Day 316?

 I promised I would post again after receiving the second dose of my vaccine.  On the morning of January 23rd I went to the large stadium that was set up as a vaccine site.  It wasn't busy at all, but it was a Saturday.  As with the first shot, I felt nothing, no needle, no burning - which is odd for a shot.  I went to the observation area where chairs were placed apart to wait for 15 minutes.  I felt like I had some flushing, and sat for 30ish minutes instead of 15.  Then I left, went through McDonald's drive thru to get a Diet Coke (i must break this habit).  Drove 25 minutes home and sat down.   I didn't feel much like eating lunch, and felt a bit tired.  Didn't do much that day at all.  The next day, I woke up with a mild headache and felt really tired.  Off and on, I felt feverish, I took my temperature and it was mildly elevated - 99.9 ish.  My arm hurt a LOT.  I took a nap, but I also did some housework and laundry.  The next day my arm was less sore, but I was still tired.  I was tired until Wednesday.

It was all very manageable and less severe than the first injection, which is the opposite of what I've been hearing and reading.  I"m day 10 from completion of the series and hopefully building immunity.  I really hope it is effective against the new variants.  We have some circulating in the county i work in, and the University.  

Day 302

 I feel a little bit like the guy in The Martian that counted down days.  It's been 302 days since my regular life was directly affected/changed/altered by the pandemic.   I'm still able to keep my part time job, it is both tiring while trying to work as well as rewarding, since it allows me to use my mind and be productive.  Most days, I'm able to work from home, but  I've been going into campus to help with a research study and meet with patients.   In December, I filled out a survey indicating if I would take the Coronavirus vaccine if offered.  My health system did not make it mandatory, but of course I answered "yes".  

On January 2nd, I received my first dose from Pfizer.  The shot was very easy compared to other IM shots I've received.  I hung out for 20 minutes after my shot and used this time to enroll in the CDC side effect tracker via my phone.  After I received it, I went to my office that I hadn't been in since March 13th and grabbed some items from my desk.   I headed home and approximately 2.5 hours later I started to feel shaky and strange.  First I had some chills, which I put on a second sweatshirt and three blankets.  Then one episode of diarrhea.  My family was playing board games which was a good distraction, but my husband encouraged me to lie down (WOW!  I never get naps!).   At one point I felt feverish, but it passed.  My arm would occasionally have stabs of pain and started to get angry.  I did more sitting around than when I have in ages.  I definitely felt I was coming down with something.  By 10:30 that night I felt much, much better.  The next day I had a moderate fatigue along with the next few days and arm pain.  On the fourth day the pain/muscle spasms moved into my shoulder which necessitated Tylenol, with relief. 

Today is Day 9 and I still have a little fatigue - mild, and tightness in the arm muscle.  It's all totally manageable and I feel incredibly fortunate to get the vaccine and obviously, have an immune response.  My second dose is scheduled for January 23rd.

Day 81 - (posted Day 97) - 20th Anniversary

We celebrated our 20th Anniversary on June 3rd, 2020.  We actually celebrated on Friday June 5th.    I picked up takeout from Miss Kim in Ann Arbor and we had drinks and time together. Our lives were so different in 2000.  We lived in three different places, 1st an apartment, another apartment, then moved to the UK and we both were in grad school.  

Now we live back in Michigan and two children and lots of love  have joined our family.  

We had a big trip planned this July when the kids were at summer camp.  We were going to visit South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and take a MeKong River cruise.    Summer Camp was cancelled and maybe we would be safer in Vietnam than here to be honest?

When things clear, we hope to take our trip (probably 2022 or longer).  While it is disappointing, I am concentrating on counting all of our good fortune during these terrible times.  

Day 66 - Birthday

Benjamin turned 8 years old on Day 61 - May 14th!

*He has boundless energy lately.  We have been trying to walk 2-4 miles a day, play in yard, do some online karate and P takes him for a bike ride too.  We walk in the rain too.  He will pace the house if he has extra energy.

*He loves Roblox and Annoying Orange.  He talks about them incessantly and has a running commentary during play.  While I'm typing this he is talking about Roblox again.

*His favorite food is pasta with butter and salt and graham cracker sandwiches with peanut butter in the middle  He doesn't have a diverse amount of food choices, recently he decided he liked a certain new kind of pasta.  So I'll take it.  He will eat cucumbers, apples, red grapes, strawberries.  So I have to get creative.

