Hello! Today is Wednesday, March 31st, and we’re off to a gloomy start in Charlotte, NC! We’re supposed to get some rain today, which would be awesome as I’ve just planted grass and, with the help of friends, put out a bunch of sod. Anything we can do to keep from having to water ourselves would be greatly appreciated! Bring on SPRING!
So… did you see the title for today’s post? Yep! Tomorrow is April and my neurologist is suggesting that I get vaccinated for COVID. The DRAMA…. Oh my! 🙂
“Why April?”, you ask? Well, I had my last infusion of Ocrevus in February and my doctor wanted me to wait until at least April before getting the vaccine. During our conversation I told him I was “On the fence” about whether or not to get the vaccine, but he had a differing opinion. He told me that MS patients on Ocrevus are ending up in the hospital/ICU at higher rates than those not on Ocrevus, so he believes it’s pretty important to get the vaccine ASAP. Additionally, he said I needed to wait for at least 6 weeks after my Ocrevus infusion to make sure all my “numbers looked good”. I’m not 100% clear on what he meant there, but I do have to go and do a blood test and wait on the results before signing up for the Covid shot. I’ll remind you (and myself here), I trust my doctor. His opinion means a lot to me, so I’ll likely get the shot.
I think it’s fair to mention that, as far as I can tell, I’ve already had Covid twice. The first time was late Fall of 2019 when I suddenly lost taste for a week and the again in the Fall of 2020 when I had a fever and a cough for a few days. Oh, forgot to mention, my then 7 year old daughter tested positive for Covid a few days before I felt sick, so while I was never tested, I feel pretty confident I had it a second time. My primary care doctor agreed with me as well. Crazy times for sure. I guess we can get Covid multiple times and that is why my doctor is suggesting the vaccine.
It’s fair to say that my limited experience with all things virus related has influenced my hesitation with respect to the vaccine. I mean, haven’t we all been told that getting sick only makes our immune system stronger (Of course, this may not always apply to immune suppressed folks)? If that is true, then if I’ve already had Covid aren’t I “safe”? Surely, the vaccine will have no positive impact on me and.. wasn’t it developed so fast that I’m more likely to grow third head than be saved from Covid? Even with all my doubts, I still believe I had Covid twice… I can’t remember having the flu twice in a year, so maybe it IS different? I’m not sure anyone really knows. 🙁
The MS Community Conversation Threads I follow also present a mixed view when it comes to the vaccine. A lot of folks say they are, “Scared to death” not to get the vaccine while others are, “Scared to death” to get it. Go figure. I’m not a big fan of the phrase, “Scared to death”. Seems a bit too dramatic for me. Additionally, some doctors are telling their patients to wait two weeks after an Ocrevus Infusion, while others (Like mine) have said six weeks or even two months. I guess the rapid development of the vaccine and its speedy roll-out hamper some aspects of consistency. One thing I do know for sure… there hasn’t been a single post about a doctor telling a patient NOT to get the vaccine. There’s some consistency for you.
Ok. I’ll stop there for the day! Tomorrow is April Fools Day, so I hope everyone gets a chance to prank someone! 🙂 Also, Sunday is Easter… so Happy Easter! We’re heading to Atlanta to see my in-laws and let my daughter do an Easter Egg Hunt or two. 🙂
Take care and talk to you soon!
