Getting my shots

Greetings from the human pincushion! Actually, getting my travel shots wasn't all that bad. I went to the travel clinic at South Shore Hospital, where a very nice nurse practitioner helped me figured out what I needed. In the end, I only needed three shots: typhoid, hepatitis A, and rabies. The hep A shot was the second of the series, because I'd had the first one when I was in the Peace Corps. I'd also had rabies shots in the Peace Corps (the first 3 were pre-exposure, and then I got the last 3 because my cat bit me and my friends freaked me out until I got on a taxi-brousse and went to see the Peace Corps doctors in the capital), so I just needed a booster shot of that. Hopefully I won't be bit by any lions, but I'm ready now in case they have rabies! As for the typhoid shot, that vaccine only lasts 2 years, and I'd had it almost 7 years ago, so I needed to have it updated. None of the shots really hurt badly; I used to be terrified of shots until I had to get so many in the Peace Corps, and this nurse practitioner was very good. All the same, just in case they were painful, I focused all my energy on telling her about the Adventure Club hiking trip. Now I just have to hope that my arms don't hurt as the night goes on; I remember some of them being very painful when I was in the Peace Corps! However, the nurse practitioner said that they usually hurt less when you already have some immunity built up, which I do because of the previous shots. To minimize any problems, however, she put 2 in my left arm and 1 in my right arm, because I'm right handed.

Along with the shots, I also got 2 prescriptions. One is for anti-malaria drugs, while the other is for an antibiotic. The antibiotic, Cipro, is just in case I get a bad case of diarrhea. The anti-malaria drug is more important. There's been a change in these type of drugs since I was in Madagascar. I took Meflaquin back then, but now I'll be taking Malarone, a newer drug. Instead of taking the medicine once a week like Meflaqin, I'll only have to take Malarone every day, starting 2 days before I leave and finishing 7 days after. I didn't have too many problems with Meflaquin, although my dreams were perhaps a little more vivid than usual. At least they weren't violent dreams like some people have! Malarone is supposed to have fewer of those side effects, which is why it is more commonly prescribed now.

One other cool trip-related thing happened today. I had a phone interview with a reporter from the Globe South. He said they'd print something about me "next Thursday." So I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye out! I had heard from the editor before asking for a picture that they could use in their "People" section, so I had Mrs. Shannon take a picture of me in our classroom. I sent it off to them, and then I heard from the reporter today. It was kind of fun to have a bit of an interview; he asked about how I got involved, the programs I'd be doing, and how I'd use this in my classes. If anyone spots the article when it's printed, please let me know!