Book Review: What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City

Written by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the doctor who uncovered the Flint water crisis, this book covers exactly how she discovered the high lead levels in Flint water and the brave and admirable fight she led for environmental and social justice.

What’s the Flint water crisis?

In short, the Flint water crisis refers to the tragic result of a 2013 change in the water source for the local residents of Flint. The lack of treatment on the new water source by Flint officials meant the highly corrosive river water was reaching the sinks and taps of thousands of local homes. This led to significantly elevated blood lead levels in Flint residents. Lead in drinking water can lead to neurodevelopmental issues, and is especially more dangerous to infants and children, due to the lower threshold of exposure.

The corrosiveness of Flint water: A nail after one month of exposure to Detroit water (top) and to Flint river water (bottom) [Source]

Overview: What the Eyes Don’t See

The book covers Dr. Hanna-Attisha’s journey from when she first decides to investigate patient blood lead levels in her Hurley clinic, all the way to the state and press recognizing her efforts and taking action to rectify its wrongs. We also get to learn more about Mona’s childhood and family throughout the story and her struggle to advocate for her residents as a brown woman.

Favorite Quotes

“I was a chubby baby, born with a mark, a capillary hemangioma, on my forehead. It wasn’t pretty or fascinating, like Harry Potter’s lightning bolt. […] The hemangioma regressed, went away on its own. Your eyes wouldn’t see it unless I told you where it was.”

What the Eyes Don’t See, pg. 4-5

In this beautiful reference to the title in the opening pages, we learn that Mona had a birthmark on her forehead that caused a lot of questions in her Iraqi community. People would come up to her mother asking what it was and if it could be fixed. This story about her birthmark pulled me into the book. Some cultures believe a birthmark on one’s forehead to be a sign of great wisdom. I definitely believe that to be true for Mona. I will also casually add that I have a birthmark on my forehead myself, so learning about hers really resonated with me.

“I was a true believer when it came to government. I had faith in its ability to protect rights, promote equality, and mitigate historic injustice. So much of my life and advocacy rested on that. But what had happened in Flint, and what had happened with the state, was seriously eroding that faith.”

What the Eye’s Don’t See, pg. 236

While Mona was waiting to hear back from the state government, the mayor’s office, and the city, there were times when she did not eat or sleep properly due to the weight she felt like she was bearing. When there are events out of our control, it can be difficult to cope. Mona’s family had fled from Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq and found solace in America. Especially when one has personally seen how a government can fail them, it can be disheartening, to say the least, when that same country that took you in, fails to adequately address the crisis at large. Nevertheless, Mona had the support of her family, close friends, and her team, and kept a cool head to continue fighting.

“But there are really two Americas, aren’t there? The America I was lucky to grow up in, and the other America- the one I see in my clinic every day. In that other America, I have seen things I wish I’d never seen. The things you run from, not toward. Things that would never be part of any dream. And for too many people, this nightmare is taking place right outside their front door.”

What the Eyes Don’t See, pg. 323

She is so right. For so many immigrant families who come to America, they seek a better life, a prosperous and safe one, filled with opportunities for themselves and their children. Yet, Mona speaks of the injustices she sees in her clinic every day- poverty, environmental injustice, institutional racism- these are just a few, and they affect people disproportionately. From an outside perspective, the world may see America as a dream, a land of opportunity, but any family or person who has moved here knows the reality, the struggle, and the fight for survival one has to achieve before thriving.

Closing remarks

This story is so inspirational, and the fact that Dr. Attisha is an Iraqi daughter of immigrants who values hope, advocacy, and science, makes it so much more meaningful. If you need a “prescription for hope” as Mona calls it, especially now, I encourage you to read her story.

Strength Breaks Walls and Builds Resilience

Whatever roadblocks you may face in your life, whether physical or mental, you may know that it takes strength to overcome the obstacle.

