vaccines

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vaccines

Need a bit of reassurance. 

Had put it off asking for a vaccine for ages as I am not sociable, live in a small community with very low number of cases. There were loads of younger people who needed it much more. Then when I did ask in August the health center had run out. But this time when I rang thery said I could have a pfizer one on Friday.  My partner doesn't think it is a good idea and now my son is worried the vaccine will make me ill as he had a high temperature for days after the mmr.

What should I say to reassure him, as am scared myself now

I'm so sorry you're feeling anxious Di. When I had mine, I was just so happy that it would result in some protection from this horrible virus a week or so later. I had the Astra Zenica vaccine, and just felt a bit tired for the next few days - my sons both had the Pfizer and nether of them had any side effects. If you tell them you're anxious when you go, I'm sure they'll spend time talking you through it. Lots and lots of people are nervous, so they will be used to it. I'll think of you on Friday - hope it goes ok! xx

 

Thankyou :0) That is EXACTLY  what I wanted to hear!

I don't know what to say to my son - I have tried my hardest to persuade him it will be fine and him being worried is making me worse. They keep finding aweful stories online and thoughtfully telling me. Is because I swell up and bruise for really small things, am a terrible wimbly coward

 

When I had mine they were extremely stringent in asking about my medical history, and they were more than happy to answer any questions. I would just tell them both to stop talking about it -  bet Tina thinks you're doing the right thing! 

 

;0) She is so brave about injections - I open my coat and she hides her head under my arm. Thankyou SO MUCH  you have cheered me up already! 

 

I sympathise, Di. We always think 'What if I'm the one where it all goes wrong?' They were brilliant with me when I had it. They checked my various medications, gave me instructions about what to do if I felt poorly afterwards. I bruise very easily too, especially as I'm on blood thinners, and I did have a cracking headache for a day or two after, but all was well. It's understandable your son is concerned, and there will always be horror stories, but wherever we live, we're still vulnerable without the vaccine, and the possible long term effects of Covid are very nasty. I'm champing at the bit for my booster - only a couple of weeks now! Good luck for Friday, let us know how it goes!

Thankyou Airy, I remember reading your account ages ago, which was brilliant. There will be six of us, the receptionist said. I hope I don't embarass myself. They keep you there for half an hour afterwards to check you are ok, I guess. And it won't be a Hub like you had to go to :0) I will tell my son about you bruising easily but that not mattering, thankyou so much for taking the time to be so kind :0)

 

Di, if it helps, I had the Pfizer vaccine- first vaccination - no side effects at all apart from slightly tender jab site as with any vaccine, second vaccine - fine on the day, the next day I felt a little achy and tired so I pampered myself with a sofa day. It was all done super quickly too. And I felt so much better that I had some protection from the worst potential symptoms of Covid. I know there are plenty of people who talk about their side effects after the vaccination, but unfortunately people don't so readily announce having a positive experience so all we tend to hear are the people discussing the negative effects they've had and it tends to seem dominant when it isn't. For every hundred negative stories there will be 400 positive ones, just they're not as exciting to tell. I'm very sure that you will be fine and feel reassured afterwards. And in the event of feeling a bit rough the next day...have a day that you treat the same as if you had a bad cold. Let us know how you get on. Will send some positive wishes to you on Friday. :)

o

 

Was it really quick? That is so good to know! I am ashamed how useless I am, even if I don't move, I stop breathing, the dentist is always telling me to breathe :0) You are SO KIND,is really good to know you are ok with the Pfizer one, too. 

 

My son came in just as I was writing this, so I told him what you and Airy and Insert said, and it reassured him too. ABC to the rescue!!!

 

Hi, DH. I understand your apprehension. We all have that thing in the back of our heads telling us 'What if?' I'm 67 and have lung issues due to an old cigarette habit and I've had a couple of bouts of pneumonia in past years.  But I decided to have my two maderna shots. I felt a bit tired for a day or so and that was about it. My wife has had the Johnson and Johnson one shot thing and she got through it fine. The decision is certainly yours. I just felt I was risking more if I hadn't had the shot. Oddly enough since wearing a mask for the past year - in combination with the shots - last winiter was the first time in years I hadn't gotten sick. I'm wishing you all the best, dear Di. Trust me when I say it's not as scary as you may think. I'll be thinking about you. x

Rich

 

Thankyou SO MUCH  Rich :0) You are really kind, thankyou for taking the time to tell about it. I am feeling much happier since reading all these accounts. Now I just have to get there and try really hard not to keep pulling my arm away at the crucial moment. I am glad you have been free of pneumonia, that is a great bonus! 

