Mastodawn

Augie Ray Jan 20, 2023

“You haven't had #COVID19? You're lucky!”

My “luck”:
Two concerts, two movies in theaters & one conference in three years (all masked).
I haven't eaten in a reasonably crowded restaurant in three months.
I've worn a mask 100% of the time in airports, planes, transit & retail.
I've eaten outside on 50F/10C evenings to avoid inside dining.
I got every jab as soon as possible.
I've monitored COVID conditions and adjusted behaviors to match.
I canceled 2 vacations due to COVID surges.
“LUCK!”

caragraph Jan 20, 2023

@augieray in re: your checklist

No concerts, movies, theater, restaurant dining, or public outing for three years

I order my groceries online and pick up from an outdoor location, while remaining in my truck

Doctor appointments only exception, and these are video conference when feasible

I'm behind on jabs, I need the bivalent booster, but haven't been able to work out how to manage it.

My across the creek and down the road neighbor, who occasionally does work for me, called last night. He and his wife both tested positive and are symptomatic.

I'm terrified I've been exposed.

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@caragraph @augieray Are you having issues about finding the bivalent booster?

caragraph Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky @augieray no, I get medical care through the VA, but I'm an hour away from the hospital.

When I got the second vaccine, I had a bad reaction and ended up in the ER for half the day. I had a caregiver then so it worked out, but I don't have one now.

I can't quite figure out how to get from here, where I thought I was safely cocooned, to there-- and safely back

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@caragraph @augieray Oh man, that's terrible. Did you have an allergic reaction or just a strong immune reaction?

@OldAndCranky @augieray probably safe to say the latter. I'm not a candidate for the flu vaccine because I always get ill from it.

I really thought my half hermit lifestyle would keep me safe!

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@caragraph @augieray I never had a reaction to the flu shot until I started getting the super duper old peoples' flu shot. Yiikes! I reacted to all five covid shots, but it was just being achy and tired for a few hours.

Augie Ray Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky @caragraph It may be little comfort to you, Caragraph, given the severity of the reaction, but I did see a study a month or two ago that suggested the stronger one reacts to the vaccine, the better the protection. (I can't find that now, however.)

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@augieray @caragraph I do believe that is the rule of thumb. I actually worry because my spouse has virtually no reaction to vaccines ( except the shingles one, which I'm actually *scared* of- and I am generally medically fearless- I mean if he was uncomfortable I'll be a mess!).

caragraph Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky @augieray no, that is comforting, and thank you for reminding me! I had read that but of course forgotten. I think that was almost three years ago?

But it also makes me wonder if I should have been getting the flu shot all along

caragraph Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky @augieray I had chicken pox as a child so I think I have that immunity? I need to read more!

acm Jan 20, 2023

@caragraph No, they still recommend the shingles vaccine once you're in your 50s or so. Because the virus lives in your neurons and can come back into play.

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@acm_redfox @caragraph exactly. Having had chicken pox is why you need the shingles vaccination. Funny thing, when my older daughter was 2 my husband had a shingles outbreak (it was during a stressful time) and my daughter caught chicken pox from him! Those were in the days before the chicken pox vaccine.

acm Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky Ugh, when I was shopping for a wedding dress, I apparently had an outbreak I didn't recognize and infected my only never-had-chickenpox friend (and who knows what other brides). At least she knew and insisted on retrovirals at first pok!

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@acm_redfox Oh dear! I am wondering how she managed to avoid chicken pox up till then! I remember having a hell of a case when I was a kid-both my kids had it (both before the vaccine was available) all ten of my nieces and nephews etc.

acm Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky Yeah, I don't know. When I was in kindergarten, a mom knowingly sent her kid to school with chickenpox so we'd all get it and be done. (Other parents were glad!) Guess she had more boring neighbors?

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@acm_redfox I remember Chicken pox parties... Seriously. People who had a kid with cp would invite others who hadn't gotten it yet so that everyone would get it over with. I'm not certain if that's urban legend, but I think it's not.

acm Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky For surel it's just an itchy pesk at 5, and gets much more serious by adulthood, so in the absence of a vaccine, that was a reasonable solution.

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@acm_redfox One of my nieces had a really bad case- (I became an aunt at a very young age so this was like 50 years ago), and ended up in the hospital with a secondary infection! Its the story I liked to tell anti vaxxers (before Covid- now I've got a few stories). She has scarring from it.

RDS (shawphd on Twitter)Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky @acm_redfox Pox parties absolutely were a thing when I was a kid. I’m grateful my own kid can get a vaccine instead and avoid that misery.

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@shawrd773 @acm_redfox yeah. my poor niece ended up in the hospital with it many many years ago.

Augie Ray Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky @caragraph FWIW, I've had practically no reaction to any of the vaxes, myself. Still haven't got COVID (to my knowledge.)

caragraph Jan 20, 2023

@augieray @OldAndCranky and I hope you never do! I'm particularly distressed that my neighbors are ill.

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@caragraph @augieray yeah, that's a bit scary! I know so many folks that were exposed and never caught it (including my niece's husband and they never distanced ( she didn't know she had it at first- first wave). Let's hope you're one of those lucky folks.

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@augieray @caragraph same for a lot of folks I know.

caragraph Jan 20, 2023

@OldAndCranky @augieray I got woozy and disoriented, and was sitting completely still in a wheelchair! Lol, my caregiver was getting information from the front desk, turned and looked at me, and said, 'are you okay?' I don't know what I looked like that prompted the concern, but he got directions to the ER and wheeled me off.

I'm woozy and disoriented normally: an aspiscious ADHD respitorially challenged, so I'm always always careful.

I had a sinus augmentation done just before Thanksgiving and am still recovering from that.

Life is challenging

OldAndCranky Jan 20, 2023

@caragraph @augieray It sure is!