COVID Vaccine

I received the COVID vaccine, you guys. Let me tell you how! The first thing I did was make 3 different appointments because I have always been either late to my appointment or I had received another shot and I could not get the vaccine that day and had to reschedule. When I went to my rheumatologist, she recommended that I take the vaccine, even the infectious disease doctor recommended the same thing.

How I found a COVID vaccine appointment

I went on a Google search and typed in COVID vaccine locations. Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS were the locations that were provided to me. Walmart lets you make your appointment with the date and time. It will ask you a series of questions, such as have you meet anyone with COVID? Have you had any COVID symptoms? Have you received any vaccines in the last 7 days?

When you come to your appointment you will wait for the pharmacist to finish what they are doing and call your name to give you the vaccine. After receiving the vaccine, they just ask that you remain around for 15 minutes. Just to make sure you do not have any side effects. The most common symptoms you usually feel are a headache and feeling tired. They recommended that I take Tylenol in case I ran a fever.

My personal experience with the vaccine

With dealing with lupus and taking my Benlysta injections, I am always tired even more. I slept for almost a day and a half and I did not get out of bed for a while. Being safe is more important than anything. I want to be safe and protected around my daughter also. She is not old enough to take the vaccine. The nurses at her doctor’s appointment and the doctor told me that she will not be required to take it until around 6 years old. Which I feel is well enough time for them to build their immune systems up.

COVID has taken 2020 and 2021 away from us and if we are not careful then 2022 can be taken also. In 2020 COVID had taken my aunty while she was in a nursing home and thereafter a few people have passed. That was devastating because no state had closed yet and so no one was aware that it was COVID that was going around. Then having my personal experience with COVID because of the non-mask-wearing people where I was really was not really caring about being vaccinated or not.

If I reflect on the times that I spent inside all day, it could be really depressing because when you are inside 24/7 it can become overwhelming especially if you are a depressed person. When I became depressed then I was not myself at all. I did not have any purpose at moments but my family. When you become determined to be healthy, you will do anything for your health. I honestly don’t know how I did it this past year and it had flown by so fast. I am about to be 27 years old and I'm almost about to graduate with my associate's degree in nursing.