Was I Ever Wrong!

After 3 days I have a severe reaction from the 2nd dose of the vaccine!  I just had an online visit with a doctor in my medical group, and I have been given strict orders to stay off my feet, and a couple of other recommendations.

 I thought I was getting by so easy!  Now I have a severe rash on both arms, and Jeannie just went to get her blood pressure monitor because she couldn't find mine.  If I could only get up off this couch I could probably find it in a minute.

I'll try to post a quick note tomorrow to let y'all know if I'm still alive! 

 

Quick update

 I got my 2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine two days ago, and while the injection site is still a bit tender I really haven't had any problems.  I am so relieved and grateful to be this far along in the process, and don't think I'll have difficulties down the road.  I think it makes me more tired, but I will take it easy to begin with.

Jeannie went home this afternoon after being here with me for 2 days & nights.  I was happy to have her company, and we worked a couple of jigsaw puzzles over the time she was here.  Donald and the girls have been in an out as well, and Rocky is in heaven with all the younger people around.

Speaking of Rocky, I often feel so guilty that he has to put up with me as his owner.  I'm not very active, whereas he is approaching his 3rd birthday and probably in the prime of his life.  He deserves to have fun and be around people, and I can't meet his energy.

This was just meant to be an update on my experience with the covid vaccine.  Everyone will react differently but I just want you to know that I am so happy and relieved that I've gotten both doses, with little or no problems .  Even if I knew I would have a stronger reaction, such as chills & fever which one of my sons experienced, I would still get the vaccine.  And it is my nature to be suspicious of everything, so that makes me surprised that I've never had second thoughts or doubts about it.

After the storms

I finally spent some time in the back yard surveying the damage from the storm.  I've been picking up small branches that were blown around, but there are two larger and heavy branches that I can't seem to maneuver.  Maybe if I clean up the area around them I can get a good grip on at least one of them.  They fell into my garden plot.  The weeds have grown so high from the rain that I will have to use the weed eater to get them - I doubt a lawn mower could get through the tall stuff unless some of it is chopped off first.  I'm too old for this stuff!

I have to get Rocky ready for some sedation pills, as he is going to get his nails trimmed.  I am going to insist on them making another follow up appointment for about 3 wks for more trim.  They can only do a little at a time since his nails are totally black and they can't see the "quick".  I'm sick of being clawed to pieces but no one seems to care but me.

With a few weeks to go until the 1 yr anniversary of going into isolation, I'm hoping this next year will be different.  I used to be a fairly normal, cheerful woman, but with everything going on I have turned into a disgruntled old witch who is mostly imprisoned at home.  Thank the stars I get out to walk Rocky in the morning and can wave to those dog walkers on the other side of the street.  I usually don't meet that many people, although runners, kids on bikes, and the occasional walker go by.  But I need a little more than waving to an occasional person on a morning walk.  Also, with my worsening eyesight goes a bit more difficulty in walking and avoiding all the cracks and upheavals in the sidewalks.  Sometimes I feel a sense of doom and know I am going to suffer a severe injury if I fall again.

Let's see if I can end on a more cheerful note.  The day is sunny and beautiful.  A bit chilly and breezy, but a gorgeous day nonetheless.  And I am going to get Rocky's nails trimmed in an hour or so.  I gave him the sedation pills in peanut butter and hope he didn't find a place to hide the pill while eating the peanut butter!

 

Finally, a sunny day!

I should go out into my backyard and see if the grass has dried up a bit, so I can try to gather the tree limbs I lost last week in the windstorm.  I should, but I won't.  Maybe later.

I've just been trying to stay cool, calm, and collected but it is so hard most days.  First of all, my, bank account which I've had since about 1958, has changed drastically.  It is a credit union account and I've loved being with them all these years, but now they must have a newly hired developer who has taken them completely off the rails.  I don't have the patience for it, so I'm trying, with Jeannie's help, to get things in order and transfer my accounts over to a credit union that I belong to here in Sacramento.  I should have done it years ago but didn't foresee the way things would go.  For the record, I am of the opinion that a credit union and/or bank should be at least moderately conservative.  That is the one area of my life where I want conservatism - for the rest, I am open to most change and innovation.

When looking over the banking records for the past year I was totally shocked at how much money I've been spending.  Because I'm so housebound I have to order most things online, and it has really gotten out of hand.  I'm really sick of this pandemic and how it's changed my life, and I'm sure I'm not alone in my outlook.

We've had enough rain the past week that it looks like my back yard is full of green grass; in actuality, my back yard is full of green weeds!  I want to do a garden this year and should be starting my seeds indoors in February, but I'm not sure if I'm up to it.  I keep thinking this is a phase I'm going through which won't last long, but 80 must not be a phase but an actual slowing-down age!  Another thing holding me back is that I will need to get things like potting soil, fertilizer, etc. delivered.  I'm not sure that I want to spend all that money!  I guess I could plant the seeds in plastic cups like I did last year, and if I don't feel like replanting them in a couple of months then I can just toss them out.

About a week ago I had an opportunity to get the first covid vaccine (Pfizer).  I can't remember if I posted about this, but want to say that after a week I have had absolutely no aches, pains, or any discomfort at all.  I hope the 2nd shot goes as well.

For having done nothing for the past year I'm surprised I could find anything at all to write about.  I hope you are all staying safe and well.  Here's hoping to an end to the spread of this pandemic.  I know we are all sick of it!

 

What a week!

The cold winter rains have begun in Sacramento, and there isn't any reason for me to be out.  Fortunately I have a large back yard so Rocky has room to run, but he doesn't like the rain either.

We had some very high winds a couple of days ago and the top branches of a very tall tree are now in my garden!  They were the branches the birds loved to gather on, but I think they will still be able to gather at the current tree top and survey the world around them.  It's too rainy and soggy for me to go out and gather up all the fallen branches, so I'll just wait until the rain stops and the ground dries up a bit.  I don't know what I'll do with them once I gather them up and some of them are too large to be broken down by hand to fit in the green waste can.

I just lost an entire two paragraphs I wrote, so I think I will stop for a while and let my temper cool down!

 

I Did It!

 I got the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine!   After several hours my arm is not sore, but I won't be surprised if I have some discomfort tomorrow.  I went through a lot of internal dialogue about taking this step, but I'm glad I did.  I don't want to get the virus myself, nor do I want to get it and pass it on to anyone else.  I can't remember how many weeks away the 2nd dose is, but I will be notified by the medical practice.  Right now I am feeling great!

It seems like they are juggling to get people scheduled for the vaccine, and I understand that many don't get notified of their appointment for a while after requesting.  I think I got my acceptance and appointment within hours of requesting it, probably because of my magic age of 80!

I will keep you posted of any negative side effects I may feel in the next couple of days.  Of course, everyone has a different reaction to vaccines, but I hope my experience will help some of you decide what you want to do in this regard.

A Weight is Lifted!

I feel like I've lost weight since the inauguration. Of  course I haven't, but I just feel lighter.  And I catch myself smiling for no reason at all.  Now if we can just survive until a Covid vaccine is available to everyone.