Original Bee’s Knees I have been dealing with this *stuff* for 10 years now. I was finally approved for Orthovisic and my first injection of 3 was on March 2, 2022.
Since April 2, 2022 it seems like things have gotten worse again.
Fortunately, I got back into a water exercise class, not at my “favorite pool” but it’s still good.
My knee has been waking me up again, though and it’s hard to walk. Since last Sunday, I’ve had sciatica too – at least it’s on the same leg. I have a message in to my doctor. This pain is driving me nuts. I can’t sleep, I can’t stand, I can’t walk. I haven’t been to the pool or the hot tub in over a week.
Hopefully, there will be good, or better, news after the doctor appointment.
I found an article that said in part “Also of note, the data did suggest that hyaluronic acid injections are not totally benign. With 15 trials (6,462 participants) reporting adverse events in sufficient detail, da Costa and colleagues calculated that the shots came with significantly elevated risk for serious complications (relative risk 1.49, 95% CI 1.12-1.98). “Overall, 3.7% of patients receiving viscosupplementation and 2.5% receiving placebo experienced a serious adverse event,” the researchers found.”
I don’t know if what I’m going through is a “serious adverse event” but it’s certainly serious and adverse to me!
———————
How it went from Wednesday, March 2, 2022 when I got my first Orthovisc injection through March 30 with my GP-type doctor. He watched how I walked and determined that my knee is swollen all around and performed Arthrocentesis (knee drain).
He said “Visibly swollen with protuberance in posterior fossa. Not warm totouch. Ballotable patella.
See aspiration note below: lateral subpatellar approach enabled withdrawal of 5cc straw colored clear fluid. 40mg kenelog + 4cc lidocaine injected easily. Substantial pain relief afterward and gait improved“.
March 30 after I got home from the doctor. First thing, I sent a note to my piano students cancelling lessons for today, then took a short nap and posted my blog post. There was still pain so about 7, I had some wine. It’s been a long time but I hoped it dulls the pain some.
9:45, put on an ice pack we had in the freezer already
midnight, bedtime – trouble running to the toilet.
March 31. I slept until 6:30. Not much pain when I woke up.
Thursday March 31 – woke up and was able to stand without a lot of pain. Slept 5 hours, 16 minutes or 66% of needed sleep time.
went into work – about 2 something suddenly felt painful so I put on the brace again. I am here until 9 pm tonight.
About 6, my knee started hurting more – I had rehearsals at 7 and 7:30. During the second rehearsal, there were tornado and thunderstorm warnings and my knee got a lot worse. I was able to put my leg up on a chair. When I got home at 9:30, I iced it some more.
Friday, April 1, woke up and was able to stand without a lot of pain. Slept 6 hours, 4 minutes or 76% of needed time. Today is a “day off” so I hope to nap this afternoon.
As of 11:30 am, no brace yet.
about 5:40 or so, my knee started hurting under the patella. The bandage came off and the area is looking a little reddish (to me) but it’s hard to tell. I did get a nap, so I’ve now slept 6 hours, 38 minutes or 83%. The new gel ring came and is in the freezer for a little later tonight.
I tried the new gel ring – said it “rolled on” which was great. Unfortunately, it also rolled off when standing up.
Original Bee’s Knees I have been dealing with this *stuff* for 9 years now. I was finally approved for Orthovisic and my first injection of 3 was on March 2, 2022.
How it went from Wednesday, March 2, 2022 when I got my first Orthovisc injection through March 30 with my GP-type doctor. He watched how I walked and determined that my knee is swollen all around and performed Arthrocentesis (knee drain).
He said “Visibly swollen with protuberance in posterior fossa. Not warm totouch. Ballotable patella.
See aspiration note below: lateral subpatellar approach enabled withdrawal of 5cc straw colored clear fluid. 40mg kenelog + 4cc lidocaine injected easily. Substantial pain relief afterward and gait improved“.
March 30 after I got home from the doctor. First thing, I sent a note to my piano students cancelling lessons for today, then took a short nap and posted my blog post. There was still pain so about 7, I had some wine. It’s been a long time but I hoped it dulls the pain some.
9:45, put on an ice pack we had in the freezer already
midnight, bedtime – trouble running to the toilet.
March 31. I slept until 6:30. Not much pain when I woke up.
