01/27/2021
Student to Student
Enduring the Crisis Together
By Chris Naranjo, SHAC Health Promotion
PHEW, last week was CRAZY! Syllabi, homework, and the COVID vaccine was how my first week of school went. I finally got approval to get my vaccine and was able to schedule my first dose for that Thursday. On top of all the crazy first week school stuff, I made getting that done a priority, which I hope many people will soon do.
Iâm not going to lie; I was a little scared about getting the vaccine, not because I was worried I was going to grow a third arm, but because I had heard of some people who had some side effects. Thankfully for me, I was just a little tired the day I received it and the next but in terms of soreness, it was very minimal. After receiving it, I couldnât help but feel an ounce of reliefâthinking of a nearing calming of the storm.
I truly encourage everyone to register for the vaccine and get in the queue, if not for yourself, do it for all of those around you who canât. Much like the flu, we need to create a herd immunity for those who are vulnerable. If I could I would do it a million times again, if that meant I could save the life of someone who has a legitimate reason for not getting it. Unfortunately, that is not possible and the weight falls upon all of us. Just 30 minutes it took out of my day, the way I thought of it was âone episode of Greyâs Anatomy is longer, just skip the binge sesh tonight."
I understand there are fears and all of these crazy things being said, just fact check and see where the source is coming from. I just want my life back, truly I am not acclimating very well to this whole online life. I feel as though, Iâm losing myself and am just becoming this quiet, introverted, zoom persona of myself. If it werenât for me living with friends, my awesome coworkers, and going to the gym (I know I shouldnât but I need this) I would probably suffer a lot more. Now more than ever, we need to focus on our mental health and realize what exactly we can do to help ourselves (check out our podcast to hear how we are âensuring our sanityâ with self-care tips). I am begging you my fellow lobos, protect the pack. As always, be safe, be healthy, and be kind to one another.
--Chris from SHAC