I am really scared after a doctors appointment I made for Champ yesterday. I took him to the doctors for his travel vaccines for our trip to the Philippines at the end of the month. I was anxious enough about that (the temporary discomfort of my little guy), but then the doctor started questioning me.
I replied that I had travelled to South East Asia 3 years ago for our honeymoon, so I was covered. Ummmm, now I know that a few of those shots only last 3 years - I had thought everything was for 10 years! Because we decided to get the shots well before our January 2007 wedding, we are now 4 month out of date for our injections.
The doctor said he would need to give me typhoid and swine flu but I was still covered for my Hep A (luckily I went back for that booster shot to make it last 10 years). I told him I was pregnant. His response: 'Why are you travelling to the Philippines while you are pregnant?'.
I was floored and now am scared.
I have since checked my itinerary and we are not travelling to any of the provinces which are high risk for malaria (his main concern because i can not take the tablets and they can not cover me at all) and we are staying at 5 star hotels and resorts the whole time - it isn't like we are staying in a shanty town.
I have done some research and believe that swine flu vaccines is quite safe, and typhoid injectible (not live) has had no reported problems with pregnant women, but it has not been medically tested as they don't test on pregnant women. It is also best to do it outside of the first trimester. I will be 13 weeks next week and the injection takes 10 - 14 days to take effect, so I think I can just scrape in if I do it next Friday.
Still, as Champ says, 'too scawy (scary)'.
In other news, looks like I spoke too soon about my morning sickness lifting. I am still sick and still vomiting. I am upset because it all stopped at 11 weeks 3 days with Champ, so that is what I was counting on this time. But no such luck. This kid is already more trouble than its brother. :)
Protected: 10 months
4 years ago
Good thing you had the appointment, though!! It's better to know. I am no doc, so I can't advise you, but maybe call your own health care provider for a second opinion just in case?
ReplyDeleteSo, there are no pregnant people in the Phillipines? I don't get the scare tactics. Don't pick up any discarded needles and don't eat food out of the back of someone's truck. Oh, and wear a full body netting at all times. But you were already planning to do that, right? ;) I'm sure you will take all the necessary precautions and be just fine.
ReplyDeleteTheoretically, the U.S. would like to see American travelers to Japan get vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis if traveling to "rural areas". We stay in a fairly rural area here (there's a farm with lots of mosquitoes - the carriers) but it's not *really* rural (i.e the city of Osaka is 20-30 minutes away by car on a good day). And even if I wanted the vaccine, I couldn't get it. All the manufacturers for the U.S. vaccines stopped making it last year and they figured it would be at least a year or something before a new supply would be available. So. I skipped it. All these should/shouldn't rules. You could definitely get a second opinion but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Precautions are nice, but often unnecessary too....
ReplyDeleteGosh, I have no advice about the travel, except for you can see a Travel Medicine Doctor (an infection disease who specializes in preparing people to go on trips) who would be able to answer all of your questions and concerns. If that doctor suggested you not go, then I would listen, but other than that, I say have fun.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for the morning sickness, I might call GIRL with you. With Will, I also felt better at 11 weeks. I woke up one day and felt fantastic - and started cleaning my bathroom with a toothbrush. With Emma, I threw up until 17 weeks and even now, at 19 weeks, if I don't eat right away in the morning (and just a little bit, too), I feel nasty. I hope you feel better soon, however, because I remember only too well how awful it is. Worth it, but still NOT FUN.
Hugs.
I'm so sorry for the stress of your appointment, but I'm happy that you were able to put together a plan.
ReplyDeleteAs for Lucky being more trouble than Champ, I know that you're thrilled to deal with the discomfort. :)