Earlier in 2021, when vaccines were beginning to be rolled out across the world and the European countries, our government announced a system which will be used in order to administer the vaccine in a timely and organised manner. Starting with extremely vulnerable, the front liners, nurses etc and working down the ranks until all will have received the 2 doses required.
It was a sensible system which everyone accepted and understood however after a couple of weeks it was obviously moving a lot slower then predicted and I imagined myself not receiving the first dose, let alone to full two doses required, before well into the latter end of the year and possibly on into the following year. Nothing much to do really though, and keep safe and stick to the safety recommendations in the meantime to avoid contracting this dastardly virus until then is all I could do.
However, new cases remained in the triple figures and the death count was slowly creeping upwards, until one week when the country recorded record new cases in a row along with the expected outcry from the people against the lax measures set in place. The outcry and the extremely worrying increase in numbers forced the government’s hands who through the PM announced a second lockdown.
There we go again – once again we are forced to close our doors despite having been extremely careful, having had all measures and more in place, despite our clear and thorough regimen of sanitation, despite our frequent clashes with those customers who were not taking the situation quite as seriously as needed. There we go again with forced leave and reduced hours and this time further uncertainty as to our employment/financial security. This time made more pronounced as the company was (still is to be honest) doing impossible cartwheels to keep us gainfully employed.
Move on a month or so and it became glaringly obvious that under the system at the time vaccinations were going to take too long and that would mean public health and economic uncertainty would be stretching on beyond the countries sparse resources (my personal reading of the situation).
Just over a week ago the Health Minister announced a new scheme to govern the vaccination system – one which required people to register through a tailor made portal their wish to receive the vaccine. The registration form advised that an SMS would be sent with details for the appointment – date, time and venue.
I registered as soon as I found the link and within 2 days received an sms announcing my appointment for the 1st dose of the Covid-19 Vaccine – 2 days later.
Within 4 days of registering I was to receive the 1st dose and a date was also set for my 2nd dose.
Much, much better than the previous system.
And so to the point of this post..
I received my first dose last Thursday morning. Very quick and efficient it was. After the jab I was told to move to a waiting area and sit there for 15 minutes just in case there was a reaction. I sat and started to read an article on my phone to pass the time. Apart from a slight feeling of discomfort in my right arm – where I had the jab – I was very much ok so after about 25 minutes (got carried away with reading you see) and nothing more then the discomfort mentioned I got up and followed the markings towards the exit! I admit I did kind of lose my way trying to get back to the ring road of the University but it was a nice clear day and a welcome little walk.
Having left the University grounds I drove towards a supermarket close to my home as I needed to stock up on some items and was home preparing lunch by about 1.00pm and the afternoon dragged along quite uneventfully. However towards the evening – about 6.30pm – I started to feel a chill come on. It was a slight chill, nothing really to think much over at the beginning but by 7.30pm-ish it was a full blown uncontrolled chill. I was wearing several layers, had a thick blanket around me, a hot water bottle and a heater close to me yet the chill would not be banished. My extremities – my hands and feet – were blocks of ice and my skin prickled all over with an unnatural chill which was almost painful. I did not have a sweat though. This chill stayed with me throughout the night getting deeper as the evening wore on into the early hours of night. At about 11.30pm a cough developed which became quite incessant but stayed dry. Throughout all this I kept remembering my worst ever fever I had suffered from many years ago. I do not recall what
my temperature was that time and I could not confirm my temperature this time – as sadly my thermometer was not working (battery issues) – but I do recall the feeling very well.
My temperature had risen so high that time that is tiny sips of water were hard to hold down, my fingers and toes disappeared and felt as if they had melted away. It was only thanks to the dedicated and constant care of my parents who stayed by my side throughout that fever – cooling my forehead, neck and arms with a wet cloth in order to keep the fever down – that it did not go any worse. Thanks to that experience I knew that, while my fever was rather high, I was still not in danger zone. Another important lesson was that I knew, no matter the discomfort, that I needed to keep myself hydrated so I had a large glass of water next to me throughout. Unfortunately this had a bit of an annoying side effect in that I needed to visit the toilet quite frequently thus losing the precious layer of warm air around me which I would have to build up again.
