what & when was your first visit to Doctors that you remember ?

When I was a baby smallpox vaccination was compulsory but somehow I slipped through the system. When I started working at the hospital at 16 I had to have the vaccine, I was so ill, I think I was in bed for two days and my arm was sore for weeks.

I was about 6 years old when I had a house call from our family doctor as I had suspected meningitis. I ended up in our local hospital but as it turned out it wasn't meningitis but another viral infection. I had to stay in hospital for about a week and I remember it was very near Christmas as we were all helping to make paper chains to decorate the children's ward.

I had to have a smallpox vaccination when I was 4/5 (that would be 1959/60). I can remember lining up with my mum, dad and older brother. When it was my turn the needle broke on my arm! A few days later my arm was so sore and hot that I had to wear a summer dress in the middle of winter as I couldn't bear any pressure on it. I had a huge blister and I remember the doctor ripping the dressing off to have a look. I was quite poorly too. It left a very unsightly mark on my arm. Glad smallpox is now eradicated.

Janthea - I think I remember that you lived in Brighton so your smallpox injection was 1950. That was the year there were several cases of smallpox in Brighton. I remember our family queueing for vaccinations. You stood in line with your sleeve rolled up and a couple of nurses went down the line with a dab of fluid and then scratched you with a needle. I don't remember whether it was a separate needle for each patient! I was 11, my brother was still a baby and was held in my father's arms, so his vaccination was on his ankle.

Years later, when DD1 received hers (in the 60s) I insisted that it be done on her ankle, as I had always been most annoyed at having a large mark on my upper arm. They did it - but were not pleased.

Took myself off to bed [1945 aged four] and when my mother discovered me having hallucinations - little men hacking through the ceiling above my bed snowy-haired Doctor Bethell came. He sent for an ambulance and told my mother that the house had to be fumigated as I had scarlet fever. Put into a darkened room in an isolation hospital in Daventry for what seemed a very long time. Was not allowed visitors. Started wetting the bed! Side effects of illness caused damage to my spine and one leg lost muscle. All very vivid in my memory bank. Wish that I hadn't put my tongue out at the nice nurse who travelled in the ambulance with me. That was naughty.

My brother and I had measles,mumps,whooping cough and chicken pox within a three year period - I don't remember my mother getting in a doctor to see us. We lived Canada and we had to pay so people tended to self medicate as far as possible. My mother was also a nurse so obviously would know when she could treat and when to call a GP. I do later on remember going for injections and as we kept going abroad to the Far East and Africa [father in the Forces] we kept getting really nasty shots with unpleasant side effects. My brother, after his cholera shot] threw up all over my Grandmother's gas stove. Nasty

I can't remember my first visit to the Doctor but I remember being in hospital for the first time - aged around 3-4 with polio - I can still see myself gripping the cot rails and screaming for my mum and dad. It's all blank after that.........the mind's a wonderful thing isn't it just blocks out what it is too painful

I can`t remember about going to see the doctor, but I can still remember going to have my tonsils out, aged 5. I was told I`d get a balloon to blow up, but as soon as I saw someone being wheeled along on a stretcher I wanted to go home! The "balloon" turned out to be a mesh thing over my mouth for giving the anaesthetic, and I remember feeling cheated! I was sent home in an ambulance, holding onto a kidney dish cos I was vomiting blood all the way. Sorry if that`s TMI.

Probably around 1957 I would have been about 4 with a chest infection. Was given strawberry flavoured penicillin medicine which brought me out in zonking great lumps and blisters - never had it since.

My sister and I also had measles and were kept in a dark room. My sister developed pneumonia and had to have penicillin. I also remember the dentist coming to the house with a nurse. They gave me gas, I went to sleep, and awoke a little later with the offending tooth removed. I could have only been about 5 years. I was given a box of Black Magic chocolates as a present!! I was disappointed to find chocolates and not a magic set!!!

Virol and Minadex. I also remember NHS orange juice in bottle. I think the first visit to the doctors I can remember was for a smallpox injection. Must have been around 1948 or 1949. I was born in 1946!

My mother took me to the doctors (what for , I can't remember )when I was little he took my blood pressure and I fainted !

Think threadworms are still quite common, especially in Russia [for some reason].

I can still remember the nightmare I had when I came down with measles..I walked in the night along the landing surrounded by Punch and Judy characters; got into bed with mum and dad and saw someone take something off the dressing table. Woke up asking why someone had been in the bedroom to find I was covered in a rash. Even now I can picture it in my mind. I wanted a Lady and the Tramp book but my dad couldn't find one so he bought me some miniature dolls house furniture instead to make me feel better. It's as is if happened yesterday.

I loved Virol - I would help myself, if no-one was looking!

My first medical memory was of a nurse, who came to the house, when I was 5, to give me an enema for threadworms.

Neither the nurse, nor Mum, had told me what was going to happen. I was terrified! Thank goodness none of my children or grandchildren had worms, though I know there are better treatments around now.

Mum had use all vaccinated against everything going I think,if we could have been done against distemper and rabie's I think she would have done that to

I had measles at about 9 months old apparently and then again when I was breastfeeding my baby son. I was encouraged to keep going, in spite of hallucinating [seeing cherries and bus tickets floating by!!!], as the best protection he could possibly have. He's never had measles thankfully but he still had all the vaccinations available.

I remember the curtains being drawn when we had measles. This was taken very seriously in our household because my aunt had lost the sight of one eye when she had measles as a child.

green my mum used to close the curtain's when any of us had measle's
also covered the light's dad even bought us sunglasses from Woolworth's
he was so worried about us damaging our eye's.

I remember my mother at one time cutting off the buttons from out liberty bodices and sewing them back on again after they had been washed. Think she gave up after a while and we had sticky buttons too.

When I had measles (think I was about 7), my mother covered the lampshade with one of her scarves so that my eyes weren't affected. Fearsome illness in those days. I remember the liberty bodice rubber buttons going sticky, too! I think it was because the bodices were put in the boiler once a week! My mother boiled all cotton things - so do I, though there aren't the same amount of purely cotton items now.

Liquid paraffin, virol, cod liver oil, syrup of figs and yes - we also had to drink cabbage water. The main culprit was my nana who, when we stayed over with her, also used to send us to bed with a cup of hot sterilized milk into which she put a great slosh of brandy and about four spoons of sugar!!

First doctors visit was when we all (four siblings) got measles - our friends had them at the same time and one of them was left permanently brain damaged and died when she was twenty one. People don't realise what a dangerous illness measles can be.

Sulphur and treacle anyone?

Cabbage water sounds horrid - can't you just smell it now!
I really liked Virol and Minadex. I can remember the concentrated orange juice, years later my Mum told me that it went beautifully with her gin!
We seemed to have many more scabby knees than children do these days, were we very clumsy or just took more risks and therefore hurt ourselves more?

My nanna used to have us drinking the cabbage water on Sunday,it was
horrible but she would alway's make sure we drank it and then say to my
lovely mum"that will keep them regular"