Hey Nerds,
Who’s fully vaccinated??? This nerd!
My second COVID-19 shot was administered last week at the Arlington Convention Center. No free baseball this time, but all in all it was a quick and (mostly) painless experience.
How it went down
Instead of receiving an email from Tarrant County, I received a communication from GMR SafeRestart informing me that my next appointment was four days out. Really appreciated the additional notice since my appointment was in the middle of the work day. I could move calendar appointments with ample notice to my coworkers.
The email advised you that at your scheduled time, arrive with the following:
- A form of ID
- The email they sent
- Your CDC Vaccination Card you received at your first appointment
Easy peasy stuff right there, as long as you don’t misplace your vaccination card. Pro tip: I put mine up on the fridge. Less likely to get stacked in a pile, accidentally thrown away, or spilled on.
I arrived to the parking lot of the Arlington Convention Center 5 minutes prior to my allotted time. Several police officers were checking to see if you were on the list and then provided a card that allowed you to get a shot. A very short drive later you were parked and had to walk the entire length of the convention center back to the front entrance. Not a problem if you are able-bodied, but a bit of a jaunt for those with mobility issues.
Empty stations as far as the eye could see
Once inside the convention center, I was directed to a reservist who assigned me to station 5. I estimate there were probably 15-20 stations. They definitely were not utilizing every station at that time and everyone was flying through their shot.
After confirming my information, and that I wanted my shot in my right arm, off I went to another reservist who deftly inoculated me and sent me on my way to the waiting area. From the time I pulled into the lot to the time I sat my behind in a chair to wait 15 minutes for observation, 10 minutes passed. Max. All in, the experience took less than 30 minutes. It took me longer to drive over there from Fort Worth!
You said mostly painless…
You’re right, I did.
Let’s talk post-shot side effects:
- Immediately after the shot, my arm started to hurt. Like a lot. Way more than the first shot did right after injection. But it wasn’t unbearable, just annoying.
- Day 1: I returned home and logged back on to work. I started to get a headache and my head felt foggy. By the end of the day, I just wanted to sit on the couch and do nothing.
- Day 2: My arm hurt so badly that any time I rolled in my sleep the pain woke me up. I was exhausted and it was probably a combination of poor sleep and the vaccine. No joke, I took a nap during lunch and after work. My arm hurt easily 10x more than it did the day after the first shot. But legit that was it. Tired and sore arm.
- Day 3: Absolutely no arm pain. It was like <POOF> you’re all good! I was still a little tired, but if we’re talking percentages I was back to like 95%.
And that’s it. One day of mildly inconvenient symptoms and I’m fully vaccinated!
Fun Fact: you need to wait two weeks for full protection after the second shot. I will continue to wear my masks, maintain social distancing, and try my best to make wise choices. Honestly, even after those two weeks I’ll continue these actions since I need my Nerd Partner 4 Life to also get fully vaccinated and there’s still a possibility a vaccinated individual could spread COVID-19 to those who are not vaccinated.
Wearing a mask is an action that is meant to protect others. Don’t be a maskhole, wear a mask.
Cheers,
Head Nerd