Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A visit to sunny Camp Shelby!

My apologies for not posting a picture again today. I had planned to post a photo of either myself or one of my teammates getting their immunizations, but the nurse said it is prohibited to take pictures in that area. Apparently, they don't want pictures of American Soldiers getting pricked by needles floating around on the internet.

I was lucky enough to only need 4 shots; much better than my first deployment where I received 16 before leaving. I know some people out there absolutely hate shots (LONI!), but they really don't bother me...until I have to get the anthrax shot. It's a series of 5 shots that are spaced out over a few months; I received 3 of 5 while in Iraq, but only 1 of 5 made it into my permanent record. This basically means that if I can't prove I had 3 then I only had 1 in the eyes of the military. The shot is administered in the arm and the nurse always says something like, "this is going to hurt pretty bad." Let me tell you...if an Army nurse says that then they mean it because most of them are pretty tough. You're supposed to massage it for 10 minutes after getting the shot, but I think that's all just a mental issue to make you feel better. Anyway...long of the short...it hurt!

The only other thing that I had more or less forgotten about from my first deployment that was thrust upon me today is doxycyclene. This is a malaria pill that we are supposed to take daily. I got the prescription and am still weighing the pros and cons of whether or not to take it. First of all, with 100% certainty you will rush to the bathroom multiple times each day...it is tough on the stomach. Next, it makes your body real sensitive to sunlight. Finally, and I'm saving the best for last...it makes you dream some of the craziest things, almost to the point of hallucinating. I just pray that I go somewhere that is low risk for malaria and am directed not to take it.

Camp Shelby hasn't been too bad thus far...we're here and we're settled in. Should be here a few weeks before catching a hop to Asia.

More later.

3 comments:

  1. Oh, she told Rich last week.. "your going to feel a little warmth...". She said she couldn't really say that it will feel like a lit cigarette to the skin!

    Hugs to you CPT!

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  2. I always knew you were a sissy, Todd Floyd. I'm sure that shot didn't hurt that bad. As for that malaria medicine...you're just a sissy there, too. I'm sure I could handle all 5 of the anthrax shots at once while having just taken 3 of those malaria pills.

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  3. Man that Doxycylene stuff is pretty terrible. I was precribed it every time we went to Uganda, but never ended up taking it. What they don't tell you is that it is not a preventative medicine, but one meant to fight malaria AFTER YOU ALREADY CATCH IT. No thanks.

    P.S. You aren't kidding about the dreams either. Weird stuff.

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