Day 93 - Last Day

So the past week has been quite a roller coaster. I think last time I left you I had just found out I needed a tetanus shot to register for classes and considered that the worst day in London. Well, it only got worse. My paralyzing fear of needles made for two very stressful and eventful days.

I picked Nicole up at the airport early on Wednesday and then planned to meet up with Aaron at the Marylebone campus to try and get the shot at health services. When we got there the lady said that she couldn't help us because we were abroad students and that they were closing for spring break. Not quite sure if it's a good idea to refuse abroad students but she gave us a card and sent us to a travel vaccine place over by the Regent Campus. Now I am annoyed because I mean I don't even want this shot and now they've got me going somewhere else to get it.

When we got there the woman said they couldn't give us the shot for school purposes, only travel purposes. Had we known this going in we would have found a way around this but we didn't we were just handed another card and sent in the direction of Tottenham Court. The Medicentre was at the top of a shopping centre....we kinda found that awkward. After Aaron and Nicole had to drag me up the 3 escalators the guy at the desk said it was no problem....until he said it was going to cost like $105. Now I mean come on, a shot I could get for free at home they were really going to charge me over a 100 bucks. Clearly I couldn't get it (ignoring the fact that I am again terrified). So this creepy soviet looking woman brings Aaron in and then like 25min later he's all set.

I decide to find a way around getting this shot in London. I put mom up to the task of handling things on the Babson front but there was no luck and I had to get ready for my Devising London performance. I was a mess. Here I am in London, my best friend is here, I'm about to do a show with my closest friends here and the others are coming to watch and I pretty much am on the verge of an aneixity attack. I was miserable. I just obsessed over this stupid little needle.

By the end of the night I was telling Nicole we were just going to go to the A&E (ER) and get it if not I would probably explode. That plan was short lived. Mom got a hold of the study abroad people and told me to call them in the morning and to not go to the A&E. Bittersweet news, I again was able to put this dreaded thing off but at the same time it was still making me miserable.

The show went on though. It was an...well...an experience. I'm glad it's over. I think the audience liked it and I swear never to make a fool of myself again. Afterwards the group slip up and Nicole, Meg, Laura, Jessy and I went to a place called Waxy O'connors. It was the coolest pub, like something out of Disney World. It was all themed and had a tree in it. It was awesome.

The next morning I had to pick John up from the airport. His dad sent him here last minute to meet with someone for his company. I was up by 5am and hating life. Between the tetanus and the fact that I had now woken up at 5am two mornings in a row to make the trek to Heathrow. It was all worth it to get to see him though. It's cool to be able to pick people up and then know where to go. It makes it feel like London is my city. Nicole had to catch up on sleep so I told her I would go pick him up and take care of the shot before she woke up. This seemed like a good plan except for the fact I didn't take into consideration the luck I had been having so far.

I got a call from Butler who told me I had to call the insurance people to figure out where to go and that they were calling the University to see what information they could get from them. Now I have no idea what insurance card they were talking about or where to find one. Luckily the gang all knew and met up with me at Cafe Nerro. I used Megs because well she's a girl and if I had used Aaron's ID number it would have been strange. Of course they are based out of the United States and were not open when I called. Not a good sign. So I waited, I went and found my own insurance information and woke up Nicole.

Once the insurance place opened they were of no use. They told me I wasn't covered for vaccinations and that was it. They couldn't help me find a place or anything. Thank god for Aaron and Nicole who agreed to then march off the the A&E with me just to get it over with. I mean what could go wrong now, just get to the hospital and they'll stick me. Hospitals love to do things like that.

After waiting in the waiting room surrounded by the bloody and wounded I hit yet ANOTHER wall. There was going to be a 2 1/2 hour wait and the nurse suggested trying two other hospitals. Luckily I mean it's London so there's lots to see which means Nicole got the tour via medical centers. I mean we passed a lot of stuff like Big Ben and the Eye.

Victory seemed to be getting closer which obviously meant I had to put the ordeal off even more by having lunch. We found a Ned's Noodle Bar which was amazing....only problem is that it doesn't take very long to eat.

We based our next target on the bus ride. The St. Guys was closer so we went there. The Minor Injuries place was empty and I was positive I would finally have everything over and done with. I go up to the desk and told the woman I needed a Tetanus Shot. She in return told me I didn't. I protested saying according to America I did so she went and got someone more important to turn me down. I guess the WORLD (to make sure they knocked me down off my american pedastool) Health Association has decided you only need 5 of these shots in your life and then rattled off the dates I was suppose to have gotten them. I tried to reason with her saying that I couldn't register for classes but nope nothing.

Now I am, in the words of Laura, FLABERGHASTED! Now not only can I not find a place but now I am being refused. I mean I don't want it to begin with. I had to get it though. Mom talked to the Health Services people and there was no way around it. A lot of Abroad students were in the same boat. That annoyed me I mean why didn't they tell us we needed it before we left. I feel bad for the kids in more foreign places than London. I mean there are many places in the world where I wouldn't let them stick me with needles. So Mom told me to just go pay for the shot at the place Aaron went to and get it over with. I had no more excuses....I had to go. We got on the tube (which I only had a bus pass so now I am even paying more to travel to the stupid place) and headed over to Tottenham. I was in my typical "right before a needle" state, numb and unresponsive....freaking out on the inside. Here I am in a foreign country about to get a shot....my biggest fear in the world. I mean I'm pretty sure I held my moms hand or sat on her lap last time I got one.

So I am playing the scene over in my head. Being called in by the creepy soviet woman and her not sterilizing anything and just jabbing me in the arm. For the first time though my luck started changing. This Irish male nurse in designer jeans calls me into the exam room. Even better he asks if Nicole wants to come....clearly I needed her too. It was great, we talked and listened to his amazing accent. He was the best nurse ever. He hid the needle as long as he could...I mean it was painless. I'm pretty sure the most painless needle ever. To make things even better I was only charged $80 for it. So in the end everything worked out. This is only because I have the most amazing friends though who would spend 2 days walking around London with me going from health centre to hospital.

The next step was to sign up for classes. At first I wasn't so lucky but as of now I have the original schedule I wanted and only have class 2 days a week next semester. It will be exhausting but I'll now have more time to sleep.

So right now it is 6:30am. I've been up since 5:45. I'm miserably sick and haven't been able to sleep the past couple of days. The idea of being on a plane for 6 hours is not so appealing but I'm so excited to get back to the states I think I'll deal with it. Nicole is waking up in a half hour to get ready to head back to the airport. This trip just flew by and it's been amazing getting to hang out with her. I have a lot more to say about the week but am beginning to lose concentration so I will have to update once I get home. I have a lot to do today. I need to finish packing and because I never did the paper that is due the 30th I have to go photocopy some stuff at the library. Maybe I'll just go shower now.

Post Later.

P.S. - I'll be in FL sooooo Soon!!!