A small pain in the arm
16/09/23 01:46
As I write today I am aware of a tender spot on my left shoulder. Yesterday we received our annual flu shots and an immunization for RSV. We have an appointment to go back on Tuesday for a Covid-19 booster. We were unable to schedule our Covid boosters for yesterday because the latest vaccine is just being released across the country and our provider had not yet received their doses. Susan elected to have one injection in each shoulder, thinking that she didn’t want to have any possible pain compounded. I elected to have both injections in the same shoulder on the theory that if I am going to have a sore shoulder, at least I’ll have only one. It remains to be seen whose choice produced the most benefit. From what I am feeling and from my experience with other immunizations, I am not expecting much discomfort. The person administering our immunizations advised that a dose of Tylenol might ease discomfort, but I haven’t had enough discomfort to require any treatment.
We were talking after we received our injections about how we have been very fortunate to not have become infected with Covid-19. We’ve had a couple of scares and have been tested for Covid when we developed common colds or sinus infections, but so far we have avoided infection. I’m pretty sure that our situation is due, in part, to our semi-retired status. We were able to avoid contact with large crowds during the height of the pandemic. We learned to wear face masks and have been careful about their use. I still carry a face mask with me wherever I go and I put it on if I encounter a situation in which another person is coughing or sneezing in close proximity. We have also stayed home and worn face masks when we have been feeling ill.
I know, however, that there is a certain amount of luck involved. I have colleagues who are far more cautious than I when it comes to wearing face masks and staying away from close contact with others. Some of them have become infected. Our son’s family have all experienced infection probably due to the virus circulating in preschool and elementary school classes. Fortunately their cases have been relatively mild. They have been able to isolate themselves and have followed CDC guidelines, including being very careful not to expose us to the virus.
My mother was a nurse and I grew up during the era of a massive public health push to vaccinate children against polio. We received immunizations by injection and also received doses of oral vaccine. Mother was passionate about the science and saw a huge benefit in public health campaigns to immunize people from several infections diseases including diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. She lived to see her children make different decisions about vaccinating their children than she advised, but in our case, we stuck with the advice we received from our children’s doctors that was consistent with her feelings on the subject. Our children were vaccinated according the the recommended schedule.
These days I have a friend who is a genuine expert in infectious disease. He is around twenty years older than I and he devoted his life to the practice of medicine and focused his attention on public health and infectious disease. He grew up immersed in a Mennonite community and saw his vocation as a calling from God to engage in serving others. He lived modestly and tried to employ the best of science to serve the greatest number of people. He served in several different locations around the world and remained active in mission and service after his retirement. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit he used his knowledge to advise several churches and other organizations in policy development to encourage safety for communities.
He is a wise and gentle man. I have never heard him raise his voice. But when he speaks, I listen because he obviously knows wha he is talking about. Last spring we were sharing in a study of the book of Isaiah. He observed how the Assyrians mowed over the northern kingdom and threatened the southern kingdom. Isaiah rails on and on for chapter after chapter about the threat of the Assyrians to Judah and Jerusalem. However, that is not what came to pass. Before Assyria could conquer Judah and Jerusalem, their military push came to a screeching halt. They were defeated by the Babylonians, who were eventually responsible for the fall of Jerusalem. His theory is that the Assyrians were not stopped by military might or some supernatural intervention by God on behalf of the people of Judah and Jerusalem, but by some infectious disease. He calmly described his theory in a manner that had me convinced, and I’ve been studying these texts for decades without having previously considered that possibility.
I am in no position to advise others about receiving injections. We have tried to wade through the mass of information and disinformation rampant on social media, select reliable medical advisors, and use our common sense and judgment in making our decisions. I know that the simple fact that we have avoided infection to this date is not because we have somehow made better decisions than others. We have had the luxury of being able to isolate ourselves and have had more than a small amount of luck. Those who have become infected are not somehow less wise or less intelligent than we. They faced different circumstances. I am pleased that there are effective treatments emerging for those who do become infected. I pray for health for all people, especially those with whom I disagree. It is the way I understand the mandates of Biblical Christianity - pray without ceasing and pray for your enemies. Like my friend, I don’t tend to identify those who disagree as enemies, but I do pray for them.
