Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine yesterday, with full approval / encouragement from my rheumatologist, and without the slightest hesitation. Knowing that this is a first step toward normalcy / safety is overwhelming, really; it was an emotional moment, especially thinking of the friends who no longer even have the option. I am pretty sure I will celebrate on Feb 11 each year, going forward. Maybe a kind of hybrid: celebrating my own second chance, and remembering and honoring the lost souls.
It is probably futile to ask that the thread not devolve into an argument. I hope it doesn't. I'm simply checking in to say that my experience was a positive one.
It found it to be an emotional moment, as well. After month of wondering if this would ever happen, everybody I dealt with in the process handled their tasks efficiently, and were extremely caring. I was initially scheduled for yesterday, a day later than my wheel-chair bound partner, and when I asked if the registrar could confirm my appointment time, they went above and beyond and scheduled us both for the same time slot. The whole operation was very well organized. Impresssive.
How long do you wait for your 2nd vaccination? Ours is 3 weeks, and it'll be a drive-thru operation.
It sure highlights the concept of privilege. I've been getting our elderly rural neighbors scheduled on our computer when possible. (At least, the ones who don't think there's a microchip in the vaccine. sigh.) I am not sure what would happen to them otherwise. They've all been waiting, assuming that someone will just call them out of the blue and tell them it's their turn. (Most do not have a private doctor, or good insurance. I'm not sure who the 'someone' is they think will be calling.)
Anyway. Four weeks until the second shot. They confirmed the date and said they'd send the actual time via text / email. This makes sense. As they are hitting the rhythm, they're learning more about exactly how much time to schedule. Presumably second shots will go even faster, as there would be less explaining to do, and people would know exactly what line to stand in. Plus, we were given paperwork to fill out before our next shot, so there will be less standing around at the site.
We're also working around a lot of weather issues here. Some days, some locations close completely, or delay all the shots by two hours in the morning. I can see why they'd wait to work out an exact time schedule until closer to the date.
The four women involved at our site - they're also running the small drugstore's pharmacy at the same time - had not had a bathroom break for hours when we got there. Even though they very specifically ask you to remain in the parking lot until five minutes before your shot is scheduled, they were very happy to process my husband and me simultaneously, because that meant they were able to make a quick dash to the restroom. It makes sense; the recommendation to wait in your car helps ensure that people from different households are not in close proximity.
The actual shot was painless, on a scale of 1 being 'didn't notice' and 10 being 'tetanus shot', this was definitely a 1. We have both noticed tenderness at the injection site if we poke or bump our upper arm, and my husband felt vaguely tired for about 24 hours, but otherwise, nothing. We're aware the reaction to the second shot can be a little more intense and will plan ahead for light prepared meals and no obligations right after it.
Nobody's safe until we're all safe, and I'm well aware that we need to follow all of the protocols for the foreseeable future. But it's an almost overwhelming feeling to know that we've taken this small step forward at least.
Main problem here is lack of adequate supply which i am hoping changes in March or by April.
I still see fear and anti-vax sentiments on Facebook, but for the most part it seems ironic as originally it seemed the main problem was not enough people wanting it to help us reach 70% and now the demand is far outweighing supply in most of the nation from what i can see and I think that's a good thing because I believe supply WILL catch up.
For myself, I have to wait until March -- 90 days since I was dx with COVID. My primary said I could have it now, but CDC says to wait 90 days and that is what i plan to do since getting an appt. now is a challenge and I have been isolating anyhow. i do NOT go shopping at all. I buy everything I need online. I only go out to go to drs and limit that by not going to annual checkups such as derm and eye doc. When I do go out, I double mask.
I pray for the day this is all behind us and somehow cannot even imagine that day. Next summer?? Who knows as new mutations and strains are still appearing....
My sister managed to get my 91 year old mom a Moderna shot in her rehab hospital. She was a lawyer in Alberta Health Services and called in a lot of favours. Meanwhile my 90 year old MIL had the shot and now has COVID, no clue where she got it, her LTC is in lock down, every other person, staff and residents have tested negative. Maybe a false positive?
Meanwhile, I still can't get the shot, because our chief medical officer says no. I wasn't nervous when I was on Plaquenil, but I had to go off because of the side effects, especially the insomnia and stomach aches got so bad. I should phone my rheumatologist to get his opinion.
Did any of you who had had the vaccine go off your RA meds? I think that is the answer, but I don't think I could take the pain. Just going off Plaquenil has bumped me up on the pain scale a couple of notches.
My son coaches a junior hockey team. They have yet to play a game. All the other provinces and leagues are playing, from minor hockey to the NHL. Minor hockey never stopped here, and the kids are not getting sick but she won't let the Canucks play, nor the WHL or BCHL play. The only teams shut out of playing in Canada. And we have a lot less cases than other province.
I'm pretty fed up with this pandemic, all in all!
My 46 year old son is getting it this week in the North West Territories. For some reason, being up there is urgent, even though they've had 5 cases of COVID in the whole territory.
I'm getting a Maderna vaccine tomorrow. So a friend of mine who's a nervous nelly sent me some shit about the vaccines weren't test on sufficient number of people with autoimmune disease to tell for sure the results. !
Also, Rheumy wants me off Ronvoq for a week which kinda worries me more. I do NOT want to take pred. And going off my meds is often what ends it...
Am I the only one told to go off meds for a week?
Sore arm and fever started second day after shot...and the FLARE. had to resort to medrol. UGH! And I'll have to do it all over again next month. My biggest fear is that gong off Rinvoq for a week this month and next will end it's ability to work. That's happened to me before.
I'm tempted to go against dr's orders...yet afraid.
UPDATE: She said I don't have to go off it next time!
After waiting so long, they opened up 2 weeks later to everyone. My husband should get his vaccine appointment tomorrow.
There is a catch, Trudeau and friends have decided to hold off the second shot for 4 months, against Health Canada and the manufacturers'recommendations. Everyone is saying he wants everyone to have had one shot when he calls an election in June. He never had my vote and never will.