Thankyou again, your kindness has helped so much

 

Hello Di! Hoping it all went well for you today, and that neither your arm nor head nor any other part of you is too achey! 

xx

Hi Airy :0) Thankyou for remembering! It is FINE!!!!

I am sorry I did not put this earlier, was worried I would jinx it, but it's been hours now?  I was cowardly in the health centre, but when the very patient lady did it, the injection was over when I was just expecting it to start hurting :0) It is a bit stiff now, but all that fuss I made, I can't believe it was so easy!!! Everybody else getting theirs were so kind and didn't look. I am hoping it might persuade my partner it is safe :0) 

Not sure I would have been brave enough to go ahead without you and Claudine and Rachel and Rich, am SO GRATEFUL.

 

I'm SO pleased to hear it went so smoothly Di! You've made my day! Thank you for coming back to tell how it went - I think we all had our fingers crossed yesterday.

The other thing about these mass vaccinations is that they give so many of them, they're incredibly good at doing it - fast and skillfull (no bruises). If you feel a bit tired today, just do what onemorething says, and give yourself the day off. Get Tina to look after everything today  laughxx

 

Thankyou , cannot tell you how grateful I am for all your kindness! It is so lovely to feel that there are people here who will give advice etc even not about writing, not what the forums are for! But is wonderful :0)

Tina says if she was in charge the radiator would be on RIGHT NOW

 

I was on the phone with Tony the other day Di - he hasn't been very well, but is on the mend now, and I know he'd be so pleased you had the jab because we were both trying to work out how soon we could have our booster doses!

You'd better do as Tina says! smiley

 

I am very glad to hear Tony Cook is well :0) I hope you both get your boosters soon. Everyone there  when I went was  on their boosters - I should think now it has been decided to do them, and with all the practice and systems in place, it must be before December? 

Radiator on now, Tina has stopped complaining about the staff

I still can't believe how little the injection hurt! I hope it is like that for you with the booster one

 

I think it's because they're all so well practised at injections! My booster will be mid November, and Tony just before. Very glad to hear you've done what Tina told you to!

 

Well done for getting the vaccine. The one thing I'd note about your original post is that you say you're from a small community with low case numbers - please be aware that this can very quickly become a small community with very high case numbers, so you're really helping your community by getting vaccinated and acting as a firebreak. 

 

Thankyou for your comment, Terence. You are right, I think that's why everyone was so worried about tourists coming in Summer, also our hospital has no facilities to treat very ill people. We have been really lucky so far, but lately far fewer people are doing the distancing/masks/staying at home if coughing thing

 

 

 

So glad it was ok, Di. x

 

It WAS, it was EXACTLY how you said it had been for you :0) WHAT A RELIEF :0) I am so grateful to you for going through it like that, it really really helped!

 

Really pleased to hear it went well. x

Thankyou :0) I doubt there is anyone as daft as me on ABC but if there is, I hope they might read this 

 

I've had both jabs. My girlfriend (wife) has had both jabs. Her son, who works with kids, hasn't. He's got Covid. I read these cases of people on their deathbed saying they'll take the jab- now. I always thnk of them as being Americans (sorry Rich). But my mate's not American and he does spout some shit reasons for not taking the jab. There's some useful information in my blog post on the power of the placebo, in Dr Reziger's rewiew on here. In sum, we can convince ourself or pretty much anything. Even if we're wrong, somehow we convince ourself we're right. I didn't thnk the jab would hurt. It didn't. I didn't believe there would be any side effects. There wasn't. But I'm sure if I thought there would be, there would be. 

 

Thankyou for your interesting comment Celticman.

My partner knows someone who  lost their job as an English teacher for refusing to wear a mask in school. They  don't believe in climate change. Like in your picture of two women, I am not sure when my point of view tipped, but that might have been part of it.

