I Want A Flu Shot

In December it was once again time to take Belle for her yearly check up. I scheduled her appointment for the 18th.

For about a month or so I have been talking about her going to the doctor for this and she would always ask me about getting shots. She saw my arm in October when I got my flu shot from work. Back then I told her that it didn't really hurt. That it only felt like a little pinch and then it was all done.

Fast forward to December and she wants to know if she too can get a flu shot when we go to her appointment. I am always telling her we will see.

So we are in the car on our way. Everything is hunky dory. Her pediatrician is the greatest. She is nice and caring and the kids can tell it is genuine. We go through all of the formalities of height, weight, and safety concerns. Yes she is still in a car seat instead of a booster seat due to her weight. She is just at the height level for a booster but sadly not the weight. I would probably have to weight until she was at least 6 but I think I will move her in the summer. But I digress.

I know she is due for shots but Belle doesn't. I didn't want her to get all freaked before we got there even though she has been requesting a flu shot.

Her doctor informs me that they are out of one of the immunizations she needs. Plus they don't have the flu shot in her dose for her size. They do have it in the lower dose of which they could give her 2. So now we are up to a total of 5 shots if she still wants her flu shot. I ask Belle to make sure she understands and she says she still wants it. But we decide to come back another day to let the nurse give the shots so that they can all be done in one visit. I was afraid if they did all but the one they were missing Belle would not want to come back.

Daily she began to ask me if we could go to the doctor's to get her shots. Can we go today?? Can we? Can we? It was like I was in the twilight zone.

I had time off around the holidays. I took her back and told the nurse that she was looking forward to seeing her doctor give the shots because I had explained that she does it so fast that the caps to the needles are flying through the air landing everywhere. The nurse said she can make that happen. Buuuutttt, we should do the shots in her arms and not her thighs due to the flu shot. OKkkkkaaaaayyyyyy. (now I am very leery)

When she was 2 I held her on my lap but this time they just wanted me to hold her hands.

They inserted that first needle and the look of horror on Belle's face was something I don't think I will forget. It was hard to watch her break into tears and try to squirm away and me having to hold her.

At one point the nurse picks up stuff as she is going and tosses it through the air. The last shot she got hurt the worst. According to the nurse that particular one burns a bit.

I just held her in my arms as she still sat on the table. I felt so bad. I put her shirt back on her which was a chore since she didn't want to lift her arm. And I could only get one sleeve of her coat on her. The other arm stayed at her side and was zipped inside for warmth.

When we were in the car she told me that she never wants another shot and she will not have another shot. Bad mommy that I was I forgot to bring her some tylenol or motrin to help with the pain. And of course the office didn't have any samples.

I asked her if ice cream would help. She said maybe so I took her to Cold Stone.