Thursday March 31 – woke up and was able to stand without a lot of pain. Slept 5 hours, 16 minutes or 66% of needed sleep time.
went into work – about 2 something suddenly felt painful so I put on the brace again. I am here until 9 pm tonight.
About 6, my knee started hurting more – I had rehearsals at 7 and 7:30. During the second rehearsal, there were tornado and thunderstorm warnings and my knee got a lot worse. I was able to put my leg up on a chair. When I got home at 9:30, I iced it some more.
Friday, April 1, woke up and was able to stand without a lot of pain. Slept 6 hours, 4 minutes or 76% of needed time. Today is a “day off” so I hope to nap this afternoon.
As of 11:30 am, no brace yet.
about 5:40 or so, my knee started hurting under the patella. The bandage came off and the area is looking a little reddish (to me) but it’s hard to tell. I did get a nap, so I’ve now slept 6 hours, 38 minutes or 83%. The new gel ring came and is in the freezer for a little later tonight.
I tried the new gel ring – said it “rolled on” which was great. Unfortunately, it also rolled off when standing up.
I was finally approved for Orthovisic and my first injection of 3 was on March 2.
I was so excited when I started this post. Little did I know. Here’s how it’s been so far:
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 I got my first Orthovisc injection.
By Thursday, March 3 my knee was 90% better
On Wednesday March 9, I had injection 2
On the 10th, knee is still better
March 11 slept 91%, no knee pillow. good night’s sleep finally
March 12 woke up with sharp knee pain – screamed
March 13 – maybe that it was 21 degrees out affected things, maybe not. Knee hurt a little all day.
Somehow, the pain feels different than before the injections. It feels like it could be the back of my leg – maybe I tore my muscle after I felt so good after Shot#!.
March 15, Stepped out of bed sharp pain
March 16, Injection 3, final. It felt like needle moved in my knee
And from there things go
I started having pain standing/walking again and using a pillow between my knees at night. Many nights I took 3 Tylenol just to see if I could get some sleep
March 26, I stood up from bed, fell backwards back down. Luckily, the bed was there.
March 29, The pain was excruciating so I 3 tylenol before bed and ordered a gel band from amazon. It freezes so I can ice my knee all around. I also did some reading about pain after OrthoVisc and some sites mentioned fluid on the knee or fluid behind the knee (Baker’s Cyst). I tried to look at my knees in the mirror without much success but my DH looked and he thought my left knee, the one in question, looked bigger than the right.
March 30 – today! – I got up this morning and I could barely walk. I went on amazon again and ordered a 3-wheel walker. I tried to make an appointment with the doctor who did the OrthoVisc but he wasn’t available until April 28.
Luckily, I was able to make an appointment for today with my GP-type doctor. He watched how I walked and determined that my knee is swollen all around.
He said “Visibly swollen with protuberance in posterior fossa. Not warm totouch. Ballotable patella.
See aspiration note below: lateral subpatellar approach enabled withdrawal of 5cc straw colored clear fluid. 40mg kenelog + 4cc lidocaine injected easily. Substantial pain relief afterward and gait improved“
He drained my knee (Arthrocentesis) some but couldn’t get a lot of the fluid out. Actually, looking at the numbers, he took out about equal numbers with the lidocaine and cortisone he injected I suggested he install a faucet to help me keep this draining. He was hoping that it might continue to drain into the thick bandage he put on.
In his after-care notes he said “I hope that this injection and ice allow the swelling in you knee to go down. If the pain resumes along with swelling, I suggest taking the oral prednisone. Regardless, please get in touch with Dr. X (Orthovisc injector). Let me know if you have increased pain, redness, warmth, or fever. “
Oh joy!
I came home and was able to take a nap, at least. Unfortunately, I had to cancel piano students to do so. My knee is still uncomfortable and I’m having trouble walking but I think the injection and the Arthrocentesis help in the coming days.
I really don’t want to do this knee draining thing often. Even with the lidocaine, it was painful. Not the worst pain I have ever had but nothing I’d sign up for fun. My worst-ever pain day was April 28, 2006. That day was the day I learned I had Kidney Cancer, which became the reason I can only take Tylenol for my pain. My endo will be unhappy if I take that Prednisone and he is always unhappy when I get cortisone in my knee.
