First Dose of Pfizer on 09/17/21
North Carolina
36 yrs old
Q: What was your life like before you got the vaccine?
Before the vaccine I stayed on my toes constantly. Wife and mother of 2 little girls and primary provider for our household. My family was, is and has always been my reason for everything! I was also smart, I never gave myself credit for that, now I wish I would have. I work in healthcare, almost 3 years with care connect for up to 30 something pediatric practices, as well as the COVID help line and COVID vaccine scheduling. I spent 16 years prior to that in pharmacy, 10yrs of that in a compounding lab making medication. When I wasn't working, I was a writer, an artist, a short hand cook and baker, that loved to get my hands dirty making things grow in my gardens.
Q: Would you like to share your reasons for getting vaccinated?
I was mandated to get the vaccine. I wasn't given a choice. Get the vaccine or lose your job was the impression that I was given after the mandate hit.
Q: What was your reaction, symptoms, & timeline?
I got the 1st vaccine Friday September 17, 2021. My initial nurse was 100% against giving me the shot due to my medical history, she left the room in tears and sent her superior to administer. The RN spoke to me briefly and cried as well. She also spoke with the MD to confirm, he shrugged and told her to do it. The reaction started immediately. Searing pain up and down my arm, into my neck and penetrating my throat which almost seemed to sizzle. Along with the sizzling sensation came a horrible taste that I could only describe as bitter poison. I told the nurse, but she quickly dismissed my concern and reassured that I was fine, and everyone's reaction was different. I was ushered into a holding room, 5 minutes, my chest was getting tight, and throat felt thick. I waved for the RN, she kept walking. 10 minutes, my vision blurred, chest felt like it was caving in and the taste in my throat was making me feel sick. The RN entered the room with a couple also waiting. I politely told her that I was not well, she smiled and insisted that I was ok and probably just experiencing some anxiety. My time was not up but she asked me to come with her. I assumed that she was going to check my vitals, but she told me that I was good to go. I then insisted that I was not good and did not feel comfortable to drive. She told me then to wait in my vehicle until the feelings passed. I reluctantly made my way to my Jeep. I sat for more than 15 minutes feeling worse than before. I wanted to go home. I made it out of the parking lot, straight into the parking lot across the street. I sat for another 15 minutes. I decided to walk into a store to move around in hopes of feeling better. The aisles seemed to stretch on forever. My vision was distorted, head was pounding, chest tight and heart was racing. I felt weak and fevered. I left the store and slowly made my way home. I was running a fever and my body hurt all over along with all of the symptoms I started with. It had been 3 hours. This was not like any reaction I had ever heard of or experienced before. Over the following days my symptoms didn't improve, and new symptoms began. I developed discoloration in my hands and feet along with needle poke sensations in my hands and feet which often caused me to fall and to drop things. Bright lights or lights at all were like torture and sounds louder than normal range were piercing and painful. Working that Monday was difficult, the computer was killing my eyes and head and my hands were not working to type. I made my supervisor aware and scheduled a virtual visit with the MD at my usual practice for Tuesday. By day 7 I felt like I had been hit by a bus. I was completely drained, and my body hurt so badly. Day 14, I started feeling like I was getting sick. I could barely drag. Day 21, I was back at the doctor's office. At this point I had "brain fog", muscle weakness, needling and skin crawling sensations, mental and physical fatigue, all over pain (especially in the injection arm), headache and dizziness, skin rash/blisters, discolored hands and feet, profuse sweating, and vision changes with eye pain and burning. I continued to work through it all until finally I couldn't see the words at all on the computer screens. That was November 17. 2 Months to the day. It is February now. I have 4 different inflammatory diseases in my eyes and have to wear glasses which were never needed before, sensations of electric shock, needling and skin crawling, numbness and pain in my extremities, limited use of injection site arm, chest tightness, "brain fog", mild to severe tremors and "ticks", dizziness, headache and confusion. It has taken me more than 2 days to get this far into my story.
Q: What is your life like now, after getting the vaccine?
Since I got the vaccine, in a sense, I feel like my life as I knew it is over. I have lost hope of regaining the abilities and brain power that I once had. I have lost trust and faith in all that I was once so proud to be a part of and I have lost trust and faith in those who are supposed to treat and take care of me as a patient. I was denied workers comp. for taking too long to report, I still haven't gotten short term disability after waiting for 3 months for approval so far, I am literally about to lose everything that I have worked so hard for, and in the end, I still face losing my job because I cannot perform the duties that my job requires of me. My children don't see me the same, I have lost friends, my family doubts me. I am so tired.
