CIEIRMusic has always been more than entertaining songs. I strive to help people out whenever I can and this is one of the few chances I get to do so on a global scale.

Today just this afternoon I have received my first dose of the Pfizer Vaccine. It was at a pop up clinic not too far from a local high-school in my town. Not gonna lie I was very nervous. Not just because I heard about possible side effects, but because I have a crippling fear of needles.

I am gonna give you an in depth insight to what happened.

First of all the shot appointment for both the first dose and anyone going for their second dose after they taken their shot somewhere else, is only open today and tomorrow between the hours of 9AM and 9PM. So if you're in the Toronto and Scarborough Area, look for the signs they'll tell you which building to go to.

Second, there was no serious line up. To get the shot where I'm from you need a driver's license or a piece of paper that has proof of address. Bank Statements and Credit Card bills being your best bet. You of course also need your health card. They give you a checklist along with an admission ticket. Once in there the nurse asks for personal information and you answer the questions. Nothing fancy. Just any allergies or other complications that would prevent you from getting the shot.

Third, after you get in, you're taken to one of the doctors in charge of administrating the shot. They ask for your health card and once confirmed, they ask you to choose an arm. I used my right arm. They injected me and put a sticker label on my shirt and sent me to a waiting area, where I must wait for 15 minutes, until a nurse comes to confirm my information. After that they tell me when the next dose is scheduled and send me on my way with this little piece of paper.

The short end of it is the side effects warning, the astrazeneca warning in case anyone took that, the covid precautions and when the next appointment is gonna be. So far other than an itchy arm from where I was injected, I have not felt any serious side effects yet. I can assure you though I am putting my health and life on the line and I do expect some things to happen to me even if they're minor. All I can say my listeners is wish me luck.

Update 10:40 PM. While it may just be coincidence, since I went to and from the place on foot, but one of the side effects listed is tiredness. After I ate and wrote this news message I felt sleepy and lay down for a while. I just woke up only 10 minutes ago. I also found myself severely dehydrated. I've been drinking more water than I usually do. My arm kinda hurts, but it's more sore than just painful.

Update 1:29 AM. I went for a walk, mostly to stay in shape, but also to keep my mind off my arm. A little insight of my life. I go to food banks, due to limited income and while they mean well and give me enough to survive. They often give me stuff I just can't eat for one reason or another. Namely produce that is just a day or so away from expiring. So I venture off into a near by park near some woods and toss it because there's deer there and they come out every night. This night was nothing new. Since my right arm is my dominant I carry the bag full of produce with it. It hurt a little just from holding it, as well as from the weight of my jacket. So when I went home, I felt around where I was injected. There is some swelling there and as a result it's made my arm very sensitive to even the slightest of touches. I should also note, that I have also developed a strange craving for more sugar based snacks. While I do like the occasional sweet tooth, I never ever had this excess before. At least while sober.

Update May 14 7:09 AM: Swelling went down. Arm still sore, but not as bad as it was. Sugar and water cravings still at an all time high. So far aside from a strange dream, there doesn't seem to be anything unusual or severe.

I also posted a song based on it:

Update May 14 7:28 PM: Just a few hours ago I felt a huge wave of nausea. It was like nothing I ever felt before. It made me feel like I wanted to hurl my guts out but couldn't and it is very painful. I went to the nearest Pharmacy to get some Gravol. I hope it works.

Update May 15 9:36 AM: After taking some gravol and resting it off, I decided to make a song that captivated the pain, dizziness and overall feeling of dread the nausea gave me.

Update May 15 1:00 PM: The nausea returned about 2 hours before I wrote this. The Gravol did give me some temporary relief, but it didn't last long. I took two this time and it didn't work. So using what I could while still delerious from the sensations, I had what most people would call a eureka moment. This is what I would call the nuclear threshold if all else fails. I went to the store and got as many ginger ale as I can get my hands on. Preferably the Canada Dry brand as it's one of the few that actually has Ginger in it. I went home, drank as much as I could and after a bit of gas trouble, it cleared the bulk of the nausea out and even gave me a burst of energy. So in this update I will list you from my trial and error, what I call the "Vaccine Recovery kit."

1. Sugar based products. This is mostly to satisfy the cravings.
2. Over the counter pain relief. If the pain in your arm or later in your joints becomes unbearable. This is the go to thing to get. Preferences being Aspirin and Ibuprofen. The latter of which for muscle pain.
3. Plenty of fluids. Water, Juice, Pop, Gatorade, you name it, keep yourself hydrated.
4. Gravol. It does seldom work, but it comes in handy.
5. Ginger Ale. For when Gravol doesn't work. Or any ginger based beverage would do.

Update May 16 2021 11:49 PM: So far the nausea hasn't returned. The pain in my arm is long gone, but I am very cautious. While I was able to recover from this, that specific symptom threw me off guard. It was like nothing I've felt before. As I mentioned to RipCatcha in the comment the sensation was similar to that iconic scene from Alien, only no chest bursting. I fear the day I take the second dose I may relive this or worse. On the plus side, I may be better prepared for it. I just hope the overall journey has given you warning, learning and above all else hope that you'll make it through this pandemic.

Update May 19 2021 4:03 AM:

It has been exactly one week since I first took the first dose. My sugar cravings aside I have not felt any of the effects I've mentioned in the past couple of days and seem to be officially recovered. In celebration of said recovery I present the last part of my vaccine song trilogy.