I Am Immune

You know what, it is slightly funny to think about just how many times I have remembered sitting on one doctor's chair or another over the past few months. In fact, it would be safe to say that medically, the previous 12 months have been my most active. But after the latest one, which happened today, I look like an army general. What happened? Well, I got immunized. Two immunizations in fact. One for Hepatitis B and Meningitis. Both required as a medical procedure before I leave for the United States this coming fall. But that's the least of my worries. Or at least I think it is.

You see, I have a problem with needles. Every time I look at a needle I always imagine a scene where one comes flying in the air and poking me in the eye, or poking me at places all over my anatomy. In fact, I resent all those who bring a needle anywhere near me. Feel my pain yet? Imagine being told that you would come eye to eye and then pierced with two pointy needles in less than two minutes. I started to feel stiff all over.

Then, in a slow movement, the doctor rung the bell, signalling for the nurse. "Hepatitis please," said Doctor Habeeb. And with that, the nurse walked into the dispensary and came out with two white boxes. One for meningitis and the other for hepatitis. All I could do was to sit and hope for the best. The last time I took an injection, which was back when I was 17, I started singing the chorus Paradise City in front of the male nurse and was told to shut up.

As soon as the doctor had taken the boxes, he opened them, stood up and walked to a table opposite his table. Then I heard the sound of clanging metal. "That's it," I thought to myself, "I'm a gonner for sure." In my mind, I couldn't help but imagine a large srynge with a huge pointy needle sticking out of it. I vowed not to look at it for if I did, I would most likely flinch. But as fate would have it, I saw the needle. But to my absolute surprise, and I stress the phrase absolute surprise, the needle was not as big and pointy as I had imagined. It was rather puny. But still, my mind conjured up all sorts of painful thoughts. Then, at a stroke, he came up beside me, lifted the sleeves of my shirt and started rubbing something on my arm. In an instant, I looked away. Then while looking away, I felt a slight poke. He had poked it in. It was over. Just like that. No pain at all. Nothing. I sighed a sigh of relief.

Well, that was the first one. The second one was yet to come. "Hepatitis would be more painful,"said the doctor. I braced myself. I started thinking that the big needle was about to be brought out. I looked away, but as fate would have it, again, I looked at the needle and to my absolute horror, the bloody needle was as puny as puny could be! But still, I was not about to watch it pierce me, so i looked away. And just like before, he rubbed some substance on my left arm and proceeded to prick me. But this time, it was slightly more painful but on a scale of one to ten, I would have to give it a very respectable zero point one. With that, he pput away his needles and I had been imunized. But the catch was, I had another two more injections to go before I complete my hepatitis immunization.

So that was my experience being immunized. But there's one problem though. I now have two plasters on my arm. One on each side where the needle pierced. I'm too afraid to take them out. I fear being waxed alive by those two plasters. Why on earth did he ever have to put those plasters there? Wouldn't a cotton have done the job and save me the problems?