Hit by a truck

Let’s start with the good news: I got the first of my two vaccine jabs yesterday afternoon. Something I thought I’d have to wait several more months for.

The process was painless and efficient and I was done in under ten minutes. Can’t say enough about the professionalism and organisation of the staff, not to mention their positivity.

By late last night, I had a sore left arm, at the injection site. Totally something I was expecting and why I selected my left arm for the vaccine. As my sister has been working as a research nurse finding a vaccine for COVID-19, I knew what to expect.

Fast forward a few hours and I was feeling decidedly flu-ish. A bit achey, a bit of a headache, some shivers – the usual routine. I spent the night tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable and continually waking myself up every time I rolled onto my left arm.

I woke up at 7am this morning feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck. It was all I could do to head to the kitchen to make a coffee. I’m now back in bed, feeling totally wrung out. I intend to stay here for the foreseeable – only vaguely relaxed about it as I know I’ll feel a lot better once 24 hours have elapsed.

(Before any anti-vax weirdos jump on this experience as ‘proof’ that it’s to be avoided, it’s a natural consequence of getting a vaccine. I’ve felt the same every time I got the annual flu vaccine.)

So while I had my choice of vaccination appointments, I chose a day when I wouldn’t have work afterwards, so I can just stay in bed and ride it out.

I’m overwhelmingly relieved and grateful to have received the vaccination – especially on a week when I was pretty much fed up with the current situation. Feeling very locked in and deprived of normality. This means that the plans for re-opening the world (the UK, at least) seem just a little more realistic once I’ve realised just how many tens of thousands of people are being vaccinated.

(Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash)