Not Getting Sick

Over the last several months I have been continuing to get stronger and feel better. I believe the largest factor at play is that: I haven’t gotten sick.

If you follow the blog you probably noticed that I was ALWAYS SICK in 2019. I could merely look at a school building and get sick. In the times of COVID-19, our family has been very cautious. Since COVID, I haven’t gotten sick (except for one stomach bug/foodborne illness situation). It is amazing how much more “steady” I feel. When I was frequently sick, it felt like I was constantly doing this dance of three steps forward, two steps back, and symptoms were more unpredictable. Now, I mostly know what to expect and have been experiencing a gradual improvement of symptoms.

Moving forward

Obviously, I look forward to things going back to normal. However, this experience has caused me to consider how can I stay healthy post-COVID. I would like to find a balance where I’m not sick all the time, but am still exposed to things in a healthy way.

I wonder what this balance looks like. I think I will continue to wear a mask in riskier indoor places during cold/flu season after COVID. Other than that and basic/obvious things like handwashing, I don’t know what else to do. I will definitely not continue to social distance (once it is safe to stop, of course). Get ready, friends. Once we have the green light, I will be all up in your grill.

COVID-19 vaccination

I will get the COVID-19 vaccination when it is available to me. This is how I weighed the decision for my circumstances: I know I will have a horrible flare if I get COVID-19. However, I may or may not get a flare from the vaccine. Also, it seems most experts think the vaccine is worth the potential risk. So, it makes sense for me to get the vaccine. I also feel a sense of duty to get it because I can receive it safely and it will likely contribute to protecting others. Please understand that these are the considerations I have for myself. Each person has a different set of circumstances to consider.

Update- I received my first dose of the Moderna vaccination on 4/6/21. It is 4/16 today and I am not certain if I experienced side effects. I had some additional achiness and minor headaches last week (within the first 5-7 days of the vaccination), but I was also overdoing it. So, who knows. I take that as a win, because if I have to wonder, then it wasn’t that bad. I am encouraged and feel more confident going into my second dose (which I receive in early May). I will update this after I receive the second dose.

Update- I received my second dose of the Moderna vaccination on 5/4/21. The symptoms started about 4 hours after I received the vaccination and it was a doozy. I had: a 100.8 fever, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and chills. The good news is that in less than 36 hours, the fever broke and the worst symptoms subsided. The nausea, fatigue, and dizziness stuck around for a couple days (on and off). After that, some extra “gassed muscle” fatigue stuck around for about 2.5 weeks total. It is 5/23, I no longer have any side-effects from the vaccination. I’d call that a win as I would gladly choose to go through this knowing I minimize my own risk and that of those around me of COVID-19.

Cort at Health Rising compiled a very interesting and useful poll for those considering the COVID-19 vaccine that have ME/CFS. Keep in mind that a decent chunk that have ME/CFS also have orthostatic intolerance. So, I feel like this poll is relevant for POTS patients too. The poll notes how severe side effects were, how long they lasted, and is broken down by each vaccine.

Herbs and food to boost immunity

I would like to look into natural ways to build up the immune system and/or viral remedies. When I took Bac-T (an herbal tincture) a few years ago, I noticed that the duration of viruses was significantly shorter. That gets me thinking about trying that or something similar again when I pick up a virus. There is a lot of crap out there that I do NOT want to get sucked into, so I will be very discerning.

I also have a curiosity about herbs and food for immunity because of Nicole Apelian. She was a contestant on seasons 2 and 5 of Alone, is an herbalist, has progressive MS, and is a total BA. It was fascinating to watch her forage on the show as she would explain what the various plants were and their benefits. I would love to learn more about foods and herbs that I could incorporate to improve my health and immunity.

As a side note, I would not last a single day on Alone. Aside from having none of the necessary skills, I do NOT play around with wild animals. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals, but they smell my fear from a mile away and therefore come after me. I just know that one of these days the bold squirrels in my town are going to mob me like this.

What do you stay healthy? I would love to know what you all do!

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for the Giveaway of POTS/chronic illness items– it runs through March 31st, 2021.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Statements on this site are not meant to be taken as medical advice. These statements reflect my personal experiences having mild-ish post-viral POTS and ME. Due to the wide spectrum of these diseases, comorbidities, and everyone being different, your experiences may be very different than mine.

Note: If you post a comment, this site does NOT have a feature to notify you of responses to your comment. I have not found a good solution for that yet. However, I usually respond to every comment in a timely manner, so be sure to check back.