I received my second dose of the Moderna vaccine yesterday afternoon, 28 days after the first dose per Moderna's guidelines. Because of my age, I'm in the 1b group.
After the shot, the rest of the day was normal, and I went to bed around 10:00. I awoke shortly after 2:00, and couldn't get back to sleep for a couple hours. Initially, I didn't feel any anxiety, any reason for insomnia. Yet the more I counted my breath with no return to sleep, I began to uncover worries, recall items on my to do list, and plan odd projects — none conducive to returning to sleep. A side effect of the vaccine?
My temperature this morning was elevated but not feverish, less than a 1° rise. I felt tired and lethargic from having slept only 5½ hours, which I addressed with a couple cups of fully caffeinated coffee. The weather the past few days has been cold, worse because of the blustery winds, so I felt chilled working downstairs, which isn't heated. Were the chills this afternoon worse because of the vaccine?
Having registered for the vaccine through the CDC's VAMS website, I receive text messages asking me to check in, daily for the first week following a vaccination, then weekly. I noted my chills, tiredness, and slightly elevated temperature today, and I characterized the symptoms as being mild and not affecting my routine.
Since returning to Nashua from Austin and Auburn at the end of August, I've been pretty isolated, largely working from home, only making short weekly trips to a largely deserted grocery store, and working masked in the office a few times a month. As I haven't felt vulnerable, I don't yet feel great relief being vaccinated.
Yet I have realized I now have more protection when flying, renting a car, and staying in a hotel. The International Microwave Symposium (IMS) is scheduled for early June in Atlanta, and Mobile World Congress is planned to convene in Barcelona at the end of June. I'm confident I'll be going to Atlanta; traveling to Barcelona will depend on international health regulations, although being vaccinated makes it seem possible.
Lori will be eligible to register for her vaccination on March 23, and she'll have three vaccine possibilities — not that she will have a choice. Once vaccinated, she'll be able to see her folks, Grant, and Andrea; it's been over a year since she saw Grant (Christmas 2019) and two years since she saw her folks (Christmas 2018). Andrea is planning a visit here over Memorial Day, and we are planning to gather with Lori's brothers and sisters-in-law for a long weekend in September. Maybe we can add a visit with Lori's folks and Grant to the IMS in Atlanta.
It's been almost a year since the country first shut down, when the threat from COVID-19 became clear. The past year has been numbing, with almost 525,000 Americans "officially" dead from the pandemic. I expect we'll feel great relief and gratitude when we finally have the opportunity to gather with those we love without fearing we might trade the virus.
Addendum — My temperature was up to 99.4° before I went to bed last night (Friday), definitely feverish. I slept well, from 9:30 to 8:30 this morning (Saturday) and feel pretty good today. My temperature this morning was 98°, still above my average of 97.3°.
This blog was sent via email Friday night (March 5), yet the post on the web was dated March 6. I emailed Hey asking about the time zone used for posts and received a reply that their clock is currently UTC, not local time — 5 hours ahead of me. So when I wrote my second vaccine was "yesterday afternoon," it was actually Thursday afternoon.
After the shot, the rest of the day was normal, and I went to bed around 10:00. I awoke shortly after 2:00, and couldn't get back to sleep for a couple hours. Initially, I didn't feel any anxiety, any reason for insomnia. Yet the more I counted my breath with no return to sleep, I began to uncover worries, recall items on my to do list, and plan odd projects — none conducive to returning to sleep. A side effect of the vaccine?
My temperature this morning was elevated but not feverish, less than a 1° rise. I felt tired and lethargic from having slept only 5½ hours, which I addressed with a couple cups of fully caffeinated coffee. The weather the past few days has been cold, worse because of the blustery winds, so I felt chilled working downstairs, which isn't heated. Were the chills this afternoon worse because of the vaccine?
Having registered for the vaccine through the CDC's VAMS website, I receive text messages asking me to check in, daily for the first week following a vaccination, then weekly. I noted my chills, tiredness, and slightly elevated temperature today, and I characterized the symptoms as being mild and not affecting my routine.
Since returning to Nashua from Austin and Auburn at the end of August, I've been pretty isolated, largely working from home, only making short weekly trips to a largely deserted grocery store, and working masked in the office a few times a month. As I haven't felt vulnerable, I don't yet feel great relief being vaccinated.
Yet I have realized I now have more protection when flying, renting a car, and staying in a hotel. The International Microwave Symposium (IMS) is scheduled for early June in Atlanta, and Mobile World Congress is planned to convene in Barcelona at the end of June. I'm confident I'll be going to Atlanta; traveling to Barcelona will depend on international health regulations, although being vaccinated makes it seem possible.
Lori will be eligible to register for her vaccination on March 23, and she'll have three vaccine possibilities — not that she will have a choice. Once vaccinated, she'll be able to see her folks, Grant, and Andrea; it's been over a year since she saw Grant (Christmas 2019) and two years since she saw her folks (Christmas 2018). Andrea is planning a visit here over Memorial Day, and we are planning to gather with Lori's brothers and sisters-in-law for a long weekend in September. Maybe we can add a visit with Lori's folks and Grant to the IMS in Atlanta.
It's been almost a year since the country first shut down, when the threat from COVID-19 became clear. The past year has been numbing, with almost 525,000 Americans "officially" dead from the pandemic. I expect we'll feel great relief and gratitude when we finally have the opportunity to gather with those we love without fearing we might trade the virus.
Addendum — My temperature was up to 99.4° before I went to bed last night (Friday), definitely feverish. I slept well, from 9:30 to 8:30 this morning (Saturday) and feel pretty good today. My temperature this morning was 98°, still above my average of 97.3°.
This blog was sent via email Friday night (March 5), yet the post on the web was dated March 6. I emailed Hey asking about the time zone used for posts and received a reply that their clock is currently UTC, not local time — 5 hours ahead of me. So when I wrote my second vaccine was "yesterday afternoon," it was actually Thursday afternoon.