The COVID vaccine

[Deb 27]

So, I had my 2nd Moderna shot two weeks ago last Wednesday. I felt pretty awful the day after with aches and pains. I didn't have any fever or chills. I don't know if it's the weather but in the past weeks, I have been in a pretty rough RA flare with lots of joint pain. It has crossed my mind that it could be the vaccine but I can't say for sure.  I still have no regrets..........I can get over and work with the RA flare. On top of my RA/Sjogrens, I have diabetes and high BP, so I needed this vaccine.

[Linda196]

The reason a lot of people react to the booster in a two stage vaccine is because of the way it works. It is supposed to set up the immune system to respond quickly to a recognized protein (in this case the recently injected one it recognizes as Covid) and respond fast and hard. The fact that you did react to the second dose, after a history or great tolerance to vaccines, is proof that it is doing what it's supposed to, reacting to a recently recognized protein.

[meirish]

I may be the dumb one in the crowd but the hospital system in the twin cities called me last week and told me I was on the list of people to get their covid vaccination and I turned them down. I am still not ready to get the first 2 vaccines to come out. I have so many systems involved that I am sick much of the time now. Still able to get out to docs appts and grocery store but so many more health problems.

Also with my t-cell issues of the past I am also very leary. When ever I have a CBC many of the tests come back red which mean abnormal. My body just is out of whack all the time lately.. I also have been having an infection that has been brewing for a long time in my sinuses and urinary track. Klebsiella is a bug that moves in and resides and just picks away at me. I feel that with my present health status I would be worse off getting the vaccine at this point. MY gut tells me no and I just have to listen to it.

I live in a co-op with just about 25 people and we are all pretty much staying in our rooms and not gathering in a crowd. I still wear my mask whenever I am out of my room and everywhere I go. I do not go to any new grocery store and just keep a low profile. But...one never knows. Will be interesting if herd immunity is slowly coming as some docs are suggesting. Hope all of you are doing well. meirish.

[Cheryl]

For months I declared, "I won't be a guinea pig.   I'll wait to get a vaccine after they have been proven to work safely."  In the meantime, I realized that I have lost a year of my life to this virus while avoiding it - a year of interacting in person with my children and grandchildren, being with friends, meeting with my church for worship, and doing normal daily activities.  At my age (68,) a year is a big chunk of my remaining years in this world!   

I decided to get my doctors' opinions and trust their judgement.  Both my gp and my rheumatologist told me to get the vaccine as soon as possible. I scheduled my appointment for the first day the vaccine was made available for my age group, and I received my first injection 4 days ago.   I'm looking forward to having the booster and living with less fear and more normalcy.  (Bring on the grands!)

For Meirish and others with doubts and/or reaction concerns, I'm not suggesting that everyone should follow my example.   I know that some of you will be advised by doctors to wait or decline the vaccine, and you should heed their advice.  I wish the best for each of you in reaching the best decision for your situation.

By the way, my vaccine was from Pfizer.   I had no side effects except for a little arm soreness the next day and some additional tiredness.

Best wishes!
Cheryl

[Way2dry]

I had my second Pfizer shot a couple of weeks ago.  After the first one I had a sore arm and noticed some of my Sjogren?s symptoms getting worse.  I told my doctor I thought the shot was making my symptoms worse and asked if I should  skip the second one.  She told me to get it. After the second shot I went into a severe flare.  I am miserable now with zero saliva, aching teeth, receding gums, mouth sores, drier eyes and awful insomnia.  I may have been heading into a flair before the shot, but the timing of it makes me think it was the vaccine.  I am very worried that this flare may last a long time or I might not get over it because of the vaccine.  Hope others have better luck than I did.

[araminta]

I've now had my first Pfizer shot.   No problems except for a sore arm for two or three days.

[sixty]

I finally got an earlier appointment!  It's for Thursday this week!  I'm so happy.  My other one is for the 26th and I don't want to wait that long.  Well now I feel much better.

[Scottietottie]

Hi 

I'm getting my first shot this Friday. Felt pretty fed up that my two youngest children got called for a shot before I did! (They don't live in the same area) Hubby had his jab about 4 weeks ago.

Best way to get to see my grandkids I reckon!

Take care = Scottie 

[meirish]

Just to let you know, I had my Johnson and Johnson vaccination today. I had heard that it was going to be released this week and had called my neurologists nurse on Tuesday asking about this particular vaccine. Informed her the reasons that I waited for this one. Nurse was nice as they always are and she said she would get back to me. She never got back to me that day.

However, I got a call on Wed telling me when my appointment was(today) for my J & J vaccination. So, I think the nurse took care of it. This was the first day this vaccine was available in the USA and the town I go to for medical care happened to end up on the list to receive the vaccine. They said they were doing 160 shots to day and 340 shots on Saturday .They were also amazed that they got in so early. I have heard that they are to get more of this brand down the road.

