Ouch!

So I had to get a shot in the arm yesterday. Why, you ask? Well I will tell you. Dummy that I am, I jabbed a steak knife into my hand and cut it open. Gross, I know. I had decorated sugar cookies on Saturday and didn't have time to clean up all of my piping bags, etc. so I was doing it Sunday. One bag was still full of icing but in a disposable piping bag so I decided to cut the bag away and throw the icing in the trash rather than wash it down the sink to get the plastic piece (called a coupler) inside the bag out. It's the piece that goes in the bag so you can screw the icing tip on the outside. I had cut the bag next to the coupler but I still couldn't get the small piece of the bag off that was still tightly on the coupler. So what did I decide to do? Slide a sharp, serrated steak knife between the plastic and the coupler of course! Wouldn't you?

Yeah, not a good idea. The knife slipped and went into my left hand. Actually didn't hurt that much at first but man did it bleed! I held in under the water for a bit and then took a paper towel and put pressure on it. After a few minutes the bleeding still hadn't stopped so I called my mom. I have never had stitches so I didn't know how bad of a cut would require them. She told me to wait and see if the bleeding stopped and if it didn't, to go in. Problem was, I couldn't drive AND put pressure on the cut at the same time! Lucky for me, the bleeding stopped.

Skip to Monday. Man did my hand hurt. The cut didn't start bleeding again but the skin wouldn't stay closed and my index finger had a numb tingly feeling. I, of course, turned to Google for what to do and then decided to go into the doc and get it closed up. I guess with cuts though, you have to have them closed within a certain period of time so when I got there, they told me to keep it dressed and to use and antibiotic cream that they prescribed. Then they gave me a tetanus shot. Now, I consider myself to have a pretty high pain tolerance, but that shot hurt a little! Not like pain that makes your eyes water but just unexpected pain. The nurse didn't even warn me!

So this brings me (finally) to my point! At least the positive in all of this is that I have one shot done for Mali! I really don't know all of the shots we need and I am sure we will find out on Sunday, but I looked it up online and these are what is recommended:
Hepatitis B
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Polio

These are HIGHLY recommended:
Hepatitis A
Meningococcal meningitis
Rabies
Typhoid

This one is REQUIRED:
Yellow Fever

Plus you have to take Malaria pills. Fun stuff! So if I had to do ALL of these, that would mean I would need 12 shots! My arm is pretty sore today so I can't image getting 12! I am sure I would spread them out, but still, that's a lot! I am pretty sure that Diphtheria and Tetanus are one shot though and I am guessing that I won't have to get ALL of these. Watch out guys, I might end up glowing green prior to leaving for Mali!

PS - I apologize for my excessive use of exclamation points. I am really excited about Mali and feel the need to yell it at you. You'll just have to deal with it until February. Thanks! :)