Time for a flu vaccination!

Tonight after work I attended our Patient Advisory Council meeting, which is a once-a-month meeting for our patient volunteers. This month I was the only regular staffer who could attend.

I forgot that they had agreed to give out the flu vaccinations for the patients at the beginning of the meeting. Let's just say our Preventive Med folks find it funny that I'm a wimp when it comes to needles, and have been joking for weeks about the fact that I have to get one in both arms.

Luckily, there was a new guy there tonight who offered me the FluMist. I decided to try that one this time around. The flu shot doesn't really hurt, but I don't like the heavy bruised feeling it leaves in my arm.

So, he gave the vaccine to me in one nostril, and apparently I didn't breathe in enough, because it came dripping right back out, running down my face and onto my mouth.

I kind of jumped back and started yelling, "Oh, it's dripping, it's dripping, what do I do?" To which this friendly staff sargeant starts yelling, "Don't touch it! Don't touch it whatever you do! Just let it drip!"

My reply, "What?! I already touched it! It's on my lip! What do I do??" as I flail my arms around to keep from wiping it away.

His reply? Laughter.

Thanks, guy. He was just joking about not touching it. He laughed at me some more, and then said, you have one more nostril to go!

So he put it up my other nostril and advised me to go wash my hands since the FluMist is actually the live virus. Then, he reminded me that I may feel sick for the next 48 hours. Uh-oh. Should I have told him about my little episode yesterday? I wonder if that'll affect anything? Sure hope not. Too late now.

In his defense, let me point out that this guy was very nice and professional beyond the little joke he played on me. He wouldn't do that for just any patient, but he already knew who I was and that he could joke with me.

I do advise everyone to get a flu vaccination this year. You can get the shot if you're afraid of getting sick from the mist - the shot is the dead virus. Either way, get vaccinated. It's the safest way to protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu.

Yes, I am regurgitating one of our command messages for flu season. See? My work is never done!

Thanks for reading!