On one of the Chinese series we watched lately someone said something like "how you feel is the one thing that you control" only more elegant than I put it. I knew I had to get over being scared, but couldn't get there on my own. Taking everyone's posts in my mind, remembering how kind they had been, I focussed on that

 

 

If I may chime in here.....

Congrats D-H... and welcome to the vax club, so to speak..... I understand and sympathize with anyone and every ones concerns or hesitation(s) on this issue as people weigh and measure cause, affect, justification, etc. in getting Vax'd...

If I can introduce a view from a different angle, an alternative lens on the issue.

I write with the goal to inspire, motivate and enlighten, not taking sides, and perhaps there are bits and pieces herein that can be used that inspire others, by others to vax-up......

Presently, I have been recalled, moved back into Covid transport duty which crosses, at times, into the ER....

Let me explain that... The vast majority % of people, are anti-vax/unvaxed as cases rise, and there is not enough of us to handle the work load because of the spike, and/or  other colleagues that are just too burned out or cant face another surge ....(Career Professionals that have PTSD)= <FACT>

Words, as written herein from all of you are important, and I sincerely hope and pray they enlighten, soothe and motivate the hesitant and bring comfort and faith to the skeptical or fearful to get the jab........ Words are also a one dimensional important path to help others see the other dimensions as to the big picture.........

The view my lens:

I am out of tears... I cant cry anymore...but not out of prayers.. my prayers, my teams prayers are shorter and faster, at times vocal, out loud in every breath. Some of them are like this... "Come on"! one more time, come on take a breath, grab my hand, look at me, don't close your eyes, #0¨=x ="  & colorful metaphors and motivating expressions with patients.... Wether we take people out there homes because their in denial, transport them to another facility with open beds, and we hear all excuses,  "its a just a flu or cold", or we see the degradation of once happy souls now in a state of Long Covid, mild, medium, severe, and there are some that are clinically recovered but then months later have brain fog, kidney and liver issues, loose their taste and smell. (that's not uncommon).  And those suffocating on their last breath.... to the point that I and my colleagues have used our personal mobile phones to log in and connect to family members, voice & video-stream for their last goodbyes as they cry and call out for their loved ones. Beg for a vaccine that is to late to be given. They can see, feel, and have time to think, reflect, make peace or repent as their time expires. And some don't make peace..... Its a horrible way to go...... Some days/nights I feel like a zombie, living in a zone, game on, check, check double check the Paramedic bags, equipment, rally the team, lets go! with fist bumps and high fives, all rescue/ resuscitation options on the table, all in......And then, rewind and repeat day after day, night after night.

Thankfully, my wife is cool and rolls with it, she's like the coach, psycho and physio therapist ++ , but it has taken a toll on other healthcare workers and their families........ I have tears for my 1st responder /health care colleagues and their families. I cry with them, we cry to together. At times I feel guilty about that and yet I have no tears anymore for the unvax'd.... Yet I care and every day.

It's a mission, a duty, I pray, we pray for more wins than losses and come back stories..... Its is a life existing in a narrow matrix. I don't know how I lasted this long.... Little tiny happy moments that I once neglected are now big major events like winning a gold medal in the Olympics... if that makes sense....

Relating to the fear of vaccines.. I recall my days in the military when we got jabbed for everything and then some depending on where we were stationed or where we were going, forward deployed... I had a few reactions. My mates had a few reactions, some of those vax's were barely tested or modifications of known therapies.... Fast forward to the present day I can assure you, the technology is 00's of times better. Have faith, look at the results, it works. I see the people that developed these therapies, their long days, nights, lab results, failures, small and major victories, reams of data and a brutal stringent government approval process, that in-fact moves faster and is more accurate because of new technologies... They live with the weight, responsibility, blow back if anything goes wrong. Some of those product R&D people talk to us the front lines as to what we see, new small resuscitation or stabilization adaptations we developed on the fly and then some.

My Testimony:

What ever fear people live in from this vaccine. The list of violated rights some people conjure up and distribute. What ever conspiracy some people believe in or worship. My testimony is; no one wants to leave earth like this, suffocating or drowning on their last breath. No one......

There are no winners suffering the long term affects, long Covid. No one... Zero....