Women in STEM

AP World History

One day in AP World History, we had an evaluator sit in the back and observe how our teacher conducted our class. The next day, our professor asked a question and waited for someone to raise their hand. As he waited and no one raised their hand, he got increasingly frustrated. When one boy in our class raised his hand, the professor said:

“[insert name] That’s great, I know you know the answer, but do any girls in the class want to give it a try? The observer said we need to increase female participation!”

I carefully looked around the room at the other girls in my class. All of them were looking down at their notebooks, tapping their pens. I knew the answer but was still waiting for someone else to go first. I had assumed that the other girls also knew but were just shy. The clock kept ticking and ticking, and not wanting to waste any more time, I finally raised my hand and answered the teacher.

There was so much info in this class, but it gave me so much perspective

Our teacher was soo excited that someone finally answered his question! He smiled brightly and continued the class. I realized that by actually raising my hand and answering the question, we could move forward and learn more in the hour-long time we had.

EBT: Electronic Buddhi Transfer

The other day my cousin wanted to know how to link her Roth IRA and Checking account so she could start transferring money from one to the other.

I was so shocked to hear this. She’s been in the USA and studying math for more than five years now! Why had no one helped her and why hadn’t she asked?

“Figure out what you want and learn how to ask for it”

How Do You Know (2010) ft. Reese Witherspoon 🙂

Upon hearing this, I told her that I would call the bank company as long as she had her account and routing numbers ready. I said I’ll have one Airpod in my right ear, and leave the other ear open to talk to the phone. Whatever account numbers she told me, would go in one ear and leave out the other 🙂

Drake and Josh did the earbud thing to cheat on a quiz bowl!

At the end of the call, I told her not to be afraid of speaking up and asking for help. That is a strength, not a weakness. I left the call with one last piece of information for her:

“While we work on the EFT: electronic funds transfer, always remember what I told you. Don’t be afraid to speak up and use your voice. That’s the electronic buddhi (wisdom) transfer. EBT.”

Women helping women rise up.
That’s something very strong, empowering, and beautiful.
I can only hope we continue to help each other rise up,
regardless of gender, race, class, politics, and religion.

“Pairon mein bandhan hai

Payal ne machaya shor”

(My feet are restricted, my anklets are making a noise)

“Todh he saar bandhan tu

Machne de payal ka shor”

(Break all your restrictions, let the anklets make the noise)

Mohabbatein (2000)

Mohabbatein (2000) Film

Whatever roadblocks you may face in your own life, I encourage you to figure out a plan of action and learn how to ask for help, if you need it. Much peace, love, and light to all 🙂

The Tennis Partner: A genuine tale of two friends (Book Review)

Description

The Tennis Partner is a beautifully authentic story about two friends who meet each other through medicine and bond through tennis.

Abraham is a practicing physician in El Paso, Texas who loves all things internal medicine and all things tennis. His love for tennis is so tunnel-visioned that his wife Rajani feels that he neglects their marriage. She calls for separation and both consider how this will impact their two young boys. While Abraham (“Abe”) is a well-respected and successful physician at work, his home life is slowly unraveling.

David Smith is a fourth-year medical student who has recently started at the same hospital at Abraham. He is a recovering cocaine addict who has just completed his time at rehab and is rejoining the medical field. While shy and reserved at work, David is a former start tennis player and is a brilliant force of power on the court.

When David is assigned to Abraham’s team at the county hospital, Abraham invites him to play tennis after work one day. The two men quickly bond over tennis and grow to become close friends whose relationship intertwines a personal and professional line.

Abraham learns of David’s history but passes no judgment. The two continue to play and work together. Later on, when stressors in David’s life start to affect David’s wellbeing and decision-making, Abraham watches as David decides to spontaneously move in with a new girlfriend after barely breaking up with his former one.

Eventually, David relapses. While David’s sponsor says he saw it coming, Abraham is shocked to his core. What follows is a tragic yet authentic unraveling of the two men’s tight-knit relationship as David goes down a dark and lonely path towards solitude.

