Immunization Hell

OMG. What you have to endure so you can see what you can endure.

Went to see what is needed in travel medicine to go to Nepal. Oh, just your ordinary stuff and a few you've probably never heard of. Like Japenese Encephalitis and Typhoid. But no wait, there's more! See my primary care provider (or who USED to be) has managed to LOSE my immunization record. If anyone has any doubts as to how broken the US healthcare system has become, you need only to find out what is missing from your own medical record. Had a cardiac ultrasound in my 30's (because he 'thought' he heard a click), but of course, no copy of the results in the chart. Had a MRI of my spine at 40 when during training for the 2000 Olympic Trials my back hurt all the time (duh, if you worked out 15 hours a week, you'd hurt too) and of course, nothing in my chart, but my immunization record? All the way back to age 4. Nope, not in the chart (like it was a heavily viewed document???) Like my NAME wasn't on it? How exactly do you LOSE something like this? Fine. So what is next?

Boosters...thats what. So in one sitting of injections I got:

Td (Tetanus-Diptheria)
Flu (Seasonal and H1N1)
Pneumonia
Polio
MMR (Measels, Mumps, Rubella)
Meningitis

Nothing could have prepared me for how my body responded. Hours 16-36 were hell. Went hella viral. Shaking uncontrollably but without a fever. Skin hurt, joints hurt, muscles hurt, appetite gone, I think my hair hurt (if I had any to hurt). Went to sleep the second night and very seriously wondered if I was going to wake up in the morning. I did. After day 2 bounced right on back.

So, I have a few more to address. Hep A, Hep B and Chickenpox. Got bloodwork to check my titers on those cause I should have a lifetime immunity already but if not, I will need them.

So next steps are my results and then back to the shotmeister. For whatever has worn off over the years and JE and Typhoid.

Other things.

Evacuation Insurance. Turns out that Blue Cross and Blue Shield is good for all 50 states. Leave them and you are on your own. So to cover any compassionate repatriotisation (isn't that a nice phrase for intracontinental emergency evacuation) I got secondary coverage. I learned that once we leave Katmandu (starting point) there is no healthcare at all. Period. Nadda. Not just not close, like zip. Yup, this is where rural, frontier goes to the next step. Dial 911 for not a prayer.