Your Flu Shot, Know before You Go

In the interest of public service I am throwing my rights under HIPPA to the wind and will Live Blog my flu shot. Sit back, relax, take notes.

9:00am – Leave building and walk to flu shoot location. The early bird gets the worm and since the shots were not scheduled to start until 9, well, I should be firstish in line.

9:07am – Arrive on foot to gym. Walking is good for you and the less time spent driving in circles looking for a parking spot means more time standing in line. 201ish in line. However, I am pleased to notice that there are indeed actual, formal, lines this year instead of having us snake around the gymnasium. I also note there are more nurses doing the flu shots and they are all in their places. So different from last year. This year there are six nurses and three lines and they will be doing the shots over two days instead of just one. Yay for customer service. They are also not taking temps or checking BPs. Good idea.

9:09 – Fill out paper work. There are two different forms. One is white and the other is green. Does it matter which one I fill out? Yes, yes it does! Fill out wrong form completely before reading large print across top of page. I do not have Medicare. Find other form and fill it out. Make decision about which “line” I am standing in. I am standing with a swirling mass of state employees seeking a freebie on state time. Decide that ladies in front of me are a part of a line.

9:15 – Not the fastest line.

9:25 – Still in line. Have not moved. I am happy I wore comfortable shoes. The color of the day is lavender. Three or four different people in lavender. I am in red.

9:34- Still in line, moved slightly. The ladies in front of me are complaining that instead of raises this year they got new office furniture. They would have rather had a decent raise. My office got neither the decent raise or the new furniture. Hate the ladies in front of me. They did get a tiny raise, the same tiny raise we all got. So they did indeed get a raise and new office furniture. My desk dates from the Eisenhower administration.

9:45 – Line seems to be moving. I am second guessing my wardrobe choice for the day. Was this the best day to wear a blazer and turtle neck? I should have thought ahead and worn something a little more Flu Shot Friendly. I practice roll up my sleeves on both arms to see if this will be doable. It is, but barely, if there is any call for tying off arm before injection, I will not need any help here.

9:55 – In sight of objective. One of the other lines stalls. One of the nurses is allowing her patient to chat on the phone with the insurance company. While sitting in the flu shot chair! The flu shot chair! ARRGGGGGHHH. Make her get up! She has to be sitting there? She can’t get out of line and let the next person go? ARRRRGGGGGHHH. This could be a bad precedent to set.

9:56 – The girl in front of me is in the chair. I am next in line!

9:56 ½ - The girl in the chair is ON THE PHONE!! Nooooooooooo!

10:02 – I do not have a fever, I am not taking any antibiotics and I am not allergic to eggs. Ow. I also get a smiley face sticker that reads “I Got It! Did You?”

10:07 – Back at office. I "got" a sore arm.

7:18am 11/4 - Still sore.