OUCH!

I just hung up with Carson’s pediatrician. I scheduled his next physical and that entails ouch for him followed by reward and ouch for our pocketbook.

Every parent reading this may not remember the last shot they received or the last one they subjected their child to. But most remember the kid’s first.

When Carson was a little over a week old, I took both him and the Princess into see the OBGYN for their respective follow up visits. I don’t remember much about her visit. But I sure as hell remember his.

It was Circ day. And I don’t mean Ringling Bros. There is nothing worse for a man to see his or his son’s jewels pricked with a needle. Perhaps that is where the vulgar reference to our manhood came from for all I know. What I do know is I had to hold him down while the Princess was administered to in the other room. There was nothing worse than watching my one week old trustingly look at me with playful eyes knowing what was about to happen.

At first he had no reaction to the anesthetic poke until he felt the medicine two seconds later. Talk about a future in acting. Those trusting eyes quickly went to disbelief to outright hurt. He went through the seven stages of grief in 5 seconds. Fortunately he doesn’t remember anything. I can’t forget it.

So now after 4 years of pricks, “boo boo dandaids,” and going out for pizza after a big cry, we arrive at the crossroads. We believe in immunization. Just like a hunter believes in his second amendment rights. Shoot ‘em for God sake. But remember it comes at a price.

Trust. Trust of doctors. Actually nurses because doctors wimp out and force the nurse to deliver the goods. Trust of daddy. Because I take him for those visits.

The other price is pizza. I now have to promise that we will go out for a treat after the dirty deed. So last month I brought up the subject of another doctor visit and ensuing shots. As I mentioned in my Match the Curves post about logic, I find that honesty and talking about it with Carson makes the whole process go better. Not that he is excited about this visit next month. But at least he now trusts me that I am telling him the truth. Yep. It’s gonna hurt. And it’s gonna hurt me as much as him. But that’s another story.