• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

You're not sticking that thing in me!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kandor
  • Start date Start date
K

Kandor

Guest
I've never minded needles..ok..given a choice between a Jack Daniels and a Tetanus jab..the Jack wins every time...but generally when someone says you need a 'Booster' my reply is 'which one of my hot water bottles should I take off?'
I remember the big jab at 14 ..the smallpox one..I remember having that little one done first to see if I needed it and then finding out I had to.
We were in a big line at School some of the kids were quiet, some were shaking but not me..I was a hero see.
Ivan A. three up from me fainted...straight bang over, right on his face..(dont worry, he was an ugly bugger anyway)
And doesn't it all seem like yesterday? but if you want to remember...look at that little scar on your arm...or leg..
God, how the years are passing.
 
:D Kandy I may be wrong :? , but being a woman I don't think I am.
:) I think the jab you had at 14 was for TB, I know thats when we girls got one at the top of our leg. I also do have a number 8 scar on my left arm the first '0' from the multiple jab on starting school a part of which was for Chicken Pox, Diptheria and I think it was Measles.. The Dip one had to be renewed from time to time and then there was the Polio jab (A big outbreak in the 50's lots of kids died and werecrippled by it) The other '0' from the Small Pox jab when leaving for NZ and I think you only had that when you were going overseas, now as I said I could be wrong. :?
:)
 
Me wrong?..a Man??

Well yes I am...I said it seems like yesterday..and I was drunk yesterday!
I must have had a brainstorm...it was of course TB..trouble is, as I've had everything from Beri-beri to Lhassa fever..it's hard to keep count..
I accept your apology for being a woman Chris... 8)
 
Needles military fashion

I don't remember any jabs being doled out at school but it is possibly I was before the time when they became concerned over the health of their young.
No my introduction to the fine, or in my case, blunt point, was during my square bashing days at the onset of my National Service.
Marched into a nissan hut which had a rope partition that seperated the centre floor of the hut to that of the surounding walk around area. That centre floor area was bulled to a gloss one could see one's face in and some later did so.
Sleeves, right arm, were rolled up on order and we slowly shuffled round towards the one fella in a white coat and his helper.
Now some did not manage to get to the adminsterator and keeled over and were dragged into the centre area. The doctor, would then stop injecting the ones at the lead of the line and would adminster the various jabs to those who collapsed and where the prone body lay. Those who collapsed following the injection were unceremonially dragged out of the hut by the drill corporals.
I recall one of the concoction of jabs and scratches I received made the arm go very stiff - either that or it was a kick back from all of them one had received. It was decided that chin high swinging of the arm was in order so we were drilled and drilled. It was then I truly could have killed my drill instructor.
 
DPT?

I believe the 'triple' jab, was DPT diptheria tetanus and petussis (whooping cough), some children couldnt have the whooping cough component, because of various contra indications? Together with the DPT came oral Polio drops - I had mine dropped onto a lump of sugar, at the local welfare clinic on Holyhead Road - where my Mom also bought the most gorgeous concentrated vitamin C orange drink from, which I had until Haliborange came along.

Measles jabs are relatively new in vaccination history - I would have to google to be sure of the date - but its the MMR (measles mumps and rubella) that has caused the latest debates in the 'vaccination damage' areana - autism and ADD being sited as a possible side effect of these vaccines - not successfully proven, according to the medical profession.
Rubella(german measles) was given in my 14th year I think, but at the time - only to the girls - because of the risk of congenital abnormalities if you caught rubella during pregnancy - but its now given to both boys and girls in infancy and boosted at around 15 I think.

Measles - although a common childhood disease, did take and severely damage a fair number of children and I believe that it is still the case to a lesser degree, because of the amount of parents who fear the MMR and are omitting it from their childs immunisation programme, although some clinics are now offering MMR as three seperate vaccines.

Typing this, has made me think how todays parents are well informed to the fors and against of these preventative health treatments - I wonder what amount of information was given years ago? I would think minimal? Does anyone recall if parents had to 'sign' consent forms for these injections? (its 'assault' to give a vaccination without an informed consent now)
 
:D Sue you are right of course, I was just writing from the top of my head to put Kandy right on the TB Jab, however we early 50's kids had a Polio jab, the oral came later and from what I hear over here in NZ they are going back to jabs.

:)
 
Stuck it to Us, Y not T,others?

Lovely to read your fond & painfull memories of the various scars :shock:
Injections etc,, My Mrs (Marilyn) & I also endured the same & compare "Worse than Yours" scars occassionally :oops: (Another time eh!)
After laughing at Kandor,s A W,s & Sue,s scintilating drivels, Christine Pom,s input reminded me of the "Extras" to emigrate to lovely N Z.