Quick takeaway: I have adrenal insufficiency (one adrenal was removed with my kidney due to cancer, steroid-dependent (post-Cushing’s Disease), growth hormone insufficiency, panhypopituitary. I had some issues after my first COVID-19 injection (Moderna) but not too bad. My booster was October 27, 2021. That time I was smart and updosed on my Cortef (hydrocortisone) right after the shot. My main side effects this time were chills and fatigue.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021: This time I went to a CVS inside a Target store.
I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 11:00 and it gave me directions on where to go.
I was about 10 minutes early, so I had to wait a bit, even though no one was ahead of me.
The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.
The shot was not quite as fast – I felt it a bit but I am used to giving myself daily injections so this was no biggie..
I sat in the waiting area for about 10 minutes to be sure there were no problems but no one checked on me.
This time I was smart – right after leaving the CVS I took a stress dose of Cortef (hydrocortisone).
I also had an appointment with my doctor about a recurring cyst. She prescribed doxycycline (antibiotic) twice a day on an empty stomach.
I cancelled my piano students for the day and took a nap for the rest of the day wearing a sweater and hoodie and under three blankets – I was so cold and a little dizzy/disoriented – I can never remember the difference between the two..
About 2 am, I got up needing to go to the bathroom and I was still so cold. I was under 3 blankets and a bathrobe.
Thursday, October 28, 2021: My arm was sorer than Monday and I was still feeling very cold and dizzy.
It was a work day so I went in but I know I nodded off at my desk a few times. I went home about 3 and fell asleep almost immediately. My DH woke up at 6 for a meeting – I had intended to sleep through it. It was at church, so I laid down on one of the pews and slept there through the meeting. DH took me home instead of going to choir rehearsal.
I skipped my growth hormone injection again.
I had no trouble sleeping this time and slept until about 10 on Friday.
Friday, October 29, 2021:I don’t know if it’s from the injection of the antibiotic but I threw up in the morning and I went back to sleep. I was feeling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold.
It was my mom’s birthday (98!) but we didn’t really get to celebrate much.
I skipped my growth hormone injection again. I didn’t fall asleep right away at bedtime and was able to read a little bit so that’s an improvement!
Saturday, October 30, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok – I woke up about 8 for my first antibiotic and didn’t take my first nap until 12:30. Then, I spent time napping through the day. I’m still cold but “normal cold” with just a sweatshirt (and socks).
My arm is achy but not really sore like yesterday.
Sunday, October 31, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray! We went back to water exercise. I took off my bandage for the first time and noticed that the site had bled a little. Oh well. While I was in the pool, I had another of those lightning headaches but didn’t get out of the pool for Tylenol because I knew it was quick.
Moderna started Phase III clinical trials for its vaccine candidate in July. In earlier trials, nearly half of patients experienced common adverse effects like injection site pain, rash, headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and fevers after the second injection. These effects generally subsided within two days. CNBC spoke to a few individuals, some participating in Moderna’s trial and some in Pfizer’s trial who said much the same thing: the side effects were intense and included a high fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion, but were worth it for protection from Covid-19.
In the FDA report published in December, the most common side effects were pain at injection site (91.6% of patients), fatigue (68.5%), headache (63.0%), muscle pain (59.6%), joint pain (44.8%), and chills (43.4%). Three patients experienced Bell’s Palsy, a sudden, and usually temporary, weakening or paralysis of the facial muscles.
A few patients with facial fillers experienced swelling after receiving the vaccine. They were treated with antihistamines and steroids. In California, officials halted the use of one particular batch of Moderna vaccines (lot 41L20A) after a small cluster (fewer than 10) of patients at one particular site experienced allergic reactions that required medical attention.
Out of the first 7.5 million doses administered from Dec 14- Jan 18, 19 cases of anaphylaxis were reported to VAERS after the Moderna vaccine. No patients have died from anaphylaxis. Patients are now being monitored for 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccine to watch for signs of anaphylaxis.
Many patients are reporting injection site reactions that show up shortly after the injection or up to a week later. These reactions — which are characterized by swelling, redness, itching, rashes, heat and pain — are expected to last a day to a week. Physicians emphasize that while these effects can be scary, they are not dangerous and should not prevent someone from getting the second shot. So far, doctors do not report seeing these reactions after the second shot, however so few have been given so far that scientists are not sure how common it will be on round two.
The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.
