Age: 58.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Adverse reaction, Balance disorder, Balance test, Condition aggravated, Ear discomfort
Clinical narrative: In two neurologic events at one hour and at 13 days after my first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, numbness suddenly increased in my body, which already had moderate peripheral neuropathy, resulting in a documented decrease in balance and increase in fall risk. I estimate the vaccine has aged my already damaged nervous system by about 25 years. As I figure out how to safely work my farm with my new limitations, I take time to report my adverse reactions to help my fellow "numbies" avoid similar neurologic damage due to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and may you have treatments to reverse it? PRE-EXISTING NEUROLOGIC STATE: moderate, stress-hormone-induced peripheral ganglian neuropathy. Began 2007 in right foot. Diagnosed December 2012 by physician. At time of diagnosis (December 2012), approximately 1% feeling remaining in right foot, more, but farfrom 100%, feeling elsewhere. Just before 1st Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (mid March 2021), approximately 0.1% feeling in right foot and 0.5 -1% feeling elsewhere. Active, full-time farmer. Physical therapy exercises for left ankle and hammer toe help with balance, but a fall or serious near-fall (requiring PT or bandages) about once a year due to numbness. Able to walk on uneven ground and slippery surfaces and safely recover from slips & gopher holes. Through yoga, no longer slightly incontinent. Able to drive, walk, hike, swim, carry 20lb plants & trash bags on uneven surfaces, heavy gardening live independently, cook, care for own self = normal life! SUNDAY MARCH 21, 2021:  6:13 p.m. First COVID 19 vaccine in left arm. 6:43 p.m. Released from waiting room, nerves feel normal Approx 7:15 pm: At home, seated in midst of preparing dinner: Increase in numbness in left-side of lips & minor left-side of mouth. Approx 7:18 pm: Numbness spreads to right lips and minor right-side of mouth Approx 7:20 pm: Tingling begins on lips and minor mouth, maybe more on the right side Approx 7:25 pm: minor "popping" in each ear, like when driving up a mountain, once in each ear Approx 8:30 p.m-10p.m.: seated at home computer doing bookkeeping. Tingling in feet, especially right foot. When I walk around, right knee seems very numb MONDAY MARCH 22, 2021: (morning after vaccine) Approx6am.: Very numb in right foot, right ankle, right calf, and right knee. Maybe 0.001% feeling remaining. A decrease of 99% in 12hours. My most sudden decrease ever! Test my balance by standing on one leg. For the first time in my recollection, my balance is worse on my right leg than my left leg (left ankle prone to sprains). I am alarmed, but event is similar to the many numbing events I have had before (except the lip part rear part). Start calling docs once their offices open. Neurologist out of town. Continue normal work at farm, but slower and extra careful on uneven surfaces. TUESDAY MARCH 23, 2021: (2 days after vaccine) Phone appointment with internist. Recomends my getting the 2nd vaccine in 3weeks. WEDNESDAY MARCH 31, 2021: (10 days after vaccine) In-person appointment with orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon for new numbness, the usual left ankle, 2020 hammertoes and January 2021 near fall. Wrote physical therapy eval/treatment prescription for balance THURSDAY APRIL 1, 2021: (11 days after vaccine) In-person physical therapy eval for balance by physical therapist (test reports enclosed) SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2021: (13 days after vaccine) Unusual numbing even for me. Working at farm in office. Walking normally and turning left into hallway (slightly leaning towards the left like a motorcycle turning), I suddenly release about 1 teaspoon of urine (unusual for me). At first I thought my bladder must be full (I have almost no sensation for the need to urinate), but as I sat on the toilet only a few tablespoons to a quarter cup flow out. Thinking that maybe the left turn has put something out of whack, I did my three most reliable, safe, gentle, work-appropriate exercises: yoga's uttanasana (forward bend on ledge), yoga's utthita trikonasana (triangle pose), PT stroke recovery's marching with opposite arm swings. Instead of helping, within half an hour of the urine leak, my whole right side was pretty much completely numb (0.0001% feeling) Approximately 0.01% feeling on left side. THURSDAY APRIL 8th, 2020 (18 days after vaccine) Phone appointment with neurologist. Concerned about possible nerve delamination. Brain and partial spine MRI scheduled for Monday April 26, in-person follow up scheduled for Wednesday May 5th. Doc or I will provide VAERS with updates APRIL 6, 12, 13, 14: Caught myself just before begining to fall. I am getting so little signal from my nerves that I have to rely mostly on sight, musclememory, and paying attention to walking & standing. PT had suggested walking farm, but they bother my tennis elbow and at my farm I often need to carry a plant of box or something from here to there. If numbness stays the same or gets worse, I would not feel safe farming unless I could modify many aspects of growing areas & parking areas (both asphalt & gophery grass) and had high level orchid grower help plus some just physical work help. APRIL 12th: Public swimming pool is finally open! 15 minutes of PT balance excecises and 25 minutes of freestyle swim and breastroke pull. Afterwards I feel so much better! No change in numbness, but I had no idea how jaded my nerves had been until they finally were calmer. Perhaps this is a hopeful sign that the numbness it temporary. I swim again on Friday the 16th. Let's be hopeful! The End! I will fax in updates unless you provide a more specific contact method