I’ve just “recovered” from the first dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. You are probably curious about that. So here’s a report.
I was vaccinated Monday at 9 am. Shortly after the needle jab, I felt lightheaded in a pleasant sort of way. I sat down, and in 20 minutes I was fine.
After lunch I noticed my arm was sore, and I started to feel cold. I put on my quilted flannel shirt and resumed meeting with patients. By mid afternoon I was tired, achy and feverish. But I felt well enough to finish the workday.
When I got home I took a two hour nap. I had a headache and chills and felt like I had a mild flu. I took my temperature. It was 99.1 F.
I went to bed again. I tossed and turned and woke up in the middle of the night thirsty. On the way to the kitchen I took my temperature, which was up a tenth of a degree. I washed down 400 mg of ibuprofen with a big glass of water and returned to bed.
The next morning I felt sluggish but fever free. The headache was gone and my arm was no longer sore. At work I had some “brain fog”. Everything took longer, and I made more mistakes than I usually do. But by evening I felt back to normal.
I tell you my side effects to encourage you to get the vaccine as soon as you can. The shot might keep you from everyday activities for two days. But Covid-19 will take you out for two weeks— if you’re lucky enough to have a “mild” case. If you have a severe case, count on being gone six weeks, and prepare to deal with very uncomfortable and debilitating symptoms like high fevers that last weeks, body aches like you’ve never had before, extreme weakness and fatigue, complete loss of appetite, losing your sense of taste and smell, and difficulty breathing. Or death.
The vaccine didn’t keep me from working, while Covid-19 put me on short term disability.
I’d rather bet on side effects than symptoms. The one is an unruly cat scratching at my legs. The other is a jaguar waiting to pounce on my back.
I’d rather bet on what will protect me from the jaguar, even if that costs me some discomfort. I hope you’ll make the same choice.
— Nelsonia