Taking a road trip to San Diego was so refreshing and much-needed. I'll post more about it with pictures in the near future.
Earlier today Jude and I went in to a local pharmacy for our h1n1 and flu vaccinations - FINALLY. I've been lazy and negligent about it all flu season. After seeing so many fall like flu-ridden flies around me, I was compelled to finally prioritize vaccination and dragged hir with me.
Jude has health insurance and I don't, but we both ended up paying the same amount since, for some reason (they always think of something, don't they?), hiz insurance refused to pay it.
And then came the paperwork. Like most medical paperwork, there was a section asking about gender with two options: O male O female. I circled "female". I don't appear female-typical, but I circled it out of just randomly picking between the two.
They also asked about allergies, pregnancy, and so on - and one portion asked about medications; including "steroids". I checked "yes" on this section and wrote, Testosterone Cypionate.
When I returned the paperwork to the pharmacist, she scanned it and stopped at the testosterone cypionate. She explained to me that testosterone was fine and wouldn't be a problem in regards to either vaccination.
And instead of marking "male" or "female", Jude instead opted to write in a "GQ" box, short for Genderqueer, and circled it. When ze turned it in I overheard the pharmacist chuckle and comment on the "GQ", something along the lines of GQ Magazine. They then had a discussion about genderqueer and transgender. It was cute.
Just as I was complaining about dehydration and Jude was whimpering about needing the restroom, we were beckoned. The injector asked me to roll up my sleeves, but my button-up shirt wouldn't roll up high enough. Without hesitation, while sitting outside of the pharmacy at Rite-Aid with shoppers all over the place, she asked me to remove my shirt.
Whoa! What? I told her that I'd rather not. She assumed that I was shy and led me back to an employee's-only area.
I wasn't shy. I have breasts.
So we headed into the employee-only area, where some semi-private drapes were setup. To expose my deltoid, I unbuttoned two of my top buttons and pulled my shirt down just enough. Noticing my discomfort, she asked if I was modest. At that moment, I just came out with it and told her that I have breasts.
She seemed to connect the dots, and then gave me a shot and h1n1 nasal spray.
While Jude was getting hiz shot/spray, I wandered around a bit looking for the men's restroom. Jude pointed me in the right direction and the employee didn't act confused or upset.
Earlier today Jude and I went in to a local pharmacy for our h1n1 and flu vaccinations - FINALLY. I've been lazy and negligent about it all flu season. After seeing so many fall like flu-ridden flies around me, I was compelled to finally prioritize vaccination and dragged hir with me.
Jude has health insurance and I don't, but we both ended up paying the same amount since, for some reason (they always think of something, don't they?), hiz insurance refused to pay it.
And then came the paperwork. Like most medical paperwork, there was a section asking about gender with two options: O male O female. I circled "female". I don't appear female-typical, but I circled it out of just randomly picking between the two.
They also asked about allergies, pregnancy, and so on - and one portion asked about medications; including "steroids". I checked "yes" on this section and wrote, Testosterone Cypionate.
When I returned the paperwork to the pharmacist, she scanned it and stopped at the testosterone cypionate. She explained to me that testosterone was fine and wouldn't be a problem in regards to either vaccination.
And instead of marking "male" or "female", Jude instead opted to write in a "GQ" box, short for Genderqueer, and circled it. When ze turned it in I overheard the pharmacist chuckle and comment on the "GQ", something along the lines of GQ Magazine. They then had a discussion about genderqueer and transgender. It was cute.
Just as I was complaining about dehydration and Jude was whimpering about needing the restroom, we were beckoned. The injector asked me to roll up my sleeves, but my button-up shirt wouldn't roll up high enough. Without hesitation, while sitting outside of the pharmacy at Rite-Aid with shoppers all over the place, she asked me to remove my shirt.
Whoa! What? I told her that I'd rather not. She assumed that I was shy and led me back to an employee's-only area.
I wasn't shy. I have breasts.
So we headed into the employee-only area, where some semi-private drapes were setup. To expose my deltoid, I unbuttoned two of my top buttons and pulled my shirt down just enough. Noticing my discomfort, she asked if I was modest. At that moment, I just came out with it and told her that I have breasts.
She seemed to connect the dots, and then gave me a shot and h1n1 nasal spray.
While Jude was getting hiz shot/spray, I wandered around a bit looking for the men's restroom. Jude pointed me in the right direction and the employee didn't act confused or upset.
Lol, yeah.. vaccine or not, washing hands is a must! :P
ReplyDeleteI often get "good luck" as a farewell, too, when people realize I'm trans. At first it took me aback (is my future so bleak and hopeless that I need luck?), but now I see it as a good sign -- like the person saying it has turned trans-friendly. If nothing else, they're being nice to me, which doesn't always happen when people notice my trans-ness.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had fun in San Diego!
