I posted before I received two different vaccines. My initial vaccine was the AstraZeneca which landed me on my ass and the second was Pfizer which didn’t do anything.
I was told by my doctors that because of the extreme reaction to the vaccine that I would have a higher immunity rate than someone who did not.
My COVID Vaccines
The AstroZeneca is a viral vector-based vaccine. As I understand it, when it is delivered to the body through a virus such as a common cold virus the body fights the virus but also the vector in the virus creating your immune response and the antibodies against covid-19. The Pfizer is a messenger RNA vaccine. This means mRNA created in a laboratory when injected, teaches our cells how to make the protein that triggers an immune response producing antibodies
2 months later when I got my second shot, Pfizer, I was told, again by my doctors that because they are two different vaccines that work and approach the problem differently that I likely have a higher immunity.. CDC says the infection rate of those fully vaccinated is 0.0002%.. So apparently, my chances of getting covid are even lower.
Recently, i posted about my hairdresser & how my appointments with her are relaxing.
Well, on the Saturday prior, my bff got her hair done (same stylist). Apparently, the tension could be cut with a knife.
Monique had commented away from work that she does not agree with anti-maskers or anti-vaxers. Her co-workers did not appreciate it considering that all the rest of the staff in the salon were unvaccinated and had no plans to get vaccinated. They also we’re not wearing masks in this place of business. So this led to a very uncomfortable silence with her co-workers.
I am Against anti-maskers & anti-vaxers. They are putting us *all* at risk.
Fortunately between that appointment and mine she was able to find a new hairdressing home. Her new salon that she is at is much more bright, much more open, much more space for social distancing and each stylist had two chairs so that they could alternate so that they always had a clean chair available.
So while I still support Monique, I no longer support Heads Up Hair Salon in Oshawa. My business has switched to Bounce Salon and Spa in Courtice
i am glad my stylist is more concerned about her clients & their safety over a paycheck.
Yesterday, I got my second stab for COVID immunization. Last time I had the AZ inoculation and, while not an allergic reaction, my body reacted badly. This time I received the Pfizer vaccine. We will see how that works!
Pics after getting my 2nd Vaccine – 14 days, Baby!!!!
In case you missed the prior post, I had the AstraZeneca shot last Thursday and had an immuno reaction to the vaccine. I was laid out for several days, but was eventually feeling better.
AZ Vaccine
As you probably heard on the news with the AstraZeneca vaccine, there is a very rare but potentially fatal fatal side effect of blood clots. The biggest indicator of a blood clot is sudden increase in pain, including a headache. A second possible indicator is a shortness of breath.
On Wednesday afternoon, while I am dealing with my fibro flare that was stimulated by the vaccine response, I suddenly get a very sharp and dramatic pain in my right calf. To me, this did not feel like the normal pain I would have from fibromyalgia in that it was stronger in that single place and that it had a sudden onset.
Off the the ER I go.
Out for fresh air while waiting for test results outside OFH LHO Emergency Department
I was a little surprised that it didn’t take me right in, but I was triaged and registered within 20 minutes and took until near 10:00 at night to see a doctor. He ordered blood work.
an hour later I was back into the emergency rooms internal waiting room and set for another hour waiting for the physician to come around and give me the results. He reviewed everything and I was told that everything was normal except for the reading that says that no I don’t have a blood clot. I needed to get an ultrasound.
Of course ultrasound is closed at that our so I was given an appointment for later that morning at 10:00 a.m. at the hospital.
I’ve never had an ultrasound on my leg done before but not as uncomfortable as I was expecting it to be. The whole test took about a half an hour because she checked my blood flow all the way from my hip down past where the pain was in my calf. I was told the test results would be back in the ER by the time I got there.
So I had to go back to the ER, re-triaged, re-registered. After an hour of sitting in the emerge I was finally taken back to get my results. And I waited for another half an hour before a physician popped his head in. He asked me if I had a history of blood clots and when I said no he asked me what I thought why I had one and explained that it had pain and that I’d had a easy vaccine the week prior. The doctor just simply looked at me at that point and said “You’re all good. No Blood Clot.”
Big sigh of relief, for me & my friends that I was talking to online as well as family.
Recently, I received an email from Sobey’s Grocery stores in response to my request to be waitlisted for the vaccine.. They said, I was eligible for the COVID vaccine, for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Finally!!
