Yesterday I received my second and final vaccine shot. This is a short article on what happened after the shots and how my body reacted. I’m not saying this is how you’ll react to the vaccine, but I’ve seen a lot of videos out there from so-called influencers hyping lies, jumping to conclusions, or just making shit up. I won’t do that. As Joe Friday says, “Just the facts.” But first, a little about myself.

I’m 49 years old, 6’2″, and 220 lbs (almost 100 kg). I normally eat one meal a day and snack at night. Every morning, I drink two 8 oz. glasses of water, take 2000IU of vitamin D and 250mg of magnesium. I drink alcohol throughout the week, 2-3 drinks a night and plenty on the weekend. I play golf once a week, other than that, I rarely exercise. And up until the Tuesday prior to my final vaccination shot, I smoked filtered cigarillos (5-6 a day). Tuesday I quit cold turkey and I’m still not happy about it.

I don’t have any health conditions other than slightly elevated cholesterol, of which my doctor isn’t terribly concerned, but we’re keeping an eye on it anyway. I don’t generally get sick, rarely have the sniffles, and can’t remember the last time I had a fever. All in all, considering some questionable lifestyle choices, I’m healthy.

When I was finally able to receive the vaccination, I didn’t choose one over the other. It just happened that Moderna was the luck of the draw. According to the CDC, the Moderna vaccination has a 94.1% effectiveness at preventing COVID-19. It’s a two shot vaccine. Possible side effects include pain in the muscle where the shot is received, redness and swelling, as well. Additionally, tiredness, nausea, muscle aches, chills, fever, and headaches are possible. These side effects may be more intense after the second shot.

Finally, this is from the CDC website:

CDC has received increased reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults after COVID-19 vaccination. The known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis. We continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for individuals 12 years of age and older.

After the first shot, I had a little soreness in my arm, but nothing else. I played golf the next day and had the best round of my life. But I was a little worried about the second shot. Everyone I know who has received the second shot had reactions. Most were extremely tired. Some had fevers. Also, everyone they know who received the second shot had the same reactions. I wouldn’t really say I was worried, but I was concerned. I have a love hate relationship with sleep. I love when I get to sleep, but I hate that I feel like I’m missing out on something. I didn’t want to sleep an entire day away. Also, not a big fan of fevers and chills. And, of course, sympathy is light in the Allison household. Although I’m perfectly capable of fending for myself, a little nursing is appreciated now and then. No such luck if you live in my house, though.

I received the second shot, yesterday, at 10:30 AM. Throughout the day, I felt fine. Shoulder was a little tender later in the day, but I was good to go. I ate my usual one meal, snacked on some macadamia nuts, a yogurt cup, and a few mini peanut butter cups. I avoided alcohol, though, and only drank water. I went to bed at midnight.

This morning, I awoke and prepared for the day. My shoulder is sore. That’s it. Nothing else. I feel great. Not a single side effect. I’m one of those people. Hopefully, it bodes well for longevity. I’d like to see 100 years, maybe 120, just so I can lie to everyone about the secret to a long life. I eat two pounds of bologna every morning, drink a six-pack of beer a day, and smoke one crack rock at night. Fit as a fiddle!

But more importantly, I am protected from COVID-19. Sure it’s not 100%, but nothing is when it comes to medicine. Millions have already received their vaccines under what the CDC says was/is the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history. A 94.1% effectiveness rate is pretty good. If you had cancer and the doc said she had a treatment that was 94.1% effective, you’d leap at the opportunity. Hell, if the doc said she had a treatment that was 50% effective, you’d jump right in for a dose or two. Point is, I’ve known COVID-19 patients. It ain’t good. Whatever I needed to improve my odds of not getting the virus, I was in like Flynn.

That’s all I have to say about that. This isn’t to say you won’t have any side effects. Most do. But I thought it important to share an easy experience to offset the hype from people hunting social networking likes. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Oh, hell, there’s everything wrong with that. After you finish reading this article, I recommend turning off your phone or computer and going outside. Experience life and forget about the influencers for a while. Now I have to go and recharge my microchip before the man comes knocking on my door.