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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

Have mentioned before but worth repeating here. When I was 3 was bitten on the lip by a dog who then disappeared. Due to location antirabies shots given. Not many but enough of glycerine injected into the abdominal muscle that from then on giving me zhots not fun. Once was dragged out from under the 3rd chair I crawled under and mom held my hands, nurse my feet and the doc a firm knee in my back.. Think that qualifies as a phobic moment. And ironically, tho worked in biomed, had white coat syndrome (actually led to being rxed unneeded b.p. meds) until in my 70 s it suddenly occurred it might be subconscious feedback from yr 3. Cured my white coat.

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Swabbie Robbie's avatar

I am also needle phobic. As little kids in the 1950s my uncle was our doctor. Whenever we went to their house for holiday meals, my uncle thought it would be a good time to catch us up on vaccines. My brother and I became terrified of even going there. When we would arrive we would run to the kitchen to see if he was sterilizing the glass syringes on the stove top. If not we would relax and be able to enjoy the day. As an adult I have had a few vaccines, but not many. I guess the upside from my childhood was I would never become a needle using junkie.

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

Forgot to add still put up a good fight til they threatened to call in my cop dad for a 4th. That did it.

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Patricia's avatar

That is wild! I never there was a thing called “needle phobia”. I am afraid of needles also, but as I got older, just learned to look the other way, & make sure I’m laying down when blood is drawn. Now, my Son is just like I am-! When he went to college, he had to have a shot (darn if I can remember what this one was), & he decided he could go by himself. I was, ok you are an adult, so just be sure to tell the doc you have to lay down, or you will fall down. Erik did lay on the table, got the shot; well, the nurse left the room & 2-3 seconds, she hears “BAM”! Erik fainted, fell on the floor, & somehow had a facial scrape. Then, a little later he calls me, because I did not hear from him right away; he starts his conversation with: “Mom, I’m ok”…yada-yada! He will be 35 in October, & still has needle phobia!

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

As I found out, phobia a feedback from the subconscious. When I sussed that out, my white coat disappeared. Maybe considering that needle phobia is subconscious reminding of all those jabs will help ease the angst.

My surrender when dad was mentioned was that he was strong as an ox, had FBI training and I was a gone goose. Then home and while I celebrated his giving up the strop for a safety razor his belt proved an adequate substitute. I yielded to superior force.

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Patricia's avatar

I remember my Dad’s belt on a few occasions also! When I told him “that didn’t hurt”, well of course I was swatted again!

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CMCM's avatar

Oh yes, the famous "belt". I got it too a few times, just a few when I was really naughty. One time I felt whatever I'd done didn't merit getting the belt, so I was determined not to cry or react to it. I got a few swats, and then a bit later I heard my dad telling my mom how odd it was I didn't cry or say anything. He couldn't figure it out! Somehow that gave me a bit of satisfaction about the situation. My mom's threat to me was always "You're going to get the belt when your father gets home". This was in the 1950s and this sort of punishment was common. Later generations always seem shocked by the idea of spankings and the like, but honestly, it wasn't all that bad and it delivered a message to unruly kids. That said, when I had children I decided I wasn't going to spank them, and no belt!

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Patricia's avatar

Oh, the times they have definitely changed! My Dad was a Marine, WWII, & strict! When I became aMom in the 1990’s (a late bloomer Mom), I spanked my two children once or twice, no belt, just a little whoop-whoop on their butts! I felt so bad, & decided no more spanking. Instead, I would let them know the consequences for not listening; I began taking away favorite toys, & as they got older, made them work for new things. It worked for me, & them as they got older. I’m a happy, & proud parent now, & both are in their 30’s, & responsible adults. The hardest thing as they aged, they lost their Dad at 57, so it’s been a rough, long road without my spouse, & Son has had a difficult without his Dad. Enjoy your weekend!

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

Funny story. My sis thougt I deserved a whuppin for an outrage I committed and dad grabbed me and hauled me ,protesting innocence all the way, into the bathroom where he dropped the toilet lid and smacked it good with his belt telling me to yell my head off. It worked.

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D D's avatar

I also mentioned my response from Aug 20 (What the ACIP Wasn't Shown) Yup, we were right on, Micheal.

