fourth times a charm

During our time here in Honduras they try to get the interns involved in all areas of Mission Lazarus. While I am a marketing major and have a business focus here in Honduras, I am also involved on the ranch, school, and clinic; Wednesdays are my day to go to the clinic. The normal routine while in the clinic consists of sitting in Dr. Javier’s office and watching him treat patients, while he also explains to you what he is doing. Yesterday while I was their, a boy came in who had a fever and needed to get a shot. When shots need to be given Dr. Javier lets the interns give them, however, since I am a business student I leave the medical stuff to the interns who are here for a medical focus. Yesterday, however, when it came time to give this boy his shot Dr. Javier shouts out of his Office, “Jaclyn, teach David how to give a shot.” While I was slightly nervous about giving this 12 year old boy a shot, I was confident that I would be able to do it no problem. Shots at the clinic are given to patients in their butt. After Jaclyn explained how you are suppose to pinch the cheek where you are going to give the shot, gently stick the needle in, and then push down on the plunger to inject the liquid, she handed me the needle and I was ready to go. At this point it is only me, Jaclyn, the boy, and his mother in the room. I did as Jaclyn said, and the needle went in just fine, however, when I pushed down on the plunger, I could not get it to budge, I then tried to push harder on the plunger while not sticking the entire needle into the poor kid. At this point Jaclyn told me there is something wrong and that I should take it out and try again. For a second attempt I picked a spot about an inch below my first spot. On the second try, however, the same thing happened and I could not get the liquid to come out of the syringe. At this point we call in the clinic nurse Lexi, and ask her what we should do. She takes the syringe flicks it and gets it to work outside of the cheek. She then hands it back to me and tells me to try again. At this point I look up at the mom and she looks very angry and has her hands folded across her chest. On the first attempt I felt slightly nervous, however, after two failed attempts I look like I just ran a marathon. Since the kid already had two holes in his right cheek I decide it is time the try the left cheek. I stick the needle in just fine like the first two try’s, but like the first two times I cannot get the liquid to come out of the syringe. After a third failed attempt, Lexi takes the needle from me, goes over to the counter and changes out the needle on the syringe, and then hands the syringe back to me. At this point I am thinking to myself “why me again I have already failed three times,” I keep my thoughts to myself though and I go in for a fourth try. Before I stick the needle in I chance a glance at his mom and she looks angrier then ever. I figure I might as well give him an even two holes in each cheek so I again stick him in the left cheek. This time, thankfully all goes as planned, and I am able to give him his shot. I then dispose of the needle and go back into Dr. Javier’s office, where he is still treating other patients. Later Lexi told me that it was not my fault, that the needle was not working, and that we should have changed out the needle after the first failed attempt. Javier told me that the boy will be back next week for a second shot.
David