Time to pull up my big girl pants.

Apparently, when you want to be a nurse and provide the best care for patients, they want you to be healthy. Go figure.

This theory, as brilliant and common sense as it may be, requires a gazillion check-ups, tests and overall hoops to jump through for yours truly.

I'm not a fan of needles. It's not because of the pain or anything like that. I just happen to be one of those people who thinks waaaay too much about what is actually happening to me: a sharp piece of metal is being pierced through each layer of skin, into my muscle or a small vein only to have some liquid injected into (or blood drawn out of) my body.

Generally, this causes my respiratory rate to speed up a little bit. The fact that I'm going to be a nurse who will have to ease needle-fear - not induce it - however, has caused me to put on my big girl pants and suck it up.

I just got home from the ultimate test - a doctor's appointment where I received not one, but FOUR shots in about five minutes. And these were not just simple vaccinations. Any method you could imagine for someone stabbing you with a needle? That's what I got.

Up first - the TB (tuberculosis) test. The highlight of this one was watching my skin blister as liquid was injected just under my skin. The nurse told me if I see any bumps or welts in the next two days, then they'll have to 'check it out.'

'I'm pretty sure that would mean I'm dying,' was my response. No need to beat around the bush.

I passed the test of tetanus and Hepatitis B vaccines with flying colors - even managing to simultaneously carry on conversations with the nurses.

Last but not least was the blood draw. Stupid veins. They weren't cooperating and were 'jumping' after the needle was already in my arm. But although it wasn't the coolest experience to have two people trying to move a needle around in your arm ... I survived.

No sweats. No rapid breathing. No fast heart beat. Fear - you've been conquered.

I left wanting to yell like a child, 'I did it, Mom!' But at 26, that would have been weird. And of course, my mom wasn't there, so that would have been really weird. Instead, I shared with the nurses how proud and suprised I was that I remained so cool, calm and collected. It's the little things in life ... :)

It wasn't until my drive home that I began feeling the pain in my left arm where 3 of 4 shots were given.

In fact, I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and definitely dropped the whole bag of groceries in the parking lot while walking into my house because my arm doesn't want to work. Which is fiiine.

So here's to being healthy and conquering fear. And here's to the second round of shots that I have to get on Friday.