My Dr Appt Lesson

Yesterday, I took both girls to the Dr for their annual wellness visits. My first mistake was making the appt at 8:15am! I had to wake up at the crack of dawn (7am) via alarm clock (my enemy). My second mistake was that I thought it was a great idea to make a double appointment and do both girls in the same visit versus setting up separate appointments on separate dates. Thankfully, I put the girls in the double stroller so one could be contained while I held the other on the exam table. So the first 45 minutes went fairly smoothly with the nurses going through their history, taking vitals, and asking questions. Then the Dr comes in and checks out each of my girls. Everything looked A-OK. Smooth sailing. No problems in sight. In fact, Alexis kept announcing that she "gets to get a shot today". As if she were lucky. It was very obvious that she has forgot what a shot is and feels like.

The nurse comes in with a pile of syringes and an equal amount of band-aids. She gets everything organized and I thought let's do Alexis first because surely Isabelle is too young to really get whats going on. Right? WRONG! Izzie definitely comprehends what is going on. So Isabelle is in the stroller. I am sitting on the exam table while holding Alexis in my lap. The first shot goes in, no problem. Alexis just says she doesn't like it. Second shot goes in, Alexis says "Noooo! I don't want it." Third shot goes in...all hell breaks loose. I basically had to straddle her with both of my legs and arms. She was screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs. It was ear piercing and was frankly heart breaking seeing my little girl so upset. While Alexis is spasing out, Isabelle freaks out. They both are officially screaming uncontrollably. Forth, fifth and last but not least, the flu shot which was the sixth shot she received. Poor child was rightfully upset. I didn't realize she was due for so many shots at her 4 yr old appt. "Oh wait." the nurse says. She needed to prick Alexis' finger for a blood sample. For crying out loud are you serious. We managed to get enough blood out of her finger. After trying my best to console Alexis and calm her down, it was Isabelle's turn. Isabelle was crying well before the first, second, third and forth shots were injected. She could hardly catch her breath she was so upset. The nurse leaves...finally and I sit there for several minutes holding both girls and giving them some love. The nurse comes back and asks for a urine sample from Alexis. I told her forget it. Not today!!! She gave me a to-go cup so I could get the sample from home. We leave the Dr office at last. Both kids in tow, sitting in the stroller and still screaming. Alexis yells as we walk by both waiting rooms, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. Help me momma! It hurts."

I am so exhausted that I can hardly function! I am mentally and physically drained. Both girls passed out during the car ride home. Silence at last.
Lesson learned. I will either bring my husband along next time or I will do one child at a time when it comes to getting shots. What a day! Sigh...