Mission: Accomplished

It's been quite an ordeal (really, a surprisingly big ordeal), but I finally have both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccinations. I know, I know ... it seems like people are making way too big a deal out of the "swine" and all that. It's just the flu, after all! But all I can say is that when you're pregnant, you start seeing things from a different angle and pay a lot closer attention to all the possible complications and dangers to you and your baby. And, since the fierce parental instinct to do anything you can to protect your baby has long since set in, it's not a matter of what you're going to do, but how you're going to get it done!

Getting the H1N1 vaccination in Maryland has been tough. Joe lucked out and got his a couple weeks ago ... he happened to be doing his ER rotation when the VA vaccinated its ER workers. When the announcement was made, he was the second person in line, and after saying he had a pregnant wife at home, the needle went right in. Then we had to find one for me. Two Saturdays ago we left the house at 7 a.m. to get in a line for vaccinations which would begin at 10. Sadly, we got there around 7:30 only to turn back around - the line was already over a quarter mile long, and with guests at home we couldn't really stand the thought of waiting in the rain for 5 hours with the possibility of going home antibody-less.

So we kept at it. I made numerous calls to my OBGYN and regular doctor with no luck. Then I figured out how to get on the county list for appointment-only vaccinations. When some clinics opened up a few days ago, I called about 60 times before getting through and then kept my phone within inches of me for an entire day waiting for a return call to set up an appointment. (Actually - I made the mistake of missing the first call because I was in a meeting and had to repeat the calling process to get back on the list, so I made sure not to miss it again! My goodness!)

Anyway, now that I'm vaccinated I feel a tiny bit more at ease, but I know it doesn't provide comprehensive protection by any means. Almost every day I feel so utterly exhausted, out of it, and not like myself that I think I must be coming down with something (riding the metro with all kinds of crazy people just adds to my anxiety). So far, though, I've always woken up feeling better the next morning. We'll hope it keeps up. Try to help me out by staying away from me if you're sick. We have to keep our baby growing healthy and strong for 74 more days!!