Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ouch. It hurts.

CanadaAs I have probably mentioned already, I’m travelling soon. This time, I’m going to Argentina and Brazil, so you can imagine I’m looking forward to it (though not as excited as I thought I was going to be, maybe because I don’t have my flight booked yet and I’m a natural pessimist)…
 
One of the requirements for us to travel South is to make sure we have all the necessary immunizations. In my case, I needed the following:
  1. Hepatitis “A” (1 dose)
  2. Hepatitis “B” (3 doses)
  3. Typhoid (1 dose)
  4. Cholera (2 doses)
  5. Tetanus (1 dose)
  6. Diphtheria (1 dose)
  7. Yellow fever (1 dose)

All this information is readily available through many websites, particularly the Government’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Those are the shots I need right now. I then have to come back in 6 months for another Hep “A” shot and then in a year for a fourth Hep “B” shot. My colleague ‘Roy’ was ‘luckier’ as he needed a few more syringes to make their way through his arms…

I went to my first appointment yesterday and came back with two shots on each arm. Then I took the Cholera one myself (it’s a suspension so you take it orally). I then went to bed, because I had stayed up all night (with Juan at the hospital, he had an appendicitis scare, but is doing better now).

As tired as I was, I couldn’t fall asleep, because I was very sore. And I still am today; my arms hurt so much that I could barely hold my laptop! :-)

Ah, the glamorous life of the work travellers… We went to Wendy’s after getting the shots, but I was disappointed. I had a diet Coke and it wasn’t pouring out through the holes in my arms! :-(
 
 
Argentina
Como seguramente haya mencionado ya, estoy viajando pronto. En este caso, voy a Argentina y Brasil, así que se imaginan que estoy contento (aunque no tanto como esperaba, tal vez porque aún no tengo el ticket en mi mano y soy naturalmente pesismista)…
 
Uno de los requerimientos para que viajemos para el Sur es que tengamos todas las vacunas necesarias. En mi caso, necesitaba las siguientes:
  1. Hepatitis “A” (1 dosis)
  2. Hepatitis “B” (3 dosis)
  3. Fiebre tifoidea (1 dosis)
  4. Cólera (2 dosis)
  5. Tétano (1 dosis)
  6. Difteria (1 dosis)
  7. Fiebre amarilla (1 dosis)

Toda esta información está disponible en muchos websites, en particular uno del gobierno de Canadá llamado Government’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Esas son las vacunas que me tengo que dar ahora. Luego tengo que volver en seis meses para otra dosis de Hepatitis “A” y en un año para mi cuarta dosis de Hepatitis “B”. Mi colega ‘Roy’ tuvo ‘más suerte’ que yo, porque necesitó menos jeringas que perforaran sus brazos…

Fui a mi primera cita ayer y volví con dos ‘pichicatas’ en cada brazo. Luego me tomé la del Cólera (es una suspensión que se toma por vía oral). Después me fui a la cama, porque había estado levantado toda la noche (con Juan en el hospital, pensamos que tenía apendicitis, pero terminó siendo una inflamación intestinal y está mejor ahora).

Cansado como estaba, no podía dormirme, porque me molestaban mucho los brazos. Y todavía me duelen hoy, al punto que apenas si podía sostener mi laptop! :-)

Ah, la vida glamorosa de los que viajamos por trabajo… Luego de las inyecciones nos fuimos a comer a un Wendy’s, pero me llevé una decepción. Pedí una diet Coke y cuando la tomé no me salió por los agujeritos de los brazos! :-(
 
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7 comments:

  1. Good luck, and may you not suffer from side effects!

    (There's a pretty naughty video pop-up ad with this comment window, by the way.)

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  2. Really? I don't have any pop ups!!! That's it, I'm switching to a new template as soon as possible.

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  3. Gabriel, there is a always a pop-up that opens when I comment as well. Been there for as long as I can remember ;-)

    Anyway, I certainly didn't get all these shots. I got hep B at school in France because it is mandatory back then, plus all the regular stuff when I was a kid.

    I remember before my first trip to Latin America, I went to the local hospital in my hometown in France and asked if I needed any shot. I named the countries I'd be traveling to (all of Central America, plus Mexico and most of South America) and the doctor look at me and said "what you need is a life insurance!" :-D

    The only shot I had done was Yellow Fever, because we had read that Brazil had a strict policy and you had to show the certificate upon entering. We had it done at a local hospital in Panama City, Panama, weird place. They would only do shots once a week! I asked around in all the hospital if they have the vaccine for the fievra amarilla :-D

    Eventually, we were never asked for it in Brazil. But my certificate is still valid and I took it with me again to Brazil this year.

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  4. I am glad to hear that Juan is ok. There is nothing more scary than a sick kid.
    I had to get most of those shots when I worked at the hospital. They hurt like the dickens! I don't envy you right now!

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  5. I am so tired of shots myself. I paid a visit to my doctor earlier this year and asked about shots as I needed to get my tetanus again (10 years goes by fast!) and decided to ask about others since I was planning to go on a cruise and such. She signed me up for the Hep A series, Hep B series, & meningitis. I have the last Hep A & B shots due in December and just this week I went in for the regular flu shot.

    They must have your Hep B shots in a different dosage than mine as I just need 3 shots in total not 4.

    I'll be glad when it is all over as I'm sure you will be too.

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  6. Sounds very painful! Ouch! Hope the trip is worth it though. :)

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  7. It was painful, Lisa... But yes, it will be worth it! Going to Argentina after 9 years.. I will get to meet two nieces and a nephew for the first time, even one my sister-in-law!

    I mean, I went to Argentina almost four years ago, but it was because of my father's death, so let's say I wasn't planning on going to the beach... :-(

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