I've mentioned previously how I'm afraid of needles. I avoid them.
Our office had a flu shot clinic last year and I politely declined to participate. When the clinic was announced this year, I considered participating, but I was on the fence. On one hand, I know the only way for me to get over my fear of needles is to be exposed to them more often. On the other hand, I'm afraid of them.
For the last month, I've seen advertisements on television for a Fluzone intradermal vaccine. This shot is supposedly as effective as the regular flu shot, but the needle is super tiny. I asked our HR director if these shots would be available. She checked and later confirmed the Fluzone intradermal vaccine would be made available at our clinic. Woo hoo!
I signed up and committed to getting a flu shot this year. Last Wednesday, I had lots of meetings, but I added a reminder to my calendar in Outlook to get a shot. Someone stopped by my office and mentioned he had just gotten his shot and the tiny needle was painless. I was excited! I had about seven minutes before my next meeting, so I ran to the conference room where the flu clinic was being held and got in line.
The pharmacist (A.K.A. Nurse Ratched) wasn't as fast as I would have expected, but she got people in and out. When it was my turn, I sat in the chair and explained to her how scared of needles I am. She smiled like she understood and proceeded to give me my injection. When the needle first entered my arm, I thought, "This isn't bad at all!" She then began injecting the medication. I let out an, "Ouch!" That was not very comfortable. It was over pretty quickly, but it wasn't as painless as I was expecting. I joked with someone afterward it felt like Nurse Ratched got a running start.
I sat in one of the other conference room chairs while I recovered. I always have to recover for about five or ten minutes because I go into panic attack mode. After sitting for about four minutes, I walked back to my office for my next meeting. I was sweating at this point, which is expected during the "recovery period." That means I'm almost better.
My arm was sore for the rest of the afternoon, but it wasn't terrible. The injection site was red and swollen the next day. Apparently that is a side-effect of the injection. The area was kind of hot and itched terribly. The itching has gotten better and the swelling has gone away. The actual injection site is still pretty tender and hurts when touched. I suspect it will be completely better in a few more days.
From what I've heard, the regular flu shot isn't as bad as the intradermal shot. I felt kind of bad because several people in our office visited their physician because they thought they were having a reaction to the shot. Everyone who got the shot walked around with swollen, red spots on their arms. I feel like my fear of needles caused everyone to be maimed. I know I'm not ultimately responsible, but it's still kind of funny to think about.
The person who stopped by my office and said the shot was painless later admitted he was comparing this shot to the shots he got this summer before going on vacation to Africa. I don't like him anymore.
I'll probably get the shot next year, but I'll be more likely to just get the regular shot and not the intradermal shot. It hurt.
