The Noodle Dude had his four-year-old check-up yesterday and everything went fine. Of course, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that your child eats NO fruits or veggies beyond apples (sometimes), grapes (sometimes), and hummus (usually, when he’s not horking it up on me). Unless they’re hidden and I don’t always have that much energy. It’s vitamins for us for the time being.He weighs 41.5 lbs. and stands 41.25 inches tall. I found the similarity in the numbers amusing, but couldn’t come up with anything humorous to relate it to. It’s not the same as when one has the same height and circumference. (The mental image this always gives me is that of Violet Beauregard once she's stolen Wonka's gum.) That’s my humor devolving to its 8-year-old boy state.
So he did well enough with the exam, I suppose. I mean, the doctor hardly spends any time doing anything except throwing questions out to you and clicking through computer screens. I think maybe I’ll save that rant for another day.
When the exam portion was over, he had to get some immunizations. I don’t want to go into the whole “to immunize or not to immunize” argument – I’ll feel morbidly wretched and heartbroken if it’s ever proven that he has gotten autism or any other malady from the shots. Anyway, we told him that he was going to get some shots and I explained to him briefly what shots are because the look on his face (perfectly placid) told me he didn’t have the slightest clue what that word meant. He still seemed unfazed.
Then I told him the nurse would put a Band-Aid over the place where he got the shot.
That elicited a look of sheer terror and even engendered a few tears. Band-Aids. Just plain old Band-Aids and my kid’s horrified, scheming to shoot out of the examination room as soon as the nurse returns.
Well, needless to say, he quickly changed his tune after the shots started. I hate having to hold my baby down on a table while the nurse holds his legs and jams those things in. I am at a loss of what else to do just now, though. I remember getting shots at that age and not be horrified – what did they do differently back then? It hurt me, but it wasn’t awful and nobody held me down. Even when I was given allergy testing at the age of 6 and they gave me 19 shots in my right arm and 25 in the left. (Yes, I distinctly recall that adventure.) Again, it hurt, but I just sat on the nurse’s lap and tried not to cry. While mangling her poor thumb.
Family trauma (hubby was there, too) and a trip to the reward treasure chest later, Noah was actually enjoying the Band-Aids. Some turn around master, that kid. He even called them “Wicked Cool"!
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As an aside, I spoke with some other parents who suggested that I hold Noah on my lap the next time he needs shots so that he can see it coming and not feel so forced. Boy, there are a lot of things to learn about parenting - and there's not even a TRIAL run!
3 comments:
I think either you hate them or you don't. My sister was like you, didn't even mind the allergy shots, but I've always had a horror needles (still do)
I've chosen to vaccinate, but on an altered schedule and have opted out of a couple of the newer vaccines.
I don't have a good answer when it comes to forcing the shots on them. All my boys (knock on wood) have generally been pretty manageable about shots. Until Littleman and his 4 yr appointment. He screamed and struggled with sudden strength beyond his slight build. There were two nurses (they try to do shots simultaneously, so as to minimize the time involved) and it took me AND a nurse to hold him down. Awful.
Luckily there's very few shots left after the 4 yr visit, at least on our schedule. Hopefully next time he'll be a bit more prepared. (I tried to prepare him last time, but apparently he didn't get it.) I hope the others continue being "tough" about it. (Though I hate to use such a stupid cliche, you know what I mean).
I do know what you mean about "tough", kit - I remember my grama telling me that it was no big deal and that it would only hurt for a moment so there was no need to cry. In black and white text that sounds harsh, but her way of saying it was very gentle and calm and I believed every word - and shed only one tear on that occasion. That happened before the allergy testing, though I don't recall crying overmuch that day either; a few tears, but not off the chain balling.
And jess, I was so nonchalant about the allergy shots that I literally had one doctor who (bastard) TRIED to make them hurt me! I'm serious - he'd poke them in instead of easing them in. Rude, sadistic... I couldn't have been more than 10 or 11!
My hubby is seriously not fine with needles, though I've seen him suck it up for the blood test we had before we got married, which was cool.
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