Evan needed to visit Dr. Griggs for his four-year check-up. Easy peasy. But he knew that he was going to get shots. Two of them. TDap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) and polio. I pulled the short straw and Evan and I walked into the good doctor's office one afternoon last week.
The physical went smoothly. Evan chatted with the doctor and his medical student-in-training. When Griggs wanted to check Evan's eyes he put his thumbs under Evan's eyes and pulled them down a bit and asked "Why are you so sad?". Evan found this very funny and told him he wasn't.
Then we breezed through the vision and hearing exam. At which point we both knew what was left. The nurse walked in with her needles, syringes and bandaids. She laid everything out while I explained to Evan that it would only hurt for a little and then it would stop. And that the medicine in the shots was going to help him not catch diseases that could kill him and that at one time did kill a lot of children. And that his Grandpa helped to get children vaccinated with the polio vaccine and that India is now polio-free. And that both his Grandmas have given many a children many a shot. He seemed to understand. The nurse asked him to sit on my lap. I held him in a hug. The nurse gave him both shots in quick succession on his left thigh. And she left. Evan's lips quivered. Then he sobbed. By the time we paid and left he was dripping tears and snot. But he finished before we reached the car.
The physical went smoothly. Evan chatted with the doctor and his medical student-in-training. When Griggs wanted to check Evan's eyes he put his thumbs under Evan's eyes and pulled them down a bit and asked "Why are you so sad?". Evan found this very funny and told him he wasn't.
Then we breezed through the vision and hearing exam. At which point we both knew what was left. The nurse walked in with her needles, syringes and bandaids. She laid everything out while I explained to Evan that it would only hurt for a little and then it would stop. And that the medicine in the shots was going to help him not catch diseases that could kill him and that at one time did kill a lot of children. And that his Grandpa helped to get children vaccinated with the polio vaccine and that India is now polio-free. And that both his Grandmas have given many a children many a shot. He seemed to understand. The nurse asked him to sit on my lap. I held him in a hug. The nurse gave him both shots in quick succession on his left thigh. And she left. Evan's lips quivered. Then he sobbed. By the time we paid and left he was dripping tears and snot. But he finished before we reached the car.
Later that evening at dinner he said "Vivian - look - I can make a sad face". And I just happened to have my iPhone out and ready.
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