Get yourself a tetanus shot.

[ksdaddy]

I must be getting old. I'm starting to worry about stupid things that my mother ranted about.

 

Thursday I was at a site checking it out for installing a grassed waterway and I was looking for a good place to outlet it. There was a big pile of wood debris at the edge of the field, looked like they tore down a building and the wood had been dumped there years ago. The thatch was thick and I didn't see the asphalt shingle with the nail sticking straight up. I like to think I would have had the brains to step around it if I had seen it (not sure, just speculation).

 

So yeah, I stepped on it and the nail went through my WalMart Earth Shoes quite quickly and positively. Immediately I uttered something to the effect of "Fudge, I must be more careful." And then I had the vision of Homer Simpson when he did the same thing and said "Fiddle-dee-dee, that will require a tetanus shot!"

 

Since it's been 14 years since my last tetanus shot (a dog bit me) I opted to go get one. I read up on tetanus a little and it's not something to be messed with. I know it's rare nowadays but people do die from it and a simple shot can prevent it. The up side was the attractive and chatty Pretty Young Thing that gave the shot, which was painless. I'm a wimp so when I say it was painless you can bank on it. My arm is sore this morning but now I don't have to worry about some dread disease every time I nick myself at the workbench (which is often).

 

So do yourself a favor next time you go in for a physical and roll up your sleeve, smile, and say "Tetanus toxoid, please!"

[Rocky4]

Got one five years ago when I learned the value of jack stands over a bottle jack. The SUV slipped fell off the jack and I was just able to get my arm back. The studs momentarily pinned my hand to driveway, but I pulled back before full contact was made. My hand swelled up like a boxing glove and was bleeding quite a bit, but no broken bones.

[rocketman]

Yeah I get mine every 10 years.

[EVOL!]

I've had a few tetanus shots in my life for dog bites and general maintenance. 100% not something to mess around with. For me the shot itself is not bad, but the after affects are annoying. The injection site gets tender like a bruise and I run a mild fever. I'll probably be due for one at my next physical.

[Thundergod]

Great edvice, I'm always getting cuts, burtst and stuff while working with wood and other stuff.

[The Mick]

Eye periodically end up in the ER getting something stitch up So Eye'm always covered.

[TommyK]

Cain't say when it was the last time I had a tetanus shot. What with my grubbing in the dirt in my garden in the summer and just general absentmindedness when handling hand tools and power tools, I'd better get mine updated too. Too bad they don't give you a tag or something like they do for dog immunizations to remember it by. Time was, all you'd have to do is go to YOUR doctor and his nurse had all the records. Now with health management systems droppin' doctors right and left, I never really know who MY doctor is. Much less whether they have the records of when I had my last tetanus. Maybe I'll ask if'n they have one of them "Immunization record' cards they give kids when they're young. Probably would be less apt to loose it.

 

My grandmother died from tetanus. Actually, she died in the late 60's, of what they called 'lockjaw', but it was a complication of the brest cancer she had. And, in that time, you didn't utter the "C" word in public.

 

Had my colonoscopy this spring. Something 40something's and up should have done one a regular basis. Absolutely painless and you get cookies afterward! =P~/

[Steven Tari]

I get that and a couple others a couple times a year working with Navy Poo-Poo.