la piqure

Have you been vaccinated lately? As an adult, the DPT vaccination "rappel" or "booster" is every ten years... more in today's story. Thank you, David and Susan Howell, for the photo, above (part of Saturday's Cinéma Vérité gallery... Don't miss it!
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la piqûre (pee kyer)

    : prick, sting, bite;  injection

faire une piqûre à quelqu'un = to give somebody an injection

Audio file: Listen to Jean-Marc: Download MP3 or WAV

Je ne me souviens pas de ma dernière piqûre contre la diphtérie, le tétanos ou la polio. Et vous? I do not remember my most recent injection for diphtheria, tetanus, or polio. What about you?
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A Day in a French Life... by Kristin Espinasse

According to a vague notion that has surfaced in the forefront of my brain, it is time, once again, for a children's vaccination. High time! 

I sklunk into the doctor's office like Mère Indigne, but our family physician quickly puts any misplaced guilt to rest. "Ne vous inquiétez pas." Apparently, I am no later than the average French parent.

Thirteen-year-old Jackie takes a seat on the vinyl-covered examination table. The doctor has just yanked away the wrinkled paper cover from the previous visitor, replacing it with a fresh paper.

After darting around the eclectic room (an extension to the doctor's private home) Doc returns, having produced a piqûre. I automatically look the other way and advise Jackie to do the same. Doc agrees, but Jackie can't help herself. One understands, after all: who can resist the natural instinct to keep one's eye on the enemy?

I remind Jackie that she won't feel a thing ... thanks to the topical anesthetic or "numbing" EMLA patch I stuck on her upper arm one hour earlier.

And, just as hoped, in the time it takes Jackie to ask "Est-ce que ça va me faire mal?" the doctor is already tossing the syringe with the needle into the special wastebasket.

Next, our doctor consults Jackie's carnet de santé, specifically the page titled:

Vaccinations antipoliomyélitique
Antidiphtérique
Antitétanique
Anticoquelucheuse

I hold my breath as the doctor counts, with the help of the fingers on her left hand. 

"Cinq. C'est ça. Elle est bien à jour!"

Ouf, I let out a sigh of relief. "But why 'five'"? Aren't they different, the vaccinations? " I ask, looking at the foreign names in the health-history book. 

My question sets the doctor counting again, this time aloud, sans doigts. I realize she is counting the age and the corresponding vaccination (one at three months, one at 18 months, and one every five years thereafter... Voilà, cinq!)

And when I point to the strange and differing "vaccinations" in the health record, Doc explains that those are simply vaccination brands: "Pentacoq", "Revaxis", "Infanrix"....

Such names had heretofore conjured up in my mind mysterious potions for mysterious diseases. Turns out they are, basically, the same group of three vaccinations (the ones with the "coq" ending have the anti-coqueluche (Whooping Cough) vaccination to boot.

 The next rappel, Doc explains, will be in Jackie's 18th year, and then every 10 years thereafter.

I am struck by the "every ten years" part... in time to factor myself into this equation. I hadn't thought about the dreaded "booster" shot since waiting--tetanisée, paralyzed with fear--in a line of shaking classmates... sometime (just when???) back in grade school.

"Does that mean I need one too?" I ask our doctor.

"It would be a good idea!" Doc replies.

"But is it obligatoire?"

"No," she admits, it is not mandatory. At my age it is facultative, or optional. But it only takes a few frightful examples, and the reminder of increasing world migrations (here, the doctor cites the increase of refugees) to convince me.

As the doctor scribbles a prescription for Revaxis, she hesitates:

"I forgot to ask... Would you like me to prescribe one of those no-pain patches for you, too?" 

"Mais oui!" I answered, once again feeling guilty.

 

Le Coin Commentaires 
How to you feel about adult vaccination? Did it, as it did for me, conjure up the idea of a voyage to a Third World country (something needed only for such a trip), or have you, too, been wondering lately about your own health records?

What do you think about those "facultative" vaccinations? 

Also, are you good at keeping health records? And do you have a special "records book"? Thank you for participating in today's discussion in the community corner. Click here to access the comments box.

 

French Vocabulary

une mère indigne = an unfit mother

la piqûre = injection, shot

Est-ce que ça va me faire mal? = Will it hurt me?

obligatoire = mandatory

le carnet de santé = health-records book

cinq = five

c'est ça = that's it

Elle est bien à jour = she is well up to date

ouf! = phew!

sans doigts = without fingers

le rappel = reminder, booster

tétanisé(e) par la peur = paralyzed by fear

mais oui! = yes, indeed!

