Travel Clinic-- and big breaths

The day arrived that I was sort of looking forward to and sorta not.  

A bit of background...  Haiti is a poor country that shares a Caribbean Island with Dominican Republic.   It  had a massive earthquake in January 2010 that caused the already struggling country to crumble.  In Sept. 2010, confirmed cases of Cholera were found in the residents.  This spread from the outlining area to the main city after a flood caused by a hurricane in Oct. 2010.  Malaria is well known in Haiti due to the high level of mosquitoes that habitate there. 

After working a long day at my day job, I attended my appointment with the Travel Clinic.  I had a fabulous RN there who took really good care of me.  She recommended my immunizations, some shots, some not... and prepared me for what will be coming at me when in Haiti.  I was recommended my MMR (measles, mumps and rubella),  Cholera, Hepatitis A, Flu, Typhoid Fever, Rabies, Malaria. A good recommendation was also to take Cipro (antibiotic) with me in case I am haunted by traveller's diarrhea.   I got the shots... which really hurt! and took the information about when to get my rabies, and how to connect with my cholera and malaria.  Thank goodness Cholera and Malaria are in liquid and pill form!! 

The preparation pamplet that was given to me is priceless!  What to expect, what to do and how to protect myself.

It was during my first Hep A shot that I felt secure enough to say out loud and boldly:  I AM GOING TO HAITI!

Now, to let my church know.....