I’m a personal trainer, a nutritionist and a body builder. This is and has been my life for the last 12 years. I’m extremely passionate and successful in my profession and have had no prior health issues, being a fit and healthy thirty-five year old woman.
I got the COVID vaccine because I was told it was going to be mandated for my profession (it hasn’t happened yet). I also have a honeymoon that I haven’t gone on yet and to go where we had planned, I needed to be vaccinated.
I got my Moderna vaccine on the 1st of November 2021. Things were fine until four days after when I started getting a rash on my chest. I didn’t really think much of it at first but each day it got worse with a fiery burning sensation and it wasn’t until about the two week mark that I knew something was really wrong. The rash had turned purulent, my lymph nodes started hurting and I was experiencing extreme fatigue which hasn’t left me to this day. I called the home doctor and he gave me steroid tablets which did nothing.
A week later I went to my doctor, I told her I had the vaccine and she believed what I was experiencing was a result of the vaccine, she gave me a steroid cream and some Keflex and the rash started to go away. But a week after that I ended up back at the doctor’s because my tongue and throat started swelling which then brought on a severe asthma attack, something which I haven’t had since I was thirteen years old.
My doctor told me I had to go to straight to emergency and I sat in Gold Coast hospital for eight hours. Meanwhile my legs and my left arm and left side of my face were burning. The treating doctors ran some quick tests, they said my oxygen was fine, my bloods were fine and told me I’m all good, I should book myself into a rheumatologist and I need to go back to my doctor.
I went back to my doctor. I was scared I was going to die because I had extreme difficulty breathing and the fatigue was something was constant, she sent me to get an MRI, ECG and bloods. Later I was at work when she rang me and said that I need to get into emergency as soon as possible because my heart could stop at any minute, my EF reading was at 50 when it should’ve been at 65.
Before I could get myself to the hospital I started hyperventilating, my hands started going blue and I had pains down both my arms and legs, my limbs and everything felt heavy and my skin was on fire. They called the ambulance, which was going to be 45 minutes and they came and took me to QE2 emergency.
My doctor emailed me through the results for me to show the emergency doctors and they said no one can look at me unless I was having a heart attack. They treated me as if I was just someone putting on an act. After they told me that, they released me with absolutely nothing.
I went home and that night and said goodbye to my husband because I thought I was going die in my sleep. The next day was my birthday. It was one of the most challenging days ever, being unable to appreciate the love I was receiving from the people around me, especially my husband. In the moment, the only thing I could think about was getting myself into a cardiologist because I felt like I was going to die if I didn’t. Somehow we found a cardiologist who sent me straight into hospital and I was in there for 17 days straight, where there were five other people who were having a similar experience to me and worse.
I had a neurologist, rheumatologist a cardiologist and a disease specialist all looking at me and still are looking at me except the disease specialist who told me I’m still young and I’ll get over it and to get the Pfizer vaccine. I was supposed to stay longer in hospital but I couldn’t afford not to work as I had responsibilities.
I went home and here I am two weeks later taking 10 pills a day with no real improvements and no end in sight, not knowing where to go to next or what will happen to me next.
If you have the COVID vaccine, it’s a gamble. Some people are fine and some people aren’t. I’m one of the people that isn’t fine. By sharing my story I hope that you can see you’re not alone and you’re not over reacting if you feel like you have an adverse reaction. Keep fighting for the truth from your doctors and do not give up. There are doctors and specialists out there who do want to help.
What happened after and still happening:
- Weird puss and burning rash on chest
- Skin burning and itchy around neck and lymph nodes
- Feeling very uncomfortable
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty speaking at times
- Joint and muscle aches
- At times very nauseated
- Loss of appetite and weight gain
- Legs and arms burning and aching feeling as though acid was poured onto my skin and felt like my body was a balloon about to bust.
- Lost vision twice (everything went cloudy)
- Burning down left side of my face
- Left arm burning and aching constantly along with legs
- Stomach burning and bloating hurt to touch
- Extreme fatigue all the time, everyday
- Swollen tongue and neck
- Being unable to communicate
- Can’t remember things
- Loss of strength in my arms
- Swollen heart making difficult for blood to pump
- Kidneys and nervous system affected
I thought I was going to die about four times in three and a half months. I have said goodbye to my family. I’ve spent 17 days hospital. I haven’t been able to exercise. My skin burns whenever do. Light functional movements or 20 minute walking exhausts me and makes me puffed. I couldn’t even attempt this until I was medicated. I used to hit an average 15,000 steps a day, but after the vaccine it was difficult for me to even get 300 steps. Still to this day is hard for me to reach 15,000. This week, after 12 weeks, I have reached 8-10,000 steps.
I cannot function without medication at this stage. If I exercise I can’t function for two days as I get really bad fatigue , headaches, body aches and fevers.
I’m suffering loss of work, loss of finances, and loss of quality of life and lifestyle.
I couldn’t prepare food for myself. I didn’t even seem to be able to flip a steak without it going out pan or even scoop potato out a container. I still find it hard to do some days as I get so exhausted and uncomfortable.
I can’t walk my dogs or even pat, brush, wash or feed them as I get too fatigued or dizzy.
I can’t finish my studies as I cannot focus or remember things.
I went to emergency twice and got sent away both times, even with a doctor’s referral. I felt alone and unheard and like they thought I was just putting it on. I felt terrified for my life.
I’ve been advised it could still be another two and a half months before I feel better.