AZ Vacvine
I went & signed up. It turns out the closest location for the shot was in the city a Gerrard & Vic Park. I’m sure there’s not a lot of you familiar with the geography of Toronto but from my home it is approximately 50 km or just over 30 miles ( just under an hour away) to that specific grocery store for my shot. But I was going to be going into Scarborough (East Toronto) anyways because of Lilly’s surgery. I figured I’d would kill two birds with one stone.
My Shot, Thursday
So my appointment was on Thursday, at 11:30am. It was super quick. By the time my brain registered the sensation of the needle, she was already putting it syringe into the sharps bin.So, even if you don’t like needles, it’s not that bad. I stayed the required 15 minutes. No reaction initially other than some moderate nausea.
Waiting n the cubical for the pharmacist to give me my shot
The nausea stayed with me for the day. I was a little tired afterwards & had a short nap which helped me feel a little better. Even went for walk with my sister in the evening.
My Reactions – That Night
By 2:00am the nausea was worse, so much so that I had an empty bucket beside my bed, just in case.
Shortly after that I noticed I was cold. I was eventually shivering despite pj’s and warm bedding. My temperature at this time was 38 & change in Celcius .
My arm was sore, but most people have that reaction. My fibro was triggered and my pain was climbing everywhere. At worst I’d say 5/10.
By 5:00 this morning my body had switched from shivering to sweating. I was also having a headache kick in. I took some Tylenol with codeine and was finally able to get back to sleep.
My Reactions – Next Day, Friday
I was abruptly woken up by my Mom at 10:30am for a temperature check. It was 36.8, completely normal. After checking Lilly & giving her meds (see her surgical post if you are interested), I went back to bed. Fortunately in the morning, the body wide pain had taken a step back and no more shivering or sweating. I did still have the headache, and the nausea but it was not as bad.
As the day wore on I’d flip from chills to overheating, but no temperature. The nausea kept up and I did rush to the bathroom with dry heaves. The body-wide aches went back up by bedtime.
My Reactions – Day 2 Post Vaccine, Saturday
Still has ongoing flipping between chills & hot flashes. Left arm still sore.. Ongoing body aches all during the day.. Still nauseous, but not actually vomiting..sent alot of my time resting.
My Reactions – Day 3 Vaccine, Sunday.
Chills & hot flashes completely abated by the evening and the nausea aswell. Still had body-wide aches & pains.
My Reactions – Day 4 & 5, Monday & Tuesday.
I think by this point I was completely finished reacting to the actual vaccine, whoever my fibromyalgia decided to react to the vaccine reaction. Oh so fun. So by the time I woke up on Monday I was in a lovely little fibro flare that has lasted several days. Only thing I accomplished was the opening & closing of my Tuesday Night Cub meeting.
So, by this point my actual immunoreaction to the medication in the vaccine was done, but not the end of this saga of my vaccine.. Read here for more on this story.
So currently in Ontario, where I live, there is a three tier plan, which itself is made up of stages.
Phase 1 is for High-risk populations including
Congregate living for seniors
Health care workers
Adults in First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations
Adult chronic home care recipients
Adults ages 80 and older
Adults with the highest-risk health conditions:
From this group, my Brother-in-law, my 2 nieces & my Dad were all quickly eligible for the first phase.
Phase II is described as Mass deliveries of vaccines. This is our current phasewhere we currently stand in the process. This phase includes:
Adults aged 60 to 79, in 5-year increments
High-risk congregate settings (such as shelters, community living)
Individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers
Those who cannot work from home
At-risk populations
So, with that description,you’d think I would be eligible in Phase 2 for either Endo, Fobro, CFS/ME, etc.. but no.. here are the lists of conditions that apply:
Highest-Risk Health Conditions, eligible at phase I:
Organ transplant recipients
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
Neurological diseases in which respiratory function may be compromised (e.g., motor neuron disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis)
Haematological malignancy diagnosed <1 year
Kidney disease eGFR< 30
Of these conditions, I have none. .
High-Risk Health Conditions currently eligible
Obesity (BMI > 40)
Other treatments causing immunosuppression (e.g., chemotherapy, immunity- weakening medications)
Intellectual or developmental disabilities (e.g., Down Syndrome)
Of these conditions, I have none. It’s interesting that someone who is so far they are morbidly obese has priority over someone with a heart condition..