A study posted on Feb 1 showed that patients who received the vaccine after having been previously infected with COVID-19 showed greater immune response to the first shot and more intense side effects that are associated with strong immune responses like fever and muscle aches. The study included patients who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Some scientists believe these patients may only need a single shot to provide sufficient immunity, but more research is needed.
Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.
Quick takeaway: I have adrenal insufficiency (one adrenal was removed with my kidney due to cancer, steroid-dependent (post-Cushing’s Disease), growth hormone insufficiency, panhypopituitary. I had some issues after my first COVID-19 injection (Moderna) but not too bad. My second injection was March 15, 2021. This time I was smart and updosed on my Cortef (hydrocortisone) right after the shot. My main side effects this time were chills, extreme thirst, fatigue…and a craving for salad(!)
Earlier in March, CVS sent out an email with a few questions to answer before confirming my March 15 appointment. On March 14, they sent me a text and when I clicked on the link, it said I had answered all the questions already. YAY
I got this information again from CVS:
On the day of your appointment:
•Please arrive early enough to check in before your scheduled appointment. Arriving late for your appointment may result in an extended wait time.
•Bring your ID and insurance card, voucher or other coverage
•Don’t forget a face covering—wearing it throughout your visit is required
•When you arrive, please check in at the pharmacy area inside the store or follow the signs for the COVID-19 vaccine
CVS tips for vaccine shots:
•Wearing short sleeves makes getting a shot easier and faster
•If you must wear long sleeves, dress in layers with the short sleeves underneath
•The CDC has created a way for you to report how you feel after the COVID-19 vaccination through a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with you. Learn about v-safe and sign up today.
Monday, March 15, 2021: When I got to CVS, I found that everything was very well run like before.
I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 3:30 and it gave me directions on where to go.
This time I wasn’t met by anyone at door but I knew from before where to walk following arrows on floor. Then I was met by so someone who checked my name and he asked if I had done the texting thing (yes!).
There were 2 people ahead of me that I could see.It went very fast.I was in the little partitioned off area within less than 10 minutes.
The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.
The shot was not quite as fast – I felt it a little but I am used to giving myself daily injections so this was no biggie..
The nurse said if I get a headache, take Tylenol only. She also said to stay hydrated.
I sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes to be sure there were no problemsThere were about 10 or so people sitting around the store that I could see at various stages of their 15 minutes.
This time I was smart – right after leaving the CVS I took a stress dose of Cortef (hydrocortisone).
Around 7 pm i noticed I had what I used to call a “lightning bolt headache”. There is pain in one spot of my head and it moves quickly down, through my brain and out. I used to get these long ago and I didn’t even know they were a thing until I just looked them andy they are called “Thunderclap Headaches”:
Severe headaches that appear suddenly like a lightning bolt are a cause for concern. This isn’t a sharp pain that goes away as suddenly as it began, but a pain that comes on like a light switch or feels as if someone has hit you in the head with a hammer.
Who knew – I thought I’d made them up. I hope this was the only one.
I could not believe how thirsty I was for the first couple days. My mouth felt like a desert so I drank lots of ice water which meant I needed to run to the bathroom a lot. Sometimes, I didn’t quite make it.
About 10 pm I started being very cold. I don’t know if that’s a symptom but I noted that on February 17, also.
My arm seems like it is more sore than last time.
About 3 am, I got up needing to get a drink of water and I was still so cold. I was under 3 blankets, wearing a hoodie and a very warm knit cap. I didn’t have the death dreams like last time but some that were work-related and all jumbled up. This has to get done before that can, but then, this other thing happens, type thing. I just got up, got a little hydrated and checked my emails.
As soon as I typed this sentence, I put my mittens back on.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021: My arm was sorer than Monday and I was still feeling cold, sleeping off and on. Still very thirsty.
I skipped my growth hormone injection again.
I had trouble sleeping, especially if I tried to roll over.
Wednesday, March 17, 2021: We didn’t go to water exercise. I planned that this time, based on my reaction to the first shot.
I had a little headache, dizzy, congested, very tired, lots of brain fog, thirsty.I slept more until about 1 pm and I cancelled piano lessons for the day.
After cancelling lessons, I went back to sleep. I was feeling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold.
At that point, I realized I hadn’t eaten for 2 days or had any coffee!.
