I've blogged this sculpture before -- it stands on a housing estate in St. John's Wood, not far from the school where I work. I always like it at this time of year, when those drifts of daffodils are blooming around its base. You can see a close-up of it at that linked post, along with what little I know about it.
Yesterday morning, not long after I arrived at work, I got a call from my doctor's office. Sure enough, they had a cancellation for a coronavirus vaccine and wanted to know if I wanted the shot. YES! Thank goodness I got my name on that reserve list! Around 10:15 I left work (with my boss's blessing), walked to West Hampstead, got the shot, walked back to work, and walked home again in the afternoon. Of course I'd already walked to work in the morning, too, so I made the trip four times yesterday. I got my exercise in.
The shot itself was no big deal. As you can see, I got the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine. (And they misspelled my first name. It's with a second E, not an A.) Dave, when he got his shot several weeks ago, was given the Pfizer vaccine. "We're bivaxual!" I said.
Back at work my boss and co-workers told me about getting their shots and all the aches and pains they experienced afterward. I did have a vaguely uncomfortable night, but I couldn't point to a specific area of pain -- just a feeling of increased sensitivity or generalized achiness. It's very mild, and I don't have a fever or anything.
Coincidentally, one of my co-workers got sent home yesterday to self-isolate for ten days after one of our students turned up positive on a PCR test. She'd been working with this kid pretty closely and, needless to say, is not happy about it. Apparently the kid has no symptoms and everyone in his family is fine, so I wonder if it's just a false positive, but I think PCRs are supposed to be pretty reliable.
I was not exposed to that kid. It will take a few weeks for my own immunity to fully kick in, and as I told Dave, it would suck to get the vaccine and then get Covid right afterwards!
If all goes as planned I'll be invited for my second dose in 12 weeks -- right at the beginning of June, by my calculations, which is pretty much perfect timing for my trip to Florida in July.
I'm just relieved to finally have it done.
I think that the spelling "Stephan" is more sophisticated than boring old "Stephen" but this spelling would be even better - "Zteffan". In fact Zteffan/Reid could be the name of a new vaccine.
ReplyDeleteThat's my stage name! How did you know?!
Delete"We're bivaxual". That's funny. Which reminds me: Are you given a choice as to which vaccine (Astra/Pfizer) you'd prefer?
ReplyDeleteIt's ages since I met a "Stephan" (German pronunciation). Sh t ae fun. See, Steve, fun!
You mention getting Covid after just having received the vaccine. Reminds me of an acquaintance of mine (British of Asian extraction) in reverse. He is in his mid twenties. Caught Covid (his whole family did) a couple of months ago, was hospitalized, is fine now, back to work and has "jumped the queue" by being offered the vaccine this Sunday. As was explained to me, so much for the myth that once you have had Covid you are protected.
Florida, here Sh t ae fun comes!
U
No, I didn't get a choice. I just took what they offered, as did Dave.
DeleteI work with a guy named Stephan (with an A) but I never considered the pronunciation! I will greet him using the German version at the first opportunity.
The jab put me in bed with a temperature close to 101 (foreign readers should subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9). Still, rather that than the real thing.
ReplyDeleteYikes! That's a heck of a fever from a vaccine! Was that your first shot? Because I've heard the second can be even worse.
Delete"We're bivaxual!"
ReplyDeleteYou're kiling me with this!!
Good on you, though, for the shot.
It's a good word, right? Someone notify the OED!
DeleteBivaxual! Love it!
ReplyDeleteI had my second jab yesterday of the Pfizer vaccine. Once again my arm is very, very sore and after a night of crazy dreams I woke up feeling slightly jittery and "off". Kind of like when you're just starting to recover from the flu. Thank goodness it's mild. Gregg feels perfectly normal though and his arm doesn't even hurt!
I had crazy dreams too! I guess they're "fever dreams," i.e. illness-induced, but without the fever.
DeleteYou may have more of a reaction to the second dose. We did. We also got the Moderna.
ReplyDeleteI'm just so glad you got it!
I was surprised I felt this one at all. I normally don't react much to vaccines.
Delete12 weeks is very different from the 3 (Pfizer) or 4(Moderna) of others. And set aside the day after your second shot as a "lie on the couch and recover" day just in case.
