Thursday, October 21, 2004
Selfish? Don't care...
I'm starting to get sour about this whole "flu shot" thing. I'm supposed to get one since I'm pregnant, but can it be easy? Oh, hell no. I've already been told by both of "my" doctors they don't have any. The lines at the grocery stores wrap around the block. I went to a local hospital the other day. They had a sign up advertising that they would be doing shots from 8a-2p that day. I arrived at 10:30. Too late. I asked one of the geritatrics in line where I could get the paperwork everyone was holding. She informed me I was too late and that "some people" got there at FIVE AM. Well excuse the hell out of me! The sign said 8 TO 2!!! I'm the a-hole for showing up SO LATE I guess.
After some failed attempts to get said flu shot, I decided to go online to see exactly why I should care so much about this damn shot while pregnant. I wanted specifics. Well, looks like I do need one and here's why: first of all, if you get the flu while pregnant, it can last up to 3x longer than in the non-gestating person. Secondly, if you develop viral pneumonia from the flu while pregnant, you have a very high risk of it KILLING YOU. And last but certainly not least, there was a big study done fairly recently that showed that children born to women who had the flu while pregnant have significantly higher odds of having schizophrenia later in life. Um, yeah.
OK, is it just me, or should the above reasons put pregnant women at the TOP of the priority list? Shouldn't I count for TWO at-risk people? So far it seems like the old folks would GLADLY elbow a pregnant woman out of line to get their turn! These places are swarming with them. Why doesn't anybody have a clinic specifically for pregnant women or other "minority" high-risk groups? These flu shot clinics have more old people than discount night at the Luby's cafeteria! So AM I being selfish? I dunno. Don't care, either. My level of patience has never been very high, and being crabby & pregnant certainly does not help matters. So I have another location lined up to try later this afternoon. It's from 2p-4p. I intend to arrive at 1:30 and not a moment sooner! Wish me luck.
I'm starting to get sour about this whole "flu shot" thing. I'm supposed to get one since I'm pregnant, but can it be easy? Oh, hell no. I've already been told by both of "my" doctors they don't have any. The lines at the grocery stores wrap around the block. I went to a local hospital the other day. They had a sign up advertising that they would be doing shots from 8a-2p that day. I arrived at 10:30. Too late. I asked one of the geritatrics in line where I could get the paperwork everyone was holding. She informed me I was too late and that "some people" got there at FIVE AM. Well excuse the hell out of me! The sign said 8 TO 2!!! I'm the a-hole for showing up SO LATE I guess.
After some failed attempts to get said flu shot, I decided to go online to see exactly why I should care so much about this damn shot while pregnant. I wanted specifics. Well, looks like I do need one and here's why: first of all, if you get the flu while pregnant, it can last up to 3x longer than in the non-gestating person. Secondly, if you develop viral pneumonia from the flu while pregnant, you have a very high risk of it KILLING YOU. And last but certainly not least, there was a big study done fairly recently that showed that children born to women who had the flu while pregnant have significantly higher odds of having schizophrenia later in life. Um, yeah.
OK, is it just me, or should the above reasons put pregnant women at the TOP of the priority list? Shouldn't I count for TWO at-risk people? So far it seems like the old folks would GLADLY elbow a pregnant woman out of line to get their turn! These places are swarming with them. Why doesn't anybody have a clinic specifically for pregnant women or other "minority" high-risk groups? These flu shot clinics have more old people than discount night at the Luby's cafeteria! So AM I being selfish? I dunno. Don't care, either. My level of patience has never been very high, and being crabby & pregnant certainly does not help matters. So I have another location lined up to try later this afternoon. It's from 2p-4p. I intend to arrive at 1:30 and not a moment sooner! Wish me luck.
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