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CMCM's avatar
Sep 6Edited

I don't know if I was ever needle phobic, but of course no kid really likes getting shots. I was always creeped out by the idea of a needle going into my arm, so at one point when I was around 10 or so I made myself watch the whole thing because I figured once I did that, the fear wouldn't have power over me any more. Once I saw it up close and personal and realized it wasn't actually so horrible after all, I wasn't especially bothered by it any more after that.

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Thomas A Braun RPh's avatar

Could in some cases the reverse be true and acceptance of needle use lead to drug use? How about constant happy talk on TV pushing drugs. Overheard a drug salesman telling a physician that if you don’t prescribe a drug for the patient’s visit, the patient doesn’t validate that he made the right decision coming to see you..

All activities to develop compliant humans.

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James Goodrich's avatar

My wife helps operate on children. Most days when she comes home the first thing she tells me is how many screaming children she had dealt with over that day. They have to try to sooth the child, get their mind off of what is about to happen. Certainly a part of my wife’s job is doing this.

Not sure if you’ve seen a person pass out from seeing an injury on themselves. It’s a scary and dangerous occurrence. People can fall and be seriously injured.

I was working at my house one day and cut my thumb with a utility knife. So I did what I always do, wrap it up with a napkin and then take electric tape, if I have it, and secure the napkin. About an hour later after I finished what I was doing my wife said what’s up with your thumb, so I told her I cut it. She said let me see it. Hesitantly I showed her. She freaked out! What is wrong with you? you need stitches, oh this is great, you’re an as- h- - -. And on and on. I began to get dizzy and turned pale white. Almost felt I was going to fall down. She said sit down! you’re going into shock.

The human mind is certainly an amazing thing. I was fine until she started in on me, telling me how injured I was. There was no soothing me happening when she saw my cut, that’s for sure!🙄 luckily I didn’t faint, but I did get stitches!

I also hate needles and cannot watch them being pushed into my arm. I honestly thank God there are people that can do what has to be done to fix people, I’ll stick to fixing buildings and houses!

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Mark's avatar

Morning James. Ax through the foot. Tourniquet, a very disappointed EMS crew and hospital staff I did not amputate it. (They are a weird lot) Surgery and nerve repair. Got stupid lucky.

Half severed left thumb cutting a zip tie. Again stupid lucky, only stiches.

Knife wound to right wrist in a fight. Bloody and again stupid lucky.

All that hurt less and / or , was less traumatic than a needle stick, IV or blood draw.

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James Goodrich's avatar

I cut my thumb cutting a zip tie that’s amazing. Leaning over behind a TV frustrated.

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Debra Nolasco's avatar

Many people end-up in the emergency department after trying to open a blister pack. I can understand how this happens. So many packages are almost impossible to open. I'd love to know the actual numbers of these kinds of injuries, nationally, on an annual basis. I'm sure the numbers would be staggering.

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Sonia Nordenson's avatar

Spread the word. I just learned on the Internet that a blister pack can be easily opened by cutting along one edge with a can opener!

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CMCM's avatar

Opening certain Costco packages are downright dangerous, and the thick plastic can definitely cut your fingers badly. I detest many of their packages.

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Mark's avatar

Zip ties are damn dangerous.

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

Zip ties are tough...taught counter measures in the package.

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Robert Auld's avatar

I find that a basic wire cutter will cut through zip ties easily and is not hazardous. Probably hit on that due to audio electronics background. (I always have a basic wire cutter handy.) Going at a zip tie with a knife strikes me as quite dangerous.

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James Goodrich's avatar

I totally agree with you Robert.

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Mark's avatar

It was late, no wire cutter was handy and I needed to reattached the antenna on my in car computer at work. I did, after this, throw a pair of side cutters in my gear bag. I may be dumb, but I ain't stupid.

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Robert Auld's avatar

I've done my share of dumb stuff too, so I'm not criticizing, just trying to offer helpful info. We all have our scars....

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53rd Chapter's avatar

James, yeah those darn utility knives... But ditch the napkin and electrical tape. Use a ventilated tape, recommended for the bottom of a twin-wall polycarbonate sheet. Holds your skin and flesh together and allows the area to breathe and heal.

