Pain in the Neck

As someone with a chronic illness with medications that result in my becoming immunocompromised, I'm always told how important it is for me to receive the flu shot. Last year, I didn't receive it, because Carswell could not answer the simple question on if it was a live vaccine or not (immunocompromised people cannot take live vaccines). So, they did not give it to me. I got through the season unscathed, amazingly, and now it it once again that time to make the decision, to vaccine or not to vaccine.

Honestly, it's a no brainer for me. If I'm allowed the vaccine, I'm all for it. My doc on Friday learned that I'm able to definitely take the injection, but not the nasal or other forms and so I received my flu vaccine in the early afternoon Friday.

Friday evening, the pain began. It started in my neck, then down spine into shoulder blades and across top of left shoulder. Movement could cause the pain to go as high as a 7.5 out of 10, and I know my pain. 

I've been really working on not complaining and working through pain, but when I could barely move my head Saturday, I knew something was up. It was even worse sunday. I kept trying to figure out if this was part of this "flare" that my doc was telling me about, but it didn't seem to fit anything from my past.

I happened to have a doc appt set up for this morning to get referrals scheduled (thank god) so I asked the doc to look it over. The tightness and pain was incredibly evident and he wanted to give me something strong for the pain, but all narcotics do are make me sick and I'm not able to take Aleve/Ibuprofen type meds. So, muscle relaxers were all he could do. He wanted me to sleep for three days, but I have way too much work, so the only drowsy pill is for nighttime, but today, the daytime pill did nil... Ugh.

Anyway, this is what's wrong with me (this time): since I am immunocompromised, my body reacted to the flu vaccine and thinks it has the flu. Soy neck, muscles, shoulders, are all in flu symptoms, even though I DO NOT HAVE THE FLU! Okay, even to me that sounds weird! I have no other flu symptoms at all, but my muscles are totally in spasms and tight and in protection mode - especially on the side the shot was given. It's rare, but with me, what else is new??

My doc made it clear that I am to still get the flu shot annually, but we will want to make sure I can take a couple days off after and have scripts ready beforehand in the future... 

I can see my request for time off now: "Dear future employers, please give me the next week off so I can recover from the flu shot to avoid the flu so I don't miss a week of work... Thanks!"

Such is life!

Be well and get your vaccine! Trust me, this is not likely to happen to you!