Future ouches

I was reading up on all the necessary "to do's" before traipsing about Europe and stumbled upon this: "make sure all your shots are up-to-date." After thinking about it, I had no idea if I fell into the ill- or the well-prepared in this respect. So, I hunted for that little elusive piece of green cardboard a.k.a. my immunization record and discovered that I am almost a year overdue for a tenanus/diptheria shot. "Gosh," I wondered, "have I contracted either illness in this interim?"

which then had me searching for symptoms...

"The first signs of tetanus infection are usually a headache and spasms or cramping of the jaw muscles (lockjaw). As the poison spreads, it progressively attacks more groups of muscles, causing spasms in the neck, arms, legs, and stomach, and sometimes violent convulsions (seizures)." source.

well, I think I'm okay despite the fact that I often have headaches and cramping in my jaw. Most recently because of a soccer collision.

and diphtheria?

"Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that spreads easily and occurs quickly. It mainly affects the nose and throat. Children under 5 and adults over 60 years old are particularly at risk for contracting the infection. People living in crowded or unclean conditions, those who aren't well nourished, and children and adults who don't have up-to-date immunizations are also at risk."

hmmm.... I kept reading the webpage:

"In its early stages, diphtheria can be mistaken for a bad sore throat. A low-grade fever and swollen neck glands are the other early symptoms.
The toxin, or poison, caused by the bacteria can lead to a thick coating in the nose, throat, or airway. This coating is usually fuzzy gray or black and can cause breathing problems and difficulty in swallowing. The formation of this coating (or membrane) in the nose, throat, or airway makes a diphtheria infection different from other more common infections (such as strep throat) that cause sore throat. "

okay, good. nice little lesson, huh?

anyways, I am going to get this little injection this week. Probably tomorrow. yay! I'm soooo looking forward to the pin prick I can almost feel it now =)