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Barbara Charis's avatar

When I get hurt, I put myself at one-with-the-Energy of the Creator, close my eyes and I am alright. If my daughter is around, she gets hysterical and starts trying to treat the problem. One time she poured hydrogen peroxide on a large wound, which just happened... and I thought I would go through the roof.. She is a germ-phobic...and did not read the label, which said it was for a small cut only. As a child, I got hurt quite frequently and never even told my parents. One time, I was roller skating, fell and cut my knee open badly; crawled to the curb and sat there and prayed for 20 minutes, until the bleeding stopped. Hobbled home and found some adhesive tape in the medicine chest and taped the wound together. I didn't tell my parents and i wore pants so they didn't see it. It healed fine, but every so often the knee twinged, when it was going to rain. i don't get unhinged, when I get hurt, but i can't stand to see anyone else get hurt...I could never have been a doctor.

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James Goodrich's avatar

I really was ok until my wife looked at the cut and I looked at it. When she started berating me is when I started down the path of fainting, which I didn’t!😊, but was on root. At work one time the electricians helper cut his leg on a piece of sheet metal (duct work) his cut was taped up. He’s a democrat and we used to go back and forth on issues, but he was a good guy a college professor, helping his friend out. I asked to see it, it was a good deep gash. When he saw it he passed out started snoring and shaking, he went into shock. I never saw this before. He was a big guy. A couple of us grabbed him and laid him on the floor. He ended up leaving in an ambulance. I told Mike the electrician he couldn’t handle our discussion about Obama!!

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Sonia Nordenson's avatar

What a great story!

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Patricia's avatar

It is difficult for me to see my children get hurt, bleed or need stitches, or even when they had to get their childhood vaccines; so, I always had my husband take our children for that! It is wonderful your wife works in the medical field, & I appreciate those wonderful individuals that take care of others; they are very special, caring & loving people! I have always respected every nurse, or qualified & certified person that takes care of us when in need! Great story James, thank you.

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SHaight's avatar

Very interesting! My daughter now age 32 has needle phobia and I always thought it went back to the time she was 18 months old and had some tooth decay and needed to be sedated in order to cap her teeth. I remember the nurses trying to find a vein in her arm without success and kept poking her and jabbing her. Her screams were bloodcurdling! Very traumatic for her and also for me! Thank you Dr. Malone for all you do!

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Dr. Robert W. Malone's avatar

Our 41 year old son is needle phobic and it goes back to a bad blood draw when he was a toddler

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Trying hard's avatar

Well...duh on needle phobia! Who does NOT have it?!

I'm 70 but can still vividly remember the 1950s " feel of it all", smells, the painful injections, white coats and terror in my very kind pediatrician's office. His kindness was good but my fears were accurate. It was going to really hurt. My mom only had to pull into the parking space for me to fall apart. And in the 1950s we had very few jabs compared to now.

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Health Matters's avatar

I'm another needle phobic. Held down by nurse, Mom and Dr for jabs when young. 4 small pox jabs and reactions two times, along with the other poisons didn't help. I will do blood draws, but have passed out, vomited, etc. My veins are hard to find- after 5 jabs for a Colloidal Silver IV- I found another method (suggestion from the Dr.). I even got acupuncture for 8 weeks and refused to look at the needles :). It's reassuring to know I am not alone and the possible reason for this. thanks for such an enlightening article.

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Dr. Robert W. Malone's avatar

Someone really screwed up if you got 4 smallpox inoculations.

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Health Matters's avatar

Yes, I totally agree. All the reactions to that and DPT as well, which was given 3 mo's in a row- probably to blame for some of my health issues. I have to blame the Dr... Mom never questioned I'm sure...you didn't do that back then and i was first born so she had no idea of what to expect. Sad. At least I was 'allowed' to have chicken pox, measles and mumps naturally 😂

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Matt Cormier's avatar

Robert, I’m the author of a groundbreaking new study on the link between vaccines and autism.

https://open.substack.com/pub/healthuncensored/p/a-groundbreaking-new-perspective?r=1yb5g0&utm_medium=ios

You can find a short video presentation highlighting key points from my paper in that post ☝️

Curious to hear your thoughts?

