I got dose two of the COVID vaccine two Saturdays ago. It wasn’t too bad, all things considered.
Probably one day I’ll be featured online as one of the ditzy customers with no sense of direction. For jab one, I went to the wrong CVS, and was confused when the pharmacy was closed. Then I double-checked the address and high-tailed it there. When I arrived, I apologized a lot to the pharmacist, who was understanding. He sat me down and asked what arm I preferred to receive the vaccine. I took off my jacket and showed off my left arm, as someone who is right-handed.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“A little,” I squeaked, more so for the fact that I was late than about the fact than about the fact that a needle would jab me. While part of me worried about bad reactions to the dead virus, my older siblings and mother had received it and handled the reaction quite well.
Jab one wasn’t too bad. I basically had a sore arm for a few days. It also revealed that apparently after getting blood tests for a similar issue that I get more nervous in the chair.
Meanwhile, jab two didn’t start too bad. I was waiting for the inevitable, that I would end up in bed being barely able to move and full of chills and shuddering. Instead, I was fine for a few hours after, running errands and drinking water. If anything, there was a mild headache, and we had acetominiphen in the house. That is the best painkiller to take if the vaccine is affecting you badly, though it’s laess potent than Aleve or Advil. The best thing to hope for is that the pain isn’t too bad, and to get lots of sleep.
I didn’t feel it until the Sunday after, while I was already stressed from several other events that were going on in my life. There was a bad headache, some stomach upsets, and the desire to lay in bed for a few hours while doing nothing but watching cartoons. I got up anyway to get a passport photo taken at CVS, and grabbed some orange juice for myself to drink. Orange juice seemed like the best idea since the Vitamin C and the placebo effect seems to help whenever I have the sniffles.
Still, I received the vaccine. Not a moment too soon, with the new strains of COVID coming upon us, and the world opening up a little more. Masks are no longer mandatory, but people are still dying. Others are still sick or suffering the aftereffects. We also see other tangible consequences.
