The Vaccine…I Got It!

Let’s be honest, many people out there think the Covid-19 vaccine or any vaccine is poison, and they would never put it into their bodies. I respect their right to their opinion. This post is not a debate on whether you will grow a second head if you get the Covid vaccine, it is merely my story about being vaccinated. 

I am writing this post two days after my first Covid vaccination. The soreness in my arm is all but gone, and I had no other symptoms. My next scheduled dose is Friday, February 19th. I anticipate I will feel tired and possibly not want to teach my yoga class the following day. At this time, I have no intention of canceling that class. I rise to meet a challenge, go to school, or work even if I don’t feel my best. The fact is I rarely get sick. I am healthy, I take good care of myself, and I always have. I get my flu shot every year, follow my doctors’ advice, get regular check-ups, exercise daily, eat healthy, and take my vitamins twice daily. Doing all of these things has been my routine for as long as I can remember. Because of this, I know I will live a long and healthy life. The mental and positive clarity of my health is also why I feel so strongly about my ability to kick any issues that might arise.  

When Covid hit hard, I, like many people, had a front seat on the crazy train. I didn’t know what to believe, what I could or couldn’t do. We knew very little initially, and then suddenly, the world was shut down. We were told to stay locked up in our homes. I went from not wearing a mask to wearing it all the time. I listened to all the recommendations and followed the guidelines, but at the same time, I am not an alarmist. I never felt I was going to catch Covid because I walked out of my home. I still don’t feel this way. However, the reality is I work in dentistry. I am around patients and my team members all day long. I need to protect myself and those around me. I want to see my kids have a couple girlfriends over for a girl’s night out. I want to go to the gym and get my sweat on. So, I am going to do anything in my power to make sure my daily routine continues.  

I am fortunate that working in dentistry qualifies me as an essential worker. I am not a frontline worker, and I did feel that doctors and nurses should have received the vaccine first. The dentist I work for signed our office up through the dental society to get our vaccines, but the list was long, and we still had not heard anything. We decided the best route would be to sign up individually through UCSD Medical and Petco Park. The scheduling system was easy. I logged in on Monday and was able to get an appointment for that Friday. I then needed to create an online chart and download the UCSD app to make check-in easier. I am all about easy.

Once that was completed, I received a text confirming my appointment and check-in information. The biggest hurdle I had to face from what I was hearing from friends that had received their vaccine was driving downtown and making my way through traffic. For this native San Diegan, this was the thing I was most worried about. I never venture outside of my area and hate driving downtown. Thank goodness for WAZE and Google Maps.

I have to admit, as Friday rolled around, my stomach let me know I was a bit nervous. Maybe it was the drive I was worried about or perhaps that I was getting a new vaccine and a potential reaction. Regardless, I was on a mission, and nothing was going to stop me. I taught my yoga class with the full support and excitement of my students then off I went.  As I arrived at Petco Park, I noticed orderly vaccine goers lined up on every corner. Huge white tents stood all around, workers directing traffic, signs with numbers, and people inching their way to a kind of freedom. What stuck out to me most were the masses of cars funneling down into smaller lines and how every single vehicle in each line went one then another. There was no honking, trying to cut in front of another car, each filing politely, one from this lane, one from that lane. It was astonishing and thrilling at the same time. It gave you hope in humanity.

Once I checked in, I was directed to another line, which took me to the area where the shots were being given. When I reached the front of the line, a sticky note was placed on my back window, and I was told to find a parking place and wait in my vehicle. This was it. I was so close. I had been in line for about 30 minutes at this point. No sooner did I turn off my car than the handsome medical professional came up and asked me a couple medical questions and for my driver’s license. He then left to get the vaccine ready. Before he returned, I received a text requesting I make my next appointment. I was asked which arm I would like the shot in. He handed me the vaccine card, swiftly gave me the injection, placed a bandaid on, and told me to set my timer for 15 minutes.  At the end of 15 minutes, I could follow the arrows and leave. I spent the 15 minutes taking selfies to post on social media and chatting with my daughter on the phone. I left the parking lot feeling like I had accomplished a great deal. It may sound silly, but I felt a wave of relief wash over me when it was all done.  

There is so much controversy about the vaccine. It’s hard for anyone to know what to believe. All I can tell you is that I am thrilled that I have the first round done. I had no problems and look forward to getting my second shot. If I get symptoms from it, then so be it. Sometimes we have to put up with a little pain to get the gain. That’s how life works. 

If you have been following my blog, you know I was diagnosed with Kidney Disease in 2013. I was shocked and terrified. Once I had seen all the specialists and was told I had no precursor for the disease, I was determined to cure myself, and I did just that. I changed my diet and quit taking all medications, and after a couple of years, all my numbers reverted. My Nephrologist (kidney doctor) said he had never seen anything like this in his life. I was dismissed from his care. This is how I think about anything I come up against in life. I attack it head-on. I will not sit back and wait for things to fix themselves. I will do whatever I can to prevent, augment, or heal a situation. This is my feeling about the Covid vaccine. It is a tool available to me, and I am going to use it.

If you can help yourself and those around you, I hope you do.

 

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