vivdunstan

We're officially a house of plague again. So far only Martin has tested positive - and so far only extremely faintly. But I woke in the afternoon with strong new Covid symptoms (not shingles vaccine ones). I'm going to keep testing, to help me decide what to do about my twice daily strong immunosuppression drug. I will probably pause it as last time, but haven't decided that quite yet - want to be sure enough before pausing vital medicine I really need to stay alive. Also will test again in case I test positive and can access anti virals. Meanwhile we're ok, especially Martin, who is currently symptom free. And food still - as I type this - tastes ok. We just enjoyed a pizza takeaway. Though that will all probably change over the coming days.

It's possible we picked up Covid at the Dundee vaccination centre early on Thursday morning, perhaps more likely than at the V&A where we were extremely spaced out from folk. Though there was one woman there we kept encountering in the exhibition who was constantly coughing … Both of us were masked up in both places, though no one else was. Alternatively Martin may have picked it up at the office or supermarket on Tuesday. Grrrr.

Just found that this year the shingles vaccination programme in the UK is being extended to include severely immunosuppressed people aged 50 or over. That’s in addition to non immunosuppressed vastly older folks. It’s a two part vaccine given over an especially short period to severely immunosuppressed. And not live, so safe for even immunosuppressed to have. So I can expect that this autumn too. Joy. Hoping I don’t get another neuro flare. Though I want the shingles protection. I’ve had shingles twice, including just before my PhD viva. And I was lucky to survive my only run in with chickenpox as a newly immunosuppressed 25 year old in 1998. I ended up in hospital on drips and in isolation for a week.