4/16/21: Lupron

I used to feel a sense of purpose going into the Cancer Center, like fighting cancer was my job. Now I feel sort of sad, like the persistent threat of recurrence is a burden I can't get away from. 

I expected to have my blood drawn today, to check my hormone numbers, but they didn't mention an order, and I didn't ask. I guess there's nothing urgent about it, I can ask at my next oncologist appointment.

The medical assistant who took my vitals was yet another person who was new to me, but the nurse who gave me my shot was my former chemo nurse. It's been months since I last saw her, and it felt a little weird, like we used to be so familiar and now we're not so much. I mean, it's not like we were friends, but certainly I used to talk to her about a lot of emotional things, and today it was just regular chitchat. 

Regarding my covid vaccine, my arm feels mostly better now, it's just a tiny bit sore if I touch the injection site. 

4/15/21: Day 4 of Moderna Vaccine 2nd Dose Side Effects

My right arm is still a bit sore around the injection site. It's still warm to the touch, and a new rash has appeared. It seems mild, just a blotchy redness. 

4/14/21: Day 3 of Moderna Vaccine 2nd Dose Side Effects

What a difference a day makes! I woke up this morning feeling a whole lot better. Almost all symptoms from yesterday are gone. My arm is still a bit sore, and the injection site feels warm to the touch, but at least I can use my arm normally again. 

I think it's interesting that my reaction to the second dose was a lot more severe than with the first dose, but it didn't last any longer. I feel about the same today as I did on day 3 after the first dose. 

4/13/21: Day 2 of Moderna Vaccine 2nd Dose Side Effects

Wow. I definitely feel worse than last time. After the first dose, the worst of it came on the night of the shot, and then the second day I felt gradual improvement. This time, I feel worse today than I did yesterday. 

I'm still super cold. I'm still super tired. My arm is still super sore, and I can't lift my arm above my head. Those are all the same side effects I had with the first dose. 

Additionally, though, I actually feel weak, especially in my legs. Plus, some muscles in my neck, back, and legs feel achy. In the early afternoon, I had a bit of a headache. I took my temperature and had a fever of 102 F! So I went back to bed. 

After a couple hours sleeping, the fever didn't go down. I felt awful. I took two Tylenol, and it's kicking in now, I feel a lot more comfortable. I'm hoping a good night's sleep is all I need now. 

4/12/21: I Got My 2nd Dose of the Moderna Vaccine

I got the exact same nurse as last time! I wasn't sure at first - it was hard to tell behind the mask - but then she confirmed she was the person who gave me my first dose when she recognized her own handwriting on my vaccination card. This location runs a relatively big operation with about a dozen stations, so it felt like a remarkable coincidence. 

She started to prep my left arm for the shot, then asked if I had recently scratched myself in that area? I took a look and saw a small red streak just where the shot would go. I said I have no idea how that happened! She said it looks like I scratched myself with my opposite hand, like maybe a fingernail took off a bit of skin, but it did look kind of "rashy", with a few tiny red dots. She said it would be fine to give the shot in my left arm, but she didn't want me to later think the existing streak was a rash in reaction to the vaccine. I decided to get the shot in my right arm then, so it's easier to identify a new rash if I do get one. She said some people actually think the soreness goes away sooner when the injection is given in the dominant arm, because using the arm and keeping it in motion seems to help. Who knows. I figure it's just a couple days, I'll be okay. 

So far, the side effects are about the same as last time: I feel very tired and cold, and my arm is sore. I fell asleep super early, but then had trouble sleeping because my arm hurt so much.