 

Bilingual Poem....
Thanks to Patti and "Dnny" for translating this beautiful poem... click here to see the poem and to add your own translations or suggestions. 

 

Some say bee piqûres aren't all that bad. What say you? What about any natural paths to immunization? Do they exist? Comments welcome in the comment box. Click here. 

Comments

[Zann (in France for right now!)]

Bonjour Kristin
Another helpful post...I'm memorizing ca me fait mal-just in case. So many of your words are turning out to be very helpful. Merci milles fois!

[Bill in St. Paul]

Great story to remind us all that we need to keep our vaccinations up to date. Here in Minnesota we're having a minor measles out break (11 cases so far) where at least five could have had the vaccination but didn't. I don't mind shots, I try to keep mine up to data with an annual flu shot. However, when I get a shot or get bllod taken, I like to watch, especially when I have blood drawn because it is, afterall, my blood. I have been told by some techs to stop watching - it apparently makes them nervous.

[Bill in St. Paul]

Oops, that's blood, not bllod (I'm not sure where the bllod is stored in the body).

[Maureen Winterhager]

Vaccinations can cause horrible side effects: paralysis, brain damage and even death. I believe in letting children become immune by going through all those childrens' diseases: mumps, measles, chicken-pox, whooping-cough....Mine did. Of course the mandatory vaccinations, tetanus and polio and rubella they had and continue to top up....Flu injections are a waste of money and also dangerous. There are better ways of boosting your immunity. But this is a controversial topic and everyone has their own firm opinions...I'm a died-in-the wool, "fundamentalist", fanatic homeopathic disciple and never get colds and flu. Good luck or good choice? Good genes or good ginger??

[Janae]

Hi Kristen; though I do not agree with unneeded injections (flu shots, for example) or taking medicines that are not absolutely necessary (I like to let the body heal itself when possible), we do keep up to date with our tetanus shots in my family.
When my daughter was a baby and really young child, I had her vaccinated because honestly, I never thought twice about it -- I thought that's just what you are supposed to do with babies -- I wasn't aware of the controversy (I was a very young, inexperienced mom).
And then, four years ago when I went back to school, I was told I wouldn't be let in without updated shots. Boy, did I fight it! Even went so far as to have my immunity to certain diseases tested, but alas, I needed an MMR shot. Apparently, the immunizations we had as children all those years ago can wear off, leaving us vulnerable to easily preventable diseases. So, I didn't like it one bit, but I got the shot and it was okay. Better than getting the measles, I suppose!

[Gail Jolley]

I don't keep a log of health records (other than stuffing the receipts of my doctor visits in a file drawer and never looking at them again), and I let my doctor decide what needs to be done. However, I maintain my right of refusal. I have gotten flu shots in years past, but I didn't bother this year. And, actually, I believe I'm a bit overdue with my next doctor visit.

[Mademoiselle Chenonceau]

Enjoyed reading about the doc visit. Reminded me of my daughter getting her shots and falling into an immediate faint. Turned out she wasn't scared at all, it was merely a "vasovagal" response to the "prick" of the needle. Even a prick from a thorn-bush, bee, and stings from a jelly-fish caused her to have a reaction throughout her life. Luckily she outgrew this, as our doctor said she would, but until then she always got her shots sitting down so she wouldn't fall to the floor!

[Alberta Boileau]

You can learn more than French by reading Kristen's column. I knew about EMLA from the days of Electrolysis but never thought of using it at vaccination time. I'll have to pass that little tip to my les brave friends who are afraid of injections.
Thanks Kristen........

[Missy]

I am so there with you in wanting a non-pain patch! I too remember standing in those lines of soon to be traumatized grade school innocents!! *shutter*
I like my Dr., when we pass on the street I always say hello, its really the only way I like to visit with her =D
OXOX,
Missy

[Mary R.]

I am old enough to well remember the polio epidemics in our country in the 1950's -- little children crippled or even quadraphlegic -- before the immunizations. I shudder to remember. I and my brother had our vaccinations, as well as my husband and his sister; all of our children were immunized. We have also all been vaccinated for other things as adults, for the purpose of travel. None of us has ever had any side effects. So, I'm all for immunizations. The reason young people today can get away with not vaccinating their children is because our generation and our parents' generation were diligent to immunize and thereby practically wipe out many of these diseases; they don't have to fear much.

