The last you heard from me, the COVID-19 vaccine injection site on my right arm was red, hot, raised, itchy, and just overall uncomfortable. I haven't heard of a lot of people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who suffered side effects like me (chills, fever, body aches, headache, and of course, COVID arm). That's why I feel like it's important for me to share what happened to me. Here's what I tried, what worked, and what didn't work to remedy my unhappy COVID arm.

Cortizone 10
I read that hydrocortisone helped some people with the itchiness. Since I'm always getting bitten by mosquitoes, I usually keep some in the first aid kit. Luckily, the Cortizone 10 I had didn't expire until this September so I slathered it on my arm.

It felt less itchy. For about 10 seconds. Then, it was maybe even more itchy! Fail.

Warm compress
I've stocked up on compresses because of my million bouts of mastitis in the past eight months. Anyway, I read that warm compresses have helped people who've experienced pain at the injection site so I tried it. And omg it made the pain worse. Warm compresses did not work for me!

Cold compress
With my aforementioned abundance of compresses, I decided to try a cold compress. And hallelujah it made my arm feel much better, nice, cool, and comforting. The warmth of my arm turned the cold compress warm in 10 minutes but it was better than nothing.

Aloe gel
I was complaining about how my arm was so itchy and a friend suggested that aloe gel could help. I had a container of aloe that I bought in hopes of making DIY hand sanitizer during the pandemic but it never came to that. So I slathered the aloe on my COVID arm and it was soothing. This time for 10 minutes or so. Longer than the Cortizone. But I didn't know if it was worth continuously applying the aloe gel. But the success of the cold compress and the aloe gell gave me an idea. . .

(Generic) Benadryl with aloe cooling spray
Finally! Something that actually soothed the pain and itchiness for more than 10 minutes! Once the icy spray hit my arm, it felt locked in and fricking amazing. I only had to apply it once in the morning and once before bed! After two days of using the cooling spray, most of the redness, pain, and itchiness went away. 

So I got my Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination on Monday, March 22. I bought and started using the cooling spray on Friday, March 26. By Sunday, March 28, most worst symptoms of my COVID arm were gone. Today, on March 31, the injection site on my arm is still a little raised and sensitive to the touch, but all the pain, redness, and itching are gone. 

On the news, I saw that they estimated 0.5% of people who got the Moderna vaccine had a COVID arm reaction. They're not even reporting on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine so I hope this is helpful to anyone out there who's experiencing these scary symptoms after their shot. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below. 

If I had the choice to either get or not get the shot, I would still without a doubt get the COVID vaccine, even though the side effects were unpleasant. Because I know it's nothing compared to getting the coronavirus.
 

On Monday, March 22, I got my COVID-19 vaccine. It seems so surreal.

Unlike many people on Oahu, I got my shot at a pharmacy (instead of at a mass vaccination clinic). The gal who administrated my shot was nice, but omg the shot hurt. I looked at the needle as it was being tossed in the bin and it was all bent. *gulp* When the gal put on the band-aid, I flinched because of the pain.

But of course the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are nothing compared to the virus so I'm not complaining. I'm just sharing my experience. And full-disclosure, I'm currently nursing my infant daughter. Anyway, here's a breakdown of my symptoms that followed the next three days.

Monday, March 22
3:00 p.m. - Checked in for my shot.
3:11 p.m. - Got my shot, OUCH! Saw the needle used to inject the vaccine all bent as it was thrown into the needle bin. Lordy.
3:31 p.m. - Got the okay to leave from the pharmacist. I had to stay 30 mins instead of the standard 15 mins because of my allergy to Tylenol and aspirin. I felt fine except for the pain in my arm.
5:00 p.m. - Nursed my 8 month-old daughter for about 20 mins.
5:30 p.m. - Hosted a small dinner party for a friend's birthday. I started feeling hot and sweaty but maybe it was because I was running around getting the food set up and taking care of my daughter.
8:00 p.m. - As the party started winding down, I started feeling sleepy and my feet started feeling cold. Fun fact about me, I never feel cold, I run really hot.
8:30 p.m. - As I began nursing my daughter, I started feeling full-body chills and my skin started feeling sensitive the way it does when I get sick.
9:00 p.m. - My husband noticed that our daughter had some red splotches on her stomach and what looked like bug bite marks on her leg. I worried that the vaccine was causing my daughter some sort of allergic reaction. But it also kind of looked like dry skin. My husband and I decided that we'd moisturize Baby T. and keep a close eye on her skin and breathing. If they got worse, we'd take her to the doctor, but if it didn't get worse but was still there in the morning, we'd call her pediatrician.
9:30 p.m. - I went to sleep with pain in my arm, the chills, and fatigue. I took my temperature and it was 97.3, no fever. Also, maybe not accurate? I suspect that though the thermometer from Amazon, it's from a foreign country.