The Mayo clinic in southern MN is doing the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine in 9 different cities and towns so they have been doing the vaccinations slowly but surely. It sounds like the nation is seeing an increase in the release of the shots so that is good.

I wont go into my reasoning for my desire for this one but I have continued to do more and more research and am happy that I waited as I feel this drug suited my health condition. There are so many variables out there... I have not found any good information on IVIG and this vaccine so time will tell. I had the vaccine today and it happens my IVIG is tomorrow.

I called infusion center and they checked with the head doctor and he said there was no problem. But...I am still going to pay attention to the research. Some articles say that the IV gamma globulin can decrease the efficacy of the vaccination. Time will tell. Sooo, I am still kicking and have only a sore arm and will see what tomorrow brings. meirish

[sixty]

I had my first Pfizer shot yesterday and my arms a little sore, no big deal.  I was impressed with how organized the staff was and how easy it was to get in and out.  I hope the rest of the country's as easy.

[rnathans]

I had my second dose of the Moderna vaccine on Wednesday and around 8 hours later the side effects kicked in. First severe muscle pain, then a headache and eventually chills and low grade fever. I felt really crappy for about 24 hours, then just very tired for another 24 and have been fine since Friday evening. It did not seem to trigger a Sjogren's flare for me ( I am sorry it did for others). As miserable as I felt for 24 hours it sure beats the misery of COVID...and it will soon allow me to see my kids and dance at my son's wedding ( size still to be determined) 3 months from today. Trust me I will be dancing even if it turns out to be just 6 of us , though hoping for a few more.

[twilite]

Got my first Moderna covid vaccine February the 28th last Saturday I was fine. The next day my arm hurt really bad but it only hurt for one day I had a little bit of nausea and I was very sleepy for a whole week just couldn't get out of bed but I was okay. Started feeling better and yesterday my arm started itching and I went to scratch it and it felt like a large mosquito bite it was really big the size of a I don't know a little bit bigger than a quarter. It was hard to the touch like a mosquito bite is when it spreads inside your arm and I looked that up online and it said moderna sometimes gives something called covid arm so I guess I'm one of the 244 count me 245 people that got the covid arm from moderna.

I don't have any other symptoms or a reactions from the vaccine as of yet I'm sure I'll be fine. But it just makes me apprehensive even though I'm going to get the second one on the 27th of this month I just don't don't want anything else to happen but I guess it's better than covid...

[jazzlover]

It's a hard NO for me.

[Scottietottie]

Hi 

Well I got my first shot of AstraZeneca on Friday. Ached yesterday but am fine today. One of my kids had the Pfizer vaccine and spent a couple of days feeling awful but that was all. Another kid had the AstraZeneca and got a splitting headache and ran a temperature for a night but then was fine. I got off the lightest. As a family we are looking forward to be able to get out of lockdowns (they are pretty strict here) and to be able to meet up again as we don’t live near each other.

Take care - Scottie 

[Kathy57]

Dear friends,

I managed to be able to get a Johnson and Johnson vaccine yesterday, and I?m so glad and so looking forward to be able to see my grandkids, without guilt or fear.  I?ve been trying to get a vaccine for weeks now and I think I just got lucky, and persistence pays off. 

My husband is going through a cancer trial at MD Anderson and I was able to snag him a Pfizer vaccine over a week ago, but unable to get one for myself.  He did great!  Just a little sore arm, and I am so relieved because he is on some pretty strong immunologic cancer meds that aren?t FDA approved yet.   They did get FDA approval for the trial.  Now we just have to wait until he can get the second vaccine and hope all goes well.

I was worried about getting the vaccine yesterday because I had just started going through a mild flare a few days prior, but I figured I had better just do it.  My arm felt a little sore after the injection and feels just a bit sore today in that I can tell where they jabbed me, but other than that I am okay.  I?m still experiencing mild flare symptoms but no worse.  I?ve been trying to take it easy which I seem to be pretty good at!😂

To update you on my husband?s cancer trial - he has been on these meds for over 14 weeks now and feels fatigued and weak but otherwise is tolerating them well.  The good news is that they ran a bunch of tests, CT scans, and bone scan and they found a 58 percent improvement of his Tumor areas!  I started crying when the doctor told us. 

Prior to this trial my husbands cancer had spread to his kidneys and bones.  It was spreading so fast and I thought this is the end and the meds had stopped working.  It has been an emotional roller coaster ride,  but I now dare to look forward to some more family time in our future.  It is very scary and they watch my husband like a hawk.  He told me that he was a willing guinea pig and that is about right.

He and his fellow participants will be helping future patients.  If my husband continues to do well and can tolerate the meds than this trial is planned to last two years.  That is hoping he survives.  I believe that he will.

So glad so many of you have been able to get vaccinated and have done pretty well with it!  Stay safe and stay well.

Kathy

P.S. any and all little prayers for my husband would be much appreciated 😊