Doesn't Love Animal Crackers and Juice?

So, today was the big day. Getting ALL of my shots over with in order to be ready for Kenya. I had some info printed off from the CDC's website, detailing what shots were recommended for a trip to Kenya, so I pretty much knew what to expect once I got there. I think that helped me out a lot, because I could prep myself for the mass amounts of sharp objects that were about to be stuck in me, one by burning one.

The staff there were really nice, and wanted to hear all about the trip, which was very cool. I love talking about the trip with people...you can see them get excited as they have questions, and they want to know what we'll be doing, where we'll be going, how long, what about this, what about that kind of thing.

Matt was my nurse for the day. Very nice. Lots of tattoos, which you know I love. I asked if I could have my shots in the hip, or in the butt, or something, but that request was denied. Something about immunizations needing to go in the deltoid muscle blah blah blah. Oh well....thought I'd give it a shot.

We had gone through the list together, and he helped me decide what I'd be getting...

Hepatitis A

Yellow Fever

Typhoid Fever

Polio Booster

Tetanus Booster

Yyyyyeah, you counted correctly. Five----5 big ones. All at one visit. I was not super-stoked. But, whatever, you do what you have to do.

I tried not to watch him while he was filling up the different syringes. I don't love needles, but I don't hate them like some people. I've been in the hospital enough to have been used to them by now. But still....five at one time is a lot.

He was very cool, and kept me talking while he injected me, which was an awesome distraction tactic. I got 3 in one arm, and 2 in the other. Three of them were okay, but two of them stung like firewater-acid-hell's flames-bee sting juice in my veins. Uncool.

We finished, and he was just complimenting me on how well I took it, and then all the color washed from my face. (Which isn't much, I know, since I am super super pale.) He had me prop my feet up, and then he got me a juice box and some animal crackers.

Man, I forgot how awesome a snack combination that is---juice box and animal crackers!! Right on!

And suddenly I feel like a kindergarten kid again...juice box and animal crackers in hand, Tweety Bird Band-Aids covering my boo-boos, and an adult there to tell me that everything will be okay.

While I was regaining my senses, he taked to me about my options for anti-malarials. There are a few brands that are ineffective against Kenyan strains of malaria, so those were off the list. Also, one brand really gives people very vivid nightmares, so they don't even give that out at the clinic anymore. But there were two plausible options. Both are equally effective. One of them is $0.25 per pill, and you take it two days before you leave, and you continue to take it 28 days after you get back. Orrrr, you can choose the other one, which is $5.00 a pill, but you only have to take it for a week once you get back.

Ummm, as much as I would love to be over and done with the pills a week after we get back, my wallet begged to differ. So I went for the 28 day pills, for a grand total of $11, which is a-okay with me. (Stay tuned 28 days after I get back....who knows, I may turn into a zombie or something!)

On the plus side of all of these needles, I am now officially an X-Men. I mean, c'mon, I am now immune to ANY kind of virus pretty much, and that has to buy me X-Men status. My Awesome Friend Rob (that's his official title) drew a preliminary of me as a super hero...pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. (Psh, don't I wish my body was that slammin'!)

So, with my fresh X-Men status, and my freshly beefed up immune system, I am now 18 days away from embarking on the trip.

My goal for this week is to buy all the little odds and ends I'll need over there that I haven't gotten yet...hardcore bugspray, serious SPF lotion, a little alarm clock, a mini-med kit, passport holder, and a few other things.

Okay, I need to stop typing. I feel like I've done 1,000 push ups this morning, and my arms are about to fall off.

Thanks for listening, and if you know where I can get a passport holder, let me know!

- Andy