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Peter Engelfriet's avatar

"At the root of modern Western “public health” is the thesis that the State has the right to mandate medical procedures to advance “the greatest good for the greatest number”: is this how public health is taught in the US? As a researcher in public health myself, I don't recognize this as an axiom of public health. On the contrary, prior to Covid I always believed that the principle of bodily autonomy was sacrosanct, also when it comes to vaccinations. Unfortunately, this was turned upside down during the past years of tyranny by 'experts' selected by governments, and so-called 'medical ethicists', echoed and amplified by the media.

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Roger Boswarva's avatar

Now that Florida is killing the mandates for vaccinations, it will provide an interesting and very valid comparison with which we can evaluate the validity of the proposition that Needle Phobia is an outcome from babyhood vaccination abuse.

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Lucy's avatar

Whew, everyone knows how bad I am with needles. Spent lots of time when very young with several operations and time at Mayo. And had huge boils from hospital infections. If I would see someone in white, I would start screeming and wrap myself around anything I could. Fast forward to many, many years later. I have a blood draw in Texas every year for a personal health report and still get woozy-sometimes lots. I actually held my horse for Lymes treatment this summer and I didn't fall over! I used to have a friend give my horses boosters while I would go sit down. Took me over a month to mentally prepair myself for accupuncture recently. It worked until an assistant made the comment "he really put them in deep this time". And haven't been able to go back for it.

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Mark's avatar

I am definitely on the list of needle phobics. I was not held down or traumatized like that. My opinion is that the MD's and staff don't listen and make like the needle stick is no big deal. For me the jab hurts and I can feel the needle, IV, whatever, go in. IV's are especially bad and I pass out most of the time. Giving blood is simply not gonna happen. Putting and ax through my left foot was LESS traumatic than having an IV inserted while passing a kidney stone. Or the excessively large needle used to drain fluid from my shoulder. And, and, and.

I think the best way to get an IV in or a needle stick is just to tell the person, "Hey this is probably gonna hurt and it sucks, but if you move it will be worse." And do the business. Quickly. Let them freak out or pass out or whatever. No extended arguing, pleading or deal making, especially with kids. Did this with my youngest and no issues, since parents and Dr.'s were honest with him.

Just my two cents.

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Swabbie Robbie's avatar

Ya know, putting an ax through your foot is not a good idea. I shortened the 1st 2 digits on my right hand via the whirling blades. Also not a good idea. I was at our sailing club a week later and a number of the guys there who do carpentry showed me their shortened fingers. I still felt like a fool, but realized I was in good company.

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Mark's avatar

Jut remember to sharpen the axe before you split logs. Freak thing. My surgeon was impressed with how sharp the axe was. Said I was really lucky the cut was clean.

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Swabbie Robbie's avatar

at our last home we heated with wood for 44 years (had propane too.). I had a lot of axe experience. Wood mauls were more dangerous because they were blunter wedge shaped even if the edge was sharp. I actually feared my chainsaw the most. Kickbacks usually hit the head and face. Best thing for me was going shares with a neighbor on a gas powered wood splitter.

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Mark's avatar

Agreed.

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53rd Chapter's avatar

Just heard that over 1000 "cadre of trained socialists" have signed a petition demanding the removal of Secretary Kennedy from HHS.

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Dr. Robert W. Malone's avatar

MPH is not a scientific degree

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53rd Chapter's avatar

Which is not to say it's a bad thing - they just need to stay in their lane.

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

It offers a fast track into administration

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

Agree.

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Tom Daniel's avatar

Did I miss the part in your Needle Phobia expose, Dr. Malone, that mentioned a BIG part of this "phobia" is due to the competence (or) incompetence of the person administering the needle?

I have been able to manage my phobia over the years by looking away from the upcoming procedure - and hoping the person holding the needle knew what he or she was doing. That has worked pretty well - that is until just recently when during the beginning of an ER exam - which included several nurses, one of which had "Student Nurse" affixed to her uniform - was given the task of drawing blood for various tests. I could feel her squeezing and feeling along the edge of my left forearm - which clearly had a vein marked from a previous needle (painless draw I might add); The tyro nurse ignored that and tried FOUR times to draw blood each at a different location! Her final attempt must have hit a nerve because I emitted an involuntary HOWL!

The 'staff' nurses were all rolling there eyes during this fiasco - and one of them took over and drew blood - painlessly. The "student" nurse happened to be a DEI hire.

