Day Two of the flu shot. And, yes, I am going to be doing areport on it, much as I did with the Covid booster. I’m very tired. My arm is sore, but not bad. And not a welt. I can’t stop holding my breath yet because it was the night of day two for the Covid booster when it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Last night, I was pretty tired and went to bed early. I woke up really tired. I did manage to do my whole Taiji/Bagua routine, but it was a struggle. And I just want to take a nap. Which would be ok except I had a solid eight hours last night.
It’s been a while since I had a flu shot. The reason why is because of how I react to these shots. And the fact that I never had the flu. I mentioned this in yesterday’s post.
I get why I need to get the shots, at least from a theoretical point of view. It’s like insurance. Except in this case, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be the right shot. That’s the reason I stopped getting the flu shot, by the way. It made me feel so shitty and then I never got the flu.
Yes, I know that’s the best outcome. I’m not disputing that not getting the flu is a good thing. It just seems like a waste plus it’s hard on my body–and to make matters worse, it’s not as if the vax prevents you from getting the flu (or Covid).
This was what I didn’t understand for years. I thought if you got the flu shot, you would be innoculated against getting the flu. No, it’s if you get one of the six strains that the shot was prepared for that year, you would suffer the effects much less (presumably). Same with the Covid vaccination. It mitigates the effects if you get one of the strains that it’s innoculating you for.
I feel really bad for my Taiji teacher because she was trying to get her booster, but could not get in. I can empathize because I was planning for my own booster shot. I could not get into my pharmacy until the first week of December. I wanted to get it a week before Thanksgiving. Cubs had a spot open in a few days from when I was planning it, but for the Moderna rather than the Pfizer.
I was going to get the booster on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Then, the flu shot the Tuesady after. Then, my brother’s Thanksgiving feast Friday night. That WAS the plan, which failed miserably.
I think that’s one thing I’ve taken away from the experience. It’s ever-changing. I can’t rely on what happened the time before because it’s ever-changing–like the virus itself.
It’s five o’clock, and I suddenly feel like shit. I had been having light sweating when I did my Taiji/Bagua routine. Now, I’m alternating hot and cold. Not chills and fever currently, but I don’t think I’m far off.
I am planning to meet my nibling next Wednesday for dinner. I was hoping to see them at Thanksgiving, but, of course, that didn’t happen.
My brother’s family (including my nibling) is going to Taiwan for Christmas. I am not going. Even if I could travel, I wouldn’t. I learned a long time ago that traveling with/near my parents was detrimental to my mental health.
Everything taht was wrong with our family came out in full effect when we were traveling together. my mother’s neuroses and my father’s narcissism. I hope my brother and his family have a good time on the trip, though. It won’t be very long that they’ll be able to go and have a place to stay.
I’m exhausted. gonna stop here. the countdown for the reaction to the flu shot begins.