PARANOID INQUIRY:
My husband and I went to one of those drop in medical centers for flu shots yesterday. To save some time and a longer trip to our regular internist.
For a number of reasons, we think the guy was disreputable. Partly just vibes, and mostly other things that transpired.
It could be that we had identical reactions by accident and he's legitimate.
But we both had the feeling so strongly after we left that we talked about it, and decided never to go to him again, and called the friend who had recommended him (on the basis of a drop in she'd made for antibiotics recently) and suggested she not go back either.
That would be that, except that....
We don't think he gave us flu shots.
Yes, this is probably paranoid.
But we have been told by friends that the aftereffects of this shot are worse than those of other flu shots they've gotten. The usual: sore arm, temp, mild flu-like symptoms briefly. But better than getting the flu, of course. So my husband asked him if that was the case. What could we expect?
I had asked the receptionist while waiting, and she had said the usual, as above, but said it wasn't worse than the usual flu shot.
But when N asked the doctor, he answered, "There won't be any after effects." Not "any," he said. How did he know? There always have been in the past. At LEAST a sore arm, and a day of feeling a little bit under the weather.
Also, he had murmured to the receptionist (there was no nurse there, and btw no other patients were there when we arrived or arrived in the time we were there) that he needed more flu shots.
So we both noticed last night an absence of the usual sore arm. And same this morning. And neither of us has ever had a flu shot that didn't give a sore, hot arm.
So...
It's probably crazy, but here's the question:
Assuming that in the next few days we don't get the, in the past, inevitable flu-like symptoms....
Does anybody know whether it could hurt us to go get another flu shot?
This is weird, I know. But the whole visit was weird and creepy-seeming in some way.
He also said, as he gave N the shot, "I'm going to use a longer needle."
But why? N is not fat. And the flu shots come in a kit, don't they? Why a longer needle? Also, the shot was like a prick, as was the doctor, oh, sorry, that just slipped out, not like an injection.
Any comments anybody? Do any doctors read this thread?
I will feel silly for posting this if we get to feel post-flu shot-ish in the next couple of days. But in the meantime, aside from calling our regular internist, which we will do in a few days, does anyone have a thought about the just-getting-another-shot concept?
Weirdest doctor visit i ever had. He asked lots of things as though they were part of taking a medical history for a flu shot. Like, "Where did you go on your last vacation?", and he kept mentioning different diseases that he could test me for until I said, really sharply, "BUT I HAVE NO SYMPTOMS AND FEEL FINE AND DON'T HAVE THOSE DISEASES SO PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT THEM!" Then he said, "I see you are the type of patient that doesn't want unnecessary tests." Well, duh. I mean, who does?
I think that f-er wanted the money and was out of shots so gave us some sterile water or something.
But this could all be paranoia, I'll admit. |
