Going on a Disney Cruise (Part 1)

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Hello, SuperCaptainBraveFAM!

Disclaimer: Please be aware that the information below is based on our own experience and, to our knowledge, correct as of January 2020. Procedures and amenities may change when cruise lines relaunch.

It’s Nurse Leah here on another Monday. Last week, I talked about how—before the pandemic—we used to go on short day trips with Kyle. (If you haven’t read it, you can click here to do so!) It’s a list of “must haves” for traveling with Kyle. Over the years, he’s also gone on overnight and multi-day trips to the Disneyland Resort, San Diego, Hawaii, New York, and Baltimore. The trip I’m about to share with you is our most ambitious to date.

In May of 2019, Kyle spent three days at sea aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship.

When the idea of taking a short, three-day cruise down the California & Mexican coast came up, you can bet that Team Kyle had to put our collective heads together to find out if it was even possible. Jennifer Norman, Kyle’s mom, spoke to his team of doctors to ask if traveling was advisable for him. Once we got word that as long as reasonable precautions were taken, Kyle could go on the trip, Team Kyle started researching the process of taking a person with adaptive needs onto a cruise ship.

Travel agents are a great resource and avenue to use when you can. Lots of times they have exclusive deals and information for families looking to enjoy every second of their vacation.

Team Kyle wanted that too. But we wanted to research everything ourselves and sometimes questions that come to mind when talking directly to the source don’t occur to you when talking to a liaison like a travel agent.

We looked into every aspect of the cruise. From scouring travel blogs and YouTube reviews of the wheelchair accessible staterooms; to contacting the Disney Cruise Line directly and asking questions that catered to Kyle’s specific needs, we poured months of research into ensuring that if we went on this trip, Kyle would be as safe as possible.

We were in uncharted waters and looked for information where ever we could find it.

Since the cruise would take us down to Ensenada, Mexico, the first order of business was getting Kyle a US Passport. Well, passports for all the kids coming on the trip. When I say that Team Kyle was going on this cruise, not only did I mean Kyle and his family. The nurses dedicated to Kyle’s care and their kids were invited, too.

It was a celebration, after all. In 2019, Kyle turned 13. After all of the hard work, setbacks, and triumphs, our Bootie-boy was now a teenager.

The Disney Cruise Line has a section on their website dedicated to answering the questions of guests with disabilities and what accommodations are available for them and their needs. This was way back in 2019 and the information might be different when the cruise line relaunches. The site only answered so many questions, Jenn and I spent quite a while on the phone with a Disney Cruise Line cast member to get clarification on several key areas.

Their Request for Special Services form covers requests that include:

  • plans to bring specific medical equipment

  • a request for distilled water (which we absolutely need for Kyle and was provided every day by the cruise line)

  • a need for electrical power and supplies deliveries

  • the need for a wheelchair accessible room

  • wheelchair accessible ground transportation when available

  • trained service animal notification (Permits are required for every country and port you’ll be sailing to and can take weeks or months to complete, so be aware of that. Also, the animal needs to be trained with the proper documentation for their roles.)

  • plans to travel with an oxygen concentrator and other oxygen related needs

  • requests for guests who have hearing disabilities like stateroom smoke detectors with strobe lights, and an American Sign Language interpreter for select shipboard shows & entertainment.

  • requests for guests with visual disabilities like audio descriptive devices and enlarged print formats for dinner menus.

  • severe food allergies like the ones Nurse Victor and my daughter, Remy have

As mentioned in The Adventures of SuperCaptainBraveMan books and on this blog, Kyle is oxygen and ventilator dependent. The process of having oxygen tanks on board the cruise ship was both straightforward and complicated.

Straightforward because the forms needed were easy to access and fill out.

Complicated because…well…they were forms and red tape is red tape.

We were informed that we sadly could not bring our own oxygen tanks. But they provided us the contact of a third-party distributor that had a contract with our port of departure. We secured the correct forms and received confirmation that the requested oxygen tanks would be delivered to the dock and placed in our stateroom.

Along with the oxygen tanks, we wanted assurance that the equipment we needed to bring could charge safely. Without going into specifics, there are at least 5 pieces of equipment that need to be charged nightly for Kyle’s care. All staterooms have outlets, but none have power strips.

And you can’t bring your own from home due to cruise line regulations.

But what you can do is request an extension cord from Guest Services the moment you board the ship. Unfortunately, when we went, you couldn’t reserve one beforehand. Paul Norman, Kyle’s dad, was unanimously volunteered to be the one to brave Guest Services when the time came.

Every stateroom has a mini-fridge and bathroom with sink. So, Kyle’s medications and feeding supplies had a place to chill—ha ha—and get cleaned every day.

The Disney Cruise Line website has floor plans and pictures of the wheelchair accessible staterooms. But pictures can only tell us so much. That’s where Nurse Victor came in with his obsession for travel vlogs and did some research.

