Thankfully, I have been vaccinated.

I was frightened before both doses. Allergies run in my family, and I have had some pretty awful allergic reactions in the past. So now I don’t eat anything from the ocean, or use regular Tide detergent, or any Downy brand dryer sheets.

Still, I wanted to get the vaccine. For a lot of reasons, starting at home. My oldest son Erick is not yet eligible for the vaccine and youngest son James is too young. Any chance that I can reduce the possibility of bringing COVID into our home is priceless, and worth any risk to myself.

Still, risk to self is something you feel more keenly as a single parent. Who takes care of James if I am sick, incapacitated, or dead?

The choice is not entirely mine. And he is thriving here, and that’s very important to me.

But I looked at the risks and decided the benefits outweighed them.

After the shot is administered, you wait 15 minutes, in case you have an immediate bad reaction. The literature provided suggests most reactions take place within the first hour. So I was glad to be vaccinated at LVHN Cedar Crest. First, it’s a hospital complex and second, it’s near a Target with a coffee shop. So I brought the boys with me. If something went wrong, Erick could call for help. And he knows how to get himself and his brother home by bus if I couldn’t drive.

Thankfully, nothing went so wrong. The side effects have been a little soreness at the injection site and a little fatigue. Um, well, I think it was injection related fatigue. Then again, hey single mom, two jobs, fatigue is just something you pour coffee on. Which is what I did after the shot.

One of my sisters is a nurse. She advised drinking lots of fluids, preferably with electrolytes like Gatorade. I don’t love Gatorade. So I settled for antioxidants. With cream and sugar.

Some of my friends had side effects after their second dose. I was fortunate that I did not. Neither did my sister, the nurse, which made birth-mom, our mutual mother, feel more confident about getting hers.

I see a lot of folks getting out more this spring and wanting to travel. I get it. Okay. do your thing, but please stay vigilant. COVID is still out there, and we are a good ways from herd immunity.

If you’re eligible, please get your vaccine. If you’re nervous, talk to your doctor. Our medical professionals know more than we do. They’ve likely already had their vaccine shots too. So, knowledge and experience.

And please, keep wearing your masks, and washing your hands. Simple things that make a big difference.