I’m 37 years old and I’ve been living in Australia for the past 8 years. The rest of my family are in New Zealand.
I was working part time in an office setting, and I’m also a mother to a six year old so I was living a very busy lifestyle. The only time I’ve ever been sick was during my pregnancy when I had preeclampsia. Other than that, my health has always been great.
I didn’t want to get the vaccine, but my work required interstate travel and the conference venues were bound by the vaccine mandates. I held out for as long as I could, but with a mortgage and a family to support, I made the decision to get it.
On Saturday, 12th of March 2022 I received my first dose of Novavax. Immediately, I felt pain at the vaccine site, followed by a bit of light-headedness. I waited for 15 mins and just felt really tired. Whilst walking to the car, I turned to say something to my 6-year-old daughter and felt as though my lips were talking slowly. I felt a strange sensation of my brain not keeping up with the movement. I later told my husband I felt a bit confused by what I experienced.
Later that evening, I felt extremely tired and dizzy. I was laying in bed when I experienced heart palpitations, which I put down to being drained from getting the vaccine. The next day I felt quite unwell, and my legs were heavy and lethargic. The brain fog and light-headedness continued.
That same night, I woke up to go to the toilet and as I sat down, my heart started to pound again. I decided to call the 24hr nurse and she said to either call 000 if it worsens, or see a doctor within 4 hours. I made a doctor’s appointment the next day.
At the doctor’s on Day 2 post-vaccine, I told her I was still experiencing dizziness and heart palpitations, and that I now also had jaw and neck pain as well. The pain felt as if I’d twisted my neck and I had a shooting pain through my jaw, close to my ear. When she took my blood pressure, it was 159/100 and she said it’s likely my body was just under a bit of stress from the vaccine, and my symptoms should calm down. She said if my symptoms worsened, to come back and see her.
I started to experience internal tremors, which feel like a live wire inside my body. It’s a very strange feeling and I find it hard for me to relax. During the night, I wake around 7+ times to go to the toilet to wee, and have had two days of diarrhoea. The exhaustion and brain fog continued leaving me feeling very spaced out everyday.
On Day 4, I went for an ECG and the doctor ordered bloods, and prescribed blood pressure medication because my blood pressure was very high. My reading was 167/109 and we’re hoping this will help.
I read on the government website that Novavax can cause high blood pressure. My doctor said he believes my symptoms are a reaction to the vaccine, but he also said to get the second vaccine so I don’t die from Covid. I am very emotional and sad at the moment. I haven’t been able to work all week. I hope and pray this is all temporary and will go away soon.
Day 5, I went to get my bloodwork done and felt weak, nauseous and very weak in my legs. I haven’t ever felt this sick in my life and truly regret risking my health for a job.
I was healthy and full of energy prior to the vaccine with no sign of underlying health issues. The blood test results showed no underlying health issues and the doctor feels the blood pressure and heart palpitations are likely due to the vaccine. She said to hold off on getting a second one.
On day 9, I woke up with a cough and tested positive for Covid. I started to feel drained to the point where I could barely walk. I had a high fever, body chills and a headache that made me feel nauseous. I was vomiting for days after testing positive.
I had a Telehealth appointment with my doctor every day during the peak of my Covid symptoms to monitor my chest because I couldn’t finish a sentence without coughing. I felt like I was dying.
It’s now 10 days post Covid, and 3 weeks post vaccine. I still have a pretty intense cough and feel extremely fatigued. I feel nauseous on and off, and the brain fog worsens as the day goes on. For the most part, the internal tremors have stopped but I get a bit shaky at the end of the day when I’m tired. The site of the vaccine is still very sore to touch.
Thankfully, I’ve had a good doctor who’s been sympathetic to what I’m experiencing and given me a 4 month exemption which is the maximum she can give me.