BTW, you have a wonderful blog! I've always wanted to learn French!

[Sandy Maberly]

Yes, I agree with Maureen about the ill effects that can occur with the mysterious cocktail of chemicals found in vaccinations. Vaccines suppress the body's natural immune functions. One of the additives found in vaccines is the mercury preservative thimerosal, which has been linked to autism and other neurological and developmental disorders in children. I prefer the homeopathic approach : let the body do what it is designed to do....heal itself. Of course this can only take place when the diet consists of healthy organic fruits, veg and proteins instead of the normal "American" diet of over processed, preservative filled, sugar and artificial sweetener laced an hormone injected "food". Ultimately, it's up to the individual to choose their own course but do take the time to research the facts and make the decision that you feel is right for you and your family!

[Marcia]

Actually, recently in the last month or so, the controversy over the safety of vaccinations has been disproven. But, to each his own. When I last had my annual checkup (last October), the Dr told me that research is showing that we adults who were vaccinated as little children, no longer have the immunity they originally thought we would have. Many who were tested in the study showed no immunity to many of the childhood illnesses and it is now recommended that older adults be re-vaccinated. She did mention the measles outbreaks. :-(

[Barbara Croft]

Kristen, your daughter really should be vaccinated against HPV. If all women were ( and now men) thousands of cases of cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer would be prevented in the future as well as the many more "precancers" that would be prevented. An American gyn

[Dawn Bouchard]

Adult vaccinations... they HURT!! Where was that 'pain patch' when I needed it!! After having my 2nd child, my doctor decided I was low on rubella immunity, so at age 28 he insisted I have one...just in case. (Incidentally, I had rubella when I was in the 1st grade, but apparently it was NOT enough of an immunity-builder!) I'm not really a 'doctor's office' kind of gal, and I stopped watching my kids get theirs because I practically passed out every time (and that was alot of times x 4 kids!) So I put on my very brave face and obediently got my own vaccination ... I have never scolded my kids for crying since, nor for being grumpy afterwards! I could not move my arm for several days ... it made me very grumpy. So kudos to all our brave children and their tenderhearted nurses and doctors :)

[Cathy in California]

"Carnet de sante" - I remember those in elemetary school. I forgot all about them until I read your story. It remineded me of when I joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Cameroon. I received so many shots I can't remember how many and they were spread out through weeks of training. But I received a new "carnet de sante" from that experience. I kept mine and continue to include any additions.
I love that little book!

[Julius Lester]

A recent study maintains that shots hurt less if you look when they are being given.

[Bruce T. Paddock]

According to the FDA (http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228), "Thimerosal has been removed from or reduced to trace amounts in all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. A preservative-free version of the inactivated influenza vaccine (contains trace amounts of thimerosal) is available in limited supply at this time for use in infants, children and pregnant women."

According to the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#MS2), in the flu season now coming to a close, 71 children in the U.S. died of the flu. I can find no cases anywhere of children dying from the flu vaccine.

A paper published in The Lancet in 1998 claimed to find a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Every single study done in the 13 years since then has found no such link. A couple of months ago it was discovered that the doctor who wrote the paper had faked just about all of the data, and had been paid by a personal injury lawyer who wanted to sue vaccine manufacturers.
(http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/06/study-linking-vaccines-to-autism-is-fraudulent/)

For tens of thousands of years, there were no processed foods. People ate what they or their neighbors grew (organically, I might add), and fought disease by letting the body do what it was designed to do. Unfortunately, some of the things the body was designed to do when faced with some childhood diseases include paralysis, deafness, blindness, and death. Once vaccines were invented, and injury and death rates dropped precipitously.

With all due respect to some of the other posters here, there can be absolutely no doubt among rational, informed people that not vaccinating your children is more dangerous than vaccinating them. Please don't risk your child's health by letting fear win out over the facts.

And Kristin, I apologize for pulling out the soapbox in what is probably an inappropriate venue.

[Jules Greer]

Hi Julius, I am always so happy when I see you are reading Kristi's posts. Let me tell you, she really perks up when facing another blank screen, knowing who is out there (possibly) reading her work.

I hope you will come by Le Coin Commentaires more often - please share yourself with Kristi and I and all of these wonderful friends we have made here.

