Pfizer # 1: FF2382
Pfizer # 2: FH3219
Pfizer # 3: Unknown
I’m 38 and live on a farm with my husband and two kids, We have a couple of different businesses, and I run one of businesses from home. I’ve always been very athletic and healthy and out on the farm. My passions are racing my Go Kart, My horses and family. My only prior health/physical issue was a fall from a horse which resulted in a mild head injury, and 3 back surgeries. The last surgery was around 4 years ago and have not had any issues since then.
I was hesitant to get the vaccine, but I thought I was doing the right thing for the health of my family, and so we could continue living life with the mandates. I got my first Pfizer vaccine on 28th of September 2021. I had a really sore arm and headaches for a couple of weeks, but they subsided, and I didn’t think anything else of it.
I had the second Pfizer vaccine on 28th of October 2021 and had a sore arm again, then 2-3 weeks later I started developing rashes all over my body and my bowels became inflamed – I wasn’t able to go to the toilet for 12 days so felt very uncomfortable had a very bloated stomach. The nerves around my surgery site in my spine also became inflamed and it was so extremely painful that I wasn’t able to walk, it got to the point my husband ended up calling an ambulance – this was 4 weeks after my second vaccine.
The doctors at the hospital were only really concerned about my spine but did give me ‘Pedi prep’ to relieve my bowels (it aides colonoscopy patients to empty their bowels beforehand) however, even this didn’t work. While I was there, they offered me the Booster. At the time I hadn’t put 2 & 2 together but didn’t take it as my body was already struggling. The hospital didn’t know what to do with me and I was sent home with the same issues.
I went home and researched my symptoms. I took an antihistamine based on information I’d found, and everything started to subside with the rashes and swelling going down and my bowels finally started working again. When I felt better I went back racing and was living my life, but still didn’t feel 100%.
I started getting the text messages reminding me about the Booster. I was feeling pressure from them and wanted advice, so I messaged a trusted family member who works in the medical industry. I told them I didn’t feel right after the second vaccine and I’m getting messages about the Booster. They encouraged me to get it saying it would keep me out of hospital.
I got my Booster on 24th of February 2022. The following day, my world turned upside down. I was having a blat around the track in my Go Kart, and I could feel my heart pumping hard the lost all my motor skills and lost control of the kart, my brain and body were not computing. I managed to park up, put the kart away and went home to bed.
When I woke up, I told my husband I didn’t feel right. My heart was playing up with rapid beats and I had a burning feeling on the inside of my body and in my ribcage, as well as tingling in my legs and hands along with muscle twitches. I went to the doctors after this continued for a week. When I went in, I told them I was vaccine injured. They dismissed me and didn’t want to know about it. They just prescribed me Lorazepam.
Over the next week I rung the doctors several times, and then ended up going in person as I wanted them to see how sick I was. The doctor could see on my records that I’d rung quite a lot that week and he raised his arms in the air and said to me “There’s nothing I can do”. This was very traumatic. Knowing doctors couldn’t do anything for me was scary.
I had to take my life into my own hands, I was so distraught with my symptoms and how sick I was, that I was having suicidal thoughts. I didn’t know if I wanted to live anymore because as well as the burning feeling in my body, tingling, sore muscles, and muscle twitches, I’d also developed brain zaps (which feel like electric shocks in my head) which would start from the moment I woke up every day. I felt like my body was in a microwave and that my body was no longer my body – which is something I still feel. I made sure I had someone with me at all times because I didn’t trust myself not to do anything silly. It was mentally hard to deal with the physical symptoms and not having any help from medical professionals. I didn’t know whether I was going to come out of this and just thought it would be easier to end my life. I talked to an anxiety team over the phone when I was feeling suicidal – what I was experiencing was unbearable, especially with the brain zaps and I was really tired of fighting it.
It all got too much for me, and I went into respite care on 19th of March 2022. They had me on Quetiapine and Lorazepam, which made me feel really drugged up. After a few days, the care team could see that I wasn’t mentally unwell and that I was just really sick. While I was there, I was still having all of the same symptoms plus adrenaline dumps, rashes, and also anaphylaxis reactions of throat swelling when I ate anything. I was having reactions to foods that weren’t a problem for me before.
I had a lot of time to myself in there to do some research. I searched up ‘vaccine Injury’ and found there was a lot more people like me! I found an NZ page and connected with people on there and knew then that I wasn’t going crazy. I then realised I just needed to go home and heal. Govt and Medical systems had let me down. On the 26th of March I went home to be with my family and continue on my journey of healing.
With the anaphylactic reactions I was having to foods, I had blood tests done but they couldn’t find anything, so I did a food elimination/low histamine diet to find what I could eat – dairy and gluten were the worst allergens, It was horrible experiencing the reactions in the process. My diet now consists of pears, apples, parsnip, kumara, GF DF toast, GF DF biscuits and chicken stir-fry, that’s all my body can handle. As well as allergies to foods, I also developed an allergy to the sun and sitting out in it for 5 minutes would cause a rash all over my body.
I saw a Neurologist on 2nd May 2022, who tested me for Lupus, which came back negative this week. He thinks I have an underlying autoimmune condition but can’t figure out which one. I’m still waiting to see an Immunologist (through Private Health) to get answers. Since I took my own health into my own hands and researching, I’ve found that my symptoms look very similar to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
I have only recently been able to drive again since my histamine levels have dropped. My immune system is terrible, and I have relapses with my symptoms if I get sick. I currently have a head cold and all my symptoms have flared up again. I have lost 11kg since the Booster and If my health doesn’t get better, I may not be able to keep my horses – I don’t know what the future holds for me. I feel lost and also uncertain about my life expectancy, but it helps to know I’m not alone in this since finding local people who are struggling and feeling the same way I do.
I want everyone to know out there that I’m not against the vaccine, but It’s not one size fits all. I want everyone to know to research it – I didn’t and have gone through one hell of a ride.
Oh Bonnie you are one brave lady. To tell your story of living with this vaccine injury. I am so glad you are still here with us. Kia kaha. I hope you are finding more relief now.