Category Archives: vaccine

Get Boosted! Let this be the last pandemic winter…

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When is the end? #covid19

Only about 14% of the United States has the latest covid booster vaccine.

The pandemic isn’t over for me. Long covid is hellish.

I’ve accepted my lot living with long covid. This is my fate. I don’t like having it. I want to feel like I did before, I took being healthy for granted. This is what acceptance means to me. I have a chronic disease, and this is my life. I have a disability due to this.

Your energy still isn’t back to 100%.

You get tired easily.

Your heart rate varies.

You are short of breath.

You get sick easily.

Simple exercise wears you out and can knock you out for days from exhaustion.

Your trust in humanity goes to zero. How can you fully trust anyone when anyone can spread covid to you?

Covid can: Take your breath, change your mind, make your skin crawl, break your heart
Source

I’m tired of the pandemic too. But we ain’t quite out of the pandemic woods.

That major outbreak across China is an ominous sign. A new covid variant is sure to originate from that. Fuck, we were so close to the end of the pandemic. One more winter and it felt that the worst was behind us… I wouldn’t have to fear catching it again while vulnerable. I would rather avoid potentially shortening my life like that.

https://theconversation.com/there-are-still-good-reasons-to-avoid-catching-covid-again-for-one-your-risk-of-long-covid-goes-up-each-time-196041

https://apnews.com/article/science-health-china-covid-306b688d84e31a9462f82d0ead1f4584

For everyone’s sake… Please get the Bivalent covid booster!

Here is where to get vaccinated:

https://www.vaccines.gov/

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/covid-19-vaccines

Post Covid

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Picture of Globe being held up by disposable gloved hands, and has a facemask.
Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

Coronavirus we finally meet.

I write this as I had to take the day off work due to exhaustion. I left early yesterday because I was tired after a half day of work, despite it being an easy day. Covid fatigue feels like you’ve done a hard workout recently or worked a tough work week, and it’s Friday night… But you haven’t done either of those things. I’m okay; I must remind myself to pace myself as I fully recover over the next month and a half. I hope I don’t have long covid. Time will tell.

Covid. The first week was the hardest. I was the sickest I’ve ever been. I was pretty useless that first week. It wasn’t easy to do basic tasks like cooking. I do it; then I feel like I just ran a 100-meter dash and was wiped out. Slowly over week two, I started to recover and was gradually able to do basic tasks without being short of breath, with the other covid symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, exhaustion, fever, chills, cough, brain fog, and terror of wondering if this is it? That very same week, I learned that my cousin died from Covid. Debra was killed on Christmas. She wasn’t vaccinated. What a horrible tragedy. I had to miss her service because I caught Covid. I had some risk factors, such as being Obese. I gained 20 pounds last year (or maybe since the pandemic started, time feels weird these days. Dunno if this is a side effect of recovery from Coronavirus or living in a pandemic. I need to lose weight this year.) I want to visit her grave soon.

You just don’t know what will happen to you if you catch it. Don’t gamble your life to it. Get vaccinated.

I put those hours of doom scrolling to use by trying every possible treatment I could.

1) Being vaccinated ASAP. It’s likely I caught Covid when I did, because I’m not boosted.

2) Drinking freshly made lemon-ginger tea with copious honey.

3) Max amount of extra strength cough syrup.

4) Drinking weed tea. Not activated, as edibles typically are, but ground dried flower. It seems to work, as I felt a big difference an hour after it had taken effect. I wasn’t high (I didn’t want to be, and it’s not wise to smoke with a respiratory disease)

5) increased rest, and lots of water.

6) Taking an additional 5k IU Vitamin D every day and an additional 1-2 Turmeric-Ginger supplements.

I had two doctor’s appointments in December; both were canceled. First, my doctor was sick, then me four weeks later. After that, I was busy with work. Please don’t make my mistake and get the vaccine booster. If nothing else, when you catch Covid, it won’t be as bad or have the worse effects.

I’m recovered, but my body hasn’t caught up. My energy isn’t all back, but that’s to be expected two weeks from it. I pushed myself too much by returning to work and going full speed.

Song of the post: Down with the sickness by Disturbed.

I caught Covid.

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Picture of a Binax Now brand covid test, with a positive result.
What a positive covid test looks like

I’ve been really busy this month

Last weekend, I got the news nobody wants to hear… A coworker came into work positively and spread it. They didn’t know they had it. I was feeling off on the 15th but was well enough to go about my weekend. Monday, I woke up and felt like shit. As I’d done the entire pandemic, I stayed home because I was sick.

