Recipe for today:

4 adults  Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle and Aunt
1 11 year old  sweet boy with autism
1 van   Mini, white
Massive amounts of gas for 1 van   Mini, white
Time  As much as needed
7 needles  5 flu shots, 2 pneumonia shots
1 nurse
Various other adult females

Take first two adults, place in 1 van, with massive amounts of gas.

Drive for 1 hour.

Pick up the second two adults and 1 11 year old.  Drive for 35 minutes.

Take all 5 into Doctor's office.  Fill out paperwork, signing life away, including your firstborn.

Wait.

First adult, one shot, done.

Second adult, one shot, done.

11 year old, getting nervous, very nervous.  Talk him down.  

Third adult, two shots, one in each arm, done.

Convince 11 year old that the shots don't hurt.

Ha! He says and frets.

Fourth adult, two shots, again, one in each arm, done.

Tell 11 year old, it's time.

Screams, freak outs, no ways, I am not going in there, declares the boy.

Try to sweet talk him.

This is not happening, he declares.  I want the nose nose (wonder how 11 year old knows about the Flumist, explain they don't have it.

Adult, Uncle, picks up 11 year old, tries to get him into office. 11 year old becomes octopus like, 8 arms, everywhere.  Pry his fingers off door frame.

Imagine trying to put a cat into a toilet?  Yeah, like that.

3 out of 4 adults, manhandle child into office.  Adult, female, Grandmother, gets boys arm out of his shirt.  Adult, male Grandpa, holds boy against wall.  Adult, male, Uncle, holds his arm.

Nurse, 1, gives injection, all the while, 11 year old wails.  As soon as the needle enters his arm, various assorted females in front office tear up.

11 year old, followed by 3 adults, walks out into the waiting room.  Tears are streaming down his face.

Understand, because that one shot, did hurt.  Of course, adult number 4 is a wimp and has upper arms that if you barely touch them, they hurt.

Load van back up and head off to run errands.  11 year old is still not happy with the 4 adults.

Fin
 

Flu shots, ugh.  Yes, we need them, no I did not like it.  And I lied.  That sucker did hurt, but I'm the adult with wimpy upper arms.  All it takes is the slightest bit of pressure on my upper outer arms to make it hurt. I have no idea why.

Ah, it could have been worse.  Although next year, we need to find a place with the nasal flu vaccine around here.  He was not a happy camper as soon as he heard the word shot.  In October he was sick and had to have 2 shots, one antibiotic, one pain med.  Unfortunately those were very painful needles, large gauge with stingy medicine, and he does not forget.  

In fact, he has the memory of an elephant.  Pretty damn scary, if you ask me.  With the flu hitting people so hard this year and killing more than normal, it was worth it.  

And I'm gone.  I'm tired and have a million more things to do.
Suzy Smith