So – I did manage to finally get my booster shot. It was however not without a lot of issues attempting to get it!
Between the multiple times booking the appointment through the various online ‘portals’, only to have the appointments cancelled on the day because of vaccine shortage – I finally just bit the bullet, rebooked and managed to get in the same day.
However, it was not without a certain amount of compromising.
The shot I ended up getting was actually the Moderna Spikevax rather than the Pfizer shot I was hoping for. To be clear, I wanted to stick with Pfizer only because that’s the type I’ve gotten up until now and I knew that the side effects for me were very minor, not because I think that the Moderna is harmful in any way. I guess you just learn to trust what has worked well for you in the past.
I decided to take the risk at getting the Moderna only because it was really the only one available for me until Ontario releases the Pfizer brand Spikevax later in the month and friends I knew had received it with no complications. Plus, I really wanted to get this shot done before the fall wave gets much worse in Ontario. Already they are announcing that our numbers are unfortunately rising again and are expected to continue to climb again. (Even though Ontario health ministers have mentioned they refuse to lock down again – I still have a nagging fear that either our crippled hospitals will collapse, or they’ll have to start trying to force more restrictions once again. Once bitten, twice shy…)
Side effects were worse with this one then with the other shots I’ve received. Flush, a slight fever, Achey and cold feeling. The usual sore swelling in the injection site. I suffer with Chronic Migraine – so can’t tell you if the shot itself gave me headaches but I certainly have been feeling a bit under the weather for the last few days. Considering I’ve avoided getting real sick for a while it’s been annoying but necessary, I guess.
Luckily it is receding now and I’m starting to feel a bit better.
And most of all I am still glad I got it.
I know a lot of people have just given up on COVID precautions and the world has rushed to return to the normalcy that it new pre-2020 madness. I respect that choice and the freedom that gives them. It’s your life – you got to do what you feel is best.
I just know with my own chronic health conditions I need to keep on top of things for my own personal well-being. Even when I still get rolled eyes and snide remarks for wearing a face mask or bothering with the shots still.
One thing this whole situation has taught me is that there are always going to be multiple ways people cope with things. And there are going to be hundreds of ways people look at situations. Some may agree with you, and a whole lot more probably won’t. But that doesn’t mean that you need to abide by their comfort zones.
Social media, the news, the immense amount of noise that comes on our newsfeeds and through our devices daily and even the beliefs of our friends and family – they can all be so very loud sometimes. Trust this, not that. Listen to this, not that. This is a lie, this is the truth, this is a bit of both… It’s a lot sometimes.
Take enough time to filter through that noise and come to decisions that you can live with that feel right for you and your family. Don’t let anyone pressure you into things you aren’t comfortable with or try to bully you into believing what they believe if it just doesn’t feel right.
The world is still quite a messed-up place. All any of us can do is just try our best to keep safe, try to keep our mental health stable, and above all – remember to be kind to those who walk their own paths different from ours, even if you don’t agree with them personally.
For me – Yeah, I’m going to keep up with the masking for a while longer. I’ve still got some major medical appointments coming up this month (Whew! Finally get to see the specialist I’ve been waiting almost a year to see!) and the last thing I want to do is ruin the appointment by getting sick right before… fingers crossed I can avoid anything like that happening for a little while longer!
Happy fall everyone! May this spooky fall season bring you a lot more treats and far less tricks…
blackquillblog 