My First Covid Vaccine Experience

I hesitated writing about this because I know it can be a triggering subject for some. I know there are people who are adamantly against the shot, and people who don’t think Covid is as bad as it’s made out to be. If you fall into that category, this post probably isn’t for you. But I felt the need to share it because it’s part of my health story. It’s something I did that I feel good about. So take it for what it’s worth for you or just skip this one ;)

It has been a little over a week since I got my first of 2 Covid-19 vaccines! I know there’s a lot of skepticism about the vaccine, but my purpose of sharing my experience isn’t to persuade anyone one way or the other. I know there can be a lot of mistrust in the medical system here in the US and with pharmaceutical industries. I totally get that. After going through all the stuff I have in the last several years, I’ve developed some trust issues with all of that stuff too.

And at first, I wasn’t so sure I would get the vaccine. There are several things that have happened over the years that make me question everything, especially medically, and with the pandemic being new territory for all of us, I had to take a step back, do my own research, think on it, and decide what was best for me.

I’m high risk for having a really hard time with Covid because, as much as I hate saying it, I am a stage 4 cancer patient. I have damage to my lungs from radiation and I had some pretty strong chemo that can cause long term things I may not even be aware of yet, like a weakened heart. I don’t dwell on this reality, but when something like Covid comes around, I have to be honest with my situation and keep myself safe and healthy.

So I decided to get the shot.

I had my injection around 10:00am, and by early afternoon, my arm hurt. Like more than just at the injection site. It hurt all the way to my fingertips. It felt like maybe I had worked my muscles super hard and also smashed the shit out of my arm in a door or something. I also felt really really tired. Like kicked-in-the-ass-don’t-want-to-move tired. And I thought I was in for a rough couple of days. So that evening, I drank a ton of water and rested. Hello, Netflix binge!

By the next morning, the fatigue had pretty much gone away, and my arm only felt sore at the injection site. Like a small bruise. I also had some nausea that started the day after. It wasn’t all day. Just when I would eat. That lasted a few days and wasn’t severe at all.

I just kept drinking a lot of water, and I ate as many fruits and veggies as I could. I also took time off from my usual workouts.

Five days after my shot, I started feeling much more normal and resumed my workouts. It took a couple days to get my stamina back up. My muscles burned more than usual and I got tired quicker. But by day 7, everything was completely back to normal!

I’m glad I got my first shot. I’m looking forward to my second because I want to protect myself. I’ve been super sick before (not Covid-sick, but sick enough that I could die from it. Lookin’ at you, stage 4 breast cancer…), and I want to do whatever I can to keep from hopefully ever getting to that level of sick ever again. I mean, I know I can’t control everything, but if there is something I can control, then I’m gonna.

So that’s basically it. My experience was fairly uneventful. I was in-and-out of the vaccination site in 30 minutes, my side effects weren’t so bad, and I’m signed up for my next one! By the way, if you’re wondering, I got the Pfizer shot. Not that it really matters. As far as I can tell, they’re all effective.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! The weather is supposed to be warmer and sunny here and I am looking forward to it.

xoxo

Brit