I'm such a baby

I just got my flu shot. I really, really hate shots. I got the flu shot for 2 reasons this year. First, I was listening to NPR the other day and they started talking about bird flu and how it kills healthy 20 and 30 year olds. While I know this shot isn't for bird flu, maybe it will still help. And the other reason? My mom told me to. Oh yeah, and it was free, since I got it at work.

I've always hated needles. Last time I got a tetanus shot, I had fallen off my bike in New Orleans. I went to the clinic at Tulane, and they just gave me a shot without me knowing what they were doing. When I lived in France when I was in college, to go back to Trinity (my regular school), I had to have a TB test. I waited until the very last possible second to get this thing. I don't know why. I knew they weren't going to get rid of the requirement because I don't like needles.

I've also never given blood. I'm actually not allowed to give blood in the US, because I might have mad cow disease! (from living in France, where mad cow is la vache folle.) Sometimes I feel a little guilty about this, but mostly, I feel relieved. And then guilty that I feel relieved. It's a vicious cycle, I'm telling you.