this week of all weeks
When I posted on January 9th, and said I was stressed and had updates, I--never got back to that. So her we go.
Back in December, a few things happened. The first is my grandmother, my mom's mom, died. IT wasn't expected, but it wasn't entirely a surprise. Right on top of that--and probably related--Child went and got a puppy. And six days after we got him, the Saturday before Christmas, he was diagnosed with parvo.
So with a kit from Austin Pet's Alive, we treated Parsnip (yes, like the vegetable; no, I really don't know why Child picked that name) at home with an IV in the back of the shoulder/neck and three shots daily. It was very dramatic; it also ended with us still having a very living, very into inappropriate pooping puppy, so that ended well. Then a week and change later--six days before I posted in January--I was six days into home quarantine for COVID exposure and not taking it well.
Yeah, up until inauguration, I was really doubting like--everything.
Now to update to today:
1.) I start college again next Monday. This is going to be interesting.
2.) Me and my mom got vaccinated with the first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Saturday.
I posted a thread on twitter, but I'm going to reproduce it here for those who are worried about the vaccine or want some reassurance on how it went, etc.
Spoiler: for what I think we can consider a pretty fucking epic personal event--Vaccination in a Time of Pandemic COVID: An Autobiography--it was about as exciting as changing socks. Not even wet socks for dry or plain for fancy: just standard sock change.
In other words: awesomely, wonderfully, gorgeously mundane and unexceptional.
Twitter: thread
So I wasn't going to post about this, but as there's fairly constant vaccine misinformation going around, I figured I'd add to the public record: on Saturday, me and my mother received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
Side Effects
Not particularly notable, tbh.
Saturday
a.) I didn't feel the shot at all--and seriously doubted it had happened even though I could see the injection site.
b.) Faint--very very faint--soreness about three hour later.
c.) Took a nap but it was a Saturday so that's pretty much normal.
Sunday
a.) About 4 AM Sunday night, I woke up hot and turned my AC down to 50 (with my phone, bless Nest so hard) and only when I woke again around 5ish in a sweat and chilled did I realize I might have had a fever, then went back to sleep.
b.) Sore at the injection site but not unless I held up my left arm perpendicular to my body with my forearm hanging down. Yes, I had to experiment to find the soreness.**
c.) Slightly firm and raised at a half inch radius around injection site
** I'm being literal, it took me some time to work out how to find the soreness.
Monday
a.) My arm is only sore when I make a concerted effort to find a way to make it happen
b.) The firm raised area is not as raised.
c.) There may be something going on with lymph nodes under my arm but I did a lot of weird ass arm movements to fine the soreness.
Conclusion
I may be more tired, but I am a weekend napper. Maybe it was slightly easier to nap??? Today I haven't noticed anything unusual.
Medications
I take Advair inhaler twice a day, levothyroxide 0.15 MG and Ritalin 20 MG tablets. I forgot to worry about taking those until late yesterday so I'm guessing not a problem.
So involving NSAIDS like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc: I googled then called my insurance's patient advisory nurse since I use baby aspirin when I have headaches. She said--and I quote--maybe stay away from aspirin for now but Tylenol is fine but really not to worry. You may get different advice, so please don't take that last part as anything but anecdata; she wasn't sure either and was clear it was more 'well, if you have tylenol, maybe stick with that rn'.
The Vaccination Process
It was goddamn ideal; they used a kids activity center/gym, and it was so well organized, it was a dream from driving into the parking lot to when you left.
Arrival
When we drove in the parking lot, you drove straight to the first volunteer, who asked your time, then directed us to the indicated parking area (distinct from the one for the elderly/disabled) and told what time to get in line.
Outside was a sheltered area with wheelchairs--a lot of wheelchairs--for those who may need them as well as drop off areas for those who needed it.