YouTube became a great tool for use to see the accessible staterooms from a guest's perspective and one of the most informative videos that we watched over and again was the Disney Wonder Handicapped Accessible Stateroom 7138 Tour by RaeTravels.

And by coincidence, Kyle’s stateroom number on the Disney Wonder was 7636—on the other end, but the same floor as the room in the video. More video travel vlogs and online ship diagrams prepared us for the general feel of where and how Kyle could navigate the ship.

My favorite thing...was how incredibly accommodating the Disney Wonder staff was in regards to what it means to travel with a person with special needs. There wasn't a moment I felt: "Kyle can't do this."

Nurse Victor

The practical components taken care of, Team Kyle could focus on the traditional aspects of going on a cruise and a Disney cruise in particular. One of the best parts of going on a Disney cruise is the themed nights and the dining experiences.

This cruise in particular had a Pirate’s Night scheduled on the itinerary. And if you need to know anything about Team Kyle, you need to know that we love to dress up. We also like to surprise and prank each other, so we kept our individual pirate get ups a secret.

Originally, we were assigned the second dining group seating—where dinner service started at 8 pm. Having 13-, 9-, and 8-year-old kids in our group meant that an earlier dining option was preferable. We put in a request for the main dining group—where service started at 5:45 pm. The day we left port we were told that our request was granted and our first dinner would be at the restaurant, Triton’s.

One tidbit that we stumbled on when researching for Kyle was the fact that many people decorate their stateroom doors with magnets. Cell service is spotty even with the onboard app available to the people in your party. A lot of guests have whiteboards with dry erase markers on their doors so they can leave notes for their family.

When I saw how amazing these decorations were, I knew that we had to create something special for Team Kyle. Nurse Victor did an amazing job drawing everyone in “vacation mode” and I did what I could with MS Paint and printed out some Mickey head decorations and stuck them on magnet sheets I got online.

Some guests even take part in a small gift exchange. But with everything else going on, we couldn’t contribute to the idea. Next time, we definitely will.

So, we had costumes and we had decorations.

What comes next…? It was a Disney cruise. What came next was autograph books, new swimsuits, and lots of packing and repacking!

Join us next week where I get into the actual story of our trip and not just the practicalities of planning our possibly perilous passage into the unknown…otherwise known as a Family Vacation.

Check out the vlog we made outlining today's info (with extra pictures and video) below!

Stay safe and stay brave, SuperCaptainBraveFAM! Sea you all later!

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Going on a Day Trip

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Hello SuperCaptainBraveFAM!

Disclaimer: Please be aware that the information below is based on our own experiences and, to our knowledge, correct as of January 2020. Procedures and facilities may change when locations re-open.

Once upon a time, and in a soon-to-be time once again, we went on day trips with Kyle. Living in Southern California, there are many sights to see and places to visit.

Learning about the space shuttle Endeavor at the California Science Center.

We’ve been to the Getty Villa and learned about Greek and Roman artwork. We’ve taken Kyle to the zoo, the Natural History Museum, and our local outdoor theater to watch “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

But it’s not just about trips that make any school field trip planner proud. It’s about pure fun, too.

We visit pop up art locations, local amusement parks like Universal Studios and the Disneyland Resort, and—more recently—drive through exhibits like the Holiday Road light show this past Christmas.

Visiting Disneyland in 2018

But for all of these trips, research had to be done to find out the usual details. Where is it located? How much are tickets? Are there tickets? Will we have to pay for parking? Where are the First Aid Stations? Where are the elevators? Are there elevators? Will there be grounded outlets available in case our batteries need to be recharged?

Every family has a checklist. And yours might not include the last 4 on ours. But if it does, I’m here to share some of the tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years to make day trips as fun and safe as possible.

The question at the top of our travel list is always: how long will we be out?

As a ventilator and oxygen dependent child, the amount of battery life and oxygen in his tanks is limited. We’ve definitely had to brush off some math skills to calculate how long an oxygen tank will last on a trip and how many tanks we should bring with us. Along with how many tanks are allowed at any particular venue.

Our rule of thumb is bringing at least 2 extra oxygen tanks when we go out for the day. Depending on where we’re going, oxygen tanks might not be allowed. So, we’ve had to check online and call different locations if we have any questions.

Nurse Brigette with extra oxygen tanks for the day.

Luckily, this information is relatively easy to find out. The majority of locations—museums, amusement parks, even pop-up exhibits—have a “Contact Us” page with an email and phone number. All we have to do is ask our questions.

I can only remember one instance where having an oxygen tank with us posed a bit of a problem. And the issue had to do with a pyrotechnic aspect of the show we watched. The team member I spoke to was extremely helpful in explaining what alternatives were available to us. And we all got to watch the show—with Kyle using his portable oxygen concentrator for a short while in lieu of his oxygen tank.

Another question we need answered when we go out is: how accessible is the location?

