Ouchies

Two evenings ago we went to Vancouver Travel Clinic to get a consultation on what vaccinations or medical precautions we needed for our long term stay abroad in China. After 2.5 hours, we finally got to leave, after having received a total of 3 shots for me, and 4 for Jason. Now I'm not afraid of needles per se, but I do get a bit anxious as I have highly sensitive sensory of sorts, so I generally get a bit anxious due to knowing that I can feel the needle go in and out. Only one of them really hurt, as it had to go in perpendicular to the arm, right into the muscle; this one caused more immediate aches and pains in the body, particularly to muscles and nerves, but went away in a few hours. What I didn't expect was the pain and discomfort from the other two, that were injected into the epidermis only.... it's the 3rd day now, and my upper left arm is finally less sore, where I can move it with more ease, and without wincing. I had a hard time sleeping the first night, I had to take an extra strength Tylenol to dull the pain. The vaccination liquid literally was in a pocket, and has been working it's way slowly out of the skin, releasing into the body. We go back for a couple more follow up vaccinations, the one straight into the muscle one, for prevention of Japanese Enciphillitis (sp?) a form of mosquito virus. One week before our departure we also need to take pills for prevention of Typhoid, and we carry Malaria pills, for when we go to rural areas. It seems so foreign to the mind, and actually the body, to have to prepare this much for so many more illnesses, and our bodies are now bombarded with all this medication (it seems to have heightened my allergies a bit, where I'm having minor asthma for the last two days. I was warned however that this would be normal if it were to occur). I'm not a big fan of medication, chemical ones that is, but when the risk outweighs safety, I must do what is necessary. We were also advised to get flu shots, but since both of us are not supporters of that one in particular and never had taken it or needed it, we will take that risk.