If there are souls here that feel compelled to debate this... please don't.. I'm not here to preach. I'm here to reflect from another point of view and once again congratulate D-H. (All good my man)*(hi-5)

For those of you that appreciate the 1st responders and healthcare workers. Please don't write back with "we appreciate your service".

This what I would you to do show appreciation for 1st responders and healthcare workers in your area. 

If you live next one, offer to do their laundry... its a huge gesture when working, locked into an over time cycle that never ends and maybe a day off that is needed for time to re-boot & recoup to get back in the game.

If you are getting some take away, and see staff in uniform, just tell the cashier its on me, spend the extra £20, don't get into a discussion of, can I offer you? xxx, and listen to the "oh you don't need to that" from healthcare staff...  just do it....

If you go to a care home, or visit someone in hospital and you buy flowers, buy two bouquets, walk bye and set one on the nurse station.....

Offer to do some ones shopping for them...(we hate to that in uniform out from a long shift)...

Yield to that parking place......

Let that ambulance pass or go first in 4 way stop first. You don't know if its their down time or someone is stabilized on oxygen in the back.....

Buy their kids some cool books....

Leave a gift certificate in the post box......

Lite a candle in a church.......

One day someone left a box of assorted herbal tea's in the back of an ambulance w/ a smiley, as we had the doors open, cleaning and prepping for the next run, we must of stepped away for a few minutes... I had tears... it made a difference, it makes a difference.......

You would do the same for returning soldiers of war.... It is a war, it is the front line.... despite the pauses in R# declines and rises... its not over... Trust me, the Pro's are in the game, and they'll be there for you, your loved ones, you're neighbors..... Its a professional public service... and Game On so to speak, for most of us....(all good).

My prayers are with you all....

Thank you for this platform...

I just got called in...

Kris (out)...........

 

 

 

Thankyou very much Kris, I have heard other medical people, the frustration, desperation to get their message across about vaccines, but have never read anything about this so passionate as your comment. You write of experiences more stressful and distressing than I can imagine. Thankyou again for sharing your insight, take care of yourself

 

Thank you DH for getting vax'd... You saved yourself and you saved someone else, others. That's difficult to see at first... but it will come into view, clarity, as time passes in the weeks & months ahead.

I really have respect that you dared to open up herein and share on a personal sometimes controversial issue..(and I totally understand the weighing, measuring and contemplating).. And thank's to others that chimed in here, everyone, I sincerely mean that.... it takes this kind of input, discussion, personal POV's.... 

As I re-read what I wrote... I wrote in haste, as I was watching the team app, loading up, with schedules and call-ins for personnel, vehicles in & out of service status, etc.... Hence the errors.....

I want to add in summery, send a message.... What I wrote... these are rescues of Love.... Love comes in many ways, its so powerful... It drives us.. some call it a passion. It bonds us. In this case it drives us to a point of exhaustion at times and powers us up for another round.... And helps us face fear and helps us keep our sanity... Your vax DH is an act of Love for yourself and others. Its difficult for some to see that... I understand..... I'm not trying to be esoteric, or project some kind of mystical, spiritual, voodoo, love mist with fairy dust..... Its the real.

I wrote a section in my book (project) about rescues of Love and tried touch or write in what I call "peering points" of the different kinds thereof..... (I'm gonna need some literary edit help on that someday;) Uffff....

Stand Tall DH.... Fear is good.. You asked the right questions, dared to express yourself here and you did the right thing.... Its gonna lead others by your example.... as we say in our short txt slang... (U n' da club)...

Peace & best wishes for the weekend...

Kris

 

 

Thankyou Chris, that's very kind :0) I hope you are getting a break this weekend and able to take things easy.

There would be lots of advice and support from this site if you want it, when you are ready with your book

 

DH.... that last phase you wrote:

"There would be lots of advice and support from this site if you want it, when you are ready with your book"....

My response...

This is a daring and sometimes difficult admission for me. "Sometimes, the rescuer needs to be rescued"....(ouch that hurts)....

Just to clarify that... Normally I have a more laid back, cruising, winter = time to follow-up on projects (like write) and get away with my wife, train-up the rookies, stuff like that..... In spring, summer, and early autumn, its really in every sense of the word(s) "game on, rock'n roll" work wise.. no time off, long days and evenings,lucky if I get 1 free day a week and I'm still on call....