Watching The Nightmare Before Christmas LIVE! @ the Hollywood Bowl, Oct. 2018

Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, many buildings have wheelchair access. Disabled parking spaces, ramps, and elevators are among the things we look for when considering a place to visit.

A prime example of how different locations adapt to these accessibility concerns is the movie theater. Kyle loves watching movies and live shows in the theater. And of all the theaters we’ve visited, several are definitely higher on our list of “theaters to visit”.

In the age of online ticket purchasing, I’m sure many of you have had to pick your seats among a grid of colored squares. And on this grid, you’ll find specialized wheelchair and wheelchair companion seats.

Some movie theaters might have these seats on “ground level” or the same level as the entrance to the theater. Some have them in the back row—if the entrance to the theater is near the back row of seats. Some have the seats at or near the very front right by the screen.

And some—like Kyle’s favorite movie theater—have seating near the top of the theater and is accessible through special elevators and hallways.

There were a few times the elevators malfunctioned. These things happen. And each time, the staff at the movie theater did their best to offer us alternatives ranging from ticket vouchers to another showing, to ticket exchanges to a different movie in a theater we could access, to the option of an escort for using the service elevator instead.

Excited to watch Black Panther at our favorite movie theater

Using the service elevator was fun. Every kid has a dream of exploring a cave system at least once in their life. And travelling the echoing, bare cement back hallways of a movie theater was definitely the 21st century equivalent of a cave system. One that smelled of popcorn.

These options were offered to us when we asked what we could do next. So, don’t be afraid to call your local movie theater—when it’s safe to watch movies in theaters again—and ask any questions you have.

Question 3 on our checklist is: where are the First Aid Stations?

It’s along the lines of knowing your fire exits. If you need emergency care, or a quiet place to care for the needs of your child, or a place to store medication that needs to be refrigerated, then knowing where the First Aid Stations are is an important part of going on a day trip with a special-needs member in your group.

When visiting places like museums or theaters, there might not be a dedicated area for first aid that has a qualified employee that can help. In that case, we make sure that we have what we might need with us and that it’s stuff we can carry comfortably.

Jennifer Norman and Kyle at KCON 2017

Being half-Korean, Kyle and his mom, SuperCaptainBraveMan author Jennifer Norman, attended KCON in 2017 with some of his nursing team. KCON is the world’s largest fan celebration of Korean culture and music. And was held that year at the Los Angeles Convention Center. While there, the staff showed us to the First Aid room and were very responsive to our questions during the K-Pop performances at the nearby Staples Center. (The elevators used to get to the seating area are pretty cool.)

Amusement & theme parks, convention centers, and sports complexes often have dedicated First Aid Stations staffed by qualified employees like EMTs, LVNs/LPNs, or even RNs.

The Disneyland Resort, for instance, has a First Aid Station in both parks staffed by Registered Nurses. Universal Studios Hollywood also has one adjacent to the Animal Actors amphitheater in the Upper Lot and a second one in the Lower Lot. There is also an active LAFD Fire Station on the Universal Studios property.

In both cases, we stopped by each First Aid Station and filled out paperwork outlining our equipment and supplies. In the case of Disneyland, we were allowed to store our extra oxygen tanks at the First Aid Station. While there, we were also given a list of rides/attractions that were wheelchair accessible—which was a longer list than I’d anticipated, TBH. (More about that in a future post.)

These stations were also a good place for some quiet when the excitement of the day came close to overstimulating Kyle. But I wouldn’t recommend camping out on a bed when it might be needed for another person. Heat stroke is definitely no joke.

There are usually several semi-hidden spots in theme parks for overstimulated kids and their parents to hang out and rest. Be sure to ask at the ticket counter or guest services and they’re sure to offer a few suggestions. Facebook groups and similar online forums are a good place to ask for specific attractions and events local to you.

Now, it seems like it’s been ages since many of us have gone on a vacation or even a day trip. For many, it was as simple as picking a place to go, making sure we were dressed correctly for the activity, pack a snack, and getting in the car.

For those living adaptive lives and their families, a day out might have a few more steps, but those steps lead to a heap of fun.

What tips and tricks do you use when planning day trips with your family? Comment down below or share them with us on our Facebook page.

As always, stay safe and stay brave, SuperCaptainBraveFAM!

Kyle's decorated stateroom door on our 2019 Disney cruise

Blog preview:

We are a big Disney family. And Kyle has visited Disneyland on multiple occasions and even went on a Disney cruise in 2019! I’ve got a whole blog series planned about our trips, including how we managed a 3-day stint at sea.  

So, join our mailing list and don’t forget to like & follow SuperCaptainBraveMan on social media to hear all about it!

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Hand Washing and Social Distancing

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Hello, SuperCaptainBraveFam!

It's Nurse Leah with two very special messages from SuperCaptainBraveMan. We all have been living very strange lives over the past year. We want all of you to know that we're doing our best to keep everyone safe by washing our hands and social distancing responsibly.