Your posts are almost always entertaining to read. Wish my life was half as exciting. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteflu shots are not vegan, including the h1n1 vaccine. it also just has a lot of creepy things in it (including mercury).
ReplyDeleteplus the effectiveness of vaccines is questionable at best.
genderkid: Good way to look at it!
ReplyDeleteBoyd: It so is, Boydal. Your memory just isn't bedazzling it like mine does. ;]
ReplyDeleteNeekole: I will respond to you in great, brutal punishing depth the second I have time! ;]
ReplyDeleteI'm with Neekole on this one... vaccines are a scam... I can go into incredible detail of why if needs be :)
ReplyDeleteI suppose the elimination of smallpox, a disease which has claimed millions of lives, Polio, or Typhoid Fever, are all scams as well:
ReplyDelete"The first hemisphere-wide effort to eradicate smallpox was made in 1950 by the Pan American Health Organization.[49] The campaign was successful in eliminating smallpox from all American countries except Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. To eradicate smallpox, each outbreak had to be stopped from spreading, by isolation of cases and vaccination of everyone who lived close by. This process is known as "ring vaccination".
It is true that flu vaccines are not vegan. They are currently produced using eggs. Many people including many who are not vegan realize this as a serious problem. It will not be long before the use of eggs to produce flu vaccine is a thing of the past.
ReplyDeleteI would love the hear the details of why vaccines are a scam. Thank goodness Polio virtually disappeared on it's own (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poliomyelitis#Eradication).
Perhaps it is only the flu vaccine that is a scam.
Approximately 36,000 people in the U.S. alone die each year from the flu and around half a million die worldwide.
My concern is spreading the flu to people who are high risk and are unable to get the vaccine. What is your level of culpability when your flu ends up killing your grandparents, overweight relative, or HIV positive friend?
Neekole: What pops and Dracle said!
ReplyDelete... but to elaborate more on the vegan aspect of it! It actually wasn't difficult for me to come to terms with because I believe that there is ample and compelling evidence that vaccinations DO work, despite what a few contrarians might argue.
Given that belief, it means that I'd feel personally responsible for spreading a disease throughout the population by NOT being vaccinated. If I didn't, I'd be contributing to an epidemic where many people will unnecessarily suffer - and some may not even survive.
Unfortunately, as of right now there are no egg-less versions available - yet. :(
Which then translates into an issue of what veganism is to me.
I've noticed that many people get caught up in (their version of) veganism itself. They ask, “Is it vegan?” rather than “Does it reduce suffering?” For them, defending a certain definition of “vegan” is more important than preventing exploitation. Purity and consistency are more important than the utility behind it.
But I don't believe in that kind of absolute moral certainty - the world is grey and unclear, which I can't ignore. This is a prime example, big time!
Like I said, I'm genuinely concerned with reducing, as much as possible, the amount of suffering in the world. That's the primary reason I'm vegan.
And for me, veganism, rights, and liberation are not goals in and of themselves – they are tools to reduce suffering.
So with vaccination, I'm utilizing it as a tool not just to protect my own health - but to prevent a great deal of death and suffering throughout the population.
And comparing that to the concern over the purist aspect of having a little bit of egg in my system... reducing a great deal of suffering - and death - won. For me, given my belief in vaccinations. If that makes sense. :]
mel: i guess it all lies on how effective one believes it is. if one searches, they will find ample evidence on either side. i side with the not effective side, so i wouldn't take it. you side with the other, so it makes sense that you would get it done. plus, i am an ocean away from my infecting my old granny.
ReplyDeleteSmall pox, polio and Typhoid fever among other diseases which have been eradicated or controlled with vaccines are very wonderful and have worked yes. I will restate my statement by saying… FLU vaccines are a scam!
ReplyDeleteHowever, vaccinations for the flu have always and will always be a scam. They can only vaccinate for one specific strain of flu. The flu virus itself is an ever evolving virus. If you are vaccinated for lets say H1N1, but then are around someone who has a mutated version of H1N1, your H1N1 shot does you no good. Furthermore, if you contract H1N1 in nov, get an H1N1 flu shot in Dec, you just forked over money for a vaccination you already had antibodies for. Same goes for any strain of flu you contract within a 6 month time period. Most seasonal flu vaccines are a vaccine for the most common type of strain found. Its simply a way for insurance companies to charge money for their scare tactic propaganda of protect yourself against something bad. If you get the flu then you already have the antibodies.
Given that Mel and Jay caught Swine Flu when we went to the Marylyn Manson concert means, they both paid money for a vaccine they already had antibodies for. So I do contend that the flu vaccine is a scam.
Survival of the fittest pops :) that’s how I see it.
ReplyDeleteNo, I would feel bad if someone who had Aids got the swine flu because I perhaps gave it to them... HOWEVER...if they are old or overweight, thats their own problem....
again I joke :)
Neekole: Exactly!
ReplyDelete