More notably, all of Walgreens saw me swing my arm like the people on TikTok.

I got the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, April 29 after getting the first one three weeks ago! So begins the 14-day countdown to being fully vaccinated.

When I went in for my first appointment, the person administering the vaccine told me I didn’t have to come back exactly three weeks from the first shot (see CDC website here). That was good news for me since I got the first dose on a Tuesday and got the second on a Thursday. Since tomorrow (Friday) is a study day, I have all of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to recover before my first final on Monday.

The process for getting the second shot was pretty much the same. The only difference was that I didn’t need the proof of residency and health card information since it was on file. I simply had to bring my CDC vaccine card and fill out some paperwork. They administered the vaccine and said I’d have to stick around for 10-15 minutes, but I was free to walk around the store.

So what did I do? Arm circles, of course.

There’s a trend going around TikTok to swing your arm for a bit after the vaccine so it won’t get sore. I decided to try it, and it ended up working for me. I swung my arm in a circle for five or so minutes and it felt fine after. It’s still a little sore when I push heavily on it, but I can lie down indirectly on it in bed, so I’m going to consider that as “working.” I’m also going to put a general disclaimer that I’m not a medical professional, and it could be pure coincidence that it “worked” for me. This is not medical advice and should not be taken as such.

I felt fine for the rest of the day, just a bit tired. My arm was still sore, and I spent most of it in bed watching TikToks and scrolling through Instagram. The next morning, after sleeping for hours on end, I woke up with a slight fever, soreness, and chills. And I was very tired

I woke up around 12 PM, and I stayed in bed for the rest of the day. Five hours later, some of my friends and I ended up going to get slushies at Buc-ee’s and pizza from Domino’s. I got to feeling better after that, and while I do have a slight headache, I’m fine for the most part. The next day, I boarded over to the student union and back.

I took a final on Sunday and did fine, so I was pretty much back to normal. I could move my arm up and down without too much pain. Instead of hurting, it’s more sore, and that’s fine with me. I’ll be leaving for the summer before I can get the All Clear badge (two weeks after your second dose), so I’ll just get it when I come back for the fall. It’ll be really nice… the CDC says fully vaccinated people need not wear masks outside. As part of the Orientation Team working during hot August, that’ll be a great feeling.