The hot chills. Sounds like something Holly Golightly would say to Paul Varjak in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. You know, while at a loud party, Holly leans in close to Paul and declares in her almost-transatlantic-accented voice, "I've got the mean reds and the hot chills..." Except I didn't have the mean reds, just the hot chills, and they were caused by Moderna.
I received my second COVID vaccination last Thursday morning. Initially, I had absolutely no side effects. I may have even been bragging about the lack of side effects (Bragging cometh before a fall, right?). But around 1AM the following morning, I woke to a headache and the worst cold shivering chills that I have experienced in a long time. Not willing to leave the warmth of the bed, I burrowed deeper into the covers and went back to sleep. Within two hours, the cold chills had been replaced with hot chills, which should not be a thing. It’s hard to describe them. You’re hot and shivering, but you’re also chilled. The hot chills.
By 4:30AM, I had confirmed a low-grade fever of a little over 100 degrees, and had moved to the office sofa. I was laying there shivering with the hot chills, obsessing about what kind of weather report Sally Tomato would give me if I went to visit him at Sing Sing while also obsessing about how sad it was that the directors had cast Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi instead of an Asian American actor. As a child, I found the Yunioshi character to be so funny. It wasn’t until I watched the film as an adult that I realized how racist the humor was...
In a week, Eric and I will be considered fully vaccinated. We look forward to finally getting to safely socialize with some of our other fully vaccinated friends, while continuing to practice the CDC's recommendations of social distancing and masking...you can still get, and be a carrier of, COVID even while being fully vaccinated, and we have too many friends and family members who have health conditions and are at risk.
I am happy to be a part of the Biden-Harris administration's 100 Million Shots in 100 Days. Which is now the 200 Million Shots in 100 Days because we crushed the first goal in 58 days. Such is competent leadership.
As an aside, about 30 minutes after my first Moderna dose, I detected a strong chemically floral smell coming from the injection site. Eric could not smell it, even though it was incredibly strong to me. The smell followed me to bed, but it was gone by morning. Additionally, seven days after my first dose, I experienced what some people are referring to as "COVID Arm" or "Moderna Arm," which is described as a delayed reaction to the shot. At the injection site, my arm developed a hard, raised circular spot that was itchy, red, and hot to the touch. The symptoms persisted for about 48 hours and then disappeared.
