I got the first round of the vaccine three weeks ago, and then I was scheduled for my second round yesterday.  I was to receive the vaccine at the University of Utah hospital just a mile away from my clinic, and since it's an hour drive from my house, I figured I might as well get the vaccine done 9:30 before my speech therapy session at 11:30 so that I wouldn't have to drive up to Salt Lake twice this week. The first round was a breeze -- I was in and out in 20 minutes -- so why should this round be any different? 

So right before the nurse stuck me with the needle I asked, "How sick should I expect to feel after the second round if I felt sick for the day after the first round?" She answered, "Most people feel more sick after this one -- expect to feel ill for 72 hours." Greaaaaat.  

So now with this feeling of dread I let her inject the vaccine, which didn't hurt. I stood up, feeling light-headed, and left the room. I figured it would be like when you stand up too fast, so I told myself to walk it off and started making my way to the auditorium where all the patients have to sit for 15 minutes. But I was getting more and more dizzy, and I started getting tunnel vision. I stumbled, and then realizing I wouldn't make it to the auditorium, my knees buckled and I sat down.  Another gal who had just gotten her vaccine--likely a health professional--saw me and came to help. I laid down on the tile, trying to get the blood back to my head. She flagged over one of the hospital workers, and then feeling sheepish and dizzy I let myself get rolled away in a wheelchair, awkwardly leaning my head back against the seat as they started taking my vitals. My heart rate and blood pressure had plummeted. They asked if my throat felt swollen or if it was hard to breathe--no--or if I could remember my name/birthday/where I was--yes. They gave a juice box and granola bar. I just wanted to sleep. After 10 minutes I was feeling a lot better, but they decided to wheel me over to another room and put me on a bed. I informed them that I was underweight, that I had not been able to have breakfast because the bagel I brought with me was expired, and that this usually happens when I get my blood drawn but not usually when I get vaccines.  "Am I in the ER?" I asked as they hooked me up with an EKG, IV, blood pressure cuff, finger pulse monitor, and drew blood. Yes, yes I was. "Am I gonna make it to my 11:30 appointment?" I asked. Nope, sorry. 

So I called my supervisor and my client's mom to inform them I would not be making the session today. A classmate from the clinic texted me asking if she was just crazy or if she had seen me being wheeled away when she was walking out from getting her vaccine. Yep, that was me!

Then I just waited for hours.  I went from having 15 different doctors, nurses and technicians fluttering over me to being completely alone, listening to the climax of my audiobook. That was fine and all until I suddenly started feeling really thirsty AND that liter of IV fluids went straight to my bladder.  I was hooked up with so many cords that there was no way in heck I would even reach the door to ask for someone. Finally a nurse came in, and he unhooked the cords from the wall but left them dangling from my arms and chest as he escorted me to the restroom. "How about I give you this cup just in case they need a urine sample!" he said. That sounds like a decent enough idea until you STILL have cords dangling off of your arms.  I had to wrap the finger pulse monitor's cord around my paper wrist bracelet so it wouldn't flop down into the toilet while I was trying to "collect the sample" -- which they didn't end up needing. 

Finally at 1:00, just as I was about to click the link to join my 1:00 Zoom class, a nurse came in to inform me that my blood results were all normal, I was not pregnant, and I was good to go home. Basically I had experienced vasovagal syncope, explained by the MayoClinic below:

Essentially, it seems my whole trip to the ER was because my 24-year-old body is afraid of needles. How embarrassing. After I was discharged, I pulled all the EKG stickers off and got a vanilla bean frappachino before heading to the clinic to Zoom in to the next 5.5 hours of class. I went to bed at 9, but I was unable to sleep soundly. At 1 AM I woke up with a fever, whole-body aches, and chills. And so the Covid vaccine saga continues.