She was in and out of the state mental hospital every few years, starting when I was in 1st grade. She first started having her episodes around the time that antipsychotic medications were becoming a thing and doctors were figuring out how to use them (mid 1950s). She'd get stabilized on the meds and come home, but eventually she'd have another episode. Some (but not all) were due to going off the meds. She complained that she didn't want to be a drug addict nd didn't seem to understand the difference between drug addiction and being dependent on medication to manage a chronic condition.

Fortunately, she was never violent, but omg, the delusions. People were always (according to her) spying on her, and something as innocuous (to a normal person) as the next door neighbor having a visitor would have all kinds of sinister implications actions to her. Even when she wasn't floridly psychotic, she was paranoid in small ways. For example, if she misplaced something, the first thing she would say was, "Who took my XYZ?" not "What did I do with my XYZ."

The TV was a major bone of contention when she was having one of her spells. She believed that if we turned on our TV, the neighbors could see us on theirs. This led to some heated arguments when I was a teenager and wanted to watch my favorite shows. It's hard when you're a kid, especially one getting close to adulthood, to deal with an adult who has an utterly irrational belief system. Kids look to their parents to help them navigate this big, confusing world, and my mother was off in lalaland half the time. I used to get so frustrated. On one level, I realized she couldn't help being the way she was, but on another level, I was often angry with her for believing things that I (a kid) could clearly see were ridulous and impossible. Especially when her delusions got inthe way of things I wanted to do (like watching TV).

It was a roller coaster. I have some fond memories of really good times, in addition to memories like the ones described above. I could write a book about some of the weird stuff that happened (and may do so, one of these days). Suffice it to say, I knew more about paranoid schizophrenia by my teen years than most people learn in a lifetime. Not that I understood it, but I definitely knew what it looked like and sounded like and acted like! 😐

I got my first shot of the Pfizer vaccine this afternoon. (Didn't know which one it was going to be till I got there, and didn't really care, lol.) Shot #2 is scheduled for April 12. It still doesn't feel real, but I have a little card in my hand that says it is, so who am I to argue?

The whole process went very smoothly. The hospital had the whole thing set up so that it ran like a well oiled machine. The shot was almost completely painless, just a very quick pin prick. The appointment for the second shot was scheduled during the 15 minute waiting period after my injection.

They gave me a sticker that looks like this:



If someone had told me on Monday that I'd be getting my first Covid19 vaccine shot before the week was out, I wouldn't have believed it. Might have believed I'd have an appointment lined up by now, but NEVER imagined I'd be able to actually get a shot scheduled and done this fast.

I can't wait till EVERYBODY can get vaxxed. It's an amazing feeling.

In closing, I want to say a big than you to all those who encouraged me when I was so discouraged about being unable to find an appointment. It helped more than you'll ever know.

I actually just now managed to schedule a vaccine appointment! I still can't believe it. It feels surreal.

I went to the county health department covid vaccine page, as I have many (many) times before, andstarted clicking on their listings of places where the vaccine is supposed to be available. And lo and behold, this time one of the links actually worked. *faints from shock*

My appointment is on Friday at 2 pm (CDT), and it's at a hospital about 20 minutes from here. I'm SO excited and relieved!

Best of luck to anyone else out there who is still trying to get scheduled, and to anyone who's not eligible yet, hang in there; Joe has promised it won't be long before the vaccine is available to everyone. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for all of you!

Dear Joe and Kamala,

Congrats on your win! Can't wait for you to take office and begin leading this country back to sanity. January 20, 2021, will be a great day for America! Butould we please, please, please have a virtual (i.e., indoor, carefully guarded, televised) inaguration? Pretty please with sugar on it? Some of us are REALLY worried about your safety, not to mention the safety of all those who will be gathered with you for that solemn and joyous occasion.

I know this isn't how we normally do things here in the land of the brave and the home of the free. Taking your oaths of office behind locked doors in a heavily guarded location isn't how these things are typically done. But let's face it, nothing about this inauguration is going to be "normal" or "typical" wnyway. Very few Americans are going to be able to watch you get sworn in live. (You asked us to stay home because of the pandemic, remember?) The vast majority of us will be at home, watching you on TV. And we'd really love to be able to watch it without biting our fingernails and worrying about something horrible happening to you, your families, or anyone else.

As you are well aware, we all just watched a mob of armed insurrectionists storm and desecrate our nation's Capitol on those same TVs that we'll be watching you on. We were already concerned for your safety, and after what happened on Wednesday, we're downright good and worried. So we are begging you, please consider holding the Inauguration indoors, where those responsible for your safety can best control the situation.

Love and support always,
ShazzieB


Anyone with me on this?