I no longer has a BMI over 40.. At my worst, my BMI was over 50 ( I just looked that up & I’m like “Damn, Girl!”) My BMI is now approximately 33.. so, I’m not eligible for that either.
At-Risk Health Conditions:
Immune deficiencies/autoimmune disorders
Stroke/cerebrovascular disease
Dementia
Diabetes
Liver disease
All other cancers
Respiratory diseases
Spleen problems (e.g., asplenia)
Heart disease
Hypertension with end organ damage
Diagnosis of mental disorder
Substance use disorders
Sickle Cell Disease
Thalassemia
Pregnancy
Immunocompromising health conditions
Other disabilities requiring direct support care in the community
Again no Fibro, No Endo, No CFS/ME.. Whil those last 2 are considered to possibly be autoimmune, they are not classified as such. So instead I qualify due to:
Respiratory diseases – I have asthma. It is currently controlled & I would only need th ventolin for strenuous activity
Diagnosis of mental disorder – I have chronic depression, have since I was 16
Substance use disorders – I have an addiction to fentanyl – controlled & my last use was about 3 years ago.
I’m not sure what the “other disabilities ‘ entails.. But I doubt it covers the other conditions, but it’s so vague.
So, cuz I am depressed, cuz I used to need a puffer & cuz I like fentanyl a little too much, I am eligible for phase not cuz of the Endo, Fibro, CFS/ME. Apparently people with these condition are otherwise only eligible in stage 3 with the rest of Canada. That is unless their family doctor gets vaccines.
For me, unless I’m told otherwise the answer is yes. I would not, however, get my shot done at a pharmacy or a casual clinical..There would be very few medical doctors around which would be a bad thing considering my allergies, several of which are medications.
Which one?
The best description I can say about the vaccine and which one I want is based on a comment in with our Minister of Health stated that the’ “best one you can get is the first one available”, depending of course.on the issues like allergies.. & is in a clinic with doctors around, not at a pharmacy.
I received this email recently from Dan, a member of my local ME&CFS community.. The topic, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, is in regards to vaccinations and ME&CFS… Dr. Nancy Klimas’ gives her opinion on this very topic – her message is highlighted in blue.
Warning: lots of technical jargon. If you can understand it all, please translate when this means to us lesser mortals… 😉 I do think the Doc is basically saying unless to react to vaccines you should get the vaccine but the alternative could be, potentially, a long, slow, painful death, alone, without friends or family.
To Members of the ME/CFS Community – Our recent fundraising for Dr. Nancy Klimas’ ME/CFS medical research at the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM) at Nova Southeastern University raised over $4,200 in a couple of weeks. As our fundraising efforts were underway, Nancy was formulating her thoughts on how those of us with ME/CFS might consider getting the vaccine. She recently sent me the following:
Hi Dan – I put together my opinion and hopefully its posted on our web page (https://www.nova.edu/nim/index.html) today. Nancy To vaccinate or not – with ME/CFS I have been asked this question dozens of times over the past week. This is my opinion – COVID kills people. It kills people with over activated and damaged immune systems preferentially – and that is what ME/CFS is all about. So while there certainly is a risk of an ME relapse with these hyper reactive vaccines (the first wave to be released) , you have to weigh the possibility of an ME relapse against the risk of death from COVID. You can mitigate the risk in a number of ways – just the way you do when you feel a relapse coming on. Before the vaccine make sure you are taking enough antioxidants, particularly NAC or glutathione and coQ10. The big mediator of post vaccination relapse and immediate reactions is mast cell activation. If it happens immediately, that is anaphylaxis, but if it happens slowly and low grade over days the mediators mast cells release can drive a classic ME/CFS relapse. So, take an antihistamine before and for several days after the vaccine – the strongest one you tolerate. (Benadryl is one of the strongest, Zyrtec is another good choice). There are many mast cell stabilizers, watch Dr. Maitlands excellent lecture on our web page from the recent conference we sponsored on the subject if you want to know more: Managing the Syndrome Soup: POTS, EDS, MCAS & ME/CFS https://www.nova.edu/nim/events.html There are natural supplements that act to block or clear histamine and stabilize mast cells such as alpha lipoic acid, ascorbic acid, B6, diamine oxidase enzymes (DAO), luteolin, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), Omega-3’s, riboflavin, SAMe, quercetin, and natural sources of theophylline like green and black teas. If you have been diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome it would make sense that your risk of an immediate reaction to any vaccine should be higher, though the data on the risk to people with mast cell activation syndrome or prior vaccine allergic reactions is not yet known with the COVID vaccines. I suspect we will know fairly quickly , with millions of doses already administered. So you may want to wait (taking all of the COVID precautions very seriously) and when you do take the vaccine plan to stay in the medical setting for at least 30 minutes, consider several hours, to be in a safe place if you do have a reaction. In this special circumstance premedication with a steroid, the