Travel Clinic

Yesterday I paid a visit to Yale's travel clinic, where I coughed up a bunch of money to have someone stab me. (But only once!) Of all the possible accidents that could befall me on an archaeological dig, I figured I was most likely to get poked by something sharp and nasty, so I got a tetanus shot. I'm also going to be immunized against typhoid, but the oral inoculation lasts for five years and the injection only lasts for two, so I just have to fill my prescription and drink something horrible for a few days. Fortunately, all the nurses who worked with me were masters of their profession, and were very nice to boot. I picked up scrips for an antibacterial ointment to help prevent skin infections if I get cuts or scrapes, as well as a few courses of hardcore medication for traveler's diarrhea -- known to some as "pharaoh's revenge," "Tut's curse," or "mummy's tummy." In the sage words of one of my fellow students who went on this dig last year: "You WILL get sick."