*He had a big obsession with the presidents earlier this year.  He read many books about the presidents and knows so many facts about them.  It's starting to calm down a little in favor of Roblox.

*With school being closed down, he has maybe suffered the most out of us.  He misses recess and special classes, going out to lunch, playgrounds, karate dojo,  and riding the bus.  It breaks my heart.  I try to keep him on a schedule.  He has been so helpful with chores when I am overwhelmed with working, loss of housekeeper, teaching, etc. 

*Sometimes he comes up and hugs me so hard.  It's the best.

*There is a lot of crying and frustration some days with schooling.  We are working on embracing challenges.  That's it is fun to figure out things that you don't know.

* Recently he will put himself to bed and wants to take showers instead of baths.  He is growing up and being independent.

Day 48

I have so many expanded and current roles during this pandemic.  I usually am:

mother

wife

employee

friend

daughter

sister

Now in ADDITION I am:

 2nd grade teacher

coach

counselor

chef

friend

supply procurer (challenging job in these times)

news article reader

playmate

phys ed teacher

art teacher

encouragement chairwoman

scheduler

cleaner

cook

server

laundress

housekeeper (I used to have one before the pandemic, when she comes back- raise time)

obsessive cleaner

entertainer

electronics police

worrier

common

complaints department

exhausted

Day 34

Here we are.  It's Day 34 of this pandemic/quarantine/flatten the curve/stay at home/twilight zone.  I'm thrilled to report that we are all well.  Except for some flare of my migraines, a case of some sort of thumb issue, and some moderate allergies for B.   The kids are working hard on school.  This week finally we have some assignments posted (marked optional - not for my kids they aren't).   I had ordered some workbooks and especially B and I had been working our way through them.  He really flourishes with some one on one attention during school.  The days go by relatively quickly with a schedule.  Except the days that I work from home, those can get rough in the afternoons.  On nice days, I try to have more outside time.  I'm tempted to take them to a hiking trail, but going out makes me very anxious and I can't trust other people to maintain social distance.  Especially on a warm-ish sunny day, these places are full of people. 

We've done a great deal of outdoor walking as a family.  Usually go late afternoon.  On a nice evening, again, you are dodging people.  I've gotten in a few walks alone.  Since this started I've walked 61 miles (about 50 with everyone) and did some basement workouts.  P has been working out like crazy and he is getting so buff.  We would love to bike as a family, but again on a nice day, you're dodging people. 

We are hanging in there.  I hope everyone is well. 

Day 24

It's Day 24 since we curtailed our outside activities and basically stayed home.  I've been out once to a  smaller local grocery store on Day 7 - I went at 7:10 am and people were NOT social distancing and being careful, and they were out of Diet Coke and basically most of the meat.  On Day 15 (?) I went to a CVS, I had gotten my prescription filled for three months at a time, and CVS Caremark sent it to a Pharmacy with no Drive-Thru.  I was there at 8:00 am in gloves and mask.  I grabbed Diet Coke, snacks, and some Z-quill for Paul.  After both times, I left the non-perishables in the car for days, and washed and wiped all the perishables I could.   I then took a shower and washed my hair immediately.   Several times I've had to go through the Pharmacy Drive Thru.  I wear gloves, remove them carefully (Health care background) and then sanitize with my precious sanitizer bottle I have left.

By weekends I am exhausted and need takeout.  We are also trying to help our local businesses, some just tiny ethnic restaurants.  Unfortunately, more of them are closed by every weekend.  I'll call the order in, pay over the phone with a tip, and then ask them to bring it out to my car when I arrive.  The trunk is popped and I can remotely close it.  When I get home, I have newspaper on the counter, we deposit the goods there.  I transfer them into new bowls, throw away the packaging, wash hands.

Why I am the person to go out?  1.  I have worn masks and gloves in my previous healthcare roles, so I am more comfortable than P.  2.  I am a bit crazy about germs, bordering on OCD.  I wish I was kidding, but it is probably good to be paranoid right now.  3.  In normal times, I do most of the shopping so I know what the kids will consume and where things are.  4.  P is a "face toucher".  Not a good thing to be right now.

What a strange time this is.