XOXO

JULES

[Augusta Elmwood]

As a former apiculteuse, I can say that bee stings (usually gone in less than 24 hours, depending on where you get stung) are not NEARLY as bad as wasp or hornet stings (they seem to last for days & leave a tender spot). The bee only stings in self/hive-defense and dies afterwards. Wasps, etc. live on to sting again. (Kristin, how is your ruche doing?)

My husband used to help me tend my hives & went out of his way to get stung - he said it always helped his arthritis. Indeed there is an entire field of holistic medicine using bee stings. I'm for any kind of natural treatment that works !

And bees are such gentle, industrious insects, as long as you don't threaten the hive!!

As for the shots, I don't understand the FEAR of shots & the need for a pain patch. Sure it hurts for an instant, but then it's gone. I even watch. Why do we need to protect ourselves from ALL pain?

As for keeping track of immunizations, I kept a record of our childrens' shots in those yellow International Shot Card booklets. Then I passed them on when they left le nid.

OK, off the soapbox !! :-)

Best regards from New Orleans,
Augusta

[Della in Colorado - USA]

How do I feel about adult vaccinations? Not a big fan but....
My Belle Soeur and her husband hosted my parents' two cats - one adorable (Snow Flame), one not so much (Blackie) - for the six months they were between homes. During that time the cats needed their vaccinations and I was elected to administer them - not a big deal in a ranching family. Snow Flame complied and was grateful for the attention. Blackie - not so much. She in fact flew around the basement with three of us in pursuit, making moves that only seem possible in cartoons. At last, we nabbed her, and administered the shot, all the while being bitten - through leather gloves - by one very unhappy cat.
My sister-in-law and I see the same doctor, and unbeknown to us, had called at about the same time to request tetanus shots the day after Blackie's shot. Our doctor and his staff couldn't wait to hear the story of how we both happened to be bitten by a cat and needed vaccinations on the same day (my husband's shots were up to date). They put us in the same room and we all laughed a lot.
I think Blackie is the one who got the last laugh though since I not only got a shot but ended up on antibiotics too!!
Let's see, that's been how many years ago?
Yes, my tetanus vaccination is out of date again!!:)

[Pat Cargill]

Thanks to Bruce for your comments. It is natural for children to be afraid of shots, but it is such a quick moment, why not learn to just face it and do it? There will be far worse pains to possibly deal with throughout our lives. We learn to carry the monster idea "vaccination" into adulthood or we learn otherwise, to accept a tiny bit of pain for the health of it.

I know, I sound like Nurse Ratched Ewwww. No offense intended.

[Millie]

Salut Kristin...

ça rappelle mon enfance. J'étais dans un lycée Français. Et j'avais horreur toujours des piqûres à l'infirmerie de l'école. ça me faisait mal et j'ai encore des cicatrices pour me les rappeler!

[Jennifer in OR]

Like Mademoiselle Chenonceau's daughter, at my last shot I had the vasovagal response and fainted, lost consciousness for about 10 minutes. THAT scared me more than the shot. I'll avoid needles unless death is on the line!

[Lee Isbell]

I get my shots and I agree with Bruce. In fact, I need to get the one for whooping cough. I vividly remember having the disease when I was barely older than a baby and it was the most horrible thing ever. I'm old enough that they didn't have vaccinations, except for smallpox, when I was a kid, so I had pretty much all the childhood diseases and they were no picnic. I had regular measles as a child and the health after-effects kept me out of school for over a year, and I "credit" it with being very detrimental to my developing social skills in interacting with my peers at a critical age. There are still-lingering problems 57 years later. I didn't learn to swim because it was too risky to go to a pool due to polio. These diseases can make a comeback to an uninoculated population, so yes, do your research thoroughly. And shots really don't hurt that much.

[Ron Cann (MD)]

Those who eschew vacinations, especially for their children, may be able to see them get the "Darwin" award (for helping the survival of the fitest by eliminating their genes from the pool). Unfortunately, some of their neighbors' children/ grandchildren could also be crippled or killed - German Measles, Polio, Whooping Cough for examples.
Ahh, the perpetual draw of anti-itellectualism and superstition! (I hear tell that the Bubonic Plague was a great source of "natural immunity" - for the survivors, that is.)