Apart from Full medicals , Marilyn, 2 Kids & self inc Chest X-rays, We as Husband & Wife (20+yrs married then) had to be AIDS tested ???.
All of this We had to pay for then (Re-imbursed later by Good NZ Company

Heh, no problems with that criteria BUT shouldn,t this Country stick it to All the People arriving (To stay) here :?: The rises in illness/diseases here in the last 10+ years are terrible especially those that where almost non-existant by eradication here in earlier years.
We need to learn from other Countries Rules, :!: John
 
I remember being given a jab at Hamstead school during the war years. I've no idea what it was for. Just that I was first in the queue, and the nurse whispered 'Show them all behind you how brave you are'. No pressure then :D

My next and only other jab offered was for TB, and yes Sue parents had to give their consent for that one, and my mother said no way. I wasn't given smallpox when I was a babe either. I had to have it when we went to Cyprus to live.

The worst was for hepatitis, I couldn't believe the surgery nurse would actually put that size needle into my nether region.
 
Just relieved

... that this thread is nothing to do with what attracted me to it. 8)
 
We had the TB jab at about 14 boys on their arm and girls on the leg so that it wouldn't show when they wore sleeveless tops i was told.

There was another one that was a circle of pricks on your forearm which decided whether you needed a jab , But dont know what that was .

In the late 1970,s there was a smallpox scare eminating from The queen Elizabeth hositpal in Harborne over the road from where me momma lives (still) . There was talk that we would not be allowed into foreign parts without proof of a jab , So me, about to go on hols goes to the doc and gets a jab,which was actually a slit in me arm and the serum dripped in.? So after giving me this, the doc says there have been more people die from the jab than there have from contracting smallpox .
the french didnt even look at me passport let alone the jab cert. made a good hols me thinking I was about to die from some orrible infection .

I have to have blood tests every 6 months and i still look away what a whus .. eh
 
As I remember the circular test was for seeing if their was a reaction for TB? if it was positive, I think it was up to the X-Ray department for a chest X-Ray. If there was no reaction then you hab the TB Jab I guess I'll be corrected if I'm wrong. :-)

I dont mind blood tests, but I avoid jabs, and hospital visits no matter what!! I spent a good amount of time in hospital 1st as a 4 year old with Diptheria, then at 6 with an abcess under my chin which rubbed on my chest, it was huge. I was a pincushion... every day it seemed I had several jabs, the needles then were glass and chrome steel, delivered in one of those kidney shaped dishes to your bedside a good while before you actually received it. I remember distinctly starring, horrified, and unable to speak, such was the terror that gripped. To this day I can smell the spirit used on the cotton woll swab that they rubbed on your arm, leg, or bum before giving you that painful spike :shock: God What A Nightmare :roll:
 
In the 'good old days'

'Heaf Test' Colin

When I started community nursing - I used boiled syringes for diabetic injections, I adored the smell of the surgical spirit - I still pocess a glass syringe, carrying case and reusable needles to show the students.
 
A junior houseman was set the task of rigging me up for a blood transfusion. Communications were rather difficult as he was Greek and not very long in this country. Not being my first experience of having a transfusion I could see, by this man's approach, that there were going to be complications.

I was a patient patient but by his his fifth attempt to get the necessary needle in I was leaking blood like a colander and he was pouring sweat in a similar manner. With the distaste of having the two fluids mixing on my skin, I decided to set an ultimatum. "One last go," I told him, "and if you still don't get it right, you can shove your needle where the sun doesn't shine and leave me alone."
"No," he insisted, "you must have it!"
I explained (rather loudly) that I didn't have to have any medical treatment I didn't want.

Anyway, as his last attempt was about as successful as the previous five, he finally agreed that he would go away and come back when I'd calmed down. I suggest (again rather loudly) he should not return until he had learned how to do the job properly.
He tugged back the curtain to make his escape, revealing Gail with her hands on her hips and an expression of disapproval. "Wouldn't have much trouble finding you, would I?" :oops:
 
You're not sticking that thing in me

I have had my share of injections for one thing or another over the years, the very worst were after I gave birth to my son, I was found to be very aneamic and had to have iron injections, the syringe was as big as a tube for icing cakes, and took ages to empty, my leg would then seize up for minutes at a time, I had these for a few days running, but my backside was black and blue for TWO YEARS afterwards.
 
Yes Sylvia - I recall giving 'Jectofer' in abundance in the late 70's early 80's.

An almost black substance with a recognisable smell, staining all it came in contact with. It wasnt a 'thick' solutiont to draw up, but when administering it, it felt like trying to push tar through a fine gauge needle.

