Rant away about COVID, the vaccine, etc.

Mae,

You can obtain an exemption from the Texas Department of State Health Services:

https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/docs/faq_exe...

You can certainly do any banking or government business if you call ahead & arrange for an appointment. This is just like a parent who has a child with measles or chicken pox. You must arrange for an appointment & be admitted through a limited access area. Personally, in the past 15 months, I have had to deal with selling a home I did not own, process securities for sale in which I was only a beneficiary and work through other financial hurdles. None of these required me to go into a bank or other brick and mortar facility. Everything was accommodated online.

I appreciate you masking when you need to interact with the public. You are an outlier with regard to a vaccine but each has their own reasons.

Stay well,

Jane

JO, I don't think anything was wrong with your thread. I do think someone probably complained. I can't say I've ever heard of a thread being shut down for having enough information already. That could apply to many long running threads.

If you are vaccinated or not, please wear a mask. Whenever someone "gives me permission" to wear a mask, I want to respond by saying you're welcome as the mask does more for others than for me.

I am not sure why someone would turn to a Podcaster, politician, eye doctor/surgeon, internal medicine doctor, etc. for medical advice outside their field. If I wanted a second opinion regarding my cancer would I consult a podiatrist? I have stage 4 cancer and had an internal medicine doctor ask me when treatment will be done.

If I offend maybe I can be sent to a special room, banned, or blocked.

my biggest source of anger about those who aren’t getting the vaccine out of personal preference is that their choice doesn’t just affect them, it affects them, their families, anyone who comes into contact with them, and ultimately the general public and all of society. I have zero anger toward the people who can’t get the vaccine for health reasons, but I am angry on their behalf.

To get the vaccine or not is not like the choice for breast cancer patients to take an AI or get chemo. For cancer patients, you can look at your specific situation, get advice from an oncologist or two and find out the standard of care and various options and risks, and then make the decision that will only affect you and the people you are close to.

With the vaccine, misinformation is spreading rampantly and distrust is extremely high, but the decisions to get vaccinated has life and death implications that affect you, your family, and literally everyone you come into contact with, regardless of whether you wear a mask or not. (Masks help, everyone should wear them — but they were never expected to completely protect everyone all of the time.) And of course, beyond the actual life and death risks an unvaccinated person is taking at this point with the delta variant, they are also helping this pandemic continue, giving covid more opportunities to mutate yet again, and prolonging all of the various mitigation efforts that stress us all out and make us angry.

For those of us on this forum, I have an even harder time understanding hesitation. If you’re here, you were most likely diagnosed with cancer and understand the sheer fear that diagnosis causes. And then you almost certainly got treated — almost certainly with surgery, and a high likelihood of either chemo, radiation, or an AI — or all of the above. Chemo is literal poison — but when faced with the prospect of chemo, most of us look at our risks and decide the poison will do. The vaccine has some side effects, sure, and some things are unknown about it — but at this point it has been tested millions of times on millions of people and has proven to be a safe, effective way to save lives. And unlike the choice to have chemo or take an AI, the decision to vaccine or not affects everyone.

This is why I’m angry.

The vaccine passport is useless for restaurants and concerts. You can purchase one at the local flea market for 25 bucks. So, do not think vaccination passport mandates locally are going to prevent unvaccinated people from attending these venues.

Tinkerbell107, My husband and I ate out three times when things seemed relatively safer after our vaccines. One was just a Denny's 😐 for a late breakfast after a test I'd had to starve for. We picked it for convenience and because it's one that has scattered seating in the best of times. They were really spreading patrons out in different sections this time. Another place is almost all booths, and they had put plexiglass extensions up to the ceiling between each. The third has always had their seating far apart, so we took a chance because it's one place we missed. But that was it, we're still doing carry-out when I don't want to cook or picnics on weekends. Luckily, we're year-round picnickers unless it's actually snowing. I saw a lot of places last winter that did tented patios, but I don't see how that would be any safer than going indoors.

My husband's large family is having their annual gathering Labor Day weekend. It was cancelled for the first time in decades last year. As far as I know, all adults are vaccinated, but some of them, based on their FB posts, have been socializing quite a bit, plus there are a lot of school-age children. Luckily, it's always been an outdoor event, so I guess I'll claim a spot with some others who don't have minor children or grandchildren and have a mask handy. My life-long RBF comes in handy for keeping children and social butterflies at bay.

Jhl, thank you for the link. I have looked at that form before but I do t feel like it applies, as it more a medical thing for me and appears to be related to schools or school children. I do appreciate you taking the time to find and post it though 🙂

Melbo, I never thought I’d do chemo pre cancer but being diagnosed stage IV from the get go brought a desperation that left little room for alternatives. Unfortunately, my first two failed attempts (due to extremely severe reactions) didn’t help that initial mindsbut I eventually found one effective and tolerable.

Ideally, I’d like more time with the vaccine information particularly the efficacy and effects 2-5 years out.

Honestly, since being vaxed, I have not worried about restaurant dining. I go to the diner for lunch after every onc appt. the staff is all masked but they don't require customers to mask. If you sit in a booth you aren't near other customers, that's an advantage of diners or anyplace with booth seating.

We went out on New Years Eve. Pre-vaccination. The restaurant we chose was crowded and we were a little doubtful about staying but the staff was accommodating and let us sit upstairs, which had been closed, so we were the only people up there. It was wonderful!

I've been to two weddings - pre vax, celebrated outdoors. Post vax, church ceremony with social distancing and masking, reception outdoors.

I'm still COVID negative. No one from either wedding has COVID.

I flew twice before vaccination and twice since. The airlines and the airports are taking precautions. I know I am “privileged" in that I am not on chemo, not immune compromised, etc. But I am Stage IV and for me it's a balancing between - do I do the things that bring me joy, right now, while I can — or do I sequester myself for who knows how long until there is absolute zero COVID risk.

