So far so good...

I finally got my flu shot on Monday afternoon. My assigned time was between 3 and 7 PM, so I showed up at 3. I'd heard a lot about vaccine shortages and delayed deliveries, so I figured my chances were better if I showed up earlier rather than later. There was a line to show my invitation and ID, then another line to get a number. Then I was told to wait in a hallway with about a hundred other people. Some of these people didn't look so healthy. Most of the people were talking to each other, so the noise level was high. There was a "now serving" number display on the wall, but it wasn't working. A nurse stood in the doorway and called out numbers, but it was pretty much impossible to hear unless you were right next to her. I was torn between not wanting to miss my number and wanting to stay where the there weren't so many people.

When she did call my number, then I got to go into the room, take off my coat and sweater, and wait in line again. Another nurse mumbled something about right or left. Was she asking if i was right or left handed, or if I wanted the shot in the right or left arm? She asked again, and I still couldn't understand. I was having a bad tinnitus day, so this was really frustrating. I chose to say that I'd prefer the shot in the left arm. A quick jab and I was done. Despite all the waiting in line, the whole process took only half an hour.

I'd heard a lot about side effects from the shot. Most of the people I'd heard about felt bad within 12 hours, others more like 24. It has now gone 48 hours, and I'm still doing fine, so I guess I got lucky. About an hour after the shot, I got tired and a slight bit dizzy, but that only lasted a couple of hours. The first night my upper arm where I got the shot was a little tender, but it didn't affect my sleep. By last night my arm was more sore, and both shoulders were stiff. It was uncomfortable to sleep on my left side. So I'm glad I got the shot. I hope it works, and I don't get the flu.