At some point, a long time ago, our kids missed that they're called "shots," and they named them "pokens." As in,
"We're going to the doctor? Are we going to get any pokens?"
This happened so long ago that Dave and I don't really call them shots either. The language is fully engrained in our family vocabulary, much like ayi, and, oh, I'm sure there are more of them.
Today, there was no school because of teacher-conferences. As a side note, I love days with no school. And I love teacher-conferences. I have amazing kids. But back on topic. Since we had a weekday wide open, the whole family spent the morning in the State Department's clinic. I got three pokens - yellow fever, rabies and the P from DTap. Apparently, I only ever got the DTa part. Each of the girls got yellow fever and rabies - they're current on both their Ps and their MMRs. That's the extra one Dave needed - MMR. We walked out with three oral doses of something else, maybe Typhoid - Sophia and Annika are too young to take the oral dose, so that's another shot for each of them. Although, rather amusingly, Sophia will become old enough about 3 weeks before we are scheduled to leave. We are considering adding a regimented oral vaccine to those specific 3 weeks, just to avoid another poken.
In this family, we really don't like pokens.
We have two more appointments already scheduled, because rabies is a series of 3. I think there are a few extras coming on those days, and I may need to schedule one more appointment because, Mom, did I have MMR when I was a kid?
The girls were amazing. They knew we were going to FSI, and they even knew we were going to the clinic. I told them we had some work to do to get ready for our move to Venezuela, and so they quietly read books in the waiting room while Dave and I updated health forms and immunization charts. Dave and I went in first; little Annika watched as I discussed with the nurse, and worried for me a bit. And then we told Lilly, who began crying immediately. Sophia soon got wind of what was going on, and very bravely sat in the hallway repeating to herself, I love shots! I love shots! She revealed to me later that she did cry a little bit when she got the shot, but that's all. Annika sat on my lap and took it like a champ - with her eyes on the stickers and the sucker, literally her eyes on the prize the whole time.
And then, given the choice between lunch at McDonalds and playing at the playground, they chose the latter. On top of the glowing teacher conferences, I couldn't be more proud of my kids today.
But I'm not looking forward to those next few visits to the clinic.
"We're going to the doctor? Are we going to get any pokens?"
This happened so long ago that Dave and I don't really call them shots either. The language is fully engrained in our family vocabulary, much like ayi, and, oh, I'm sure there are more of them.
Today, there was no school because of teacher-conferences. As a side note, I love days with no school. And I love teacher-conferences. I have amazing kids. But back on topic. Since we had a weekday wide open, the whole family spent the morning in the State Department's clinic. I got three pokens - yellow fever, rabies and the P from DTap. Apparently, I only ever got the DTa part. Each of the girls got yellow fever and rabies - they're current on both their Ps and their MMRs. That's the extra one Dave needed - MMR. We walked out with three oral doses of something else, maybe Typhoid - Sophia and Annika are too young to take the oral dose, so that's another shot for each of them. Although, rather amusingly, Sophia will become old enough about 3 weeks before we are scheduled to leave. We are considering adding a regimented oral vaccine to those specific 3 weeks, just to avoid another poken.
In this family, we really don't like pokens.
We have two more appointments already scheduled, because rabies is a series of 3. I think there are a few extras coming on those days, and I may need to schedule one more appointment because, Mom, did I have MMR when I was a kid?
The girls were amazing. They knew we were going to FSI, and they even knew we were going to the clinic. I told them we had some work to do to get ready for our move to Venezuela, and so they quietly read books in the waiting room while Dave and I updated health forms and immunization charts. Dave and I went in first; little Annika watched as I discussed with the nurse, and worried for me a bit. And then we told Lilly, who began crying immediately. Sophia soon got wind of what was going on, and very bravely sat in the hallway repeating to herself, I love shots! I love shots! She revealed to me later that she did cry a little bit when she got the shot, but that's all. Annika sat on my lap and took it like a champ - with her eyes on the stickers and the sucker, literally her eyes on the prize the whole time.
And then, given the choice between lunch at McDonalds and playing at the playground, they chose the latter. On top of the glowing teacher conferences, I couldn't be more proud of my kids today.
But I'm not looking forward to those next few visits to the clinic.
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