With that said, please enjoy these SuperCaptainBraveMan Comics drawn by our very own Victor Lodevico.

As the pandemic continues and numbers start to decrease, we should all work hard to keep each other safe. Remember to be an everyday hero to everyone around you.

As always, stay safe and stay brave, SuperCaptainBraveFAM.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list, like, and follow us on social media for more content and upcoming announcements!

www.supercaptainbraveman.com

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/supercaptainbraveman

I Got the COVID-19 Vaccine: Part 2

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Hello, SuperCaptainBraveFAM!

Nurse Leah here with part 2 of my vaccine journey.

On February 4th, I wrote a lot about the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19. Hopefully, it wasn’t too much of an information dump and answered some questions you might have had. Now that most of the technical stuff is out of the way, I can talk about my personal experiences with getting the vaccine.

Vaccine distribution set up, January 7, 2021

My main job is for a home healthcare company. This means that normally I go to my patients’ homes for anywhere between a 30-minute visit to a 12-hour shift. Traveling through the city is involved as well as direct patient contact. I was careful at maintaining a clean and sanitized work ethic before. Now, like many others, I’m almost over-zealous about it.

My vaccine story actually starts in the middle. In the middle of winter, in the middle of the multi-tier vaccination eligibility requirements created by the state of California, in the middle of a transition of leadership, and in the middle of my breakfast.

My job being what it is, I knew that even as a healthcare worker, I wouldn’t be eligible for either vaccine for a while. Frontline workers at hospitals deserve the vaccines first. So, I was surprised when I received an email from work with a link to make an appointment with the LA Department of Public Health for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

At the time of writing, if you visit the LA Department of Public Health website you can find links outlining the current tier system and eligibility requirements for vaccine distribution. There is also a link to schedule an appointment if you meet the requirements.

I made my appointment for 9:55 am on January 7, 2021.

Scheduling the first dose was pretty easy. I chose a site near my house to cut down on travel time and as early an appointment as I could get. At this site the vaccine offered was the Moderna vaccine.

Ever since 7th grade, I've lived my life on Lombardi time.

“If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.”

~Vince Lombardi

So, I showed up to my 9:55 appointment at 9:15 AM.

Nurse Leah waiting in the observation area after receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination.

Then had to walk a bit to get to the actual site since the GPS sent me to the wrong entrance of the building. I was instantly glad I was early because the line already went around the corner and was making its way down the street.

In early January, the vaccine wasn’t yet available to those 65 and older, so the others in line with me were fellow healthcare workers. Close to a year of practice meant that keeping a 6-foot gap between us was practically habit at this point. Which is a little sad to think about, but is our new normal.

It took about an hour and a half of waiting in line. I filled out the health form when I made the appointment and checking in was quickly done. From there it was just a matter of providing proof of employment & my ID and then I was sitting down for the shot.

The shot itself was pretty standard. Straight into my arm with me staring straight ahead. Because I absolutely hate needles and I’ve learned that looking at the process seems to make it hurt more. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. But I’m still not gonna look when I get an injection or blood drawn.

The first feeling I experienced was the cold. One thing I didn’t mention in the last vaccination post is that both vaccines need to be stored at very, very cold temperatures. Then my arm felt sore very quickly, which is normal for me when I get injections in my upper arm.

I got my vaccination card, was led to an area for observation, and given a time when it was considered safe to leave. I felt okay, if a little headachy. But after 15 minutes, I was okay to go home.

Chatting with friends while in the observation area

From the moment I got there to the moment I was cleared to leave; the whole process took about 1 hour and 45 minutes. I’ve waited in lines at Disneyland that were just as long. And the payoff for this wait is definitely worth it. During the wait time I texted with some friends who were doing the same thing I was, only at different sites.

By pure coincidence, my cousin—who works at a nursing home—received the vaccine the same day at his facility. We spent the rest of the day texting back and forth on how we were doing. The texts went along the lines of this:

Me: My arm hurts.

Him: Mine too. Got a fever?

Me: Nah. Not really. You?

Him: A little one. But it’s warm in my room.

*Two hours later*

Him: I fell asleep. Kinda tired.

Me: Same. Fever?

Him: Lemme check.
Nah

Me: Gotta eat. Laters

He told me the next day that he had little to no appetite, but that could also just be one of his quirks. I honestly couldn’t stop snacking—which is one of my quirks.

Stephen Chow as Sing in Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

But my arm was very, very sore. And remained sore for the next few days.

On January 12, Operation Warp Speed—the program tasked with vaccine development and distribution—announced that the vaccine would be made available to those 65 and older.

With the transition of leadership in the country, there was a bit of confusion on where, when, and how to schedule appointments for my mother and godmother, who are 69 and 75 respectively. Both are retired registered nurses who have each dedicated close to 35 years of their lives to their patients.

