1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis

MAC and getting the COVID vaccine

Posted by cmi @cmi, Jan 6, 2021

This is a wonderful team...like a real cooperativa family...we are a band of patients that strategize together...amazing. All good dialogue for “rits”...I also believe the CAT scan would be a good step...it arms the doctor with evidence.

I have another question for the group...what are the feelings on “us” being candidates for the Covid vaccine? Has anyone yet vaccinated? I see my ID doc this afternoon...it is one of my concerns. Any feedback appreciated.
Regina

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Havah | @londonritt | Feb 1, 2021
In reply to @rits "I'm in Chicago which gets its allotment of vaccine separate from the rest of Illinois. I..." + (show)
@rits

I'm in Chicago which gets its allotment of vaccine separate from the rest of Illinois. I believe that is true for all big cities. We were scheduled to start inoculating phase 1b which includes everyone over 65 and essential workers on Monday January 25. About a week before that date I received a note through mychart offering me a vaccination at the University of Chicago Medical Center which is where my pulmonologist is. Unfortunately I had a run in with a kidney stone and spent 3 days in the hospital waiting for it to pass. The hospitalization triggered an exacerbation of copd and I could barely make it to the kitchen let alone to the medical center. Also all of my other doctors are at Northwestern and I am not very familiar with all the buildings that make up the U of C center so I would be reluctant to go there right now. I didn't follow up.

On Friday, 1/22, my cousin texted me that she had an appointment for Saturday at Walgreens and her husband had an appointment for the following week. She included a link and sent the same message to my sister in law who immediately made an appointment at the same Walgreens. The day before my sister in law's appointment she received an email from Walgreens canceling her appointment. We told her to go anyway and not mention the email. She did that and got her vaccination.

I did not want to go into Walgreens little room for a shot. I have been so careful and the risk of going there is too much for me. Also my breathing was still bad so I didn't try to get an appointment.

On Thursday, 1/29, I received an invitation from Northwestern to make an appointment for the vaccine. There were three days of appointments 15 minutes apart available. The invitation said that if there were no appointments available, to try again because they would be adding more dates as more vaccine became available. I spent hours trying to decide if I could go. The vaccine is being given in Prentice, the woman's hospital and I have been there for mammograms. Will I be able to walk from the parking lot through the 2d floor bridge to the elevator to the third floor where C the shots are being given? My breathing is still pretty bad.

By the time I decided that I HAD to do it, only one day was left. I have an appointment for Thursday 2/4. I was so excited and anxious that I mentioned it to my dog walker and he's going to take me there. He'll drop me in front and pull over somewhere waiting for my call to pick me up.

I hope to have immunity by the middle of March but I still will stay at home most of the time and 6 feet + away from everyone until the health experts say that we can burn our masks. Thanksgiving?

I hope everyone who wants the vaccine can get it soon.

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I noticed that you live in Chicago. I am planning to move to Chicago this year to be near my daughter and family. I have been searching for a pulmonologist and I would appreciate information about your MD.
I am also receiving the second shot of the vaccine this month and agree with you about burning the masks. Good luck to you.
Hava@londonritt

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rits | @rits | Feb 1, 2021
In reply to @londonritt "I noticed that you live in Chicago. I am planning to move to Chicago this year..." + (show)
@londonritt

I noticed that you live in Chicago. I am planning to move to Chicago this year to be near my daughter and family. I have been searching for a pulmonologist and I would appreciate information about your MD.
I am also receiving the second shot of the vaccine this month and agree with you about burning the masks. Good luck to you.
Hava@londonritt

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My pulmonologist is Dr Mary Strek at the University of Chicago. She specializes in copd and bronchiectasis but is not a MAC doc. I had been seeing a pulmonologist at Northwestern for several years but switched when she refused to order a sputum test after my ct scans were suspicious for MAC. The only MAC expert I know of since Dr McShane moved to Texas is at Loyola. I think his name is Dr Wolf. I am still being treated by McShane.

Welcome to Chicago!

