Shot to the Heart

Ok, ok, so maybe alluding to a “shot to the heart” is a bit too much Bon Jovi meets Pulp Fiction drama to describe the shots that I actually got yesterday.  Honestly, it was more like an into-the-shoulder-muscle sort of pain that leaves you feeling the next day like maybe you’d worked out really hard the morning prior.  For a kid who got allergy shots a couple of times a week for the better part of 10 years, the needles don’t really put the fear in me.  Besides….here’s a tip for the shot-a-phobic…DON’T LOOK!

In order to head to Bangladesh with Food for the Hungry in January, I had to get fully vaccinated.  Apparently, according to the US State Dept, in case of any major illness in Bangladesh, we better hope that I get my butt airlifted to a different country.  They didn’t list a single medical facility that they recommend in the entire country.

I went yesterday morning to our local Passport Health office to get my vaccinations and to learn a bit during the consultation about the things to expect from my time in Bangladesh.

So check it out…

The good-natured nurse and I may or may not have added additional syringes, bandaids, alcohol swabs, and tylenol to this scene to make you feel more sorry for my aching arms.  In the end, I really just had to get 2 shots.

I did come home also though with a packet of pills to take before my trip and during to keep me from getting Malaria.  I also got a handy dandy little kit of spray to keep mosquitos from biting me through my clothes, 12 hour mosquito lotion that this mosquito-magnet needs to apply both morning and night, and some sting ease in case one of the little boogers finds a hole in my bite-shielding armour!  And um, did you know that malaria carrying mosquitos bite only during the night, and dengue fever carrying mosquitos are only during the day?  Basically, mosquitos in other countries are fierce little creatures and so I intend to employ my handy little mosquito avoidance kit while I’m in Bangladesh!

Wanna know what really did scare the crap out of me (pun totally intended) from my visit to Passport Health though?

Traveler’s Diarrhea!

I am not even kidding you!  Of all the topics and diseases they warned me about, diarrhea is the one they spent the most time addressing!  Make sure to buy hand sanitizer wipes (hello…especially in a utensil-less country that only eats with hands!), drink plenty of fluids, take mini gatorade packages for bottled water, check the manufacturer seal on bottled water to make sure the bottle wasn’t refilled with tap water and the lid glued back on.  Only eat meat that’s been thoroughly cooked, don’t eat any leafy greens or fruits that have been rinsed in the water, put a towel over the faucet to remind yourself not to brush your teeth with the water, and the list goes on.  And basically if you fail to follow these things, you’re risking the runs….and a serious case of them!  The handy dandy kit they gave me that is the largest in size and contents, was the one for diarrhea!  Antibiotics in case I get it, immodium to stop it, more immodium to stop it, electrolytes, and a powdered something or another that is pretty much my drinkable IV drip in case it’s out of control!  And if that doesn’t work…hope for an airlift!?!

As a friend said to me the other day, and I laughed because of this most hilarious video about funny things Christians say, let’s just hope we have some serious “traveling mercies!”

Watch the funny video just for a good laugh, start praying for our trip now, and get excited that you guys get to join me as we head on our Food for the hungry Bloggers trip to Bangladesh in January!