In an article on the AARP website, as of January 27, vaccines are available to adults 65 and older in all but six states—with some of those states planning to start distribution in early or mid-February. And even then, some counties have different age ranges listed for vaccine eligibility. Be sure to check the guidelines not only for your state, but county as well when looking to schedule an appointment for family members.

The situation on vaccine administration is ever evolving and the LA Department of Public Health website—DPH for short—has done its best to keep up with these changes. Information can and has changed by the minute with additional sites being added (or removed) from the list. My mother and I have taken to keeping a tab open on our phone’s internet browsers and checking every hour (or every 5 minutes) on available appointments at the sites she prefers.

On Sunday, January 24, I received an excited text from my mom stating that she got an appointment at one of the vaccination Mega PODs set up by LA County. She tried to schedule another one for my godmother for the same day, but in the time it took her to make one appointment, all the available spots were taken.

That’s when I started lurking on the DPH website, constantly refreshing the page and acting as I did in the early days of online auction shopping. Wishing and hoping.

Clickin’ and hopin’; refreshin’ and watchin’
Plannin’ and checkin’ each site for a spot
To make sure my Aunt gets her shot.

Sorry there, sometimes I re-write song lyrics in my head. (I love Dusty Springfield.)

Being so glued to the scheduling website, I almost missed the page flicker and change before my eyes. Suddenly there were three available appointments at the same location where I got my first shot.

THREE available appointments.

Knowing some of my godmother’s information, I started filling out the form and ran downstairs to tell her the news. (She & my mother live with me & my daughter now that they’re retired.) Excitedly, she gave me the other necessary details. Altogether, it took about 10 minutes to fill out the form and by the time we were done, all of the appointments were taken. Again.

Only this time, she had an appointment scheduled.

It was at this moment that the three of us—my mom, my godmother, and myself—realized that we’d scheduled their shots on the same day.

At completely different sites.

Retired RN, E. Mercado (age 75) waiting in the observation area after receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Across town from each other.

*Cue Benny Hill-esque music*

The first appointment on the schedule was for my godmother. 8:30 AM at a site close to our house. The second was for my mom at the Mega POD located at The Forum at 11:30 AM. And they only had one car available to use.

I had prior knowledge of the layout of the first vaccine site, so I gave them some advice on where to park and my godmother was second in line to get the Moderna vaccine. Once my godmother was cleared from the observation area, they drove to The Forum and my mom received the Pfizer vaccine there.

The experience of waiting for both vaccines in one day is a strange one for sure, but it might be a story that becomes a familiar one by the time spring comes around. With every passing day, news stories and online chatter about the confusion of the vaccine schedule grows. Instances like that my mother and godmother experienced may repeat itself throughout the country.

Thankfully, the controlled, nail-biting dash they went through for their first doses won’t happen for the second shots of their respective vaccines. They were both given appointments for their second dose after they received their COVID-19 Vaccination cards. And that’s one less worry for them.

Because my godmother got the Moderna vaccine, her second dose is scheduled 28 days after the first. And because my mother got the Pfizer vaccine, her second dose is scheduled 21 days after the first.

They can be more leisurely about getting the shots the second time around and I can feel a little better knowing that they are safer when they go out.

It's very important to note that if you receive the vaccine from one company, then your second dose MUST be from the same company.

And now the World Health Organization is stating that because of the burden and stress a limited supply of vaccines can cause on a country, the second dose of the vaccine can be given up to 42 days after the first. But the WHO encourages getting the second dose as close to the 21- or 28-day period originally intended by the creators of the vaccines.

But back to me.

When I scheduled my godmother's appointment, I still hadn’t received my second dose. At the time I was given my vaccine card, I was just told what time to schedule my second appointment. I wasn’t given one automatically; but told to check the DPH website when it was near the 28-day mark and make my appointment then.

Together we can limit the spread!

So, while I was refreshing the page to make appointments for the two most important women in my life, I was looking for an opening for my own appointment.

If you live in Los Angeles or San Diego county and are actively searching for vaccine opportunities, then you’ve probably noticed that California set up a scheduling website called myTurn. This is intended to help schedule vaccine appointments.

And in the first week of the website being active, it became a huge pain in my behind.

Partly because I wanted to make appointments for the elders in my family and partly because there was no option for me to make a second appointment for myself.

By day 4 of my frustration, I received an email from the LA Department of Public Health with a dedicated link to schedule my second dose of the Moderna vaccine.

They didn’t forget me after all!

Nurse Leah after the second Moderna vaccine injection

28 days after my first shot, I got my second one.

On Thursday, February 4th, I went back to the site where I got my first shot. The line looked longer from the last time, but it definitely moved faster and as I got closer to the front, I noticed several differences in the set up.