For reasons that are very strange to me, I started craving tossed salad, specifically one from a certain local restaurant. I have never in my life craved salad.
I had some dinner (I was surprised that I could eat any) at 9:25 and did my growth hormone injection.
I went to bed at 11 pm. Tossed and turned all night.
Thursday, March 18, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok. I spent time napping and working alternated through the day. My boss called and he’d just had his Johnson and Johnson shot on Tuesday. The call was pretty funny because we both were brain foggy and trying to think of words. His vaccine is the one-dose type – he was glad to get it but found it weird that he could actually feel the medicine going in. That sounds to me more like it was injected into a vein than a muscle.
My DH went out to Domino’s and got some dinner – and finally, I got that salad!
Friday, March 19, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray! We went back to water exercise. I took off my bandage for the first time and noticed that the site had bled a little. Oh well. While I was in the pool, I had another of those lightning headaches but didn’t get out of the pool for Tylenol because I knew it was quick.
Moderna started Phase III clinical trials for its vaccine candidate in July. In earlier trials, nearly half of patients experienced common adverse effects like injection site pain, rash, headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and fevers after the second injection. These effects generally subsided within two days. CNBC spoke to a few individuals, some participating in Moderna’s trial and some in Pfizer’s trial who said much the same thing: the side effects were intense and included a high fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion, but were worth it for protection from Covid-19.
In the FDA report published in December, the most common side effects were pain at injection site (91.6% of patients), fatigue (68.5%), headache (63.0%), muscle pain (59.6%), joint pain (44.8%), and chills (43.4%). Three patients experienced Bell’s Palsy, a sudden, and usually temporary, weakening or paralysis of the facial muscles.
A few patients with facial fillers experienced swelling after receiving the vaccine. They were treated with antihistamines and steroids. In California, officials halted the use of one particular batch of Moderna vaccines (lot 41L20A) after a small cluster (fewer than 10) of patients at one particular site experienced allergic reactions that required medical attention.
Out of the first 7.5 million doses administered from Dec 14- Jan 18, 19 cases of anaphylaxis were reported to VAERS after the Moderna vaccine. No patients have died from anaphylaxis. Patients are now being monitored for 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccine to watch for signs of anaphylaxis.
Many patients are reporting injection site reactions that show up shortly after the injection or up to a week later. These reactions — which are characterized by swelling, redness, itching, rashes, heat and pain — are expected to last a day to a week. Physicians emphasize that while these effects can be scary, they are not dangerous and should not prevent someone from getting the second shot. So far, doctors do not report seeing these reactions after the second shot, however so few have been given so far that scientists are not sure how common it will be on round two.
The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.
A study posted on Feb 1 showed that patients who received the vaccine after having been previously infected with COVID-19 showed greater immune response to the first shot and more intense side effects that are associated with strong immune responses like fever and muscle aches. The study included patients who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Some scientists believe these patients may only need a single shot to provide sufficient immunity, but more research is needed.
Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.
Quick takeaway: I have adrenal insufficiency (one adrenal was removed with my kidney due to cancer, steroid-dependent (post-Cushing’s Disease), growth hormone insufficiency, panhypopituitary. I had some issues after my first COVID-19 injection (Moderna) but not too bad. My second injection will be March 15.
January 12, 2021 my Mom’s doctor called and offered her the vaccine but she didn’t want it. She said she didn’t go anywhere. True but my DH and I do – and she has a friend visit once a month.I joked to a friend that I could put on a wig and go as her since we have the same first name.
I have been doing the COVID-19 Patient Monitoring System through my doctor’s office since it was first offered.Just a few boxes of how I’m feeling, if I wore a mask and so on.I am a strong believer in helping to participate in medical trials, as I mention below.This one is very easy and takes about a minute out of my day.Easy-peasy.
I’ve been on the Fairfax Waiting List since January 19, 2021.As of right now, they are still scheduling people from January 18 – I read somewhere that 41,000-some people registered on the 18th, so it may be a while to get to my date.They have set up an interesting dashboard to track how things are going– https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/vaccine/data
I kept the CVS link open and checked it every morning. Everything was full until Saturday, February 13.I was able to register at about 5 am.When I went back about 20 minutes later, everything was gone.
