As I write this, it has been two days (well, a bit longer) and I could still just crawl right into bed.

I do not say this to frighten anyone away from being vaccinated. NO. But I’ve heard some people saying, “I didn’t feel a thing!” (which I didn’t either. The tiniest of pricks. I’ve hurt myself much more horribly with a sewing needle.)

And then, “I had no side effects! Just a sore arm.”

Lucky them. What I felt, within half an hour, was vague nausea, followed by fatigue (which later turned into extreme exhaustion), and an inability to focus on anything. Not with my eyes or my brain.

The next day was worse. Much worse. Chills and muscle aches and cramping and a glorious headache. My entire skinbag was so sensitive to the touch I could barely bear wearing clothes. I don’t like clothes much anyway, but I do find them necessary in most situations.

I finally gave in to misery, took painkillers and crawled into a warm bath laced with Epsom salts. I recommend this highly. I slept like the just and righteous for nine hours after that.

Things improved considerably this morning. The chills and aches were mostly gone, but I felt strange, clammy and a touch dizzy. These symptoms are now passing, which is why I’m able to sit up a bit and actually write something.

One of my more colourful friends says I’m a COVID Jedi warrior. My immune system is going to kick some you-know-what, she claims. I hope she’s right.

An immune response is no picnic, but of course I do not regret being vaccinated. I do recommend being aware that you might feel awful (like really quite awful) for a couple of days and planning accordingly. It’s normal.

I had to book an appointment instead of going to the drive-through, being a lady of a certain age. It was pretty seamless and the people at Merlis Belsher Place directing vaccination traffic are quite amazing and very organized. You know exactly what to do and where to go.

And it was busy. Very busy. I was both disgruntled (because I have zero patience) and happy to see it, because we need COVID to go away, or at least be reduced to a shadow of itself.

But due to family history, I was hesitant to get the AstraZeneca shot. They refused to tell me ahead of time what kind of vaccine I would get. Once there, I was roundly told that if I did not accept it, I wouldn’t be vaccinated with another “brand” for at least four months. I can’t say I felt bullied into it; they said I could go away and think about it. Still, the message was clear. It was this or nothing. Because, largely, of my age.

In addition, I was told there were no Pfizer vaccines available in Saskatoon. Possibly true, at the time. But I’ve heard of others getting it, and one person close to me definitely did, just days later. Perhaps they meant “there are no Pfizer vaccines available for you” and left off the last two words. I’d rather just hear the unvarnished version.

A lot of people have walked away from getting the AstraZeneca vaccine. I did not, although I momentarily considered driving to Regina where they DO (or did) have Pfizer vaccines, but of course travel is not recommended. But my question is, why does (did) Regina have Pfizers and we do not? If indeed the information I was given was accurate?

Ultimately, I think I did the right thing. Here is why.

We must accept some small risks for both personal health and herd immunity. The chance of getting a blood clot from this vaccine is vanishingly small compared to getting one from COVID. COVID, apparently, is largely a vascular disease; people have a 14 per cent chance of getting a clot from this nasty horrible virus, on top of all the other horrific effects. (I’ve heard other numbers, but this one was presented to me at the clinic.)

And so, after talking to three health professionals, I capitulated. I’d rather not die from COVID. Or even get it.

Again, I do not intend to scare anyone away from getting vaccinated. Much has been made of the clotting issue, and it has certainly been overplayed. Getting COVID is much, much worse, especially in the new variant era. It would still be nice if things were different and we could tailor the vaccine to the human.

Anyway. I must add that Saskatchewan, remarkably, is doing a good job of delivering vaccines. At the time of writing, 315,405 doses have been delivered, out of a population of 1.172 million of us, or 27 per cent of us. We’re first or second among the provinces, wavering there with Quebec.

I think I’m just upset that I — along with the rest of the world — have been forced by circumstance to get vaccinated for this stupid virus. What a ridiculous situation. However, there really is no choice.

Just monitor your immune reaction and plan for a nice nap day in front of the television. If you don’t need it, bonus.

-Joanne Paulson