Dispatches From The Covid Frontlines

On Wednesday, April 7 I went to Red Rock Casino here in Las Vegas and got a free Johnson and Johnson Covid 19 vaccine.  It was nice of the casino to do that.  The process was orderly and organized.  My wife found out about it on Twitter and because my doctor at Mayo recommended I get the vaccine, I went.

Of course days after I got the shot a few people around the country were getting blood clots and they have stopped giving people the JnJ vaccine.  When I looked at the numbers, it was so small given the entire sample size I wasn’t worried.  Also, almost all of the people getting clots were women and I have identified as a male since the day I was born.  I guess I could be a “cis-lesbian-female” if I understand the new terminology correctly.  The Dead Sea Scrolls are easier to decipher but I digress.

I checked out of the hospital today.

On April 14, I started running high fevers up to 105. I could get them down with Tylenol, Advil, and cold baths.  Because of what happened to me in January, I take a drug that is an immune suppressant.  My genetics have kept my white blood cell count low all of my life but now it is exceptionally low.  We were sorting through some old papers from the 90s and my WBC count was low then.  My counts are so low they are in that “four standard deviations away from the mean range”-or outside the “normal distribution” for those that truly understand statistics.

I was poked and prodded in the hospital.  I was fed a constant stream of antibiotics.  I was tested for Covid 19 again and was negative.  My eighth victory against Covid.  They drew lots of blood and tested it.  So far, I have no other bacterial or viral infections percolating in my bloodstream.  I was CT Scanned and Lung X-Rayed, “Hey, your lungs look great!”.  I was Ultrasounded to check for clots.  No clots.

The only conclusion is that my body had a very adverse reaction to the vaccine.

I suspected as much on our drive to the hospital.  As uncomfortable as it was for me, I am glad the doctors took their time and used the Socratic method to reach a conclusion.  I am also grateful to the nurses that took care of me. They were great.

Plus, I didn’t bring my computer and forgot my glasses.  I watched TV for three days.  The good news is if you watch Turner Classic Movies, there is no sign of Covid.  I can’t tell you how much fun it is to get in and out of a hospital bed with an IV in your arm to go to the bathroom every twenty minutes as they pump you full of saline solution to keep you ultrahydrated.

Funny thing, as I chatted with staffers at the hospital, virtually all of them felt kind of sick after getting the vaccine.  Not just a fever but a debilitating ” I need to stay in bed and not go to work” sickness.  Everyone they knew didn’t just walk away unscathed.  We probably notice that less with all the work from home stuff going on.

I am pro-vaccine.  When flu shots come out I always get one.  I keep my vaccines up to date and get tetanus boosters when I am supposed to.  When I was in the hospital the past few days, my nurse asked me if I wanted a flu shot.  I laughed.  Not this time.  How about in October?

I am not blogging about this to blame anyone nor am I doing it to be accusatory.  However, instead of listening to the government or following peer pressure, take stock of yourself and your body.  Are you on any pharmaceuticals that might suppress your immune system in some way?  Have you had a positive Covid test and like 99.97% of people got better?  I’d wait to get the vaccine.

For those like me that already got the vaccine. Don’t virtue signal about it.  That only adds to the peer pressure on an already well over a hyperventilated politicized topic.  I maintain that Covid was politicized from Day 0; by both warring tribes.  Be happy you are taking care of yourself and grateful you were able to.

Especially now that the government moved the goalposts on the entire vaccine.  If you get vaccinated or you got sick and are now better, there is no need for a mask or any of the other unscientific policies like 6-foot social distancing that came with it.  Prior to the vaccine, you might be able to make a weak case for masks inside.

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