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Laura Schmidt


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

Normal, distance bicyclist, teacher, healthy, didn't get sick much, not even Covid. I am 60 years old so my biking routine kept any aging aches and pains away and I felt well and strong.

Describe the symptoms and the timeline of the reaction.

I had gotten the booster in February of 2022 because I was planning a trip to Italy for 10 days and it was required. The trip went well, I was still my old self. I was home for about two weeks and I started to get a malar rash on my face along with itchy rings on my skin. I treated it as though it was ringworm, but it was discoid rash. A few days later my whole body exploded with what looked like hives, but were not. These bumps were very hard and painful and eventually scabbed over. My hands and feet began to severely swell and have alarming pins and needles and an hour later shrivel and prune, sometimes a few times a day and through the night. My immune system went crazy. I had strange blue webs of veins on both legs. My hands and feet peeled severely for months and I could not use them. My finger tips turned blue/purple and my nails fell out. At one point a lot of skin came off of my head along with a lot of hair. It was as though I had severe radiation symptoms. The doctors said it was onset of skin/auto immune due to anxiety. I also have pain in shoulders and arms. Eye infection and discomfort on head behind my eye. Right eye herpes infection that travelled along the nerve to ear and there was hearing loss.

Describe the solutions that helped your symptoms

Dermatologist prescribed Otezla and eventualyl my hand and feet got better and it worked. I have to stay on it. steroid creams

Which solutions were not helpful?

Most creams were useless. Doctors telling me that my radically altered health and obviously confused immune system was stress did not help.

What would you like others to know?

It seemed like every part of my immune system was strongly activated, but very confused. Only four days ago, a neurologist admitted that she is beginning to attribute these collections of symptoms that are not classifying as typical diagnoses to the vaccine. Most doctors are cautious and "wait and see" as to why an immune system is malfunctioning radically.
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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.