Tuesday morning I still felt like shit and took the at-home test shown above. Results: positive. Fuck.

So, I’ve been home this week. Fever, chills, muscle weakness and pain, runny nose, head fog, dizziness, fatigue, occasional confusion, coughing, and trouble breathing sometimes.

It sucks. Thank science for the vaccine.

This after the previous week, I was promoted to department lead. That week, we did well, and I was blown away by all the positive feedback… But that’s another post. (On the way, been on hold)

I’m waiting on the PCR test results I took yesterday. Driving to get that and treating myself to Taco Time wiped me out.

Thankfully, work immediately took action, and the owner immediately bought take-home tests for everyone, and they tested everyone. Also, they finally increased our safety requirements which have been a bit lax so far. It seems more tested positive recently, so I hope it’s not too bad. We require everyone to be fully vaccinated and have for months. This incident goes to show just how dangerous the coronavirus is.

I’m only not boosted because my previous two appointments were canceled due to illness. (My doctor, then me.) I couldn’t get a booster appointment because it’s been so in demand in Seattle. Welp, I’ll be getting it eight weeks after I recover. (8 weeks after because that is the best time for your immune system to recover.)

GET VACCINATED

https://www.vaccines.gov/

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

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Just like that… Life changes

Time to face the strange.

On Tuesday, I was finally able to schedule the shot. The shot the world has been waiting for. As we watched the world behind a mask. Wednesday, with little fuss I got the first dose of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine. The whole process took a total of 25 minutes once I arrived at Lumen field. In fact, it took longer to travel there than getting the vaccine.

Time may change me

13+ months following the rules for survival. Masking up every time I go outside… Passing people on sidewalks as I would a commercial truck passing a car like when driving. Glaring at assholes with their masks not on. People became hazardous objects. Practicing steady breathing each time I had to go grocery shopping. Holding my breath, pressing against aisles to maintain space. Anxiety spiking each time some selfish local dumbass not being courteous in closed spaces. Socializing existing on the internet only. The number of times I saw friends a family… I can count on one hand After the Pandemic.

The pandemic isn’t over yet. Like when Biden was sworn in on January 20th, I felt a huge weight lifted off me. One more shot to go, and I’ll be safe. Finally, an ending.

Just gonna have to be a different man

A new beginning. Today I got a new job! Full time work as a cannabis processor with a company that looks great to work for. I had a really good vibe in the interview Monday. I’ve been in shock today. My life is finally moving forward. My hard work the past year is paying off. A year ago I was at rock bottom. 15 months since my last full time job.

Therapy was amazing on Thursday. My therapist and me got to celebrate all these achievements. All the hard work paying off. All the hours last year on zoom working through my problems. Showing up every week ready to do the work. Choosing to be vulnerable, honest, and open to feedback.

Talking about everything made me cry. I wept tears of joy. I’m choosing to appreciate these wonderful feelings instead of the future. Its been a very long time that I’ve felt tears of joy because of a tough goal. A hard earned win. It’s been a tough year. Living through 2020 by itself is an amazing thing.

It is possible to change for the better.

Gratitude

I’m only here because I didn’t give up on therapy. I gave it another shot because I asked for help. My needs weren’t being fulfilled, and I couldn’t do it alone anymore. I’m here because I used the past year to work on myself full time. Daily therapy zoom groups, weekly therapy appointments with homework, reading relevant books, youtube videos about relationships and psychology, Mark manson articles, subreddits, Spotify meditation/mindfulness/positive affirmations tracks, and blogging. All thanks to being laid off from Willie’s Reserve. Thanks unemployment! Thanks WA Applecare! Thanks Mom! Thank you blog readers! Thank you friends!

No more covid Limbo

I can finally feel safe to visit people. The world will return to normal. All we have to do is persist a little bit longer. The end of the pandemic is on its way. All thanks to the covid-19 vaccines.

Thank you, science!

P.S. This isn’t to say I’m not anxious or free from doubts. It’s just nice to appreciate good things happening.

It hasn’t hit me that I actually have a full time job on Monday. With this I can get a new car. With this I can move out on my own. With both the vaccine and the job, I can live life again. I wonder what I’ll be like a year from today?