Point is - as mentioned above - MUCH childhood needle trauma probably was/is the result of incompetence on the part of the needle administrator as the needle itself.

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Jean's avatar

Been there. New office help. 4 tries spread over both arms. Bandages everywhere. Don't recall if or how it ended. Slammed into a wall from another who roundly admonished me for jeopardizing her standing.

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Tom Daniel's avatar

WoW! At least (my) student nurse said she was sorry.

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CMCM's avatar

Giving injections definitely requires skill. I've had shots when I literally could not feel the needle going into my arm, and others that were quite painful.

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Tom Daniel's avatar

Yes. CMCM - that was the main point of my 'comment' to Dr. Malone.

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Scott  McColloch's avatar

I had a needle phobia, but I contend I had a good reason. The little town where I grew up was without a doctor until rather well to do lawyer with a wife, who was an MD moved to a nearby farm. She realized there was a need and set up a small practice. This was in the day when needles were autoclaved for reuse and this eventually weakened them. Ideally they were discarded at this point, but occasionally one was kept too long. I was victim of one of these, breaking off in my … er backside. My mother, who brought me, was the athlete of the family and held me down, while the doctor probed and eventually extracted the broken fragment. This resulted in a phobia. I still remember going in for an ear irrigation and seeing what looked like a huge hypodermic needle and cringing. Sure enough the doctor went over to the case and got that device out of the case!

Common upper respiratory allergies are not fun, but three or four episodes of testing, marked with rows and rows of shallow injections, plus probably thousands of shallow desensitizing injections by five allergists over thirty years have extinguished my phobia and I can walk into the hospital and have blood drawn without more than the standard anxiety level.

The last time I saw the doctor I was in grad school, but home to vote and she, having retired several years before, was just coming out of the polls. The first topic for discussion, the broken needle incident when I was about five!

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53rd Chapter's avatar

Why does it seem that there are more Democrats than Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee that are trying to dismember Secretary Kennedy in the hearing today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2IEnZ2MtKw

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53rd Chapter's avatar

Hear, hear! Senator Johnson comes through again! Yes, Senator Marshall!

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53rd Chapter's avatar

With friends like Senator Barrasso, who needs Democrats?

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James Goodrich's avatar

I was just watching it also

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D D's avatar

Me too, James, Argh, it was hard to watch. I would need my BP taken!

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53rd Chapter's avatar

Sheesh, do I get paid for this, listening to these automatons?

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53rd Chapter's avatar

Senator Tillis, to no one's suprise, damning with faint praise.

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53rd Chapter's avatar

Apparently, a prerequisite for being a Democrat senator is an aptitude for taking cheap shots, with the exception of Senator Whitehouse.

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CMCM's avatar

They were grandstanding for donations and re-election purposes. Making a name for themselves. Well yeah, they did make a name of sorts...they looked and sounded like morons. Their ignorance was on full display.

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Nancy Morrisset's avatar

As a Medical Technologist, I worked in hospitals, doctors offices in management but also filling in as medical assistant. I can’t tell you how many times I heard parents tell a misbehaving child, “ if you don’t behave, you’ll get a needle”. I asked them not to do that. I also found, in many cases, if I got down on the child’s level, explained what I was going to do (blood draw or shot), and showed them my equipment, most of them were receptive and got through it fine. I learned a technique from earlier days as an animal technician, to pop the needle in quickly rather than shove it in slowly like too many health workers do. My patients rarely felt it. I wish others would learn!!

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Micheal Nash, Ph. D.'s avatar

Ranks right up there with threatening kids with the police. Mom had a friend raised that way and my meanie old dad would nearly make her wet her pants with a tap on his siren when he saw her parked in front of our place. Really not nice play by parents as the fear they instill of needles or cops lasts into adulthood.

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Nancy Morrisset's avatar

Oh, and I always gave myself my own allergy shots, flu shots, and while working in hospital labs, would draw my own blood either to run a test or two, or to use as a normal control. Guess I’m not phobic. 😁

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jtrudel trudelgroup.com's avatar

"Not all long-term adverse events are physical, some are psychological -- and some are both.

COVID AND THE JABS WERE ALL THAT AND MORE. MASS MURDER. THE GREATEST GENOCIDE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

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