I am not advocating recklessness, although zero-risk advocates would disagree. Like I said, I am finding balance.

***forgot, I went to a baby shower also. Post-vax. Was supposed to be outdoors but had to be brought indoors. Church rec room, all doors left open for ventilation. Homecooked food from my relatives.

AliceBastable, Olma and KBL: I appreciate how you are are making choices based on having a balance but within your comfort level. I recognize there is not an ideal response to dining. You either do it or don't do it. I guess the middle ground would be as AliceBastable mentioned, scattered seating and the plexiglass booths. This is just another layer added of stress, negotiating life decisions, which becomes tiresome.. KBL: Cooking?? Maybe you will follow your daughter's footsteps, lol.

Illimae, I have nothing agains anyone unable to be vaccinated and I believe most of them are being cautious to protect themselves and others. My rant is about people using this time to announce to the world about their "freedoms" or any political excuse making things worse for us all.

Wishing you well.

Illimae, So true and so unfair.

Illimae,

I know that some lump all who are not getting vaccinated into the same category but please know that most people understand legitimate medical reasons for not being vaccinated. Those who don’t need to educate themselves. BTW, I hate auto correct! It changed your username to what it wanted three times 🤨

Illimae, I don't mind the vaccine passport idea because it at least can minimize exposure indoors, but I think it shouldn't be implemented without options. There should be a pass for people with legitimate health reasons for not taking the vaccine because, let's face it, what person that was unable to get the vaccine would go about their day without taking precautions not to catch it? Also, I don't agree with anti vaxxers, but somewhat understand the vaccine hesitant. There should be options for those people like maintaining outdoor dining and other ways to complete getting government paperwork, banking, etcetera done. Maybe have certain times for unvaccinated people to do their errands? Our county had certain times for the elderly and immune compromised to do their errands when the vaccine wasn't around. Maybe now is the time for the unvaccinated to do their part in sacrificing some of their freedoms? It seems like a fair trade since the elderly and compromised did it all last year.

Let me make this very real:

My wonderful MIL, got cancer (non Hodgkinsons) was treated and doing well, had to go into hospital for pain in her stomach. Drs didn't even bother to suggest repairing a tear that was found in her stomach lining because of the Covid 19 packed hospital. They sent her back home to die? wait? recover? but oops on the Friday she was meant to be released, she tested positive for Covid 19. My mother in law died on the Saturday. (Pre Vaccine). RIP Carol. I loved you.

A very good family friend/uncle got Covid 19, no underlying conditions except he was in his 70s (probably high cholesterol- he certainly loved his food),not overweight or anything but not an exerciser, he went to hospital because he had trouble breathing, he got oxygen felt better they sent him home. Three days later his sister went to see him because he wasn't answering calls. She found him dead on the kitchen floor. Pre vaccine.. RIP Lennox.. I miss you.

My friend, C, lost both her aunts (having already lost her mother to breast cancer) to Covid - one lived in Canada, the other in the Caribbean. They had been on one of the very first cruises at the start of the pandemic. I don't know if they had underlying conditions.

My youngest sister fought Covid for 3 terrifying weeks (she has asthma but was too young for the vaccine at that time). Three weeks shitting myself wondering if I was going to lose my sister. She made it through okay with oxygen, she didn't need a ventilator. Her stupid partner/BF wasn't a mask wearer and didn't think Covid was a big deal.

My husband was on a ventilator back in 2017 for an unrelated condition but developed Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Five days of sheer fucking terror when the Drs told me he had a 50/50 chance. He made it. I have spent the entire year scrubbing myself down (I have to go out to work), not touching my husband, my poor son unable to go out, for fear of killing my husband.

When we were allowed to get vaccinated I cried with joy and relief. When my son was able to be vaccinated (he is 14), I started to breathe again.

And now I am fucking furious that I am surrounded with Covid again. Entirely preventable.

I really really hope that the government and all the corporations tell everyone that if they don't want the vaccine, then stay home. Your body, sure. So keep your body away from civilized society. Civilized society recognizes that we care for each other and not just ourselves. Get over your personal freedom shit and think about your fellow man instead.

My coworker (who was told get vaccinated or get another job - we work with the elderly), cheerily told me that my MIL had really died of the flu. I resisted the urge to bitchslap him because I am in favour of reasoning rather than violence to make my point. Roll on 8 months later, he coaches football at school with another young man 20s, healthy, fit. So this young man died of Covid (vehemently unvaccinated) last week. My coworker has stopped talking about the flu. What a godawful lesson.

BTW this is not aimed at anyone on this site, it's just my rant. I have no issues with those who have bona fide reasons for remaining unvaccinated as opposed to political bullshit. I could give a rats ass about politics except for the fact that it seems to have turned mainly decent people into blinkered morons.

There are 17 of us in my immediate family, we have all now been vaccinated (we live in the US, UK, Ireland, Caribbean). Vaccinated in that country order as well. I am grateful every day, that I live in the US and had first chance.

There's an irony in not wanting the vaccination, but being willing to take a drug off label and also in formulations intended for livestock. I've read poison control calls are up from people taking Ivermectin on their own, and there have been people hospitalized for heart failure.

The vaccination is a choice, but I feel like Ivermectin shouldn't be at all because nobody but a certain subset of sketchy non virologist or infectiologist MDs are saying it's okay. With that said, I often see people touting America's Frontline Doctors. This article from Time states the founder was one of the people arrested for taking part in the Jan 6 insurrection, and that their site is taking money from people without providing services or treatment. Seems like they have conned vulnerable people.

https://time.com/6092368/americas-frontline-doctors-covid-19-misinformation/?amp=true