This time the number of personnel available to help people check in was doubled and there were twice as many stations administering injections. As well as a larger observation area with more seating and more people sanitizing the chairs. In addition, before entering the vaccine administration area the line branched off into two sections. One for individuals getting their first dose of the vaccine and one for those who were there for their second.

These were small, but effective changes that made getting the vaccine more streamlined. All in all, it took about an hour and 15 minutes. And 30 of those minutes were spent sitting in the observation area.

The reason I had to sit in the observation area for 30 minutes instead of the 15 minutes I sat for last time is because I have Type 2 Diabetes and that required a longer observation time. I forgot to ask if it was because this was my second shot or if more info was available now regarding the Moderna vaccine and side effects related to having Diabetes.

Once I got home, I was hit with a wave of fatigue that was stronger than any I'd felt in a long, long time. I knew that I had to eat something so that my immune system had fuel to react to the vaccine. So I ate a quick lunch and went down for a nap.

During my nap, my mom and daughter checked in on me and later told me that I was wrapped up in my blankets in a relatively warm room. When I woke up, I definitely had a fever.

Fatigue, chills, fever.

That's three of the common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. And three that I didn't really encounter during my first injection. Which could be taken as a sign that my immune system recognizes and is ready to fight any cell that has the SARS-CoV2 protein spike.

(Remember from the last post that SARS-CoV2 is the virus that causes COVID-19 and that the vaccines are designed to help the immune system recognize the virus by a specific protein spike on its cell surface.)

I hate getting fevers. Of all cold and flu symptoms, for me, fevers are the least tolerable. It feels like my eye sockets are on fire, my skin feels dry and hot, and once the fever breaks the clammy sweat is just...ugh.

My normal body temperature is close to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. So when my temperature rose to 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit at 1 am, I was miserable. But as miserable as I was, I am stubborn enough to let my body and immune system do their thing and ride the fever out. Until the morning, that is.

On Friday, I took some ibuprofen and started drinking sports drinks to stay hydrated. Throughout the day, I had the classic "medicine head" fog. Concentrating was difficult and remembering to eat became a bit of an issue. I could tell I was a little hungry, but there was no driving appetite.

As for my arm where I got the injection?

It was sore, but not as sore as the first time. Do you know what was sore? My neck and shoulders. I carry a lot of my stress in my shoulders and neck. I've been told this by multiple people, including my chiropractor and my mom. But this was a whole new level of tense.

I knew I had work the next day, but wasn't sure if I'd feel well enough to do so. Luckily, I work with a great team and one of my co-workers offered to come in if I needed her to.

Thankfully though, by 11 pm Friday night, the worst of the side effects were gone and I felt fine.

On Saturday, I went to work and did everything I needed to do. Bringing several sports drinks with me, to stay hydrated.

Now the only lingering effect of the second Moderna vaccine is soreness at the injection site.

Well, that and the knowledge that I'm now protected against the worst effects of a SARS-CoV2 infection, aka COVID-19.

My post-vaccine reactions may not be typical or shared by many people. But it's a better experience than getting COVID-19 to begin with.

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is an ongoing process and one of the biggest enterprises that our healthcare system has ever undertaken. I have friends in healthcare who are working at vaccination sites and spoke to me about how organized things are. And I have friends who are struggling to find appointments for their parents and grandparents.

My and my family’s experience with the vaccine and vaccine distribution process could be different from yours. Or eerily similar. Or some version of in between. Any way you see it, we live in unprecedented times and sharing stories & experiences like ours can help us feel closer when we are physically apart.

I’d very much like to hear from you. What have you seen or experienced in terms of the COVID-19 vaccines? What questions were answered and what questions came to mind when reading about them?

The conversation has started. The story is in the middle. Let’s keep things going and get to The End.

Stay safe and stay brave, SuperCaptainBraveFAM.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list, like, and follow us on social media for more content and upcoming announcements!

www.supercaptainbraveman.com

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I Got the COVID-19 Vaccine: Part 1

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Hello, SuperCaptainBraveFAM!

If you are a new reader to the blog, welcome! I’m Nurse Leah. I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse and work in the home healthcare sector.

Which—at the time of writing—puts me in the Phase 1A, Tier 2 group of the LA County Vaccine Distribution Plan and makes me eligible to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for COVID-19.

I received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 on January 7, with the second dose scheduled 28 days later. Which happens to be today, February 4.

Today, I’m going to go over what I know and have found out about how both the Moderna & Pfizer vaccines work and commonly asked questions about the vaccines. In Part 2, I’ll talk about my own journey with signing up, receiving, and side effects I experienced with regards to the injections.

Right off, I have to admit that I am firmly pro-vaccine. The science behind vaccines is sound and makes sense to me. I totally understand why certain people are vaccine hesitant or want to wait before allowing their kids to get this vaccine. (More on the reasons why in a bit.) But overall, the scientific approach toward vaccines in general, and for the COVID-19 vaccines in particular, is one that I have trust in.

