MMR Maze

T toys-a-rama

Today we took T in for his MMR. He was supposed to have it administered in November, but I didn’t want him to have the MMR and THREE other shots, so delayed the injection. We were so sick in December, that month was out. And since T is working on the tail end of another cold, I made sure we saw the doctor before he got the shot this morning. The doctor gave the green light. And all I could say was: OMG, as I rolled up my little boy’s pant leg.

Until this day I have:

1. Asked mommy after mommy after mommy
2. Asked Dr. Sears
3. Asked my doctor
4. Asked myself
5. Prayed to the universe
6. Avoided the Internet’s terrifying tales of MMR horror
7. Prayed to the universe AND goddesses of yore
8. Spent too many minutes marveling over Amanda Peet’s opinion that parents who don’t vaccinate their children are “parasites.” I want those minutes returned to me.
9. Consulted a velvet bag of runes somone gave me way, way back when I was single and never thought I’d be married much less a mother—ever. O looney runes! Thank you. I guess.
10. Took comfort in the health and vitality (except for endless Dec./Jan. colds) obvious in my active, communicative, still-not-sleeping-through-the-night son.

A few mommies I know obtained the mumps and rubella shots and had them administered separately to their babies–but then there was a measles vaccine shortage. Even Dr. Sears seemed to think the shortage wasn’t ending any day soon and “seemed” to suggest going the MMR route—even if a child had been given a separate M and R vaccine already. Gah!

My way of preparing for the MMR:

1. Ignored snarling mommies who–in addition to insisting there is no global warming–snarled and snapped that the MMR vaccine and autism are in no way linked no-how and how could anyone be stupid enough to think otherwise, etc.
2. Started giving my son liquid vitamins and the Dr. Sears Omega stuff a month before the MMR.
3. Refused to look at anything Jenny McCarthy
4. Meditated on mountaintops (Calgon induced)
5. Realized I could either do it, or not
6. Coped with that realization
7. Bought T more toys
8. Went over Dr. Sears’ vaccination schedule for the 1,000th time
9. Thanked the universe I’m not Abigail Adams in colonial times and making the decision to infect my children with “the pox” so they won’t get “the pox”
10. Tried not to snap at my husband when we discussed my fears

It’s done. T is napping after playing hard after the injection, before which he ate a hearty breakfast and played hard and amused the nurses by making off with their wastepaper basket. After the injection, he cried hard all the way home. The doctor said a fever and rash might appear anytime between this week and up to three weeks. Apparently this happens to 10% of babies who are given the MMR. It doesn’t have to happen. But it might.

In a month we will return for the chicken pox vaccination. Until then, T and I are going back inside his plastic bubble to play games and breath purified air. Although I guess we’ll come out to go to the zoo. And the grocery store. The park. A mommy meet-and-greet. A toddler’s birthday party. You know. You know. You know.

tayxmas.jpg
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