[Odile]

What about the Shingle vaccine (or Zona, en Francais)? In the US they want all seniors who ever had Chiken pox to get the shot.
En France, non.
Alors que faire? Does any one out there know?
Kristin, your blog is a ray of sunshine !

[[email protected]]

Je voudrais bien vous faire une piqure pour vous encourager d'afficher vos comments en francais.Depuis nous etudions,il nous faut toujours plus de pratique,qu'est-ce que vous y pensez?

John Tabbernal ,Tasmanie/Ausralie

[TK in MD]

My great aunt died at age 10 of diptheria about 100 years ago. She didn't have the option of a vaccination. How lucky we are today to not have to face dying of horrendous diseases like diptheria or tetanus or to be crippled by polio.

"Healthy eating" and "natural immunities" do not prevent such diseases. If you do not vaccinate your children and they have not contracted such diseases, it is only because they are surrounded by people who have been vaccinated.

[Eileen deCamp]

Hi Kristin,
I think vaccinations are a good thing. My co-worker just this past December had to deal with adult whooping cough. It's a good idea to keep tetanus, TB and other vaccinations up to date. Our family lived so many years overseas that our vaccinations are up to date. There is a new Meningitis vaccine that both our kids received before going to college.

[Jules Greer]

Hi Honey, You were right, when you called yesterday about whether or not to run this post.
It's always good to stir the $&%! once in a while for a good cause - knowledge.

Get your shot and please remember all those other things I have told you to do!!! I took care of you when you were a child - now you must do the same for your kids. Remember I don't care how many different ways you look at it, kids are dummies until they are about 43.

yOU ARE 43 NOW - RIGHT?

xoxo

MOM

[Marianne Rankin]

As the daughter of a diplomat, I had every shot imaginable. In the USA as a child, I also had polio vaccinations - it took 3 shots and 8 months to be fully protected then. A few years later, we got a booster with the vaccine incorporated into a sugar cube. At intervals thereafter, I got a couple more. I don't remember the last polio shot, but it was years ago. We never questioned the need for the vaccinations, having been to some rather undeveloped places abroad; and at home, a man who had had polio and always used crutches was enough evidence of the damage polio could do. There were no MMR or other vaccines then, and I had a pretty bad case of the 2-week measles, but thankfully didn't suffer from possible consequences such as blindness, deafness, etc. I had a fairly mild case of chicken pox. I've never yet had "German" measles, and while expecting my son, I went out of my way to avoid anyone who had it, because it can cause defects in the child one is carrying.

I've never heard of the patch, but it sounds helpful.

I think the carnet de sante is a great idea. I keep health records (and while a Foreign Service dependent, had a yellow card with injections listed on it), but there isn't anything comparable here that I know of, maybe because we don't have a nationalized health-care system analogous to France's. I have a special file for vaccinations. I last got a tetanus shot in 2005, recommended after a car accident.

I don't know if immunity to childhood diseases one has had wears off if enough years have passed. Some immunity seems to last indefinitely. We were exposed to TB from a family friend (he had to be in a sanitarium to recuperate) when I was 13. From time to time, I was given a tuberculin test to check for the TB bacillus, which always came back positive. So I had to have an X-ray, which always came back negative. I hope I am still immune to TB, cases of which are increasing with more immigration from countries that have a higher incidence of it in the USA, where it had almost disappeared.

[Kristin Espinasse]

Thank you for taking the time to respond to the vaccination story. I have learned so much from your experiences. Yesterday, I dug out my "carnet de sante" (a gift from the Ministère Chargé de la Santé, or Health Minister); it is blank, apart for a general check-up that I had asked for 15 years ago, when another "notion" came knocking at the forefront of my brain. Perhaps, instead of waiting for a vague "rappel", one might schedule a regular appointment, by noting a reminder in a health records book? We somehow end up at the dentist's and the hairdresser's or barber's on time...

P.S.: here is a fact sheet from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Re the handy Carnets de Sante we have here in France, check with your own healthcare provider, who may be able to offer you one (for immmunization records):

http://www.nfid.org/pdf/factsheets/adultqa.pdf

And here is a 2011 Adult Immunization Schedule, from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/adult/mmwr-adult-schedule.pdf

[Kristin Espinasse]

P.S.: Hi Odile, thanks for mentioning the Shingles vaccination... a family member suffered from this, and I understand it is super, duper, UPER, painful!!!

And to Barbara, thanks for your note about the HPV vaccination.