At about 6.30am of Friday morning the cough, while still there, began to get less urgent and the chill started to wear away. Instead a sweat began to take over and a massive and most splitting headache. I spent an hour or debating on whether to call in sick or not but the splitting headache and the sweats coupled with my staggering and unsteady walk convinced me that it would be total madness to try and work in such a condition.
Friday was another quite a in-the-doldrums day. The sweats and headache persisted for most of the day but I found the sweats easier to control then the shivers and chill of the previous day. Hydration was always a number one on my mind but, as my sister advised, I also needed to get some food inside me. My body needed the energy to continue its fight against the vaccine. Though I did not feel hunger, nor the urge to eat, I managed to prepare a light breakfast which to my delight did not cause any adverse stomach reaction. You see, I suffer from a form of IBS and spastic colon which fevers and such tend to exacerbate. So no reaction was good news and something to encourage me to look forward to a light lunch. The breakfast did little to actually improve my sort but the sleep – something which I had precious little of the night before – was extremely welcome. I did wake up at intervals and replied to some messages, took sips of water and made numerous trips to the loo – staggering and tottering though those trips were.
A wet cloth on my forehead also helped keep the sweats and headache at bay and by the evening I was actually feeling somewhat human again. However a weakness had overcome me that made and movement quite a chore so I did not move much except to refill my water, grab a light lunch and my very frequent visits to the loo (I should have asked for a loyalty card by now as my visits were becoming so frequent – but I took this as a good sign). As the evening wore on and a bit more food inside me I was actually starting to feel better.
Come Saturday morning and a good night’s sleep, a shower and a light but refreshing breakfast and the world started to look bright again. Looking out of the window onto the front balcony for the first time since Thursday afternoon I saw havoc. It seems that Friday was a day of strong and powerful winds which had blown my balcony furniture around, toppling both chairs and sending all the empty pots scattered around. I turned in worry towards my plants – babies but a month old – fearing they may have been damaged. Thankfully though, despite a few broken and withered leaves they seemed fine. I cleaned them up and gave them a good drink and prayed that they were fine. Saturday wore on, while feeling much better I was still rather weak so I soon tired and spent another day just lying around watching TV. I was lucky as there was the Formula 1 that weekend – with practice on Friday, Qualifying on Saturday and the actual race on Sunday (16th to the 18th April) – Italy it was this time at Imola in beautiful Emilia Romagna – so I had something to keep me occupied.
Sunday – woke up feeling much much better. Still weak and the occasional sweat but I could feel my strength returning so life was looking bright again. Throughout the weekend and from Thursday itself, when I had taken the first jab of the vaccine, I was re-assured that help was close at hand if needed thanks to my sister who kept a close check on me and was always ready to offer help! I live alone so that link with family is very important.
Moral support from my sister across the seas throughout the weekend was also very welcome especially the lovely song my dear niece sent me as way of encouragement. Thank you, that was lovely and really helped! 
Come Monday and I was back to work and back to strength. And also back to work. At least that was stage one of my vaccination against this virus done and dusted. Time now to prepare for the second and final, hopefully, jab which should have me fully vaccinated and protected (?) against the Covid-19 virus. In the meantime, new infections in the country are dropping as are the active cases tally. Unfortunately though the number of deaths – though slowing down – are still creeping upwards.
We are reaching the end of this pandemic I feel yet there are countries across the globe that are still in its grips and suffering badly.
So a prayer for these countries, a prayer for all who have suffered, a prayer for those who have lost loved ones to the virus and a final prayer to all those front line workers who have worked incessantly to help all in need.
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