Standing in Line
It started outside, where the sidewalk was pre-marked with standing points six feet apart. When you got in line, there was very little standing still though; we maybe stood in one area for thirty seconds at most. We got in line at 11:45. By 11:49 we reached the area near the wheelchair area where a volunteer scanned our phones for the code that came with our appointment email or got our names and looked us up (me and mom had the email).
We got a clipboard with one two-sided sheet to fill out with pretty much only necessary info and teh moderna fact sheet. We made our way through the very carefully delineated line by about 12:01; they kept everyone moving very well.
In the Gym
When we go to the gym area--which was around 11:55--there were several sections:
1.) the major area (about half) was about nine to sixteen tables each with one to two nurses doing vaccinations
2.) one quarter was chairs six feet apart.
3.) about a quarter was for those in wheelchairs. Two and three were for the fifteen minute waiting period after the vaccine was given for potential allergic reactions.
I noticed when I first got in that up in the bleachers were a ton of boxes covering eight to twelve rows; when we got closer, they were a lot lot lot of empty boxes for new wheelchairs, I'm assuming the ones they had outside and inside
Vaccination
At 12:05, my mom and I were called to the middle table, since they group family members. Mom sat down, the nurse asked some questions, gave her the shot, then filled out the card. She went to the sitting area. Repeat 1 with me.
After Vaccination
We waited for about fifteen minutes and talked, then left about 12:30. End to end, it was forty-five minutes from when we got out of the car, and honestly, it felt like maybe ten. The longest was the sitting part.
Notes
This was very well organized; honestly, this is the ideal of how you run a mass vaccination program in the middle of a pandemic.
I want to add this: the volunteers were very professional and managed--I literally have no idea--to make a once in a lifetime if we're lucky event to stop a deadly pandemic feel...not terrifying. They were cheerful, brisk, matter of fact, answered questions but made every effort to make this feel perfectly normal, and that shit is a skill I'd like to have. My vaccination was done at the Delco Activity Center by Austin Public Health. Posted at Dreamwidth: https://seperis.dreamwidth.org/1085581.html. | You can reply here or there. |
comments
Back in December, a few things happened. The first is my grandmother, my mom's mom, died. IT wasn't expected, but it wasn't entirely a surprise. Right on top of that--and probably related--Child went and got a puppy. And six days after we got him, the Saturday before Christmas, he was diagnosed with parvo.
So with a kit from Austin Pet's Alive, we treated Parsnip (yes, like the vegetable; no, I really don't know why Child picked that name) at home with an IV in the back of the shoulder/neck and three shots daily. It was very dramatic; it also ended with us still having a very living, very into inappropriate pooping puppy, so that ended well. Then a week and change later--six days before I posted in January--I was six days into home quarantine for COVID exposure and not taking it well.
Yeah, up until inauguration, I was really doubting like--everything.
Now to update to today:
1.) I start college again next Monday. This is going to be interesting.
2.) Me and my mom got vaccinated with the first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Saturday.
I posted a thread on twitter, but I'm going to reproduce it here for those who are worried about the vaccine or want some reassurance on how it went, etc.
Spoiler: for what I think we can consider a pretty fucking epic personal event--Vaccination in a Time of Pandemic COVID: An Autobiography--it was about as exciting as changing socks. Not even wet socks for dry or plain for fancy: just standard sock change.
In other words: awesomely, wonderfully, gorgeously mundane and unexceptional.
Twitter: thread
So I wasn't going to post about this, but as there's fairly constant vaccine misinformation going around, I figured I'd add to the public record: on Saturday, me and my mother received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
Side Effects
Not particularly notable, tbh.
Saturday
a.) I didn't feel the shot at all--and seriously doubted it had happened even though I could see the injection site.
b.) Faint--very very faint--soreness about three hour later.
c.) Took a nap but it was a Saturday so that's pretty much normal.
