Felled by Pfizer

I received my second dose on Monday at 2:30 PM. The first dose three weeks earlier had no effect on me at all. This time was different.

After the shot on Monday I felt fine. I woke up Tuesday morning still feeling pretty good, with just a kind of vague headache. So I decided to do the Tuesday club ride starting in Lockeford.

The Tuesday ride is a flat 40 miles. We ride 25 miles to the Towne Cafe in Lodi where we take a coffee break. Most of this part of the ride is into the prevailing wind. Marlin and I do a lot of the pulls on the upwind portion, with help from Dean. But yesterday I was determined to ride easily lest I exacerbate any oncoming side effects. So I reverted to following wheels or even dropping off of the back.

When I reached the rest stop and stopped pedaling, I suddenly did not feel so well. I was nauseous and my headache was worse and I started getting cold even though the day was sunny and nice and warm. I had to move my chair from the shaded terrace into the sun to try to warm up.

Normally I get something to eat, preferably the excellent breakfast burrito, but today that seemed like a dubious idea. So I drank a Pellegrino hoping the bubbles would ease my stomach discomfort, and sucked down a 100 calorie easily digestible gel for some energy to ride back.

Several Tuesday riders live in Lodi. They start early and ride to Lockeford, so the Towne Cafe is the end of their ride. Three of them offered to drive me home, which was very nice. But I decided to continue to ride, easily. No speed records or anaerobic heart rates for me. I was just trying to survive.

I made it, but I was feeling worse the entire time. I drove home, took a shower, ate something, grabbed a blanket to keep warm and took a nap.

I had a low fever, just under 100. I had aches and some shooting pains. When I retired to bed, quite early, I kept having chills and sweats and my headache was worse. It was an uncomfortable night.

Now I do not want to exaggerate. I am not deathly ill. I am not miserable. I am still glad I have both shots and that magic piece of paper that may or may not be needed to travel to France, if that ever becomes possible.

But I get a flu shot every year, mostly because Stoker thinks I should. And I have never had this kind of reaction. It is like I have ‘flu light’, just enough to quash your joie de vivre and remind you that this is a world of toil and trouble.

Your experience may be different of course. But when you get a second dose you might be advised to be smarter that I was and stay off of the bike for a day or two.