Boosted

Confusing was the calmest adjective... or is it an adverb.... in the lead up to getting a supplemental COVID vaccine.  There was no guidance that was relevant fifteen minutes after it was issued.

That's as much as I wrote before I fell asleep on the couch.  It was deep sleep, for a while, until I moved and my arm announced its presence with authority.  

That was the beginning of my impetuous decision to get an additional dose of the Moderna vaccine.  A friend told me that Walgreens had lots of them, the online registration process was easy once I assembled my paperwork, and there was an appointment available at the pharmacy down the block in 15 minutes.

An hour later I was jabbed and back on the couch.  I had to say that I was immunocompromised, but since my doctor told me to get the shot, and my immune system is old and therefore compromised, I only hesitated for a moment.  I don't like lying.  I don't like getting sick and dying even more.  It was a foolish worry on my part; the next day the boosters were authorized for all of us over 65.  

Go get yours now.  

The rest of this blog tells the story of my reaction.  Don't let it deter you.  If I had anything else to write about I would do so, but this booster knocked me on my ass for two days.

The exhaustion was compounded by the pain in my arm.  The shot-giver told me to take Tylenol not the Advil on which I usually rely.  Extra Strength Tylenol recommended that I take two 500 mg tablets every 6 hours.  1000mg seemed like a lot; I took one.  

That proved to be a mistake, since my arm woke me up every REM cycle, and there was really no comfortable place to put it.  By 5am, I gave up and took two pills...... and I slept well and woke up on my own, without my arm prompting one bit. 

One could speculate forever about why I decided in this instance that I knew better than the manufacturer, but I was so foggy I couldn't hold the thought.  If that feeling - a cloud in my brain, inserting a semi-permeable layer between me and the rest of the world - is what COVID-brain is like, then I am very glad to have minimized my chances of living with it long term.

I cancelled plans - yes, I had plans - and spent the day on the couch, until the fog lifted a bit and I decided to do a few errands.  The library was easy and I found some treasures.  I felt okay, so I went on to Whole Foods.  

Their carts are very sturdy.  I know this because one supported me throughout the store.  I managed to get dinner and ice cream and a melon.... which was too heavy for me to lift onto the counter without moving my whole body.  That was a sign.  

Getting the groceries into the car was challenging.  Sitting down felt great, and I let the air conditioning cool me off until I felt safe to drive..... at the speed limit.... in the right lane.... all the way home and into the garage,  dragging the groceries in my cooler bag into the kitchen.

I shoved them into the refrigerator and headed for the couch.  I am not as tough as I thought I was.  Dinner was nothing like the extravaganza I had planned, but there was food and I am proud of that, at least.  Feeling foolish about overdoing it, I wasn't paying attention to my lower intestine until my third or fourth trip registered on my (still foggy??) consciousness.  I'll spare you the details - suffice it to say that I cancelled all plans for today, too.

I'm now 48 hours past injection, and I'm doing fine.  The symptoms came on all at once and are leaving in stages, but they are leaving and I am inoculated and as safe as I can be.  

It's good to live in a country where healthcare is available and free and easy to obtain.......... oh, yeah, right.