Sunday
a.) About 4 AM Sunday night, I woke up hot and turned my AC down to 50 (with my phone, bless Nest so hard) and only when I woke again around 5ish in a sweat and chilled did I realize I might have had a fever, then went back to sleep.
b.) Sore at the injection site but not unless I held up my left arm perpendicular to my body with my forearm hanging down. Yes, I had to experiment to find the soreness.**
c.) Slightly firm and raised at a half inch radius around injection site
** I'm being literal, it took me some time to work out how to find the soreness.
Monday
a.) My arm is only sore when I make a concerted effort to find a way to make it happen
b.) The firm raised area is not as raised.
c.) There may be something going on with lymph nodes under my arm but I did a lot of weird ass arm movements to fine the soreness.
Conclusion
I may be more tired, but I am a weekend napper. Maybe it was slightly easier to nap??? Today I haven't noticed anything unusual.
Medications
I take Advair inhaler twice a day, levothyroxide 0.15 MG and Ritalin 20 MG tablets. I forgot to worry about taking those until late yesterday so I'm guessing not a problem.
So involving NSAIDS like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc: I googled then called my insurance's patient advisory nurse since I use baby aspirin when I have headaches. She said--and I quote--maybe stay away from aspirin for now but Tylenol is fine but really not to worry. You may get different advice, so please don't take that last part as anything but anecdata; she wasn't sure either and was clear it was more 'well, if you have tylenol, maybe stick with that rn'.
The Vaccination Process
It was goddamn ideal; they used a kids activity center/gym, and it was so well organized, it was a dream from driving into the parking lot to when you left.
Arrival
When we drove in the parking lot, you drove straight to the first volunteer, who asked your time, then directed us to the indicated parking area (distinct from the one for the elderly/disabled) and told what time to get in line.
Outside was a sheltered area with wheelchairs--a lot of wheelchairs--for those who may need them as well as drop off areas for those who needed it.
Standing in Line
It started outside, where the sidewalk was pre-marked with standing points six feet apart. When you got in line, there was very little standing still though; we maybe stood in one area for thirty seconds at most. We got in line at 11:45. By 11:49 we reached the area near the wheelchair area where a volunteer scanned our phones for the code that came with our appointment email or got our names and looked us up (me and mom had the email).
We got a clipboard with one two-sided sheet to fill out with pretty much only necessary info and teh moderna fact sheet. We made our way through the very carefully delineated line by about 12:01; they kept everyone moving very well.
In the Gym
When we go to the gym area--which was around 11:55--there were several sections:
1.) the major area (about half) was about nine to sixteen tables each with one to two nurses doing vaccinations
2.) one quarter was chairs six feet apart.
3.) about a quarter was for those in wheelchairs. Two and three were for the fifteen minute waiting period after the vaccine was given for potential allergic reactions.
I noticed when I first got in that up in the bleachers were a ton of boxes covering eight to twelve rows; when we got closer, they were a lot lot lot of empty boxes for new wheelchairs, I'm assuming the ones they had outside and inside
Vaccination
At 12:05, my mom and I were called to the middle table, since they group family members. Mom sat down, the nurse asked some questions, gave her the shot, then filled out the card. She went to the sitting area. Repeat 1 with me.
After Vaccination
We waited for about fifteen minutes and talked, then left about 12:30. End to end, it was forty-five minutes from when we got out of the car, and honestly, it felt like maybe ten. The longest was the sitting part.
Notes
This was very well organized; honestly, this is the ideal of how you run a mass vaccination program in the middle of a pandemic.
I want to add this: the volunteers were very professional and managed--I literally have no idea--to make a once in a lifetime if we're lucky event to stop a deadly pandemic feel...not terrifying. They were cheerful, brisk, matter of fact, answered questions but made every effort to make this feel perfectly normal, and that shit is a skill I'd like to have. My vaccination was done at the Delco Activity Center by Austin Public Health. Posted at Dreamwidth: https://seperis.dreamwidth.org/1085581.html. | You can reply here or there. |
comments