Funny story about tetanus shots--two summers ago, I was between steady jobs, and doing some part-time midwifery gigs. I had started riding my bike for stress relief, and to save money. The bike I had was a crappy old Schwinn that my mom's friend found in an alley and gave to me. The pedals were rusty, and they had "teeth" on them, to keep the feet from slipping off, I guess.

So one day I arrived at one of the clinics with a gash on my shin from the pedal and an unfortunate braking incident. One of the nurses said, "Let me clean that for you! When was your last tetanus shot?" I (being a nurse myself, of course) said, "Oh, I'm good, it was 9 years ago." She pointedly looked at the rusty pedal, looked at the gash on my leg, and went to get the vial of tetanus vaccine. Sheesh. I can be something of a dim-wit.

A booster every 5 years is probably a great idea for someone who bangs up her legs running and biking as much as I do. Thanks! L.