I hope everyone is safe and well. This winter has been challenging to get through. In Scotland, it is dark, damp, and cold however, I’m sitting in my office while I write this, and the sun is streaming through the window and I get the feeling that spring is almost here. I have been shielding for 11 months now and I feel that the COVID crisis may be coming to end. Do not get me wrong I think we will always have to live with COVID, but it will not be this extreme. The reason why I have this newfound optimism is I have had my first dose of the Oxford Covid -19 vaccine. I did have a reaction to the vaccine, but I would encourage everyone to get it when they are offered the vaccine. I suffered from a very high temperature (39.1c), muscle aches, and more muscle spasms than my usual CP spasms. I felt very fatigued and unwell for about 4 days. I also had a sore arm. I phoned my GP and he advised regular paracetamol, fluids, and rest. He explained because I am young my immune system mounts an effective defense and hence the reaction. It should mean that I now have a high level of protection against COVID- 19. At least I’ll be prepared for my second dose in May! I now feel a lot safer and hopefully, ‘normal’ life can resume within the next 6 months.
I am lucky because I can work from home on my PhD and my work as a law tutor. MS Teams has been a great innovation. I have relied on adult colouring to help me de-stress and helped with COVID anxiety. Any creative pursuit is a form of mindfulness, I am looking forward to my art club restarting. I am hoping to write a blog about adult colouring and how it has helped to improve the symptoms of my CP. Look out for that. I know I still have to be careful and follow the Hands-Face-Space advice, but it is a positive step forward. I am glad to see that the government has now prioritised vaccines for people with learning disabilities at last.
Have you had the vaccine yet? Share your experiences of lockdown life below.
(Please note any posts containing misinformation about COVID -19 or the vaccines will be removed immediately.)