I will put links for the info I have at the bottom of the blog. I’ll also try my best to use mostly casual knowledge that I have about immunology from my pre-nursing days to keep the blog from getting too technical.

So, buckle up, cuz ahead thar be science.

~Nurse Leah

How do vaccines work?

If I’m remembering my AP Bio correctly, then vaccines work by priming or “jump starting” the body’s immune response to the presence of a specific pathogen. The pathogen could be a virus or bacteria that causes you to get sick. Your immune system is in place to identify and destroy these body invaders.

There are special proteins on the surface of practically every cell ever. And every type of cell can have a different sequence of these proteins. Think of them like calling cards, keys, or (in my attempt to connect with today’s youth) hashtags. Each one is unique to that pathogen and one of the jobs of the immune system is to keep track of these “hashtags” and prevent certain ones from flooding the body’s newsfeed.

When you get a vaccine, it’s giving your immune system an example of the pathogen. Your immune system then creates antibodies that identify that pathogen and signals the need to fight/destroy/ban the identified cell from your body.

So, when the actual pathogen shows up, your immune system recognizes and can destroy it before it can spread and make you sick.

One question that my mom asked when I told her I got the vaccine was “Do you have COVID-19 now?”

In one word my answer was: no.

And allow me to explain why.

There are different types of vaccines and a lot of that has to do with how well they work at priming our immune system for fighting and keeping the body from getting the disease. One of the most common types of vaccines are live-attenuated vaccines. This is where a live, weaker version of the pathogen is introduced into your body for your immune system to identify and remember.

If you guys are curious about the different types of vaccines, leave a comment down below and I can rev up my research machine and write about that in the future.

There are other companies working on vaccines as well. Just because Pfizer and Moderna received permission to distribute their vaccines first doesn’t mean they’re the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) at protecting us against getting COVID-19.

However, both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines. There is no live virus in the dose and those who receive it do not contract COVID-19 from the injection.

Now on to the question: What is mRNA?

It sounds like another science-y word. DNA. And you’d be right. But they’re not the same thing.

mRNA stands for messenger RiboNucleic Acid

(It’s not spelled that way. It’s just a way for me to visualize why it’s abbreviated the way it is.)

DNA stands for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid

They’re both nucleic acids. But do different things. And mRNA cannot change the DNA of a cell.

mRNA is used by all cells to help create proteins that the cell then uses for whatever job it’s coded for.

So, what does an mRNA vaccine do exactly?

Using techniques learned over decades, scientists were able to analyze and isolate a specific protein spike from the SARS-CoV2 virus. This is the virus that causes COVID-19. Once the sequence of the protein spike was determined, scientists then created an mRNA sequence that re-creates the SARS-CoV2 protein spike onto non-SARS-CoV2 cells.

When the body’s immune system interacts with body cells that have the SARS-CoV2 protein spike, an immune response occurs and antibodies are formed. Remember that antibodies are how the body recognizes and identifies pathogens.

The faster your immune system can recognize a pathogen like SARS-CoV2, the faster your immune system can mobilize to get rid of it.

Going back to the hashtag metaphor, your Immune System is like an admin for the social media group that is your Body.

The SARS-CoV2 virus is like one of those automated spam bot accounts that comment on everyone’s posts with scams. And in every comment it makes, it has the hashtag for COVID-19.

The current mRNA vaccines know what the COVID-19 hashtag looks like and reports it to the Immune System.

Now the Immune System can do its admin thing and delete/destroy/ban every comment with the hashtag for COVID-19.

And in the end, it leaves the Body’s newsfeed clear of the illness and clutter the SARS-CoV2 spam bot left behind.

Is the vaccine safe?

Every drug and modern technique used in medicine has a balance of risks and benefits. What types you use and feel safe using should be discussed fully and honestly with your doctor. Remember that they are on your side and if you have any concerns, you have the right to voice them and ask for further clarification on any aspect of your care.

When the FDA gave Emergency Use Authorizations to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, there was a whole process involved where scientists and physicians went over the collected data supplied by the companies and weighed the benefits versus the risks of allowing the use of the vaccines.

You can find a quick infographic of the process here. As of January 31, 2021, some news outlets report that a third vaccine—this one produced by Johnson & Johnson—is expected to apply for an Emergency Use Authorization for their COVID-19 vaccination in early February.

The vaccines offered by Moderna and Pfizer are as safe as they can be given the facts and processes the scientific studies have shown at this time.

It sounds like a non-answer. Believe me, typing that was somewhat difficult for me.

But it’s also the truth.

And it’s a lot better than hearing the words “We’ll see” from your parents when you ask for that toy that's just this shy of dangerous.

What are the Side Effects?

As mentioned before, there are risks and benefits to any medication.

