I have heard many stories about the COVID-19 vaccine, that I thought I would take some time to answer everyone’s questions about my experience with the vaacine.

In early March of 2021, My wife and I went to the local vaccination site to receive the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.  It was fairly cold that evening, about 40 degrees outside.  We waited in line for about 15 minutes.  I remember when we went into the tent, my wife (who is Mexican) was treated like royalty. I, on the other hand was treated like a criminal. I had to pull out every piece of proof of my identity and the supervisor had to come to clear me to get this shot. Needless to say, I took this as a bad sign, but I pressed on. As I went into the vaccination area, I was greeted by a nice young Navy sailor. He said that because I may have pre-existing issues, that they would like for me stay 30 minutes after I get vaccinated just as a precaution. He proceeded to give me the shot. It didn’t hurt. I was more nervous than anything at that moment. I suppose I was scared of the unknown, yet I powered through it. I sat in observation for 30 minutes along with 50 more people. I remember feeling cold, but I was not sure if I was cold because of the weather, or cold because of the vaccine. After the 30 minutes was up, my wife and I went home at around 7pm.

Once we arrived home, we decided to go to bed early at 9pm just to sleep through any possible side effects from the vaccine. A few hours after sleeping, I was awaken by a very strong heart palpitation. It freaked me out. I stayed calm and tried to go back to sleep. A few minutes later, I got extremely cold. I was under 2 blankets, and the heat was turned up to 80, but for some reason, I could not get warm. I took my temperature, and It was normal. I checked my blood pressure and it too was normal. So, I drank some hot Moroccan Mint Tea and went back to sleep.

For the next few days I felt as though I was cold. I could not get warm. Then I noticed the loud ringing in my head. I had tinnitus from my time as a US Army armored tank commander, but this ringing was extremely loud and didn’t seem to come from the same area as my tinnitus. The cold sensation lasted for 2 to 3 weeks, but the ringing continued. It’s even present with me now as I am writing this blog. I also began to forget things. I still tend to forget what I am doing or thinking. It is harder to concentrate now. I have heard people call this the “COVID vax brain fog.”  Well, it’s real!

After experiencing these side effects, my doctor thought it wise not to get the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It has been over 5 months since shot #1, and now there is this issue with the Delta variant. I am not an anti vaxer, but I am cautious about which vaccines to get. However, when it come to COVID-19, I have been more on the “get the darn vaccine” side because I saw 5 of my friends die from it, and one other friend barely surviving it. Now that there is this Delta variant, I am seeing almost everyone I know coming down with it. I have many fans, friends, and family. I would dare say that 1 out of 3 of them have contracted COVID-19. Two of my friend never got vaccinated and they got COVID twice within a few months. I have not met anyone who got the vaccine get deathly sick from COVID as of yet.

So, where does this leave me? Do I risk getting COVID-19 shot #2 and risk possible lifelong side-effects, or do I not get shot #2 and see if my shot #1 is strong enough to keep me safe and alive? I won’t lie, but I am seriously considering shot #2. I will talk with my doctor this week. If I do take shot #2, I will post it here so you can read it. I know many of you have fears about the additional side effects of shot #2. So, I may sacrifice myself so that you can make a better informed decision about what you should do. There is a lot of misinformation going around. I am honored that you consider me a trustworthy source of truth. God willing, I will continue to do so. Stay tuned!