Obviously with this new C-19 wave and the one to come.... That ain't gonna happen with a chill'n winter... 

Here's a snap shot of what I'm trying to sort out.....I don't have writers block, its crystal clear for me, its almost done, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... In the back ground I tired to approach this writing project, in a kind of; venture project management strategy and measure the risk & de-risk =2 market distribution, sales, etc... So.. to try and and get a grasp on that, I have some weird friends (respectfully) and alliances that live in the zone of data analytics and do math on probably the same level as Tom Brown herein ABC.. with the same mantra <For the love of God and the fear of Mathematics>.... We or they... ran some trials, in a series of test websites, blogs and other or alternative social media platforms, languages & non Latin based scripts +++ to get samples-projections.... The numbers and demographics=genre are pretty clear and encouraging, if not over whelming in some markets. I formed a budget around that to pay for editing services, (gotta pay to play in this biz) thought about forming some kind of LLP as a rev-share stream for a core edit/structure- development team + inc. (c)TM, (R) + set out some personal goals and estimated time lines.... (Note: before the critics move in here, this is math+coding-data analytics that most publishers don't use or are not aware of= way out of the box)... I don't claim to have all the answers or know more....

So, I did the best I could, that I know how with some research.... and I love to write, it's like therapy for me. :-)

And then we got F'n slammed with another round of Covid... (dam ain't that a bitcx%)!! It goes with out saying; I have allot of bar room, locker room, metaphors to express that frustration.....

And to top it off, I have some product and equipment manufactures in my line of work that verbally suggested & approved of mentioning their brands in the story and could or would contribute to that... (Has anyone ever heard of that before) ?

I don't know the literary/publishing business..... And obviously I'm not a tuned and graceful writer... But there's gravity in the aforementioned.....

In summary DH, I just need wrap my head around this... learn to ask/inquire for help, (Q1-2022), try and to figure out who to ask for that assistance, form an inside team.. and run with it= (go4it).... I'm also trying to figure out how not to sound like another struggling, over looked, soul with a story to tell, whining to get noticed... (so to speak).......<sorry if that offended anyone>... I come from a world where failure is an option, at least I tired the I know how, learn from it, reboot and try again.... All good there*

And I don't have any visions of being a noticed writer, fantasies of book signings, clinking wine glasses with the arts & literary crowd. (its not me)....  As matter a fact I would rather have someone else's name on it, with the "Lifeguard", sell the mystery and let the other person(s) Handel PR social media, publishers ++. Because I love what I do, I don't want to take my off the ball here. I have a dynamic young up and coming team of pro's = the next generation I'm leading, its my duty and loyalty to the team to lead them and hand off the baton someday.... Also I have to consider I address some very real & present controversial issues in the story line.. (If) the project does take off... my team, wife & I need their/our privacy i.e. needs to be fired walled so to speak....  

Sorry, that sounds like a rant....

I hope I don't get yellow card'd here....

Going back to the Covid focus on this commentary.... (drawing a circle around this)...

Covid, fear, frustration, cause & affect, vax'd & unvax'd, passion for writing, rescues of Love, living in the Grey zone of burn out ++.

   This is what I learned from you DH herein.....

I just need to man-up, face my fears on this issue and eloquently ask the question(s)....

(on this issue, asking for help is hard, it's not my world, rescues of others come more easy for people like me)

Inspire me you did... I just gotta clear my head... hopefully I don't get called in today..

Thank's again...(much appreciated)....

Kris

 

 

Last Words on this Point....

The former American President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) once gave a speech in which he said,

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

addressing patriotism and a citizens call to action....

Here's a snap shot of how that works on a community level....

On duty, colleague and I driving, slammed the brakes at a cross walk as I didn't see a senior woman, small in stature standing on the side in a grey /green long coat, almost camouflaged in the back drop of hedges, with a hand trolley full with the days shopping... Young adults, school age show up in those seconds, one of them stands in the road, hand up, stops the on coming traffic. The other two help the petite senior woman cross the road arm in arm and tow the hand trolley safely up on the sidewalk....... The senior woman drops her face mask in the gutter. One of the school students unzips her back pack and gives her several new ones in sealed packs......

I trust anyone here would do the same....

In the world I live in... Getting Vax'd covers all of the aforementioned....

(K)