Stacie Ward
What was your life like before you received the COVID-19 vaccine?
Describe the symptoms and the timeline of the reaction.
First dose - sept 13 2021. Has a “delayed” reaction a few hours after the first dose. Skin rash/ hives on injected arm/ chest/ neck and face , mild swelling of lips and eye lids with a scratchy throat. Was put on prednisone , hydroxyzine, Benadryl and some steroid creams. Everything subsided today I think 10 days or so.
2nd dose - Oct 18 2021. Took to keep my employment. Was on reactin, Benadryl and prednisone for 5 days leading up to vaccine to avoid a reaction. Within 5 or so minutes of second dose skin went red with hives felt like it was burning and itching f on the inside out, mild swelling of lips and eye lids again and scratchy throat. Was taken back into a room and given more antihistamines, nurse had epi pens ready to go but they were not used.
Over the following 24 hours the rash intensity worsened. Went back and was given stronger antihistamines.
3-5 days following the vaccine I noticed that my second toe on my left foot was completely blanched and numb. I did not think much of it at first. Assumed it was due to the medications, cold weather and my body being angry all together.
The initial skin reaction calmed down in about 12 days. But I continued to have random flair ups. Which included at times the eyes and lips swelling and rash.
I had asked my doctor about my toes in December he had said probably Reynolds’s and not to worry it was no big deal.
Saw an allergy specialist in I believe December who said my skin would calm down at some point and to just keep taking the antihistamines.
Mid February i was still having flair ups with my skin, my toe issues was spreading to my left foot.
Early March I noticed when my feet would flair it was starting to go up my legs at times. The colours range from white/blanched, bright red (almost sun burnt looking) to a deep dark purple. Have feelings of complete numbness, dull aches, shooting pain. Also have edema.
My doctor finally started running tests and put in referrals.
All lab work comes back like I am a perfectly healthy 35 year old.
ABI showed lowered pulse rates in feet saying “possible small vessel disease”.
Rheumatologist said that I’m healthy, if anything it’s a inconvenience to my appearance - ABIs aren’t a trustworthy tests.
Allergy specialists say it will go away at some point.
Vascular surgeon isn’t sure what the problem is, visually he can see there is one but no idea what or what I need to do.
Dermatologist thinks it is an autoimmune response. Attacking my skin and small blood vessels. But none of my my autoimmune markers are showing it?
I’ve also been passing what they say are decidual casts every menstrual cycle. Which are extremely painful.
