Epic Mommy Fail…The Flu Shot

When I was a child I was TERRIFIED of needles. Oh who am I kidding, I was terrified of needles until I was in my mid twenties. There’s something about being pregnant and being used as a human pin cushion that will make you get over that fear.

Poor Cameron inherited my fear of needles only I think his might be even worse than mine ever was.

In case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard, the flu has reached epidemic proportions this year.

I called his pediatrician last week to get him an appointment for the flu shot…A three minute appointment. The earliest they could take him was in two weeks. Add to that the two weeks it takes for the shot to take effect and it would be another month with no protection. I wasn’t really comfortable with that.

Now I’m calling all over town to try and find someplace that can take him AND has the nasal flu spray. Apparently his doctor is the only place in the tri-state area that has it available.

The next hurdle was finding someplace that actually had the shots available. After spending an afternoon on the phone I found a place that would give Cameron and I our flu shots. Yes, SHOTS.

I went first to show him that it didn’t hurt. The guy shuck me with the needle, SHIT, that hurt!!! I think I managed to keep my face happy and not show any sign of the pain.

Now it’s Cameron’s turn. It started as a little bit of crying and quickly morphed into a full blown tantrum of epic proportions. The people in the waiting room probably thought we were ripping his toes off one at a time.

Oh, the poor people in the waiting room. A woman and her two little boys actually left the building because Cameron’s screaming had them petrified of what would happen to them.

All this screaming and carrying on was before the needle even came out.

I was praying that the floor would open up and swallow me whole. Mortified would be a gross understatement for what I felt in the ten or fifteen minutes that this went on.

At one point there were three medical professionals in the room with us trying to get Cameron to calm down and just get his damn flu shot.

I’m not sure how it happened but eventually he calmed down enough for Chip to get near him with the needle. I had Cameron’s hands and was trying to keep him calm. All bets were off when Chip stuck him with that needle, he nearly jumped out of his skin. I immediately wrapped my arms around him and got his legs under one of mine so he wouldn’t kick anyone and Chip came in to stick him again to give him the rest of the vaccine.

It was horrible!

When it was all over we were both crying but at least it was over.

Now it was time for the walk of shame. I had to walk back out into the waiting room full of people who have just listened to my son scream bloody murder for fifteen minutes. Again, can the floor please open up and swallow me whole? Thank God I had prepaid so I could just walk right out.

I’m not one for rewarding bad behavior but I couldn’t help but take Cameron right over to Target to let him pick out a new toy. My Mommy Guilt for subjecting him to that was much stronger than my mortification with his behavior.

Thank you to Chip, Erin and Tina at Pioneer Urgent Care in West Chester for not making me feel like the world’s worst mother. Between Cameron’s rudeness, temper tantrum and our lateness in getting the vaccine I sure felt like a terrible mother.

I know I have no one to blame but myself for waiting so long to try and make Cameron’s appointment. After this experience, it will NOT happen again.

Have you had a truly mortifying experience with you kids? Please tell me I’m not alone.