Tuesday, March 23
4:30 a.m. - Baby T. woke me up to nurse. Her skin looked better and her breathing was normal, much to my relief. I nursed her and she went back to sleep right away. I was feeling better but also super congested. My arm was still sore but the chills went away. Took some nasal spray and Zyrtec. Decided to stay up and get some work done.
8:00 a.m. - My husband noticed that the injection site on my arm was red. I
12:00 p.m. - Started feeling tired. Not sure if it was the vaccine or the fact that I was up since 4:30 a.m. Took a 1-hour nap during my lunch break.
1:00 p.m. - Felt better and got back to work. Finished the workday strong.
8:00 p.m. - While nursing Baby T., my feet started feeling cold, which is very rare.
8:30 p.m. - Finished nursing and had full body chills. My husband told me to take a nice, warm shower but I didn't want to water to hurt my skin so I took a Benadryl and went to bed. Put a warm compress on my arm, which was throbbing with pain whenever I moved it. Felt congested again so I took nasal spray and Zyrtec.

Wednesday, March 24
5:00 a.m. - Baby T. woke me up to nurse. My head was pounding and my arm was still stiff and sore. Nursed baby and called in sick to work. Went back to sleep.
10:00 a.m. - Woke up when Baby T. started crying to be fed. Still felt tired but headache and chills were gone. Arm still red and sore but now itchy. Nose congested. Took nasal spray and Zyrtec.
12:30 p.m. - Felt well enough to drive husband to his first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Pier 2. We previously decided that we should get different shots just in case.
1:30 p.m. - Husband done with shot, said it didn't even hurt. Made me think the person who gave me my shot was inexperienced.
3:00 p.m. - Feeling fatigued, I took a nap.
6:30 p.m. - Work up, felt better. Arm still red, stiff, and sore.
9:00 p.m. - Felt well enough to take a shower. The hot water felt good.
10:00 p.m. - Took Benadryl and nasal spray. First evening I didn't have chills as I was going to bed.

Thursday, March 25
3:00 a.m. - Baby T. woke up to nurse. I felt better and decided to "go to" work. Arm still red and sore. Unbearably itchy. Looked up "COVID-arm" and put on some cortisone. Stopped the itching for a little while. Hopefully that's the last of my COVID-19 vaccine side effects.
8:00 a.m. - My husband said that his arm is sore and his body feels tired, but other than that, no symptoms really. Ahh jealous.

Overall, I'm just really thankful I was able to get the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. One and done. And I'm thankful that Baby T. wasn't affected by the shot. I'm hoping the antibodies will get transferred to her. Everything is still so new and scary! But for now, the Takabayashis are okay!

We all know that feeling: finally ordering that thing you've had your eye on for awhile. Whether it cost a little too much or wasn't exactly practical, it didn't matter. Because the heart wants what the heart wants.

Here's an all too relatable meme featuring Scout the Cat's Meow.

Scams of any kind are despicable. The most successful scams work when the victim is stressed out and they feel rushed and overwhelmed. Scammers take advantage of tax season to take advantage of you.

The more we know about scams and how they work, the less likely we'll fall for them. Check out the article I wrote for Island Scene Online, Avoiding IRS Imposter Scams During Tax Season.

Do your best to educate yourself and your loved ones about scams. Always be vigilant. And if something feels just slightly off or strange, take some time to think it over or run the situation by someone you trust. It could be the difference between protecting yourself and getting scammed.

Baby T. makes eight months today! I can't believe how quickly time has passed.  She makes motherhood so much fun. Of course she's a lot of work but isn't that what I signed up for?

Here are some recent observations:

• Instead of fake coughing to get attention, Baby T. is starting to hyperventilate. It's very disconcerting.
• EVERYTHING she get her little hands on goes into her mouth. Her favorites are cell phones, remotes, video game controllers, and my fingers. 
• She's getting the hang of clapping, which is just too adorable.
• Baby T. is also able to sort of high-five if you put your hand up. I think she's just touching your hand because she's curious, but it still counts!
• She hasn't been into nursing as much, which is a relief for me. She seems to be weaning from Mama instead of Mama weaning baby.
• Baby T.'s hair was so long Dada T. gave her a haircut when I wasn't looking. I had a fit when I realized what he was doing. He had recently cut his own hair and figured he was a master stylist, omg. Little T. still looks cute, just a little feral.
• Lately, she's been really obsessed with Mama (me). Every time I leave the room (Dada T. is still there) she screams her head off until I come back. This makes me so thankful I'm working from home. When I go to the store or out to do errands, Dada T. reports that the baby cries and cries until she passes out. Omg. 

Overall, Baby T. is a joy. She makes me laugh and warms my heart when she smiles her gummy little smile. I can't wait to see what happens next!