Covid-19 vaccination experiences

I get it in one sense, that they need to be sure the mask the patient is wearing is new and not contaminated. I worked in a hospital for a few years before getting ME*, including with a fair bit of contact with patients, and they don't always make the job easy.

*Which is why I am not afraid to confront doctors, I know they are just human.

OTOH, enforcing the use of mask types known to be inferior, to the point of almost useless, against this infectious agent is a disgrace. Bet it is mostly about cost saving.

Not to mention the hassle of making patients wear them properly, especially when some medical staff don't.

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As to my post-vax status, definitely on the mend. Still have some headaches and soreness across the shoulders and neck. But continuing to fade away.

I am starting to wonder how far I can push my luck with vaccines, especially at this pace. I have had more in the last two years than in my entire previous my adult life (including a two shot course of Shingrix for shingles, and my first flu shot, coz getting old and had a particularly nasty flu 18 months or so back, which was a wake up call about that very real risk to the elderly, plus I had a tetanus booster not long before Covid arrived). Quite a haul for a relatively short period, especially for a very sick adult.

I am firmly pro-vax, in principle, and remain so. I have always happily got in line for what is scheduled/required/advised, including Covid, without hesitation. Overall they are a huge good. But they are not risk free, and that question is becoming more significant for me.

Particularly for Covid shots, given that the additional benefit of more boosters is waning (as I understand it). Should I try to save my remaining vax tolerance for regular flu shots, etc? Is that even a thing?

Decisions, decisions.
 
Sean said:
Particularly for Covid shots, given that the additional benefit of more boosters is waning (as I understand it). Should I try to save my remaining vax tolerance for regular flu shots, etc? Is that even a thing?
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I've never had influenza that I'm aware of and I've never had the flu vaccine in my life, but from my experience last December 4th from contracting Covid or influenza is that I'll be getting both Covid and Flu vax every year from now on.
 
TigerLilea said:
We aren't allowed to wear those in the hospitals here in BC. They have to be the blue surgical masks. They made me toss my N95 at the door and handed me one of their masks to wear. :(
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Luckily I've never been subjected to that. Once I visited someone in hospice and there were signs asking us to wear their masks, but nobody gave us a hard time. If they did, I would have left. Ironically, we were visiting someone who was potentially dying from long Covid. Her autoimmune issues got worse after Covid and killed her.
 
It's been nearly 9 months since my last Covid booster. They are rolling out the next Covid vaccine the beginning of April here in NZ. I have an op date for 14th April and I want to have the best protection possible while in recovery. Just hope it all goes well with the vaccine.

I've never had the flu vaccine and it's the only vaccine I feel is a great risk to me for serious side effects. My mother had no problems with the flu vaccine for the first 3 years of taking and then the 4th time she came down with vertigo the very next morning and was bedridden for six weeks and went deaf in one ear. She'd never experienced vertigo before. My ME came on by a flu, the first symptom was vertigo like imbalance, dizziness was severe. I'd never experienced anything like it before. Two days later I came down with the bad flu-like cold.

I seem to be ok with all other vaccines thankfully, so far. It's just the flu vaccine that poses too great a risk for me.
 
I had my 5th Pfizer Covid vaccine 2 hours ago. It's been 9 months since my last dose so I am expecting stronger side effects like my first and second doses. Although, the stronger side effects I had with the first and second dose might have been my body getting used to a new vaccine? With the third and fourth dose I really didn't feel anything much.

I am home now and am already feeling like wanting to close my eyes all the time. My eyes feel like how you feel after coming out of an anaesthetic, you just want to keep closing them. I've taken a couple of paracetamol to get ahead of any headache that may come on.
 
Kalph said:
I was doing well for some years. Sick, but I would classify it as mild. I did alright if I paced myself. I was able to leave my home.

1st Moderna dose - General flu like symptoms for 2 weeks. At the time I was worried it would not pass, but I had pretty robust improvement.

2nd Moderna dose (June) - I had the dose in the afternoon. By the evening I was in a hard crash.

This time there has been no robust improvement. I have had mild improvement since then, but I am still housebound. I try and remain hopeful as I have eventually rebounded from sustained crashes in the past (although often not to my previous level of activity).

I am worried that with the booster I will erase my gains. I feel that my body is in a fragile state and cannot handle additional stressors at this time.
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I ended up not having any booster. I am very strict about my mask usage, and wear a BreatheTeq KN95 in the rare instances I leave my home.

Unfortunately, I did not see any lasting improvements that would return me to my previous level of functioning. If anything, I have seen some additional declines, especially over the last 9 months or so.

My level of functioning is now this:

I have not left my home in many months, except to attend appointments which cannot be had virtually. I have begun an online degree. With my disability status, I can take a partial course load. Even with the reduced course load, I find it challenging to stay on top of readings and assignments. I can spend a couple of hours in front of my desktop computer each day, but eventually I become quite fatigued and continue on my bed. I find I can think more clearly in bed anyway.

My family is in some denial about my illness. My mom is getting older and is worried about me. I do not have any siblings. It makes my mom and dad happy for me to be in school. If I manage to complete my degree, I am not sure what I will be able to do with it. Still, despite my grumblings, it is my choice to go through with it, and I hope that when some future treatment unlocks me, I will be ready.

