Friday, February 19, 2021

Second Shot

 When we got our first shot of the vaccine, they put a date on the back for the second shot.  It seemed as if there was no need to make another appointment.  Still, I was relieved when an email arrived last week confirming it.

So yesterday morning we headed back to Magic Mountain. This time the sky was blue and the sun out, though very windy. It was easier as we knew more what to expect, but I was nervous about getting the second shot.  I’d heard about after effects and even though they weren’t really illness and passed within a day or so, I worried.  I made sure that I had nothing I had to do later in the day or the next, so if I was going back and forth between feverish and chilled, along with a headache and aches everywhere else, I would haven’t to be trying to pay bills or go to the grocery store.

The line moved quicker and instead of three hours, it took two.  I barely felt the shot and then we waited for 15 minutes while a very pleasant nurse checked that we weren’t having any extreme allergic reactions.  And then we sailed out of the parking lot and celebrated with coffee drinks at the Coffee Bean.

We were given a sheet mentioning the possible side effects.  All the talk of side effects is a double edge sword – good to know so you don’t freak out and think whatever you’re feeling means something terrible, but at the same time, makes it so that you or in this case, me, is looking checking for problems with a magnifying glass.  Do I have a headache from the shot? Do I feel weird.  Are those the chills or is it cold in here?

After treating myself like a potential side effect case and watching too much television, I couldn’t take it anymore and went on the Cubii exercise thing. It is the best piece of equipment we’ve ever bought.  You sit in a chair and peddle, but the movement is like an elliptical, so there is no strain on anything. I have discovered that my phone is like a magic genie when it comes to music.  I can find any song I can think of and play it while I exercise.  After an hour of pedaling and playing music, I was feeling like my usual self. I stopped checking for any effects and eventually went to bed and slept well.

But I knew that the effects didn’t always show up until the next day. My arm ached a little, but other than that nothing and instead of looking for chills or fever worked on But Knot for Me.  I’d become concerned that all the books started in too similar a manner and wanted this one to have a different beginning. The wordst ended up rolling off my fingers onto a yellow legal pad as I sat with warm sunlight streaming through the window.

I had plans of stuff I needed to do and then in the middle of the day I got tired.  Fatigue was one of the after effects I’d seen mentioned.  I wasn’t sure if it was from the shot or was just an afternoon slump, but I gave into it and took a nap. I slept for maybe an hour and felt refreshed.  The ache in my arm was gone and I was ready to resume my day.

With the vaccine behind me, I’m ready to go and do again.  It feels like I found the light at the end of the tunnel and went through it.
 

3 comments:

Sally Morrison said...

We get our first shot next week. I'm hoping for no side effects but like you I'm keeping my schedule open just in case. I'm ready for this to be over as is everyone else. I want to travel again and walk into a store without a mask. I'm sure it will still be a while for the mask thing.

Have a wonderful weekend. Happy writing.

Betty Hechtman said...

Sally, I did the same thing, planning to be out of commission for a day or two, but it didn't happen. The first shot was nothing. My arm was a little tender after the second shot and the day after I got suddenly very tired, but an hour nap and I was fine. I got the Pfizer shot, so don't know about the effects with the Moderna shot.

I think the mask thing will go for awhile because it will be too confusing if some people aren't required to wear them. It's no big deal and I don't really mind, but I'm planning to start traveling. We're going to tie in Disney World with our trip to North Carolina.

I was never really that worried about getting the virus. My son and I have been going out all along. We were more worried about my husband getting it. He checks the boxes for all the conditions that were making it likely to be serious if he got it. Now that he's got his shot, I'm not worrying anymore.

I hope you have a great weekend, too!

Linda O. Johnston said...

Thanks for the description, Betty. As you'll see on my belated post, I'm on my way to get my second dose, too!