[Carolyn in Vermont]

Hi Kristin,
Thanks again for an informative story. Hope your soreness didn't last long after your shot. And thanks to everyone for all of their vaccine information and ideas. It's important to keep this debate alive!

And to you Jules-Hello! I haven't yet written a response to your messages but I want to say how much I've enjoyed learning about you and your life. My Mom passed away 14 years ago when I was only 26 and every day I miss her and long to chat with her (although I still do!). So glad you and Kristin have each other.
Also, my dear friend Kim just had a double mastectomy. I'm preparing a care package for her and adding a bit of Provence to it as I found lavender at the store and I'm making her a sachet. Anway, just wondered if you have any other words of wisdom for her and for me as a friend who wants to support her right now. Thanks and I hope you have a beautiful day!

All my best, Carolyn Dahm

[Linda Collison]

Don't be fooled by those who fear vaccinations. You have only to read history to learn about the tens of thousands of deaths caused by diseases we can now prevent. Don't be irresponsible, protect your children, your grandparents and those whose immune systems are compromised. Learn about the risk:reward ratio!

[Jennifer in OR]

Kristin, who knew such an innocent sounding post would cause such controversy? :-)

As for me, I'm like the daughter of Mademoiselle Chenonceau who has the vasovagal response: I fainted dead away at my last shot a few months ago. Not from fear or pain, just some unknown reaction that scared me more than any needle. The confusion of waking up from unconsciousness and not really knowing where I was...pretty unnerving.

[Marianne Rankin]

When I asked my obstetrician if I should have a flu shot the year I was pregnant with my son, he said, "No way!" True, that was 20 years ago. On the NFID link Kristin provided, it said pregnant women should have flu shots. This should be discussed with your individual doctor.

You have encouraged me to raise the issue of vaccinations with my doctor, because except for tetanus, I haven't had any in a long time - partly because some of them are fairly recent (i.e., way past my childhood or young adulthood). I realized that I also haven't had mumps, although my brother did - maybe I'm immune?

Society can survive if children here and there aren't immunized. If there is widespread lack of immunization, within a generation or two, some diseases could reappear.

[Suzanne, Monroe Twp., NJ]

My doctor insists on a tetanus shot every ten years and I comply. When working in the garden or around the house it's easy to get a puncture or scratch that could lead to lockjaw so I think it is best to be protected. But that is all she recommends for adults unless traveling to a country that requires further protection.

[Pug At The Beach]

The topic of vaccinations has been hotly debated for years. I think the bottom line is we each have to do what we feel is best for us and our particular circumstances. When my kids were little I refused to let the doctor give all those shots in one sitting. Somehow it just seemed too much for their little bodies to process at once. So we split it up. Regarding the pain of shots, I used to be a phlebotomist (the person who takes your blood) and my approach was to get the person talking. It didn't matter what they said just as long as they kept talking and if it was something they were passionate about that really helped to distract them. Want to know what people are passionate about? Just ask them about their work or where they would like to go on a once in a lifetime vacation.

Jackson Dunes
former "vampire" turned writer of Pug At The Beach ~ the series of books about an island dog who is part Dalai Lama and part Jimmy Buffett. Need a mini vacation? Spend 15 minutes with PUG at ThePugLady dot com.

[Marilyn Baker- formerly of Aix en Provence, now North Augusta,SC]

I don't mind injections and my 5 children all had theirs. I continue to get the TD every 10 years and also the flu vaccine yearly. Thank you Bruce for your information, I heartily agree.
Thanks for a provocative post Kristin.

[Diane Heinecke]

Kristin,
Cooool--a no-pain patch. Our little grandson throws a royal fit every time his dad has to give him an allergy shot. I wonder if he will be traumatized for life. I saw someone call it an EMLA patch, so I googled it. It is available by prescription only in the U.S., but evidently they are easy to purchase online from Canada. I will tell our daughter there may be options. Thank you for the variety of topics you cover in your always enjoyable blog. I learn so many new French words--and it doesn't hurt a bit! : )

[Kathleen]

A shingles vaccination is a very important one to have. Ask anybody who has ever had the shingles. Also a tetanus shot is very important especially when you walk barefoot and step on something rusty.
When polio was around in the 50, my cousin in Finland got it and can't move from the neck down and lives on a respirator. She has taught herself to paint and write using her mouth to hold the brush or pen. We were lucky to get vaccinated for this horrible disease.