My name is Kate, I am 37 years old and live in Congleton, Cheshire England.
Before the jab I was a practicing chiropractor. I was on my feet all day, working a very physical job. Due to the nature of my job and being in very close proximity with my clients, I decided the best course of action was to have the Pfizer vaccine and keep everyone safe.
I was fit, healthy, and able. I was sporty, enjoying activities such as yoga, netball, and cricket. I started playing cricket during lockdown as this was allowed, being an outdoor friendly sport. I also had to be fit to maintain my role as a chiropractor. I now have not been able to work as a Chiropractor ever since September 2021 when symptoms got even worse making it physically impossible to carry on.
I had just begun a new milestone in my career to become a business owner, which I was excited about. But sadly had to pull out resulting in a major financial loss.
If I didn’t have the vaccine, I’d currently be running my own business, married, and most likely have a baby as that was what we wanted. All of which is now questionable, I feel like the odds are stacked against me now with my age and showing no signs of improvement. It’s been 22 months of a living nightmare.
I had the first dose on the 9th February 2021 , I was experiencing some symptoms after the first such as rashes and neck and back pain, but as we were moving house at the time I put it down to stress. The second dose was on the 29th of March, in my left arm, and that was the one that caused the real damage. After 2 weeks I began experiencing facial spasms that progressed so heavily it woke me up in the middle of the night, along with dilated pupils and swollen lips like I’d had Botox!
I took an antihistamine as it seemed to be some sort of allergic reaction, but felt VERY freaked out. I went back to bed and tried to sleep, cancelling work for the day.
I then developed a lump in my throat after eating, I visited the GP, who was a male Junior, and he suggested an ENT referral with the guidance of a Neurologist. However, this was missing from the form and it delayed the wait for the Neurologist which was one year wait, leaving me to go private.
To start with, my symptoms were facial spasms, dizziness, a spider-like crawling sensation over my face, and swelling of the lips. These have now calmed down but are replaced with extreme tension in my arms and legs, tingling and vibrating all over, tingling of the tongue, face numbness around my mouth, electric and stabbing sensations, heavy/dead weight with an achy feeling in all limbs, weakness, dizziness, vertigo, and a lead weight sensation to the back of my head and brain pain like my brain is being squeezed.
I have also had heart palpitations and a severe pain in the right side of my abdomen. I suffer daily with a number of symptoms, I just feel like my body is under attack constantly, It is very debilitating. I have had countless GP consults and five visits to A&E since the vaccines, having never been to A&E at all before.
I have been to Macclesfield and Salford A&E where they only did blood tests and a routine examination. Throughout this process I’ve had an ECG, MRI scans, and nerve conduction studies which all come back normal apart from herniated discs in my neck.
I’ve had 2 neurology NHS appointments in 22 months, the neurologist has diagnosed me with peripheral nerve hyperexcitability but the medication he prescribed doesn’t help, and it doesn’t explain any reason why this has happened or the mechanism, as they won’t accept the real culprit being the cause!! They don’t listen to me , they just don’t want to know my opinion on the matter and it’s clear they’re not interested in helping really.
I have attempted Goldic IV Therapy, Homeopathic remedies , strict dietary measures, kinesiology, and an entire box of supplements. I have had two sessions of HBOT Oxygen therapy although I am unsure of having another HBOT as the second experience was uncomfortable with my ears not equalising the pressure properly afterwards. And they are still not right a week later.
When I went to A&E the second time I felt extreme heaviness in both arms and legs, tingling all over and my body seizing up. It felt like I was becoming paralysed, I’ve never felt so scared in my life, it was absolutely horrendous.
This Doctor was more helpful and thorough than my first experience but I was sent away with a “talking therapies” referral due to what he deemed anxiety.
I did mention the Pfizer vaccination the first visit to the Doctor who simply brushed it off and even laughed.
Overall, I have felt gaslit by the medical professionals, whether private or not, even after forking out thousands of pounds in an attempt to get help. I feel the GP’s have not been very helpful or taken me seriously. Even after tests, and 22 months of suffering I still have no real answers. They are not getting to the bottom of this with any urgency and I feel that I am just being fobbed off.
Some of my symptoms have decreased with the help of an amitriptyline prescription. I was also given gabapentin which I felt made me a lot worse so I stopped taking this around October 2022.
I have tried reducing the amitriptyline but the stabbing pains will come back.
Now I am trying to get used to the new normal as hard as it is. I have developed insomnia and difficulty sleeping, which doesn’t help matters in the slightest. If I ever do ‘too much’ then I will spend weeks in bed to recover. I don’t know what to expect each day.
Recently, on Friday 20th January 2023, I found that the Vaccine Injury Compensation Scheme had rejected my claim. PIP has also rejected my claim three times on top of being booted off the employment support scheme back in September/October 2022.
I was not given the notice I thought I would get. I had a phone consultation where I explained what was going on due to my health situation. I was on Gabapentin three times a day which was wiping me out and left me feeling not with it. However, I was still declared fit for work and the payments stopped. I feel forced into work just to get by, I have a part time admin job now, some days it’s a welcome distraction and others I’m just scraping by. On really bad days I can’t go in at all, but everyday is a battle.
Depending on only my partner’s income is a huge stress and burden so I have to work. Especially on top of an energy and cost of living crisis. It is an utter sh*t show! All I can manage is a thirty minute dog walk otherwise I suffer. The more I do the more my legs and arms get so tight my legs will just give way and I collapse.
I am learning to become aware of what may trigger my symptoms. I have adapted my diet to a more clean-eating and fresh approach. I cannot enjoy the ‘fun stuff’ anymore. Carbs, wheat, dairy, sugar etc. I had a glass of Prosecco for my mum’s birthday in December, but this left me severely dizzy for the rest of the month.
I have to be very careful with stress levels and not let this situation get to me, although that is easier said than done.
Throughout this journey my life has drastically changed. I’ve had to adapt, and I’ve had to suck it up, but there has been so much collateral damage. Certain friendships are no longer, I’m socially restricted because I can’t do most things normal able bodied people can. And people’s reactions and words when you mention the cause, it’s all just psychologically damaging because it’s still such a controversial topic. A lot of people just don’t get it. One thing is for certain, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my Mum and partner. And I’m thankful for the financial help my parents have given when I’ve been so let down by the government. I carry on in the hope that I will recover one day soon, that justice is done, and the world becomes a nicer place to live again!