Age: 47.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Feeling hot, Gait disturbance, Heart rate increased, Impaired driving ability, Lethargy
Clinical narrative: Within 5 minutes, I felt soreness in my arm right away and my arm started throbbing. I got warm all over my body. My airway (not my throat or tonsils) in my chest area started to close and constrict. But it only went so far - it didn't finish closing. I got the sensation that I was going to faint. I was in my car. I yelled for help and went out of my car. I had no energy or ability to walk. I went down to ground and could barely lift my head up. I got very lethargic and was extremely tired and nauseous and I could hardly think. The person who gave me the injection and another lady who was helping out came to help me. My intuition told me I needed Benadryl and my hands were kind of moving to try to get Benadryl. But I could hardly get up. I wanted to call 9-1-1 but my toddler had my phone. I couldn't kneel up even to get my phone to from my toddler. I couldn't walk. They took my blood pressure and heart rate and noticed during the episode that they both had spiked. They said they couldn't give me Benadryl because then they told I wouldn't be able to drive. Then I had a second episode - where I started feeling like I was going to pass out again and a feeling of doom was coming over me and I think I asked for Benadryl again. I could barely hold up the pulse oximeter - I think I was dragging it on the ground; I was on the ground on the parking lot. I thought I was going to faint but I was able to finally get my phone and call my sister. My sister showed up and got dropped off. The ladies didn't help out at all and my sister was going to drive me away. My limbs were really cold and feet were really cold all the way to my knees. I asked for a heating pad. I couldn't get up for 30 minutes, and then for an hour. My tried to get better and I could barely stand up. It took me awhile to get into the car; my sister had to help me. The next day, I was still in the same predicament. I couldn't get up and walk around. After a really long time of resting, I could go a short distance to go to the bathroom alone. My sister (I was staying at her house since I couldn't take care of myself)  finally said that my intuition had told me to take Benadryl and she said I should take one. I took a half of child's of Benadryl because the people at the vaccine site had not thought I should have one and that it would just go away. That 1/2 dose gave me hope that I could get better but I still didn't know if I should have a full dose. The Benadryl would help for a little while. I finally went home the the next day. I went to  ER and I couldn't still walk very well on my own.  On January 23, 2021 - t he ER.  The doctor thought if she gave me an EPI pen but thought I might have more problems with it. She said that if Benadryl was helping than to keep taking it. The doctor didn't give me a dosage. I went back to ER on the 27th  because I still was not getting better. I was taking Benadryl and I was taking inhalers and at first I thought I felt like my airway felt more open when I took these but it didn't last for long. I didn't know, without guidance, how to take the medication - how much and how often. I couldn't think straight. On the 27th, that doctor listened but he wanted to help me.  He gave me Steroids for 5 days and Benadryl on top of that. And gave me Ativan to help me sleep. I had been going without sleep - I didn't have any other adult watching over me after the 3rd or 4th day when I left my sisters' house. Before the second ER visit, I didn't know when my airway was going to close. I could feel my heart racing/beating even when I wasn't doing anything. My heart rate would spike up to 119 or 120 randomly. I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. About 5 or 6 hours after the Steroids there was popping sound out of my ears. It was loud and happening a long time, I wasn't sure I could sleep but I wasn't as aware of my heart beating out of my chest either. I could finally walk that next morning after the Steroids. I was trying to play with my toddler even though I felt fatigue and felt like crud - but I could walk without feeling I would collapse. So I over did - I tried to take a walk to the end of the street and I couldn't do it. My back hurt so bad after that. When I would lay down, I could not get the heaviness in my back to go away. It hurt so bad. I had a lump in my throat ( a little lower than my throat). That was scaring me. I went to ER again  (third visit)  - 28th  or 29th - tests came back normal.  I think it was the 28th. On that night, I was still on prednisone and I couldn't sleep with the pain. They gave me aspirin in case it was a heart thing. The aspirin may have helped with back pain. I took my Steroid pill and Ativan and that was my first night's sleep. The next morning, I could walk and I started to get a lot more hope at that point. I think I took Ativan for a couple of nights and got some good night's sleep. I took the Prednisone for 5 days and I didn't feel anymore like I couldn't stand up or that I was going to fall or that I needed supervision anymore. After about a month,  I had enough energy to finally drive and go to the store. I had been scared to drive because of my symptoms before that. By mid February, I was able to drive out and I went to a couple of stores. At that point, I felt like I was going to get better.  I'm a single mom and have been doing everything on my own for 20 years. I was talking to the doctor's office and to the nurse almost every day when I was sick. I don't get sick and I don't ever have to ask for help. I was disappointed with the lack of help I received.