I understand that many others are in a significantly more severe state than myself, and I want to be grateful for the functioning I have. I just feel a bit sad, because I had been coping okay before this happened.
 
I'm finally, after two long years, starting to feel like I am recovering from the vaccines. The fatigue is still worse than it was pre-vaccine, however, I am able to do much more during the day and the PEM has gone back to what is normal for me. I still have the neuropathy but it also isn't as bad as it was. I still have a ways to go, but I'm happy that I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. :thumbup:
 
Rosie said:
I had my 5th Pfizer Covid vaccine 2 hours ago.
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I've just seen on the calendar that I'm due my 5th next week. Pfizer's the only one I had trouble with (it seemed to trigger an arrhythmia that went on for months before vanishing as abruptly as it had appeared), so I'm rather hoping it's not that one. But if it turns out it is, I'll explain and see what their advice is.

They might given me an appointment for a centre that's using one of the others; my last one was the Moderna covalent, which was fine. It could also be that the Pfizer one has been updated too since I last had it, in which case it might also be okay. Guess it's always a slight leap of faith ... I still (touch wood) haven't had symptomatic Covid yet and I do mix with others, so the jabs seem to have done their thing.
 
TigerLilea said:
I'm finally, after two long years, starting to feel like I am recovering from the vaccines. The fatigue is still worse than it was pre-vaccine, however, I am able to do much more during the day and the PEM has gone back to what is normal for me. I still have the neuropathy but it also isn't as bad as it was. I still have a ways to go, but I'm happy that I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. :thumbup:
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:thumbup: Pleased you’re seeing some progress, I’m still noticeably worse in terms of length of PEM than I was before getting Covid last autumn I’m hoping it will eventually reduce back to my normal.
 
Kitty said:
They might given me an appointment for a centre that's using one of the others; my last one was the Moderna covalent, which was fine. It could also be that the Pfizer one has been updated too since I last had it, in which case it might also be okay. Guess it's always a slight leap of faith ... I still (touch wood) haven't had symptomatic Covid yet and I do mix with others, so the jabs seem to have done their thing.
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I still haven't caught Covid either. Life sure is different now. I'm double masked when I go out. Most people aren't wearing a mask but I make a point of mentioning to people when I have the opportunity that I haven't had any negative comment from anyone for still wearing a mask and that I am pleased that everyone seems to respect each others choice to wear or not wear one.

Before Covid I seemed to catch colds so often while waiting in the doctors waiting room and now it is so good to be able to sit and wear a mask there.

I've been having other medical problems, some due to aging, high cholestrol, had an odd bout of racing heart for a couple of weeks. Will have to keep an eye on blood sugars. I could go on. The ME won't be helping with all the lying down I have had to do the last 25 years, could be adding to these problems.

All the best with the vaccine.
 
The joint pain that I have experienced since the vaccines continues to be severe. The NHS Pain clinic was of no help. Mindfulness was its proposed treatment together with the pain med buprenorphine whose effects wore off quickly.

Pain levels in the knees on getting up from a chair were agonising but the Orthopaedic Surgeon I was referred to strongly advised against. replacements because of concerns about reacting to materials in the replacement knee. He recommended steroid injections which thankfully, I have had some success with but I don't know how long that will last.

I have seen a pain management specialist privately ( the rainy day is here) for the excruciating lower back pain when standing upright and he has carried out facet joint injections and will consider.........denervation if necessary.

I also have arthritis in my shoulders and base of thumbs, and there is some hip pain that will need investigating. Obviously the vaccine didn't cause arthritis but the pain only became severe and needing treatment after the vaccine.

Interestingly both the Ortho Consultant and second Pain Consultant both commented without prompting that many of their patients had complained of much worse pain since the vaccine.

I have wondered if this is something to do with the spike protein which does not remain where it is injected as initially thought. My hope (probably unrealistic) is that it will eventually settle down. It doesn't do to think too far ahead in these circumstances.

The last 2 years have been pretty horrendous.

Glad that you are improving @TigerLilea. It must be a relief.
 
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Binkie4 said:
Interestingly both the Ortho Consultant and second Pain Consultant both commented without prompting that many of their patients had complained of much worse pain since the vaccine.

I have wondered if this is something to do with the spike protein which does not remain where it is injected as initially thought. My hope (probably unrealistic) is that it will eventually settle down. It doesn't do to think too far ahead in these circumstances.
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@Binkie4 I've noticed since having the last two vaccines that I have much more pain than I used to in the past. Like you, I'm hoping that this is a temporary situation and eventually resolves on it's own. That's great that your doctors are admitting that the vaccines can be the culprit. There are too many doctors who still won't admit or believe that the vaccines are responsible for so many people developing long term adverse reactions.
 
Had Covid jab No 5 a few days ago, the updated Pfizer. Nothing by way of a reaction so far. :emoji_fingers_crossed:

It all felt so different, though! No vaccination centre, just a small pharmacy; no precautionary wait in case of a reaction; no paperwork. Obviously he went through the usual checks of current meds, health conditions, allergies, previous reactions, and what to do if I got worrying symptoms, but I was in and out in about five minutes.
 
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