CVS sent out an informative email with directions, dates, ics file to easily add to calendar,
On the day of your appointment:
•Please arrive early enough to check in before your scheduled appointment. Arriving late for your appointment may result in an extended wait time.
•Bring your ID and insurance card, voucher or other coverage
•Don’t forget a face covering—wearing it throughout your visit is required
•When you arrive, please check in at the pharmacy area inside the store or follow the signs for the COVID-19 vaccine
CVS tips for vaccine shots:
•Wearing short sleeves makes getting a shot easier and faster
•If you must wear long sleeves, dress in layers with the short sleeves underneath
•The CDC has created a way for you to report how you feel after the COVID-19 vaccination through a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with you. Learn about v-safe and sign up today.
And a short survey, which I took – just add up to 5 stars and write a short paragraph.
Monday, February 15, 2021: When I got to CVS, I found that everything was very well run.
I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 3:30 and it gave me directions on where to go.
I was met by someone at door who checked my name – I showed him my phone screen – he showed me where to walk following arrows on floor. Then I was met by so someone who checked my name and he asked if I had done the texting thing (yes!).
There were 4 people ahead of me that I could see.It went very fast.I was in the little room within less than 10 minutes.
The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.
She told me to treat the little quarantine form like gold.Take a picture on my phone, just in case.Maybe laminate after second shot.Keep it with passport.
She said that old folks (like me!) didn’t have as many issues after second shot.
The shot was very fast – I never felt it.
The nurse said if I get a headache, take Tylenol only. I said that was all I could take anyway because I have only one kidney.
I sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes to be sure there were no problemsThere were about 10 or so people sitting around the store that I could see at various stages of their 15 minutes.
I was glad to see that it was Moderna (MRNA) although I would have taken either.I have a long-standing issue with the other drug company, unrelated to COVID vaccines.
I posted on FB that I had done my first injection and a friend told me aboutregistering at vsafe.cdc.gov for them to keep track of me after the vaccination. I signed up for that right away – and I noticed that CVS had also given me that link.
About 12 hours later (3:30 am) I got up to go to the bathroom and noticed that my arm was a little sore. No biggie.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021: I just got my first dose of Moderna yesterday – sore arm, so far.
The nurse told me yesterday that older people like myself (I’m 72) had fewer side effects since we had been exposed to more things over the years.I’m not sure how accurate that is but I’ll hold on to that hope until I get my second dose on March 15!
Wednesday, February 17, 2021: I had weird dreams overnight but I got up about 4:00 am.I did some work and fell back asleep until 10:15.
We didn’t go to water exercise. I decided at the very last minute, walking out the door. Reaction to Monday shot? I had a little headache, dizzy, congested, very tired.I should have taken more cortisone at this time but didn’t remember until 8:30 pm.
I slept more until about 2 pm and had very weird dreams – I don’t know if the dreams are part of it or not but I reported them to the safe.cdc.gov questionnaire.
I cancelled piano lessons for the day.I wrote to my students:
I am so sorry but I need to cancel today’s lesson. I had the first COVID vaccination on Monday afternoon. I was feeling fine yesterday so I assumed that I wasn’t going to have any side effects but they caught up with me today. It’s just a headache , a bit of congestion and fatigue (I’ve been sleeping all day so far) but I don’t think I would be at my best during XXX’s lesson.
See you next week…
After cancelling lessons, I went back to sleep until time for Pender’s 7 pm Ash Wednesday service. I was felling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold. I started coughing a little.
At night, I remembered I should have up-dosed. I told my DH that night if he ever noticed me like this again, it was the perfect time to tell me to stress dose. It never occurred to me during the day.
At that point, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day.I had dinner (I was surprised that I could eat it) at 9:25 and did my growth hormone injection.
I went to bed at 11 p.
Thursday, February 18, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok. I spent time napping and working alternated through the day.
Friday, February 19, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray!
Moderna started Phase III clinical trials for its vaccine candidate in July. In earlier trials, nearly half of patients experienced common adverse effects like injection site pain, rash, headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and fevers after the second injection. These effects generally subsided within two days. CNBC spoke to a few individuals, some participating in Moderna’s trial and some in Pfizer’s trial who said much the same thing: the side effects were intense and included a high fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion, but were worth it for protection from Covid-19.