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vfparker | @vfparker | Feb 2, 2021
In reply to @tinaesims "My husband is getting the vaccine tomorrow through a drive through clinic. He is 71. I..." + (show)
@tinaesims

My husband is getting the vaccine tomorrow through a drive through clinic. He is 71. I am 64 and cannot get it. My status is 1C and they are only doing 1B. I am taking him (he is partially sighted) and see if they have extras. A girl can hope! I had a pulmonologist appointment Friday and he didn't say yea or nay. I asked him if he could speed up the process for me. He just laughed. My doctor is in Iowa and I live in Illinois. Illinois seems to have more vaccine at this time than Iowa.

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I am taking my 72 yo husband today too. I am 65 with bronchiectasis. Both of our mothers are in hospice so hoping they will vaccinate me too. Good luck!

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thumperguy | @thumperguy | Feb 2, 2021
In reply to @sounder27 "Rits contd. where I spent a week being monitored. As soon as this vaccine is available..." + (show)
@sounder27

Rits contd. where I spent a week being monitored. As soon as this vaccine is available to me I will definitely be getting it.
Somehow my first reply got sent before I could finish it.

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I trust Anthony Fauci, Wife and I are getting it early afternoon today. Don

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1 reply
irene5 Irene Estes | @irene5 | Feb 2, 2021
In reply to @thumperguy "I trust Anthony Fauci, Wife and I are getting it early afternoon today. Don" + (show)
@thumperguy

I trust Anthony Fauci, Wife and I are getting it early afternoon today. Don

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@thumperguy Good for you both. My husband who has sarcoid and extremely compromised lungs got his first shot last week and is scheduled for his second on the 18th. He got the Pfizer one and had minimal side effects. irene5

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cavlover | @cavlover | Feb 2, 2021

I had the Moderna vaccine. About five days later, I had a big red welt (about 3”x 3”) at the injection site. It has a name! It’s called COVID Arm. It mainly itched a lot.

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dmsbronch | @dmsbronch | Feb 2, 2021

I had been hoping that those of us with lung comorbidities would be able to move up in the vaccine line. Doesn't appear to be the case. And not in Indiana. The 65-69 group just opened up and I turn 65 in 3 weeks. They require you be 65 when you schedule the appointment. They will not let me schedule in early March. This is odd to me since some of my friends in this current age group made appointments for March. But that's okay. I'm just anxious and scared because I need surgery and have been pushing it off waiting for things to be 'safe' or safer. My husband and me have been sheltering since early March and will continue to do so. I don't know if there is anyone else reading these posts from Indiana but in our county a few weeks ago the positivity rate was the highest in the state and soaring. There are no mandatory rules. About the only place I've been is absolutely necessary doctor appointments which terrify me. I have observed UNMASKED receptionists and office workers and repair people walking around in the medical offices. UNMASKED people pushing their loved ones in wheelchairs. A few weeks back I had to ask a woman in the waiting room to pull up her mask. She told me to mind my own business and I said 'it is my business'. I want this vaccine as soon as I can get it in my arm. I tried to reach out to my general practitioner and pharmacy to see if they had any kind of an open vial list going and got nowhere. It helps me to know that there are like-minded people who feel the same and I'm not alone.

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sounder27 | @sounder27 | Feb 2, 2021
In reply to @cavlover "I had the Moderna vaccine. About five days later, I had a big red welt (about..." + (show)
@cavlover

I had the Moderna vaccine. About five days later, I had a big red welt (about 3”x 3”) at the injection site. It has a name! It’s called COVID Arm. It mainly itched a lot.

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Rhode Island is extremely slow with its vaccination roll out. My dentist brother is not due to get his vaccine ‘til Thursday. The 75 year olds are next. I am 72 with Mac and bronchiectasis and I will have to wait until March along with the 64 to 74 year olds and 16 to 74 year olds with underlying conditions.

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thumperguy | @thumperguy | Feb 2, 2021

Just sent this to my daughter: “)We got shots today. Baylor did a splendid job. Well organized, well staffed with competent, pleasant personnel. Good signage to keep automobile traffic moving.
Almost felt like were celebrities.”

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Tina Sims | @tinaesims | Feb 3, 2021

It worked! I took my husband yesterday for the massive drive through clinic and they also gave me a shot of the vaccine! Now, we have to jockey in place for the 2nd dose!!! We felt like going out last night but we didn't!

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