So today I had to go to the doctor to get 3 shots for the mission I'll be going on later this fall. In doing so, I have to go back in late June to receive another shot, go back in September to receive another shot, and another one in November.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't scared at all and they didn't really hurt all that much. I give blood regularly so I'm used to having needles stuck in me. :3

Discuss:
Shots: Can you handle them?
Do you give blood?
Do needles scare you?
Anything else along those lines. =3

I've never gotten a shot in my life.
My mother doesn't believe in them. I'm not really sure why.

Anyway, I am immunization free and healthier than most people I know, though that could be coincidence.
And besides that, who's saying the shots really protect you? Tons of people who got the flu shot still got the flu, so who's to say that if there's a mumps epidemic you actually won't get mumps?

I just got the shots cuz they're a requirement. I'm an over-all healthy person, but if I don't get these shots I can't go on my mission. :P

I thought most shots were a requirement to go to school? There are others that are required as soon as you're born, but I guess your mom just 'overrode' the system and told them no?

Edit: Or maybe there are some states or areas where vaccines aren't required, but recommended.

I don't like people poking sharp things into my arms, legs, or anywhere else.

You can opt out of shots for personal reasons, in my state at least.
But my immunization record from the school says I've had all my shots. XD

So despite popular theory, yes, you can go to school without having had shots.

Dundundun. O: It's a conspiracy.
I can't believe they didn't write 'opted out' on your records. XD That's nuts. They liiiiiiie.

When I was smaller, I was scared of the pain of needles. When I got older, I was fine with it, but everyone around me was always talking about how scary needles were, so I sort of developed a nervousness about them. It's stupid. I know they're not that bad and after they're done, I'm fine, but people hype up needles and fear and it just gets to me sometimes. -_-

I find it's kinda like a sociological phenomenon. I think one of the top three fears in the US is the fear of needles. XD They're really not that scary! Sometimes I think my dad's a big baby because he's scared to death of needles.

i hate shots! im not scared of them but they hurt EVERY TIME so i really really dislike shots. i would like to give blood but there is no donation center in my area.

I have no problem with needles. No problem at all. My left ear is pierced in five places, my right ear in three, and my lip is pierced too. If it weren't so dangerous for me as a student in need of a job, I'd probably have a few MORE piercings...and I'm considering getting a tattoo.

I haven't seen my doctor since I had the six newest ear piercings and lip piercing done...but he's in for a surprise when I still tense up at the thought of bloodwork or shots or intravenous dyes or...whatever he's gonna want to poke me for this time. >.<;

I can't help it...THAT kind of needle makes me squeamish. I have no idea why...but I HATE shots. With the fire of a thousand hells. It's not the pain that scares me (I LAUGHED when I broke my hand and I've been dealing with a nasty knee injury for nine years - I can tolerate pain)...it's just the idea of a sharp pointy little thing tearing into my flesh and putting a foreign chemical into my body or taking some of my blood out that makes me cringe.

...yet...I don't mind a sharp pointy little thing tearing into me and making a path for a piece of metal or the thought of MILLIONS of sharp pointy little things sticking ink under my skin. o_O

I'm just weird, I guess. :sweat:

My mom doesn't believe in getting shots because she did research on them and found out all the bad things they can do to you.
I think it started when my older brother lost most of the hearing in one of his ears from shots.
Either way, there are a lot of doctors that are against shots too.
If you research it, you'll find that they're a lot worse than most people think.

I've never received shots since my mom is against them.
I was born at home (in Israel) so I definitely didn't receive any then.
And I haven't had any trouble getting into schools without having my shots.
I think my mom just tells them it's religious reasons or something and they can't legally make me.

I think part of it is just a big money-making scheme.
The government does get a lot of money from people getting vaccines if I remember right.
But that's a long story and I don't wanna go into that issue right now.

Yes I can handle shots so I never avoid them purposely. Even though I can handle getting shots I still don't actually like looking at needles and stuff. I always just look away whenever I am getting a shot instead of looking at the needle go inside my arm xD
I've never given blood before, but I heard it hurts more than just getting a shot. I am definitely open to giving blood in the future though.

I'm terrified of needles and cant stand shots at all. So imagine my disbelief and fear when I realized that because we moved so much, I managed to miss 12 shots and had to make up 6 of them on the same day T_T
I got my tetanus shot a few weeks ago too. So that should be about it

I used to be super nervous to get shots and have blood taken but then I went through having heart surgery and before that they must have done 50 blood tests checking to see what was wrong with me so I got used to it. Now not only do they not bother me but I can tell them which veins work better than others.
As for giving blood for blood drives and such, I can't anymore. They won't take it because they are afraid of what it could do to my heart. Oh and even if I hadn't had heart surgery I wouldn't be able to because I've basically had a tattoo or piercing once a year since I was 17 and they want you to have had I think at least six months since your last one. Again I lose.

