SoCS – My Covid Vaccine

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you every week by Linda Hill. Check out her blog for the rules and the contribution of other bloggers.

This week’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “above/below.” Use one, use both, use ’em however they inspire you. Bonus points if you use them both. Enjoy!

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Yesterday we drove into another county and received our first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. It did not help my anxiety when I popped onto Facebook 15 minutes before we left to see a story about a woman who died just an hour after receiving the vaccine. Damn you Facebook!

I am normally not too excitable, but I am not above feeling anxiety about things outside of my control. That article set me off. It was rainy and foggy which only served to feel rather dreary which did nothing to quell my anxiety. I knew I would get the shot regardless, but for crying out loud, the unfettered FB feed is not helpful.

We received our injection at a pharmacy in a town 40 miles from here. We applied for the vaccination online. There were forms to fill out carefully asking about allergies, etc. I spoke with other friends who told me about how carefully they were monitored after the injection, especially those who had allergies. My expectations were high.

Then reality set in.

Appointments were scheduled 15 minutes apart. When we arrived we had to go inside. We were early and expected people who had appointments before and after would be there. There was no one in line. We had ‘double masked’ for the occasion which remarkably prevented my glasses from fogging up!

The woman who checked us in was less than friendly, talking about how short staffed they were. I handed her the paperwork we were told we had to bring. “I don’t need that” Their system still had my address in Florida even though I have not lived there for 5 years and had just updated the system a week earlier. I had to sign a form saying why I was eligible to receive the vaccine. She handed me my vaccine card and paperwork explaining possible side effects of the vaccine.

After hubby got signed in, the pharmacist called him into a room to get his vaccine. Five minutes later it was my turn. He said nothing about my paperwork, my allergies, nothing. He only asked me which arm I wanted the shot in. I asked him about the possible reactions. He asked if I had ever had a bad reaction to any other vaccine. My concerns were dismissed rather abruptly. I decided on my right arm. The shot was simple and painless. After the shot he said I was done.  I said “Should I be waiting 15 minutes before I leave?” He responded by telling me I could wait in the chair for 10 or 15 minutes if I wanted to.

Sitting in the chair in the pharmacy lobby was not appealing to me. We walked around the store for 15 minutes, purchased some surgical masks, then decided to head home. This experience definitely fell below my standards!

As we neared the road where we lived, we could see a multitude of flashing blue lights on the interstate on the mountain above where we live. A sure sign of another accident on the steep grade. It is not unusual for 18-wheelers to exceed the speed limit coming down the grade.

When we got in and showered, I checked for any news about the accident. A tractor trailer had indeed jack-knifed, causing a multi-vehicle collision. Two vehicles slid into the tractor trailer. Another tractor-trailer could not stop to avoid the collision and broke through the guard rail and fell over the embankment below the highway. The road was closed for almost nine hours, with who knows how many people stuck in their cars waiting for the accident to be cleared. I always count my blessings when things like this happen.

We opted for some scrambled eggs for dinner. After a couple of hours, my anxiety had subsided. I am thankful we were able to get the vaccine. This morning we removed ourselves from the waiting list in our county so someone else will be able to move up in the line.

My arm is sore this morning. Nothing at all unbearable. So, even after the less than stellar experience at the pharmacy, I am thankful to have received the vaccine.