Like them we are trying to make our way in a confusing world of claims and counter claims - of attacks and counter attacks. I believe we have benefitted from the hard work of scientists who have developed vaccines and public health officials who have promoted them. We have also benefitted from a friendship with a calm man of peace and service who despite being retired continues to live our his vocation with grace. He is a blessing to many.
We were talking after we received our injections about how we have been very fortunate to not have become infected with Covid-19. We’ve had a couple of scares and have been tested for Covid when we developed common colds or sinus infections, but so far we have avoided infection. I’m pretty sure that our situation is due, in part, to our semi-retired status. We were able to avoid contact with large crowds during the height of the pandemic. We learned to wear face masks and have been careful about their use. I still carry a face mask with me wherever I go and I put it on if I encounter a situation in which another person is coughing or sneezing in close proximity. We have also stayed home and worn face masks when we have been feeling ill.
I know, however, that there is a certain amount of luck involved. I have colleagues who are far more cautious than I when it comes to wearing face masks and staying away from close contact with others. Some of them have become infected. Our son’s family have all experienced infection probably due to the virus circulating in preschool and elementary school classes. Fortunately their cases have been relatively mild. They have been able to isolate themselves and have followed CDC guidelines, including being very careful not to expose us to the virus.
My mother was a nurse and I grew up during the era of a massive public health push to vaccinate children against polio. We received immunizations by injection and also received doses of oral vaccine. Mother was passionate about the science and saw a huge benefit in public health campaigns to immunize people from several infections diseases including diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. She lived to see her children make different decisions about vaccinating their children than she advised, but in our case, we stuck with the advice we received from our children’s doctors that was consistent with her feelings on the subject. Our children were vaccinated according the the recommended schedule.
These days I have a friend who is a genuine expert in infectious disease. He is around twenty years older than I and he devoted his life to the practice of medicine and focused his attention on public health and infectious disease. He grew up immersed in a Mennonite community and saw his vocation as a calling from God to engage in serving others. He lived modestly and tried to employ the best of science to serve the greatest number of people. He served in several different locations around the world and remained active in mission and service after his retirement. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit he used his knowledge to advise several churches and other organizations in policy development to encourage safety for communities.
He is a wise and gentle man. I have never heard him raise his voice. But when he speaks, I listen because he obviously knows wha he is talking about. Last spring we were sharing in a study of the book of Isaiah. He observed how the Assyrians mowed over the northern kingdom and threatened the southern kingdom. Isaiah rails on and on for chapter after chapter about the threat of the Assyrians to Judah and Jerusalem. However, that is not what came to pass. Before Assyria could conquer Judah and Jerusalem, their military push came to a screeching halt. They were defeated by the Babylonians, who were eventually responsible for the fall of Jerusalem. His theory is that the Assyrians were not stopped by military might or some supernatural intervention by God on behalf of the people of Judah and Jerusalem, but by some infectious disease. He calmly described his theory in a manner that had me convinced, and I’ve been studying these texts for decades without having previously considered that possibility.
I am in no position to advise others about receiving injections. We have tried to wade through the mass of information and disinformation rampant on social media, select reliable medical advisors, and use our common sense and judgment in making our decisions. I know that the simple fact that we have avoided infection to this date is not because we have somehow made better decisions than others. We have had the luxury of being able to isolate ourselves and have had more than a small amount of luck. Those who have become infected are not somehow less wise or less intelligent than we. They faced different circumstances. I am pleased that there are effective treatments emerging for those who do become infected. I pray for health for all people, especially those with whom I disagree. It is the way I understand the mandates of Biblical Christianity - pray without ceasing and pray for your enemies. Like my friend, I don’t tend to identify those who disagree as enemies, but I do pray for them.
Like them we are trying to make our way in a confusing world of claims and counter claims - of attacks and counter attacks. I believe we have benefitted from the hard work of scientists who have developed vaccines and public health officials who have promoted them. We have also benefitted from a friendship with a calm man of peace and service who despite being retired continues to live our his vocation with grace. He is a blessing to many.