Originally Posted by Kiriya

So imagine my disbelief and fear when I realized that because we moved so much, I managed to miss 12 shots and had to make up 6 of them on the same day T_T

Ugh, that happened to me once. I was going to Girl Scout camp, so I had to have a routine check-up beforehand. I went in thinking I was just going for a physical, only for them to discover that it was time for all of my immunizations. I ended up getting like five or six of the stupid things that day.

Shots don't really bother me, though. When I was a child I had to get a shot once a month, and have blood drawn every six months. That went on for five or six years. So, I've had a bit of experience.

I HAVE to watch when they give me a shot or draw blood, though. I'm just paranoid like that. Doctors and nurses always tried to tell me to look away, and some even tried to hold me down. Eventually, though, they realized that I wasn't afraid, and just started explaining everything to me. XD

For the shots I got once a month, my parents usually gave me the injections at home. There were a number of times I didn't even feel the shots, because I was too distracted watching TV. XD

Originally Posted by Mint Car

I used to be super nervous to get shots and have blood taken but then I went through having heart surgery and before that they must have done 50 blood tests checking to see what was wrong with me so I got used to it. Now not only do they not bother me but I can tell them which veins work better than others.
As for giving blood for blood drives and such, I can't anymore. They won't take it because they are afraid of what it could do to my heart. Oh and even if I hadn't had heart surgery I wouldn't be able to because I've basically had a tattoo or piercing once a year since I was 17 and they want you to have had I think at least six months since your last one. Again I lose.

Tis actually one year after you've received a tattoo or piercing before you can give blood. =3

@Yura: The first time a doctor took blood from me when I was about 11, my parents kept shielding my eyes from where they were withdrawing the blood. They forced me to look away XD It was kinda funny, but I wanted to see. They told me that I might get nauseous, but I thought it was cool and wanted to see. :P Worry worts.

I was in the hospital when I was six, and the nurse I had was really bad with the needle. Every time I had to have a new IV needle, she'd miss the vein and instead of taking the needle out and reinserting it, she'd just wiggle it around 'til she got the vein. I hated needles after that. When I'd have to have a shot it would take, like, six nurses to hold me down. XD I'm much better now, though. I haven't had to have a shot in years, but when I last had one, it wasn't so bad.

I can't give blood as they don't want mine, but needles don't bother me.
I got used to shots early on in life, as my dad's job took him to lots of different places, so we moved around the world a bit. Also I'm diabetic, so I check my glucose levels a couple of times a day and have to draw blood to do that, so the novelty's worn off some xD Then every three months I have to get blood taken for testing, so it doesn't phase me.
I have to watch the needle going in and out though. I get annoyed when I get a new person who tries to distract me thinking they're being helpful. I want to watch!

Shots use to bother me a lot when I was little, I was deathly afraid of needles back then haha. But as I got older I learned that it hurts a lot less if you just take it and get it over with. *nods*

And I'm not allowed to give blood lol. According to their standards I'm 'underweight' and probably always will be. ^^;; Their loss.

I was terrified of needles when I was younger. I once needed to get stitches on my forehead when I was a little girl, and they made the mistake of letting me see the needle they were going to use to numb me. I freaked the heck out and starting screaming and kicking the nurses whenever they tried to get near me. Strangely enough, the thought that it was going to go into my skin didn't bother me. I was just scared that one of the doctors would miss and poke me in the eye with the needle instead. xD

I blame it on the blood loss. xD

Now, I'm okay with needles. I prefer not to look at them when they're poking me, but I don't start trying to attack the person giving me the shot any more.

I'm a hemophiliac, I've gotten a lot of blood drawn.
And I had an allergy test.
Needles are nothing new. XD
I almost like it.

Shots and needles don't bother me. Normally I'm told to look away when they're giving me the shot, but I have to watch. It's really fascinating o:
And I've only given blood once. I haven't been able to since then because of low iron. I'm also underweight, but that didn't stop them from taking blood from me. They just took less than they normally do. Are they allowed to do that? But anyways, that needle they use is huge! It can leave a pretty good bruise on your arm. What's interesting is that more guys seem to be afraid of it than girls. Which is really frustrating! A lot of girls try to give blood but get rejected for low iron, while guys, who have much stronger blood, won't give blood. At least that's how it is on my campus. I've only seen 2 guys give blood.

:squee: no get them away no you cant make meh get shots:gonk:

I was always the kid who wouldn't cry, but would be like "OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW". And I can be really, really loud without noticing, so a lot of times everyone would come to look.

But last time I got a shot, my bicep felt messed up for about 4 months (no I didn't do anything about it). Now I cringe at the though. My mom wants me to get the HPV shot (which I don't want because it's still pretty new and I'm not sexually active anyway, nor do I plan to be for a looonggg time) and I refuse to get it unless they'll stick it in my butt. Seriously, no more arm shots for me.

Shots scare me period! even that little prick in the finger at the doctors!!! scary...