Wednesday, November 19, 2008

My Left Arm is Sore

…from getting my free flu shot at work today. This is a benefit that I first started getting at my last job and conveniently, is offered now at my current employer. The conference room where the nurse was set up couldn’t have been closer to my desk – it was literally 20 feet away from where I sit. One form to fill out, a one minute wait in line, a quick jab to the arm, a Band-Aid (without cartoon characters) and I was done. It was definitely an efficient operation, as I was the 49th person to receive a shot even though it was just 9:05 am (apparently, a line formed outside the room at 7:20 am, even thought the nurse wasn’t supposed to show until 7:30 am).

I know there are skeptics out there that doubt that flu shots do much at all. Admittedly, I’m an abnormally healthy person (knock on wood) that rarely gets sick, even in the winters that I wasn’t getting shots. The worst thing to knock me on my butt is usually a cold. However, if the shot is being offered free at work and it’s convenient to get, I consider getting it a no-brainer and a way to hedge my bets.

The only thing to complain about is the shot hurt more than I remembered. My arm feels fine now but I feel like I’m still moving it gingerly. I remember getting shots every year as a kid and holding my arm completely still for an hour after the fact because I was afraid that I would bust open the Band-Aid and liquids would come gushing out! I also went through a phase where I would hysterically laugh for a minute before, during and after getting a shot. Fun times for my poor parents and the staff at the Army dispensaries.

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