ReplyDeleteBritain has decided to give everyone their second dose at 12 weeks. They're trying to extend the first dose to as many people as possible, to give a larger portion of the population at least SOME protection, before moving on to round two. If that makes sense.
DeleteBivaxual! Yes, you are and very funny too. Thank you for the first laugh of the morning here. Hope all goes well there. I had a little bit of chills and tired feeling after 24 hours, but it all went away. Take care there!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I feel better this morning, thank goodness!
DeleteTruly happy for you and glad the side effects have been minimal! I have never met a bivaxual before although I've heard it can be very satisfying, like being Lebanese.
ReplyDeleteOr a thespian!
DeleteI had the same feeling that it would really suck if I got covid soon after I had the shot.
ReplyDeleteRight?! There is that window when we're still vulnerable!
DeleteI felt such a relief after getting my first dose - like finally things will get better - deep breath out! Glad to hear you and Dave are on your way!
ReplyDeleteI do feel much better having it done. It seems like light at the end of the tunnel.
DeleteCongratulations! I hope the second shot goes well, too. I believe that bivaxual should be an official term.
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm not sure I've ever coined a word before.
DeleteGOOD! They say if you feel a bit punk for a day or two that the jab is doing its work. You are right, still have to be careful, probably for the rest of our lives.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's what I figure -- if I feel bad my immune system is doing its thing. I think eventually we will be careful the same way we are with flu -- keep our shots up to date, use good hygiene, maybe mask in certain situations, and that kind of thing.
DeleteCongrats on getting the first vaccine. Seems like you have a longer span of time between shots than I did with the Pfizer vaccine. I haven't changed what I am doing all that much but I do find that I have less anxiety around the people who don't seem to know how to wear a mask. I did get a much needed hair cut.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm writing this, there are two very noisy geese outside and below my window. I wonder if they are scouting out nesting sites.
The longer span of time isn't related to the brand of vaccine -- it's just Britain's approach to vaccinating people. As I said to Marty above, they're trying to give available doses to MORE people before administering the boosters, so they've decided on a longer timeline for that second shot.
DeleteBravo!
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo!
DeleteCongratulations on the jab! Jim has had both, I'm still waiting for the second, but with an appointment made. I am really looking forward to going somewhere, anywhere. We both wonder what it will feel like to be out among people again.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I can't wait to take a little trip somewhere and stay -- gasp -- in a HOTEL!
DeleteLol at bivaxual. Here they are warning against putting your name/date of birth out into the world. Identity thieves can do a lot of damage with that.
ReplyDeleteWell, fortunately my name is pretty common -- if you Google Steve or Stephen Reed, there are about a million of us. And my DOB isn't on the card, though anyone could do a search of my blog to figure it out!
DeleteCongratulations for getting your shot. I got both of mine, and so far I haven't had any after effects. Just lucky, I guess. It will be nice to see your mom after such a long time. Something nice for you to look forward to. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to it. I can't believe how long it's been -- a year and a half!
DeleteGlad you got the shot! I think the pace of everything us beginning to accelerate. More and more people I know are getting vaccinated. Be well, Steve.
ReplyDeleteYeah, same here. I know more and more people who have gotten it.
DeleteExcellent news!
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo!
DeleteBivaxual, haha.
ReplyDeleteSpread the word! Let's make it part of the language! LOL
DeleteWOOT! Congratulations! And I agree, bivaxual is word of the month!
ReplyDeleteChris from Boise
Ha!
DeleteYay for your first shot! I think the reactions to the vaccines are as individual as those to the virus itself. I believe(or want to!) that if we were to get Covid, it would be a milder case, even after 1 shot. I would prefer not to get sick, but my major fear has always been ending up in the hospital or otherwise seriously impacted by the effects. My boyfriend and I are also bivaxual--he got 2X Moderna while I've had the first Pfizer shot.
ReplyDeleteAnother bivaxual couple! I guess there are probably a lot of us. I think one shot DOES ideally protect against the most severe forms of the disease, though as the nurse told me, no vaccine is 100 percent effective. I think they're trying to prepare people for the need to continue to wear masks and take precautions, at least in the near future.
DeleteI haven't heard anything about the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine. 12 weeks between jabs? well, I'm glad you finally got the first.
ReplyDelete