I got vaccinated yesterday!
Yesterday, I got my first shot of Covid vaccine (Pfizer). Since I've had cancer TWICE in the past five years, I'm "lucky" enough to get my shot before the general public.
The day before yesterday was my birthday, so what a great birthday present!
I'm gonna tell you about it in some detail, so those of you who haven't been vaccinated yet will know what to expect.
The mass testing site was well organized, and everything on the medical end went smoothly.
The first thing they did was make us sanitize our hands. Then they verified our appointments. Then they made us take off whatever mask we'd walked in with and put on one of theirs. I guess they didn't want to have to individually evaluate everyone's mask, but the mask they made me take off was actually much better than the mask they gave me, since mine had a nose wire, whereas theirs gapped around the nose and eyes.
There was a large space for people to wait in line, with marks on the floor to make sure the line was socially distanced. But actually, there was no waiting in line; by the time I'd walked and walked down the entire waiting area, there was no one in front of me.
The nurses were very sweet, and the shot didn't hurt at all. The needle they used was so very thin that I actually didn't feel the needle go in. I thought for a minute that they hadn't even given me the shot, but since the nurse was putting a bandaid on my arm, it was clear that SHE thought she had. I actually half wondered if she'd somehow missed my arm, and I was grateful when my arm was a little sore several hours later, so I know I actually did get it. :-)
The bad part is that I had to get the shot in a mass inoculation facility that's in the city of Boston. That means that there's no parking nearby, and one has to take the subway to get there. It turns out that there's exactly ZERO social distancing on the subway! All these people are packed into a small metal container without much ventilation, breathing each other's air. And on the way home, I had a lousy mask.
If I get Covid from the subway because I went to get the vaccine, I will be royally PISSED! I've been staying home and being extremely careful for an entire year now, and to get Covid by taking the subway to the vaccination would be the bitterest irony.
Twenty-four hours after the shot, my only side effect so far is a slightly sore arm, but the other side effects usually take a couple of days to develop.
I'm hearing some reports of very weird responses to the vaccine, so I'm waiting to see what mine will be. My mother said that the foot she had operated on twenty years ago started to hurt again and the tooth she had pulled ten years ago started to hurt again, and basically every site on her body that had had surgery or severe injury hurt all over again! It only lasted for a couple of days, and then it all went away. What, the immune system went and checked out past sites where it had had to do a lot of work? Sounds weird, but there you go. :-)
My cousin (daughter of mother's sister), on the other hand, said she had vomiting and diarrhea for three days after the first shot and for TEN days after the second. She said it didn't start until ten days after the shot. If it had only happened once, I'd think she'd just gotten stomach flu, but she said it happened both times.
I think I'll hope I take after Daddy's side of the family! :-)
So, the good news is I've had my first shot; the bad news is I'm waiting to see if I got Covid on the subway.
Those of you who are afraid of needles, please note: The shot didn't hurt AT ALL!
Here's hoping all of you will be vaccinated soon!
The day before yesterday was my birthday, so what a great birthday present!
I'm gonna tell you about it in some detail, so those of you who haven't been vaccinated yet will know what to expect.
The mass testing site was well organized, and everything on the medical end went smoothly.
The first thing they did was make us sanitize our hands. Then they verified our appointments. Then they made us take off whatever mask we'd walked in with and put on one of theirs. I guess they didn't want to have to individually evaluate everyone's mask, but the mask they made me take off was actually much better than the mask they gave me, since mine had a nose wire, whereas theirs gapped around the nose and eyes.
There was a large space for people to wait in line, with marks on the floor to make sure the line was socially distanced. But actually, there was no waiting in line; by the time I'd walked and walked down the entire waiting area, there was no one in front of me.
The nurses were very sweet, and the shot didn't hurt at all. The needle they used was so very thin that I actually didn't feel the needle go in. I thought for a minute that they hadn't even given me the shot, but since the nurse was putting a bandaid on my arm, it was clear that SHE thought she had. I actually half wondered if she'd somehow missed my arm, and I was grateful when my arm was a little sore several hours later, so I know I actually did get it. :-)
The bad part is that I had to get the shot in a mass inoculation facility that's in the city of Boston. That means that there's no parking nearby, and one has to take the subway to get there. It turns out that there's exactly ZERO social distancing on the subway! All these people are packed into a small metal container without much ventilation, breathing each other's air. And on the way home, I had a lousy mask.
If I get Covid from the subway because I went to get the vaccine, I will be royally PISSED! I've been staying home and being extremely careful for an entire year now, and to get Covid by taking the subway to the vaccination would be the bitterest irony.
Twenty-four hours after the shot, my only side effect so far is a slightly sore arm, but the other side effects usually take a couple of days to develop.
I'm hearing some reports of very weird responses to the vaccine, so I'm waiting to see what mine will be. My mother said that the foot she had operated on twenty years ago started to hurt again and the tooth she had pulled ten years ago started to hurt again, and basically every site on her body that had had surgery or severe injury hurt all over again! It only lasted for a couple of days, and then it all went away. What, the immune system went and checked out past sites where it had had to do a lot of work? Sounds weird, but there you go. :-)
My cousin (daughter of mother's sister), on the other hand, said she had vomiting and diarrhea for three days after the first shot and for TEN days after the second. She said it didn't start until ten days after the shot. If it had only happened once, I'd think she'd just gotten stomach flu, but she said it happened both times.
I think I'll hope I take after Daddy's side of the family! :-)
So, the good news is I've had my first shot; the bad news is I'm waiting to see if I got Covid on the subway.
Those of you who are afraid of needles, please note: The shot didn't hurt AT ALL!
Here's hoping all of you will be vaccinated soon!