Common side effects that both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines share are:

  • At the injection site:

    • Pain, swelling, and redness

  • General side effects:

    • Fatigue/tiredness

    • Headache

    • Muscle pain

    • Joint pain

    • Chills

    • Fever

    • Nausea

    • Vomiting (reported most often in the Moderna vaccine)

The serious side effects are along the lines of a severe allergic reaction. Which include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, a fast heartbeat, a bad rash all over the body, and dizziness & weakness. Severe allergic reactions like this are called anaphylaxis.

If you’re like me and have family members with shellfish allergies, it’s a very concerning issue when considering whether or not to get either vaccine.

If there is any chance that you believe an allergic reaction is possible for you or a loved one—for example, if the person getting the vaccine keeps an Epinephrine pen (Epi-Pen) with them at all times because of an already known allergy—then I strongly suggest talking to your doctor to create a personalized plan for when it is time to get the vaccine.

So…who can get the vaccine?

I mentioned earlier that the vaccines offered at the time of writing this blog were given Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA. After reviewing the information given to them by the companies, the FDA created guidelines on the use of each vaccine based on their knowledge of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. (Efficacy means how well the vaccine does to prevent infection by the SARS-CoV2 virus.)

For the Pfizer vaccine, the FDA authorization allows those 16 years old and older to get the vaccine.

For the Moderna vaccine, the FDA authorization allows those 18 years old and older.

The reason for these particular ages has to do with the ages of the people involved in the clinical trials at each company. The data available only included people above the ages listed. It’s also because the data in the clinical trials is contained to the age group listed that the vaccines aren’t currently available for children.

There also isn’t a lot of data about the vaccine’s effect on pregnant or breastfeeding women. During the time of the clinical trials, there were several pregnancies reported after the start of the trials in the groups taking part, but at the time of writing, there is no information on any negative side effects in either mother or child in relation to the vaccine.

The only people in the allowed age range who absolutely should NOT get either COVID-19 vaccine are those who’ve had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine or who’ve had a severe allergic reaction to any of the ingredients of the vaccine.

The documents of outlining the Emergency Use Authorizations of each vaccine are available to the public on the FDA website. If you want to read more about them, you can find the Moderna EUA Fact Sheet and the Pfizer EUA Fact Sheet by clicking the links.

When will the vaccine be available for children?

Walk down any medicine aisle in a grocery store and you’ll find a section with brightly colored boxes with the word CHILDREN’S splashed before the name of many familiar medications. It’s more than just an issue of changing the amounts and ratios for smaller humans. It’s about achieving the desired chemical reactions.

The way children’s bodies react to medicine can be different than adults. So separate studies and clinical trials for children of different ages need to happen before any vaccine can be available for kids. Any data for adjustments that might need to happen to make the vaccine just as effective for kids as in adults is collected during this period.

The way that Emergency Use Authorizations work in the case of vaccines is that the company must wait 60 days after 50% of the clinical trial group gets their last dose of the vaccine to apply for the authorization. This allows scientists and doctors time to check for any side effects. The process is the same for any clinical trial that includes adolescents and children.

In a January article in Bloomberg, it was reported that the Pfizer vaccine trial for adolescents ages 12-15 completed enrollment for volunteers. Which means the clinical trial with actual administered doses of vaccine should start soon.

In the same article, Moderna reported that the first doses in their vaccine trial for adolescents ages 12-18 were given in December. With the current timeline of the second dose given at 28 days after the first, it’s entirely possible for the Moderna vaccine to be eligible for an Emergency Use Authorization for children in that age range by the time the 2021-2022 school year starts. 

There will be trials for younger kids, too. And those will go through the same process in order to get the Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA.

Which, being the mom of a current 4th grader, sounds ah-maze-ing. But, seeing as how my 4th grader has a high chance of having a shellfish allergy (we haven’t tested this theory yet), I’m still nervous.

With either company, the road to getting the vaccine into the arms of our kids is a long one. And given the current rollout in the U.S. for giving vaccines to the adults, patience is a virtue we’ll definitely need.

But what is it like getting the COVID-19 vaccine?

That is a great question. And one that honestly deserves its own blog post. Whatever you may feel about the current state of vaccine administration, I will share my own experience with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from finding out if I was eligible to receive it to the side effects I felt in the days after the shot. And with California making individuals 65 and over eligible as well, I can share what steps I took to make sure my mother got her vaccine safely and quickly.

Stay safe and stay brave, SuperCaptainBraveFAM!

"I Got the COVID-19 Vaccine: Part 2" is coming up on Monday, February 8th. So, don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list, like, and follow us on social media for more content and upcoming announcements!

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For further information regarding COVID-19 and the vaccines mentioned in this blog, please visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html

https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines

https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/moderna-covid-19-vaccine#additional

https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/emergency-use-authorization-vaccines-explained

https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine

Congratulations for reading this far down the blog!

As an extra, here’s the link to a video made by one of my favorite science YouTube channels: ASAP Science. In it they talk about the effects of mRNA vaccines on the human body. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/the81FQoAUI