One of the reasons the injection was so painful Sylvia, was the technique of how it had to be given. It was a 'deep' intramuscular injection, and usually alternating buttocks were used as the sites for the course, which often ran at 10 or more. You couldnt 'massage the site afterwards, and the process of administration was not speedy.You couldnt just go in and out either - a 'Z track' technique was used to prevent leakage from the site (to minimise staining)




The injection is given into the upper outer quadrant of the buttock to avoid accidental injection into a large nerve or blood vessel. Alternate sides should be used for subsequent injections.A Z-track technique should be used to prevent leakage along the needle track. The skin over the injection site is moved firmly to one side and held in this position until the needle has been inserted. Insert the needle for deep i.m. injection.Inject slowly without any force. Withdraw the needle quickly after about 10 seconds. As the skin and s.c. tissue resumes a normal position, this completes the Z-track procedure. Do not massage the site of injection. The patient should rest lying down for 5 minutes after the injection.
Click to expand...
 
Son no.3 at 30 years of age was taken to hospital with Quinzes, his throat was so constricted he could barely breathe.
A junior doctor in the emergency dept. tried to burst them with a huge(and I mean huge syringe), after three attempts,a lot of blood and a patient on the brink of a nervous breakdown he decided it wasn't going to work so admitted my son as an inpatient.
Outcome of this was that having been told it could return if he became 'run down' he gave up booze,cigarettes and joined the gym as well as playing football. One extremely fit and healthy son.
 
You are not sticking that thing in me

Needles? I hate them,
for reasons I won't go into at the moment, I reckon I have had my share,besides all the usual injections for measles etc, for three weeks,every four hours I had to have an injection of Pencillin (It was fairly new at the time) also had jabs of morphine,now I am a giver of injections to my wife , Sylvia, three times a day,as she is diabetic,
having the needle is not the best of things but a necessity for most folk
 
Needles

It looks from the above messages that we all have more than vivid memories of encountering needles during our lifetime. Thanks Sue for explaining about certain injections.
I can remember going to the Welfare in Marsh Lane, Erdington with my mother and youngest brother. Orange juice was brought home after every visit...delicious as I remember it.....

I always associated visits to the doctor's office, firstly, at the Welfare, to having some kind of injection. The doctor's always seemed to leave their
injecting equipment within sight of the patients...very frightening to children especially and I always looked around the surgery for these items when entering the doctor's office and got more scared as a result. Nothing was explained to children about this sort of thing and we just went along with whatever.

I remember lining up when I was about l4 to have the TB jab at school.
I was at the end of a very long line that actually went outside and into
the school yard. I remember later some girls having very severe
reactions to these jabs. Mine was ok thank goodness.

The smallpox scenario for me was dreadful. To travel anywhere for several years you had to be immunised against smallpox and the immunisation only lasted a couple of years. I remember one time before coming home for a visit I had to get yet another jab. I only had it a day before the trip and my arm swelled right up and I felt ghastly. It was Christmas and I had had the bright idea of flying home from Canada and surprising my parents with a Christmas visit. This took some furtive arranging over a few weeks. I flew to London and stayed with a friend overnight. I was so ill by this time that I was sure I was coming down with smallpox!!!!! I thought I might visit a doctor when I got to Brum. My friend drove me to Brum and this great front door step surprise didn't happen since I looked and felt so rough I phoned my parents ahead of time to tell them I was in England and would be home the next day. They were literally "over the moon". I didn't mention my mini smallpox outbreak but my mother knew something was amiss when I turned up looking like death warmed over. It all turned out ok though as the swelling went down within a few days and there were no adverse reactions after the initial ones. I was so glad when the smallpox injections were discontinued for travelling to Europe and Britain in the late l970's.

Glad because for one thing I didn't want to go through that experience
again and because of that I nearly got locked up in Morocco for entering the country without having a smallpox certificate. My friend and I thought we would get around having one. It was l972 and we were living in Spain then and decided to visit Morocco. We knew we had to have a current
certificate but when we visited this small hospital in Fuengirola the
conditions were so dreadful (unclean) that we fled without having the injections done. We had no time to go elsewhere.

We managed to avoid having documentation going into Morocco but
coming back was a different story. We lined up with what seemed like
thousands of Moroccans boarding the ferry to work in Spain. The Customs Officers saw that we had no certificates for smallpox and sent for
some armed police to escort us down the gangplank and onto the dock.
We were given the third degree in Spanish which we didn't understand and then we heard the word "prophalactics". We were presented with four huge pills wrapped in foil and made to ingest them without any water while these officers watched in amusement. It was awful to say the least.
They stamped out passports and let us go.
 
Us young kids used to knock down old slum houses, one day in Windsor Street one got the better of me and l finished up with a split head.  Well l remember Mum rushed me up to the General Hospital with a pillow case wrapped around my head, after treatment came what l now believe was a tetanus injection.  l remember the nurse saying what a really brave little boy l was but when l got outside it hurt like hell and the tears came flooding out . l shall always remember that day l felt such a let down afterwards. This was in the mid 1940's.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top