Just putting this out there:

I have severe trypanophobia (fear of needles). It is not something I have control of. It is so severe, in fact, that if I am suffering from a kidney stone—acknowledged as among the worst pain ever—I have to be given an anxiolytic...

...(usually Ativan) before I can get the IV that will give me the morphine to stop the pain. The pain makes it worse!

It is not intellectual, it is not because I am "weak". It is a lifelong condition that is very real and serious.

I bring this up because of the impending...

...vaccine. I know that some folks don't "like" getting jabbed. For me, and people like me, it is not a matter of liking it, or getting over something, it is an involuntary and very traumatic thing.

Just getting an ordinary injection or blood draw can wreck me for a day.

If there is someone in your life like me, PLEASE, don't say the stupid stuff like, "it doesn't hurt so much", or "it's just a needle", or "don't be a baby", or, when it is done "that wasn't so bad, was it?" It WAS.

It is going to be VERY hard for me to get this vaccine...

...and for people who suffer as I do, it will be very hard too. So hard, they may try to avoid it. I know I would like to.

So, SUPPORT them, be sympathetic. Say you know how hard it is, don't try to diminish it, that hurts so much, it makes us feel stupid and weak...

...which we are not.

If you recognize yourself, and didn't know this is not you being weak or stupid, look into it, it's VERY real.

I'll get the vaccine when it's time, but it will take a lot of work to do it.