Hit Me With Your Best Shots

Before the shots Signing Time Team Ghana
No shots here!

Here’s the first batch!
Yellow Fever Anyone?

Yesterday we went in to the University of Utah Travel Clinic for a health consultation about our upcoming trip to Ghana Africa and (drum roll please) we had our first round of shots! We had our “exotic shots” done today and we will each see our regular doctors for the less exotic shots. An exotic shot is Yellow Fever, we also had MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) shots because they have shown that live shots should either be received on the same day or a month apart. Believe it or not the stuff for typhoid is taken orally. The consultation and paperwork took more than 3 hours.

Alex had never had a shot in his whole life, so he was a little concerned about the whole thing. We went oldest to youngest and Alex and Leah laughed hysterically as each person winced at their shots. They laughed at each other but neither one was laughing when it was their turn.

Alex Gets His First Shot. Leah Laughs Hysterically!
Alex gets his first shots

Not SO Funny Now is it Leah?
Leah gets her Yellow Fever Shot

Rachel’s First shot & Rachel’s Second Shot.
Rachel’s First ShotRachel’s MMR shot #2

Aaron’s Second Shot. Leah Is Empathetic.
Aaron Coleman’s second shot

After Alex’s second shot he turned very pale and then almost green. I said, “Alex, you don’t look so hot!” He said, “I feel sick!’ Aaron grabbed the garbage can. I grabbed a cup of water. Then we had Alex lie down on the sofa. He sucked on a candy cane and eventually the color came back to his face… eventually.

12 thoughts on “Hit Me With Your Best Shots”

  1. Oh, Owwwwwwwwwtch!!! ouchie ouchie. I am a big baby when it comes to shots. Quit laughing, I know what you’re thinking. Why do you think I had all of my kids without painkillers? Because they came in the form of shots!
    I totally empathize with the look on Leah’s face in that last picture.

    Look how brave you all seem in that first picture. You are all rockstars!

  2. hhtheoneandonly

    Is that a BANDAGE I see on your arm? :devil:

    And you were right, I was looking forward to this blog entry.

    I’m laughing hysterically.

  3. I love how we get to see Alex and Leah’s face during the shots, but yours is magically hidden! What did YOU look like as that needle went in?? HUH? How many shots is it all together? Thanks for taking us with you to the doctor, it was quite amusing (to those of us who don’t have to have them)!

  4. I had a comment all typed out & it was lost in cyberspace.

    Kudos to you all for going & getting these… I am SUCH a big baby when it comes to getting shots (quit lauging, it’s true! Why else did I havee 6 kids without painkillers~ I was terrified of the shot!)

    I completely empathize with the way Leah is looking there in the last pic.

    Ow ow ow ow ow!

  5. How did you decide which shots to get and find a place that had “kid dosages”..we are going to Ethiopia in a few months to adopt 2 deaf children and want to take our 2 daughter with us, but are having a hard time knowing who should take what and who can give it to the little ones!

    PS I love that your family is so close!

  6. #6 ANSWER: Some of the shots you MUST have – like Yellow Fever. If you do not have the Yellow Fever shot you can A. Not be allowed in the country and if they do let you in you …B. May be in quarantine for a month.

    Part of we what we looked at was what recent outbreaks there have been in Ghana. Also what can NOT be treated if you are exposed.

    For example we are not getting a rabies shot, because you can treat rabies after a bite as long as you get medical attention immediately.

    Bottom line, look a the recommendations and do a little research then go with your gut.

  7. Always meant to ask… how is it possible that Alex had no shots up until this? Aren’t you required to have shots for school? My daughter is only 8 months, and she has had almost a dozen already.
    Curious…

  8. Good ‘shot’ of Alex and Leah’s faces as they get vaccinated. It looks like you got the MMR and Yellow Fever shots close together in the same arm….ouch! When I went to S.Africa they gave me my YF shot in my upper arm (along with the Hep A/B, Typhoid,Polio,Tetanus and Rabies…3 in each arm) They gave me the mmr in the back of my arm. Better safe than sorry though!

  9. Pingback: Rachel Coleman » Blog Archive » Going To Ghana 2012

  10. Pingback: Help Rachel « Speech Language Associates LLC

  11. Pingback: Speech Language Associates » Help Rachel

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top