I’m really tired today! I woke up with a nasty headache, feeling sick. Since then I’ve just felt really drained. I’ve got no get up and go at the minute. I’m hoping this strong coffee is going to help! I think it’s a mixture of my sinuses, going to bed a little too late last night, my the wolf just been a bit of an attention seeker.
I’ve been struggling a bit more recently with the wolf. Been feeling more tired and noticing my joints, especially my elbows becoming sorer. I had stopped my Methorexate for two weeks post-vaccine, to try and give my body the best chance possible to create some antibodies. The 2nd week of stopping it, I really started to notice the lack of it. Thankfully, I am now back on my Methotrexate injections. Apart from today, the last couple of days have been a little better.
Methotrexate is the one drug that has had the biggest impact on my illness. It’s one of them drugs you take all the time because you’re told to. You know it helps to control your illness, but you don’t really realise how much. You basically just take it for granted. It’s only when you have to stop it, you realise how desperately you need it. How much good it’s doing to your quality of life. The fact you’re injecting cytotoxic, bright yellow liquid into your body each week, that could be slowly destroying your body, that all doesn’t seem to matter when you know how well it’s making you feel. Suppose, if I didn’t inject myself, the wolf would destroy my body. So there’s no win-win situation anyways, just the importance of feeling well now.
3rd Dose Mess Up
The 3rd dose has been a complete mess up in England! Anyone who is severely immunocompromised, like myself is entitled to receive a 3rd dose of the vaccine, just 4 weeks after your 2nd dose, and then a booster 6 months later. So in total, we would get 4 doses of the Covid vaccine. This is because many people after the 2nd dose received a low antibody count. For example, when I got tested, I only had a very low antibody count. I had just 10% of what I should have had. By giving us the 3rd dose, they are hoping it will give us a better chance of taking more antibodies on, to protect us better.
The guidance got released on the 1st of September, a few weeks before the booster program was announced. It got to October, and still a high % of the immunocompromised had still not been contacted, including myself. My GP had contacted me about the booster, as soon as the booster program was released. I asked about the 3rd dose, they said they haven’t had any guidance on it yet.
About 2 weeks ago, charities started to get involved to help us to get this 3rd vaccine, including Lupus UK. This is the guidance Lupus UK released, which also tells you who’s eligible for the extra dose:
After hearing nothing about the 3rd dose, I decided to go ahead and get my booster on the 31st of January. I had next to none antibodies from my other two doses. I had my 2nd dose on the 31st of December, so I was way past the 6 months mark. I thought the best thing was to go ahead to get my booster. I needed some protection, and I couldn’t wait any longer for this 3rd dose.
After receiving my booster, I panicked. Somebody had said to me the booster is only half a dose. I thought at that point I had messed it all up. I wouldn’t be able to get the extra vaccine that I desperately needed.
After days of panicking, thankfully it’s all okay. If you have the Pfizer vaccine, they are all the same dose, including the booster. Currently, if you are getting your 3rd dose, they actually mark it on their system as a booster and not the 3rd dose, as the system hasn’t been updated yet. Apparently, your name then gets highlighted in yellow, so they know to ring you in 6 months’ time for your booster. I’ve been told it’s down to your medical team at the hospital to put you forward for 3rd dose and not your GP.
Another problem is, some people are receiving text with a link to book the 3rd dose, others are receiving a text with no link. You then ring the GP they can’t book you in, as they haven’t been told they can offer out 3rd doses, only boosters. You then ring 119 and they can’t book 3rd doses in either. You then ring your medical team at the hospital, and they say the same. It’s all one big joke! It’s added stress none of us need! We have enough to deal with every day with our illnesses. This should have been a simple program the government put forward in September before they started rolling out the boosters.
If you are entitled to this 3rd dose and have had your booster like myself, because you gave up waiting. Make sure your medical team has flagged your name, so you get called again in 6 months. Hopefully, by then, they will have sorted this mess out. Just make sure if you are entitled to 4 doses, you get all 4 and remember all 4 of the Pfizer’s are the same strength, no matter if they call them booster, 1st dose, 2nd dose, or 3rd dose.
I hope this is helped anyone who is in confusion with it all. It’s happening to many people all across England, so you are certainly not alone with it.
Anyways, that’s it from me today. I’m slowly boxing my house up ready for our move. We haven’t got a date for completion yet, but trying to reduce stress for when we do. So doing little bits each weekend. Hopefully, this way I will keep the wolf happy.
Until next week,
Goodbye for now
Emma
xox
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