The beginning of The END: My experience with the Covid Vaccine

I walked towards the Tully Health Center in Stamford, CT. It was about to be a very important day for me, at was now officially hallowed ground for me as well. After today, at this place, I will have given birth to both of my children and I will have received the vaccine against the worst pandemic of my lifetime. Yes, I was getting the Covid-19 vaccination.

It was a surprisingly quiet atmosphere. No lines, no confusion, no chaos. Then again, those of us there had been screened and appointed through the state department of health and the CDC. Somehow I felt that this was all a dream, a dream for the end of a nightmare. A friend of mine said on the day he got his vaccine - it is the beginning of the end. So here I went. I walked into the room designated as the vaccination center. It all seemed real. But somehow, I felt that when I got to the desk that nice guy would say to me - sorry, no, you had it all wrong. You go home and try again tomorrow. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she is standing there before the wizard, with the broomstick of the Wicked Witch and all, expecting her ticket back to Kansas, and he says, no, sorry, try again tomorrow. Would that be me?  That guy didn't look like a wizard, and he wasn't. He checked me in, and told me to go right back to room #2, with a smile.

It was there I met Christina. She was the nurse who gave me my injection. She was quick, and painless, cheerful and even asked if I wanted to take a selfie with her! Of course I did, so that I would remember this even happened. I had jokingly told someone that when you get the vaccination, it not only gives you protection against the virus, but it obliterates all your memories of the past year as well. Don't we wish that was true?  Christina came in for her close up, we both smiled behind our masks, and I didn't even realize she had injected me.

I went out to a waiting area where I had to wait 15 minutes to make sure I didn't have a reaction to the injection. I was so happy I couldn't help but talk with the other people waiting there. None of us could believe we were so close to really seeing an end to this pandemic. But we were. And we are. In 3 weeks we will all be back for the final injection. We had received the Pfizer vaccine in case you were wondering. We all were in the Phase 1a category of front line workers, and all of us had been appointed through our source of employment. I walked out of the Tully Center with a feeling of elation. This was it? No fanfare, no parade, no balloons, but even without any of that, this was one of the best days of my life.

That was 12 hours ago. I feel fine - no soreness, no pain. I am hopeful, happy and confident for our future and way out of this pandemic. Good luck to everyone - your vaccine is coming soon!!!