Q: Share your experience with any medical care and any diagnoses you have received:
Day 4, The 1st appt. MD 1 stated that he had not seen or heard of anything like this but acknowledged that I was having an adverse reaction, reported to VAERS and put in a request to defer my 2nd vaccine pending further testing. MD 1 started a prednisone taper for 7 days but did not initiate a follow up for any testing. I called for a follow up- Day 21, MD 1 wouldn't approve a work in appt, saw PA new to the office- I could hear the PA speaking with MD 1, "What's going on with this?" YES, I don't know why they put her on my schedule. I don't know what to do with her! You already did a prednisone taper? Ugh, that's what I was going to do. I'll probably just refer her to someone." (Made me feel really good about the situation right off) She did a simple exam, tested my strength and made me take 3 steps, moved my arm all around and made me scream and put me to tears, even after I told her how badly it hurt during strength test. She never bothered to even look at the injection site though. They took blood. I went home. I was told several days later that my test showed slight elevation of inflammation, but she wasn't concerned. No concern when I am still showing inflammation after a prednisone taper?? She referred me to immunology. She did it wrong. The following week I got a call to schedule with Asthma and Allergy. PA didn't specify immunology and I was unaware. I was seen almost 4 weeks later for an allergy test for PEG and the provider fussed at me because I had not seen a list of other specialists. I told her that I had been waiting on the MD, so she sent a detailed letter of what to do and who I needed to see. I waited. 2 weeks passed and still no word from MD 1. I sent messages and called. Finally, I got a message acknowledging the letter from the allergist. I asked if he had sent referrals for the suggested specialists, I got no response. I reached out begging for a referral to an eye specialist, 8 days later, a NP that I have seen many times sent word of an emergency referral for my eyes and a referral to a neurologist. I saw the eye specialist that afternoon, I was told that I had extensive inflammation in my eyes and that I was now near sighted and needed glasses. When asked if this could be from the shot, he stated that he had not heard of it and that it was probably coincidence. My husband firmly asked again if it was possible and the specialist stated that yes, it was a possibility that the shot caused an autoimmune response. I was scheduled for a follow up in 1 month, but with a different provider. I saw a neurologist in the meantime. Neuro repeated many times that he had not seen any problems from the shot, performed a very simple exam and put in for an MRI of the brain. At the next eye appointment, the new specialist told me that to look at my eyes, it was like I had COVID eye. I told her that I had never had COVID, just the 1st shot. She told me that the muscles in my eyes were tight as well and would be interested to see what the MRI would show. I was fitted for glasses and told then that I would need to wear them all the time, and that they would not correct my vision completely. I was scheduled for a 6 week follow up with her. The MRI was completed, the Neurologist stated that there was nothing significant to report and to follow up with my PCP. I requested to see the neurologist and he refused. I saw the NP for the 1st time in person within the week, she immediately wanted a 2nd opinion. For the 1st time, out of everyone seen so far, she looked at the injection site. She was shocked to see where the injection was given. I found out then that not only had I had an adverse reaction, but that the COVID vaccine had been injected way too high on my shoulder. She was sending me to another Neurologist and wanted to make sure that I showed her my shoulder. Days later I was told that 2nd opinions were not given within the healthcare system and that further bloodwork did not provide answers. I was included on a conversation between the new neurologist and NP. My appointment request was denied, and the NP asked if I could be having a conversion reaction due to being made to get the vaccine by my employer, the neurologist said it was possible since she had never gotten anything about the vaccine with these things going on. I was immediately crushed. I felt betrayed. This was NOT in my head! I was ignored when I asked if they would at least please check my shoulder. My last received communication was that a referral was being sent to the Mayo Clinic. That was the end of January. I reached out to the allergist and asked to see the staffed immunologist at my follow up appointment in February. She canceled my appointment and told me to go to Kaiser P. I am alone. I am an employee and a patient, and I am alone.
Q: Was your reaction reported, and what was the response?
Reported to VAERS, no response.
Q: Is there anything that has helped, and have your symptoms improved?
Nothing helps completely. Prednisone was tried in the beginning but not effective. I was put on Diazepam and Gabapentin. Diazepam helps the tremors a little, but I can't function on them. Gabapentin just makes me bottom out so I avoid taking it if I can.
Q: Have you had Covid before? What was your experience if so?
I just had COVID for the 1st time since it all started. What little improvement I had with brain fog and fatigue is now lost. Back to walking in circles again and forgetting everything.
Q: What do you wish others knew?
I wish that others knew that we existed and I wish that providers would finally be informed about what’s really going on so they can start to at least try treatments instead of making us think we are crazy.
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