In the FDA report published in December, the most common side effects were pain at injection site (91.6% of patients), fatigue (68.5%), headache (63.0%), muscle pain (59.6%), joint pain (44.8%), and chills (43.4%). Three patients experienced Bell’s Palsy, a sudden, and usually temporary, weakening or paralysis of the facial muscles.
A few patients with facial fillers experienced swelling after receiving the vaccine. They were treated with antihistamines and steroids. In California, officials halted the use of one particular batch of Moderna vaccines (lot 41L20A) after a small cluster (fewer than 10) of patients at one particular site experienced allergic reactions that required medical attention.
Out of the first 7.5 million doses administered from Dec 14- Jan 18, 19 cases of anaphylaxis were reported to VAERS after the Moderna vaccine. No patients have died from anaphylaxis. Patients are now being monitored for 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccine to watch for signs of anaphylaxis.
Many patients are reporting injection site reactions that show up shortly after the injection or up to a week later. These reactions — which are characterized by swelling, redness, itching, rashes, heat and pain — are expected to last a day to a week. Physicians emphasize that while these effects can be scary, they are not dangerous and should not prevent someone from getting the second shot. So far, doctors do not report seeing these reactions after the second shot, however so few have been given so far that scientists are not sure how common it will be on round two.
The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.
A study posted on Feb 1 showed that patients who received the vaccine after having been previously infected with COVID-19 showed greater immune response to the first shot and more intense side effects that are associated with strong immune responses like fever and muscle aches. The study included patients who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Some scientists believe these patients may only need a single shot to provide sufficient immunity, but more research is needed.
Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.
Today is the 30th anniversary of my pituitary surgery at NIH.
As one can imagine, it hasn’t been all happiness and light. Most of my journey has been documented here and on the message boards – and elsewhere around the web.
My Cushing’s has been in remission for most of these 30 years. Due to scarring from my pituitary surgery, I developed adrenal insufficiency.
When I got kidney cancer, I had to stop the GH, even though no doctor would admit to any connection between the two. Even though I’m when I got to 10 years NED (no evidence of disease) from cancer, I couldn’t go back on the GH.
However, this year I went back on it (Omnitrope this time) in late June. Hooray! I still don’t know if it’s going to work but I have high hopes. I am posting some of how that’s going here.
During that surgery, doctors removed my left kidney, my adrenal gland, and some lymph nodes. Thankfully, the cancer was contained – but my adrenal insufficiency is even more severe than it was.
In the last couple years, I’ve developed ongoing knee issues. Because of my cortisol use to keep the AI at bay, my endocrinologist doesn’t want me to get a cortisone injection in my knee.
My mom has moved in with us, bring some challenges…
But, this is a post about Giving Thanks. The series will be continued on this blog unless I give thanks about something else Cushing’s related 🙂
I am so thankful that in 1987 the NIH existed and that my endo knew enough to send me there.
Cortisone is a therapeutic drug used to fight ailments ranging from asthma to arthritis. It was the athlete’s best friend throughout the 20th century. But in orthopedics, there is a significant downside.
Cortisone is naturally produced by the adrenal gland in the body and influences the functioning of most of the body’s systems.
Since the discovery of its antirheumatic properties in 1948 and its synthetic commercial production soon after, the drug has been injected into every swollen joint, every inflamed tendon, sore back and aching body. The anti-inflammatory nature of the drug soothed the pain and reduced the swelling, yet permitted the athlete to further injure themselves time and time again.
We now know that a cortisone injection interferes with the body’s natural healing process, which works like this: When tissues are overused, overstretched or torn, the cells of those tissues release factors that recruit blood vessels, stem cells and healing factors. With that in rush of fluid, the tissue temporarily swells. Over time, with the laying down of new collagen — the protein that makes up most of our body — the injured tissue heals. Some tissues heal normally; others with scar tissue, over time, often can remodel into normal tissue.”The anti-inflammatory nature of the drug soothed the pain and reduced the swelling, yet permitted the athlete to further injure themselves time and time again.”
Cortisone shuts down this cellular recruitment process, reducing swelling, but unfortunately inhibiting healing. The result is that the weakened tissues stay in the weakened state for a longer period of time, sometimes exposing the athlete to repeat injury or permanent damage. This panacea drug has always had this hidden harmful risk. If used too often or in the wrong place such as the Achilles tendon, the tissues can completely rupture and never return to the full, uninjured state.
MaryO'Medical 