It’s pretty common for me to have side effects from vaccines. I don’t know why I’m so reactive to them, but it’s something I’m used to and prepared for most of the time. I know that there is a good chance I will feel sick for a day or two after a flu shot, so I plan my flu shot around when I know I will be ok having a few days without too much to do. I don’t always have a reaction, but it happens enough that I’d rather be prepared for it than me be unprepared and have to push through.
When I got my first 2 Covid vaccines, I had some side effects. But compared to what some of my friends had, I felt like mine were pretty mild. I had a sore arm for a while, which was annoying but not that much of an issue. After my first shot, I ended up sleeping away most of the day. But that could have been due to my appointment being early in the morning or possibly coming down from an adrenaline high since I had been waiting for that vaccine to happen. After my second shot, I had a sore arm again and a bit of a headache. But I really didn’t have much more than that.
So when I was trying to time out my booster shot, I thought I did a good job picking a time where I would have a day to rest but I wasn’t planning on needing much more than that. The day I got it done was a day I didn’t have to work, so if I was tired after it I could rest the rest of the day. And the day I got my booster, I really felt fine. I had my usual issues with getting a shot, but I didn’t feel off or tired. Later that evening, I was a bit more tired, but I also know I wasn’t getting enough sleep so it could have been that too.
The next morning, I was feeling a bit off, but things didn’t seem to hit me until I was in the middle of my workout. It was like one moment I was just a bit off and the next moment I was so exhausted and my entire body was aching. I pushed through that workout and I figured I would feel ok soon. I tried to continue on with my day and either I ignored how I was feeling or I tried to pretend I was fine. I honestly don’t remember.
I do remember wanting to go to bed at 9pm that night and how I had chills. But I also knew the next day I’d be seeing my family, so I tried to stay positive. I think I must have had a fever when I went to bed because I woke up in the middle of the night and it felt like I had a fever break. But I never took my temperature so I will never know for sure. And I was feeling a bit better when I drove up to be with my family, but I wasn’t 100% myself. I was still feeling lethargic and I had a lot of body aches. But I hadn’t seen most of my family in almost 2 years, so I wanted to push through however I could.
I know I wasn’t as cheerful or social as I usually am, but my family understood when I explained I had just had my booster shot. It was unfortunate timing, but I couldn’t do anything about it at that time so I tried to not focus on it.
I spent the day after I was with my family resting a bit more, and I finally was feeling better by Monday. As I write this on Tuesday, my arm is still sore but that’s about it for side effects. And I know that might take a few more days to go away, but at least that is the most manageable of my side effects.
I guess I was just a bit too confident after how I felt after my first two shots. I really thought the booster would be just as easy. But I should have prepared the way I do for most shots and not assumed I’d be ok. But even with the side effects and how they affected my time with my family, I don’t regret getting the booster shot. I want to keep myself healthy and those around me healthy as well. And making sure I am fully vaccinated and getting boosters as needed is the best way for me to do it.
But now I will try to remember that I had this type of reaction if there is another booster in the future so I’m not as surprised as I was this time.
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