same way we premedicate people who need a CT scan with iodine contrast dye, could be provided by your physician. Please note that if you take the vaccine you should take the whole dose, and the current vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, should be administered twice. It is not yet known how long the immunity will last, but there are blood tests that look at antibody levels available. They came to market very quickly, we will know more about the quality of the antibody tests over the next few months. Most importantly, vaccination is not 100% (in fact the two initial vaccines trials were 95% effective in preventing or reducing the severity of infection) So vaccination does not exclude strict distancing guidelines, and the masks continue until “herd immunity” levels of vaccination have been reached (70% of the population)! Of course, these recommendations are simply my opinion, and we will know a lot more about safety in the coming months – but 30,000 plus folks took the vaccines in the trials (that’s a lot) and you have to be moved by the photos of health care professionals lining up to receive their vaccine. Is there a risk? Yes. Certainly more a risk of ME/CFS relapse than anaphylaxis, which should be manageable. Is it worth it? Your decision, weighing all that you can find out. But more than 330,000 Americans have died and the new strain of the virus is likely to make our current rate of infection go much higher. Please take this seriously. More than you wanted to know: Partial vs. absolute protection Most vaccines offer incomplete protection against infection and this is likely to be the case with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines as well. However, even partial protection will be of benefit both to patients and the general public. Partial protection may mean that most but not all persons develop immunity, or that some recipients develop weak immunity that makes the consequences of infection less severe than they would have been otherwise. (December 2020 update: Information from the American College of Rheumatology Regarding Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2). Here are the official recommendations: The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) has issued guidance for physicians and other providers related to the risk of an allergic reaction following vaccination with an mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. ACAAI’s recommendations are in line with guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, that patients experiencing a severe allergic reaction after getting the first shot should not receive the second shot. In addition, the ACAAI COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force recommends the following guidance for physicians and other providers: The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines should be administered in a healthcare setting where anaphylaxis can be treated. All individuals must be observed for at least 15 to 30 minutes after injection to monitor for any adverse reaction. All anaphylactic reactions should be managed immediately with epinephrine as first-line treatment. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines should not be administered to individuals with a known history of a severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine. Although the specific vaccine component causing the anaphylaxis has not been identified, polyethylene glycol is one of its ingredients and has been known to cause anaphylaxis. Data related to risk in individuals with a history of allergic reactions to previous vaccinations and/or mast cell activation syndrome/idiopathic anaphylaxis is very limited and evolving. A decision to receive either of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines that are currently approved for Emergency Use Authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration should be undertaken by the individual, along with their physician or other provider administering the vaccine using their professional judgment balancing the benefits and risks associated with taking the vaccine. People with common allergies to medications, foods, inhalants, insects and latex are no more likely than the general public to have an allergic reaction to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Those patients should be informed of the benefits of the vaccine versus its risks. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not live vaccines and can be administered to immunocompromised patients. Physicians and other providers should inform such immunocompromised patients of the possibility of a diminished immune response to the vaccines. Reference: https://acaai.org/news/american-college-allergy-asthma-and-immunology-updates-guidance-risk-allergic-reactions-mrna SOURCE: American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology The American College of Rheumatology offers additional guidance for people on immunosuppressive therapy, and discussed in some detail the issues around vaccination and herd immunity. Here is the link: https://www.rheumatology.org/Portals/0/Files/ACR-Information-Vaccination-Against-SARS-CoV-2.pdf Still, I think 2021 will be a happy new year. The most vulnerable should see the vaccines available in the coming weeks! And yes, it will take a lot to get our citizens to the level of herd immunity with mostly the logistics in the news, but really it is denial of the risk of COVID 19 allowing this head in the sand thinking. Take a hard look at the stats and your risk. Then make a smart decision. Nancy
Fibromyalgia 
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