Alex's Physical

In order to go to twelve year old scout camp in two weeks, Alex had to have a physical. It had been over a year since our first very traumatic doctor's visit. (The one where he had been home less than a week and had five shots, a blood draw, sobbed and crawled on my lap rocking back and forth to comfort himself.) We reminisced a lot about that first visit while waiting for the doctor.

Since last May Alex has grown three inches and gained eight pounds!

On the drive to the doctors office he was very concerned about the doctor having to look at his privates...again. Then he shrugged it off saying they had doctor exams in the orphanage at least twice a year and he knows all about getting his privates looked at. He did express concern for our lady doctor, "I would hate to be a girl and look at boys penis's all day long." I explained that she probably didn't look at them all day long-just a few seconds out of her day. (While trying not to burst out laughing!)

He made it through the embarrassing check with the choice from the doctor, "Do you want Mom in here or the assistant?" Alex quickly choose me and as promised I looked away so we salvaged some of his dignity.

But he did need two more vaccines.

He was okay about it and as we waited and waited we talked more about that first visit and how awful it was and how far he's come since then. He laid his head in my lap and let me stroke his hair while we waited for the nurse to come in with his shots. It took forever!

Here is shot #1:

Shot #2 was much more stingy and Alex was not shy about it.

But truly he was just being a bit dramatic as this is just seconds afterwards!

Then we got home and got a phone call from the doctors office explaining they had administered the wrong shot! (What the heck??) It won't hurt him-they said-he had a tetanus combo shot....no wonder it stung! But he has to go back next week for the original Hep B.

He took the news like a man (and a Tylenol) and left for 11 year old scout camp!