So, yesterday. . .

[rolanni]

Yesterday, Steve drove me to Bangor, so I could get my second Pfizer shot at the Cross Insurance Center (across from the casino; look for Paul Bunyan in the front yard).  This was the same place I'd gotten my first shot, a couple weeks ago.  On my first visit, I thought Northern Light Hospitals, which is in charge of this site, had organized brilliantly.  This time they had streamlined the process even more.

There were a couple of changes from the first time.  This time, we had the company of a Police Dog (wearing a service vest that said POLICE), and his partner.  Police Dog was one of those Big Yellow Dogs that you see everywhere -- maybe some golden retriever mixed something else deep-chested, and solid.  He made it his job to check everybody over, and accepted a pat on the head from a person in a chair before his caretaker could say, "No, Dad!  He's working!"

I am sorry to report that this time I was not offered a choice between Looney Tunes band-aid and regular, and I had to tell the person who administered my shot why I didn't want it in my left arm.  ("Left-side mastectomy," I said.  "Right," she said, briskly.  "No sticks in the left arm.")

Funny thing there is that she wrote my Free To Go time on a Pfizer info-page for me -- 11:10.  I turned my head to look at the clock she had consulted to get this time, and it said:  11:10.  I looked at her.  "No, no!"  she said.  "That clock is to save our brains; it's set 10 minutes ahead."

I was pointed to the recovery lounge, waited my ten minutes, and wandered out to find Steve and the car.

I did have the impression -- which may be quite wrong -- that there were less people getting the second shot than had gotten the first.  In theory, I should have been with my cohort -- the same group that I had been with for the first shot, and we were not nearly so crowded yesterday.  OTOH, second shots were administered on the opposite side of the building, and they had done wonders using the available space, in addition to upping the efficiency of the whole process, so they could have just been moving people through faster.

After my shot, Steve took us to Bangor Wine and Cheese on Hammond Street, where we made the acquaintance of Greta, who has just recently been given the job as Official Welcomer.  Maybe some basset hound in Greta, or corgi? -- brown, bow-legged, white chest and nose, big, sweet eyes.

We took on a case of mixed wines, some flavored vinegars and olive oils, as well as olives stuff with feta.  Then we said a fond farewell to Greta, and motored on home the long way.  The car's map showed us a new route home -- honestly, I would never have thought to go up Lebanon Street in Winterport, because it looks like an alley.  Come to find out it becomes routes 139 and 69, and 69 eventually crosses 202, and anybody can find their way home from 202.

Stopped to pick up a pizza on the way home, and took it easy the rest of the day.  I did have a talk with Trooper about shop-keeping, to see if he might like to keep a shop, pointing out that Greta not only had a Big Comfy Pillow in the street-side window, but also a nice grey bucket chair with a blanket back behind the counter, so there were real compensations.  Trooper, however, feels that he has found his niche as a writers' cat.

Unfortunately, I do have some side-effects from the shot:  muscle aches mostly.  The vaccination site is a little bruised, but I've had worse with flu shots.  I've taken an ibuprofen and drunk some Gatorade.

The plan, insofar as I have a plan, is to take the day off.  Yeah, yeah, I know, but sometimes I can make it stick.

Everybody stay safe.

Comments

[mirlacca]

Inquiring minds says, "how is mastectomy connected to choice of inoculation site?" This falls under "you never know when you might need to know this."

[rolanni]

Because I had breast cancer with lymph node involvement, and therefore Dr. Raygun zapped the lymph nodes under my left arm. This means that arm is more at risk of infection, because lymph nodes are Cleaners of Infection. So! You don't want to do anything to insult the left arm, such as sticking a needle in it, or getting your arm scratched by a cat, or shredding your knuckles on a mandolin, because any of those might cause a Really Out of Proportion infection.

Or, yanno, not.

But nobody wants to tempt the odds.

[mirlacca]

I did not know that. Thank you.

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[nlbarber]

The left-arm jab attempt caught my eye--I got my first jab last week and as a lefty, asked for the right arm. The jabber refused, saying it was left arm only unless there was a medical reason (like a mastectomy). My sister-in-law, another lefty, just asked and got jabbed in the right arm. I'm now wondering whose protocol is pushing left arm only and why--not that I'm medically trained in any way, but I just can't see a reason for it.

[rolanni]

That's interesting. I did hear another jabber telling a jabbee that they were preferring to jab in the "non-dominant" arm. Did you tell her you were a lefty?

[nlbarber]

Yes, that was my opening argument. She responded that they were told to give them all in the left arm barring a medical excuse. I thought she said that was from the CDC, but I’m now suspecting it was just Publix (grocery store pharmacy). My sister-in-law went to a Walgreens.

[rolanni]

Sounds like somebody streamlined instructions in order to make things easier for themselves. Still -- glad you got the shot and hope the side effects are/have been minimal.