Africa Preparation Update: Shot Shot & A Bang!

The weekly countdown has began! I have 11 weeks until I hop on a plane to Ghana and because time is going so quickly, it was time to start the vaccinations! Last Friday, to say the least, was not a great way to start the excitement for Africa. 

 Outbreak of Yellow Fever in Africa



Since I had never been into Goddard, the OU medical center on campus, for a check-up, I had to have a physical with a doctor before I met with a nurse to discuss my travel aide medicines. The nurse explained all of my options as far as my past vaccination records, what was highly recommended and what was required to receive prior to my departure. I actually wasn't intending to receive any of my vaccinations at this visit since I had heard from others that some of the shots could make you feel a bit ill or have other side effects. The nurse pretty much told me that I wasn't going to be leaving without at least two shots that day. (Alrighty then!) The only shot that was required was Yellow Fever and the rest; Hep. A, Meningitis, Polio, Tetanus and typhoid were highly recommended. 


I went ahead and took the Yellow Fever, Hep. A and the Tetanus shot at this appointment. She gave me the Tetanus shot first, which was pretty thick, in my left arm then had me turn to my other arm to give me the Hep. A. These two shots are dead vaccinations that you are able to rub around after the shot is given. My body's reaction to the first two shots was not a pleasant one as I almost fainted when the nurse led me to the next room to lie down. At this time, I really was not looking forward to another shot since I wasn't feel good at all. Since the nurse had already written that I was going to receive the Yellow Fever shot that day, there was no turning back. She injected the Yellow Fever shot, which is a live vaccination, and she told me I would feel some stinging, but I cannot rub the area for 24 hours. I can definitely say that I have never experienced the stinging sensation quite like I did. I could feel the sting from the liquid trickle down the back of my arm. Good thing I will be covered the rest of my life with this shot! 


After I sat for 15 minutes in the nurse's office, she urged me to wait a week before I came back to receive the Polio and Meningitis vaccinations. She went ahead and wrote me a prescription for Malaria & Typhoid pills to get at the beginning of May since I won't have to begin taking them until a week before departure. 

The rest of day on Friday, my energy level was at a minimal. The nurse mentioned that I would feel quite a bit tired the rest of the day as a side effect from the Yellow Fever vaccination. This weekend was quite uncomfortable for both arms since they were recovering from the shots, so Tylenol was a must every four hours. 

On to other things...
Yesterday afternoon, I went with a friend of mine, Matt, to the middle of nowhere (Slaughterville, Oklahoma) to the shooting range! I had never been before and was the second time to ever hold a gun! We first shot at a square target. The square was divided into four small squared inside, with each a little target, then there was a big target in the dead center of the big square. My aim each time was for the center target, but for the first time shooting, I was easily going to be satisfied if I even hit the big square in the first place. Every time I shot at the square, I hit! Matt, of course did a much better job than I, but I was an inch or two off from the center target! There were some bright orange disks that were hanging from a mud mound that we began shooting at and my hopes weren't too high since they were much smaller than the actual square target. 

If you can try to see in the back, there are orange little disks and our square target is a little down, to the left.

We tried the orange targets about seven or eight times each and I hit about four of the orange disks! I was pretty pleased. It was a grand ol' time all together and had to end the shot with a bang!


Love.