Age: 44.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: COVID19, COVID19
Symptoms: Pain in extremity, Paraesthesia, Peripheral swelling, Sensory loss, Skin disorder
Clinical narrative: ON FRIDAY, 30 APRIL 2021, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER GETTING THE FIRST COVID VACCINATION, I NOTICED A NUMBER OF SMALL PATCHES OF ECZEMA FLARING UP ON MY ANKLES, ELBOWS, AND HANDS. ON MONDAY, 3 MAY 2021, I VISITED MY GENERAL PRACTITIONER ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH MY SKIN AND HE WONDERED IF I HAD STEPPED IN POISON IVY OR POISON OAK. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I HAD NOT BEEN HIKING AND THAT WE DO NOT HAVE POISON IVY OR POISON OAK IN OUR YARD. HE PRESCRIBED A .5 PERCENT CLOBETASOL STEROID CREAM. THE VISIT TOOK TWENTY MINUTES AND I WAS CHARGED $98.95. ON FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021, AT 3:00PM, I RECEIVED THE SECOND COVID VACCIATION. BY 9:00 PM, I NOTICED TINGLING AND NERVE PAIN ON MY HANDS. BY THE MORNING OF SATURDAY, 15 MAY 2021, I HAD BLISTERS AND SWELLING ALL OVER MY HANDS. THE SMALL PATCHES OF ECZEMA FROM TWO WEEKS PRIOR WERE SEVERELY INFLAMED AND WEEPING, AND I HAD SMALL, CHICKEN POX LIKE SORES ON THE BACKS OF MY LEGS, IN MY EARS, AND ON MY TRUNK. I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING NERVE PAIN DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF MY TORSO.  BY 9:00 PM ON SATURDAY, 15 MAY 2021, MY HANDS HAD SWOLLEN TO THE POINT THAT I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THEM. ON SUNDAY, 16 MAY 2021 AT 1:00 PM MY WIFE TOOK ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT MEDICAL CENTER. I WAS ADMITTED AND SIX DOCTORS ON STAFF WERE CONSULTED. NONE OF THEM WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ANSWERS OR DIAGNOSES, SO THEY SENT PHOTOS TO AN ON-CALL RESIDENT DERMATOLOGIST. HE REPLIED BY TEXT THAT HE THOUGHT THE CONDITION WAS DYSHIDROTIC ECZEMA AND SUGGESTED AN IN-PERSON CONSULTATION AT THE CLINIC ON TUESDAY, 18 MAY 2021. DR. PRESCRIBED A 1 PERCENT CLOBETASOL STEROID CREAM AND THE ER PROVIDED A DOSE OF PAIN MEDICATION (TYLENOL AND OXY) BEFORE I WAS DISCHARGED. THE DOCTORS SAW ME FOR THIRTY MINUTES AND HOSPITALIZATION LASTED A TOTAL OF TWO AND A HALF HOURS INCLUDING ADMISSION WAIT TIME AND EMERGENCY ROOM WAIT TIME. I WAS BILLED $1350 FOR TREATMENT BY THE TEAM OF EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIANS. MY INSURANCE COMPANY, DID NOT COVER ANY OF THE COSTS.  OVER THE COURSE OF MONDAY, 17 MAY 2021, THE SWELLING AND BLISTERING CONTINUED TO WORSEN. WHEN WE SAW DR. AT CLINIC ON TUESDAY, 18 MAY 2021 AT 10:00 AM, HE WAS SURPRISED BY THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION. HE APOLOGIZED FOR SENDING ME HOME FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM WITH A MILD STEROID CREAM AND SAID THAT IF HE HAD SEEN ME IN PERSON HE WOULD HAVE RECOMMENDED A DIFFERENT TREATMENT PLAN.   DR., A RESIDENT, CONSULTED WITH HIS ATTENDING DERMATOLOGISTS AT THE CLINIC AND THEY AGREED THAT THIS SITUATION WAS LINKED TO THE VACCINE. THEY DECIDED, AS A PRECAUTION, TO TAKE TWO SKIN BIOPSIES TO RULE OUT SOME KIND OF UNDERLYING INECTION, OR A UNKNOWN AND NOW PRESENTING TRUE AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION. THE 5 CC PUNCH BIOPSIES WERE PERFORMED BY DR. ON MY RIGHT HAND, SUTURED AND BANDAGED. DR. PRESCRIBED A 60 MG. TAPERED COURSE OF PREDNISONE OVER THREE WEEKS AND AN ADDITIONAL TUBE OF 1 PERCENT CLOBETASOL STEROID THAT HE SAID I COULD APPLY UP TO THREE TIMES PER DAY. DR. ALSO SAID THAT MY GP COULD PRESCRIBE ADDITIONAL PAIN MEDICATION AS IT WAS WELL WARRANTED IN MY CASE. THE CLINIC VISIT TOOK FORTY FIVE MINUTES (AND SIXTY MINUTES OF WAIT TIME) AND I WAS BILLED $1261 FOR TREATMENT.   AT MY FOLLOW UP VISIT WITH DR. ON TUESDAY, 25 MAY 2021, DR. SAID THAT THE STEROID WAS WORKING AS EXPECTED. HE ALSO SIAD THAT THE BIOPSY RESULTS WERE RETURNED NEGATIVE FOR AN UNDERLYING INFECTION OR TRUE AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION. IN OTHER WORDS, THE VACCINE CAUSED THIS RESPONSE IN MY BODY, BUT WHY WILL BE VERY HARD TO SAY.  WHILE ON PREDNISONE, THE BLISTERS ON MY HANDS SLOWLY DRAINED AND PEELED AND THE SWELLING REDUCED. AFTER TAPERING OFF THE PREDNISONE LAST WEEK, MY HANDS HAVE BEGUN TO BECOME INFLAMED AGAIN. DR. SAID THE NEXT LINE OF TREATMENT WILL BE A STRONGER, IV ADMINISTERED COURSE OF STEROIDS. I CANNOT AFFORD ADDITIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT AS MY SHORT TERM CATASTROPHIC HEALTH PLAN'S DEDUCTIBLE IS TOO HIGH, I AM CURRENTLY UNABLE TO WORK, AND HAVE NO FINANCIAL SAFETY NET. I AM CONTINUING TO TREAT MY HANDS WITH STEROID CREAM AND BANDAGES AT HOME.  TO DATE, I HAVE LOST MOST SENSATION AND SIGNIFICANT MOBILITY IN BOTH OF MY HANDS. I ALSO DO NOT HAVE SENSITIVITY IN MY RIGHT LITTLE FINGER WHERE THE BIOPSIES WERE PERFORMED. I AM A PROFESSIONAL SESSION AND TOURING MUSICIAN (DRUMMER) AND GRAPIC DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO WORK SINCE 15 MAY 2021.  I MAY NOT EVER BE ABLE TO WORK OR PERFORM AT THE SAME LEVEL BECAUSE OF THIS INJURY.  THERE HAVE BEEN NO SOLUTIONS OR ADVICE OFFERED WHEN I HAVE TALKED WITH MODERNA AND INSURANCE COMPANY. THE COVID 19 VACCINE IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE LIST OF THE VACCINE INJURY PROGRAM, THEREFORE, I PLAN TO FILE A CLAIM WITH ANOTHER PROGRAM.  ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS SITUATION IS THAT I DID WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. I WAS TOLD TO GET THE COVID VACCINE. IT IS SAFE, IT IS EFFECTIVE. VULNERABLE PEOPLE (OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY, IN FACT) ARE (IS) COUNTING ON YOU.  I HAVE TO ASK, WHO CAN I COUNT ON NOW?