My worst memory of home visits-I remember my sister having a doctor visit when she was sick and fainted. We lived out in the country and it took a long time for him to travel out. He examined her in the bedroom. She was really scared when she heard she was having the doctor and I remember wondering if she would get a shot and getting really excited that she might.
When he arrived she was in the room lying on the bed with the curtains closed and the lights off. After my mum lead him into the room, I snuck in and hid behind a screen at the far side of the room and peeped out through the slit.
He was really nice to her and did the usual exams. Then he said to my mum that he would give her some penicillin to clear it up. I thought she was getting tablets, and then I heard him tell her that she would have to have a little prod to make her better, at which she shook her head and told my mum no she didn’t want to.
My mum was getting embarrassed and angry and told her to stop being a baby that she had to do what the doctor said to get better. So the doctor took his bag to the sideboard and got the injection ready, then went back to the bed.
I was getting really, really excited now that I could watch her get the needle. He pulled back her covers and asked her to roll onto her tummy and he put a pillow under her to prop her up. Then he beckoned to mum to pull up her nightie and down her panties. He told Sara then to hold mummy’s hand and it would be over in a second. I could see her bum and her legs shaking. Then I saw the doc squirt the needle before he stuck her and it was bigger than any Id had before. The he said to Sara it would sting a little bit and jabbed her. She kicked her legs till my mum held them down and cried out, then sobbed till long after it was over. I knew by how hard she was crying that it must have hurt a lot.
As the doctor left the room she was curled up, rubbing her bum and crying away. Then I could hear the doctor telling mum that since it was such a long journey out that the other girl should have the injection too so she wouldn’t get sick-immediately I panicked as I heard mum say it was a good idea. She saw me trying to get out of the room then and knew I had heard. She held my arm and led me into the spare bedroom and told me it would do me good. I remember disagreeing till she gave out to me. I was lying on the bed then with my mum pulling up my skirt and me watching the doctor fill the needle. I knew I couldn’t escape then, so he came back and rubbed my bum and told me to be brave like my sister-all i could think bout was how she cried. Then he said "stick" and jabbed it into me. I tried not to cry but couldn’t hold it in and tears came flooding out as the medicine stung. I looked back and saw the needle in me and that didn’t help. Mum then pulled down my skirt and left me in the room as they left. I was in shock having it all happen so quickly and my butt hurt for days.