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David Collins


What was your life like before you received the COVID-19 vaccine?

I wasn't taking any prescriptions. I was healthy. Other than a painful L4 and L5

Describe the symptoms and the timeline of the reaction.

Started having pain in all my joints with headaches. Got worse everyday until my Dr. Told me to go to emergency at u of Michigan hospital because my white blood cell count was so high and it took opioids to stop pain.

Describe the solutions that helped your symptoms

After 3 days in hospital doctors tried 60mg of Prednisone and I started feeling better. Went home after 6 days in hospital and every test under the sun. By Jan 3rd I was back at u of m hospital because my left eye was going blind and at times I saw nothing but black in left eye. Stayed at hospital for 5 more days and received 1000 mg of prednisolone each day for 5 days. Rheumatologist started me on Actemra that treats Giant Cell arteritis even though the gold standard test I underwent during first hospital stay was negative. I am currently still injecting Actemra once a week and it has me feeling about 80 to 90 percent.

What would you like others to know?

Biden said on tv the vaccine was safe. I was not safe and I'm still not safe because the Actemra drug I'm taking stops my immune system from working and my Rheumatologist said I could die if I get an infection now so I don't go indoors with other people fearing I'll catch something. Doctors now tell me that they think the vaccine triggered an underlying desease called Giant Cell Arteritis.
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The individual experience shared above is offered for informational purposes only. React19 neither endorses nor recommends any treatment(s) noted therein. React19 does not diagnose medical conditions, offer treatment advice, treat illnesses, or prescribe medicine or drugs. It is strongly recommended that, prior to acting upon any information gleaned from a shared experience, you first consult a physician.