Shots and Operations, Oh My!

We got our flu shots today—which is quite ironic because it was the first time for Mary and me. If it hadn’t been for all of the hullabaloo about not having enough vaccine, we might not have gotten one at all. It’s true, it’s true—the decrease in supply inflamed a sort of anxiety. I’ve often thought about whether Mary should have a shot, but since she’d never had one, I let it go. I’d never had one either, so it seemed like something rather mysterious and threatening. Mom swears she and Dad always get sick after getting the shot, so that just increased my wariness. However, this year was different because they just kept carrying on about it and carrying on about it in the news, about how the sick and elderly and their caregivers should get a shot—although no one else will be allowed to. So, heck, I gave in to the pressure. Pretty funny, huh? If there hadn’t have been a shortage, Mary and I wouldn’t have gotten a shot! So some other poor sucker will get our flu this year, I guess. Well, I did get the flu last year and it was horrible trying to be ill and take care of Mary at the same time. (It was over Xmas/New Year’s break from school.) I tried to wear something around my mouth whenever I came near her, but it just wasn’t possible all the time. I became hyper-aware of just how much contact I had with her. But guess what? She never so much as sneezed or got a cough from it.

They say only the good die young. I always joke with her that she (and Anna) must be really rotten because they are living so long and are so healthy. Yeah, she must have made a pact with the devil or something. Mary kept talking tonight about how she had bronchial pneumonia and Anna had double pneumonia when they were little. Mom says Grandma expected Anna to die. Those must have been some pretty good prayers she and Grandpa were offering up back then!

Mary’s operation is at 7:15 tomorrow morning. I guess I must just be the queasy sort, but I just can’t bear to think about what they’re going to do to her. And it’s not just one eye but both! Ugh! Mary says she’s not scared—she is really brave but I think it’s mostly from all the luck she’s had. She has no idea what can go wrong. Completely trusts the doctors. Anna started telling her today about what went wrong with her own operation. Great! Lucky Mary’s memory is only “this long,” as Mary says, indicating half of her pinky. She’s really being stinky about this operation. I hope she doesn’t give me any trouble. I won’t be able to deal with it so early in the morning. She was stinky enough about the flu shot today. I was pretty stinky, too, but that had to do with my migraine. I had it before I went to bed and I knew it’d still be there when I woke up, but I didn’t want to take anything because the pills have caffeine in them. Plus you have to eat something before you take them, so they don’t make you overly nervous. I hate to eat right before I go to bed. It makes me ravenous when I wake up. Well, I’m taking it as a good sign that Mary took my advice and went to bed early. Now, if only I can take my advice, too! I took some Tylenol PM (the only sleeping pills I could find). I really hope they don’t’ make me so sleepy that I don’t hear her if she tries to get up during the night.

We watched a bit of a special about a baby polar bear and they kept showing scenes from The Polar Express. I really want to go see it and I’m begging Mary to go with me. I love Christmas and I think it’ll really put us in the right mood. I’d rather wait till we go visit my sister and her two sons, but they will surely have seen it by then. I made sure to mention this trip to Mary today, to get her mentally prepared. She loves day trips but hates to spend the night anywhere. I can understand. It’s hard enough for me to sleep in an unfamiliar bed… One time when we visited, we put the bed against the wall and I slept on the outside, to keep Mary from getting up. I was awoken around 10 AM (I guess I was really tired out from the drive) by Mary lying in bed next to me muttering about being held captive. Another reason to have a bad attitude about going. I know I’m awful for doing it, but I ruthlessly use my sister’s cancer to guilt Mary into going. It even worked to get Angie to go with us once. If only Anna were as easily swayed… That would be a trip to remember!