Reaction

Wow. This story was so very open and honest. To witness the two characters in different arenas, both on the hospital inpatient floors and on the tennis court, was such an exciting experience. David thrived and felt most himself on the tennis court as a former star player to the point where he would often advise Abraham. On the other hand, Abraham felt most powerful on the hospital floors where he taught his students and was a strong mentor to David.

We see how both men struggle to maintain their family and personal relationships in different ways. While Abraham struggles to maintain his marriage with Rajani, he never fails to make time for his sons Ethan and Jacob. David struggles to open up to his parents and struggles to keep healthy romantic relationships with his girlfriends Gloria and Emily.

I enjoyed watching how Abe and David’s relationship progressed throughout the book. While the ending was tragic and heart-wrenching, author Abraham Verghese highlighted many lessons that we could learn from his story.

This book opened my eyes to how pervasive disease impacts and affects society. While many put medical professionals on a higher tier, it is important to remember that these professionals are humans with flaws as well. This story reinforced my belief that it can be hard to know a person’s entire story in full. Therefore, we much treat each other with kindness and respect.

For a beautifully written memoir and genuine story of a doctor and his medical student, I encourage you to pick up The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese.

Be True, Be You, Be Brave

Disclaimer: All views are my own. The events that transpired this past weekend and our feelings are of no fault of nexmasfest as an organization. Historically, the event has been held in Boston. We feel that it is the demographics of the venue and surrounding area, that contributed to our experience. We choose peace, love, and light, and I ask that anyone reading respect this decision.

I have also highlighted many South Asian creators and orgs throughout this post and encourage you to check out their work if you get a chance. They are in italic font to allow readability but also emphasis.

Happy Diwali to all.
-Your fave aloo monster ❤

Background

If you identify with a hyphenated identity (I’ll go first: Asian Indian-American), then you may know that you get to choose how much of each culture to embrace. (TED talk, @ROYALSHAUNAK). I always had a strong sense of my own identity growing up. I remember having short hair, aka a “mushroom cut” and playing the MALE role in our Bengali plays as a kid! But I played those roles like a queen!

During my first week as a seventh-grader at BLS, my mom had packed me rice with vegetable curry for lunch. Our cafeteria was filled with circular tables, meant for fostering connection. As soon as I opened the lid, a girl exclaimed “EW.. what is THAT”. Flabbergasted, I looked for the words to explain my lunch. Someone told her not to be so mean. But I already felt the impact of her words. I insisted to my mom that she only make turkey and cheese sandwiches from now on.

Me trying to understand the hype behind Lunchables

Throughout my time at BLS, I realized that I could count the number of brown (read: desi) people on a single hand.

I did what any angsty desi teen would reasonably do to express myself. I got a nose piercing in Kolkata at 15, joined BLS Desi society, and found a circle of true, genuine, and multicultural friends. My junior year research paper was a fierce fourteen pages on two books by V.S. Naipaul. I remember going to Regal Cinemas Fenway to watch Dil Dhadakne Do, alone, at 16, because my brown friends were taking the SAT Subject test LOL. My favorite thing about moving to Boston was the diversity of my city, my new home, even if the diversity was almost comically misrepresented at my school.

Our experience: resilience and bravery

This past weekend, my mom and I showcased and sold her art at nexmasfest. Over 300 artisans would build booths to exhibit their art at the Earth Convention Center at Mohegan Sun, CT. I was so excited. I had never been and bought myself a new dress, just for fun.

Within a few minutes of setup, we became extremely conscious of our identities as brown women. Many artists were Caucasian, and/or men. I counted two other South Asian-owned booths and two Black-owned booths. We frantically began unloading our rental Chrysler Voyager. I assured her that we were two gundas (gangsters) and that gangsters transcend race and gender.

Sholay (1975) is the most ICONIC film about two gangsters/criminals and Amitabh is so funny in this movie ❤

But it did not feel enough. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into building our booth.

The first sale of the day for vendors in Kolkata is a celebration. Vendors casually sit back and for the first sale, cash in hand, they do a quick prayer gesture to thank Lakshmi, goddess of wealth.

In the fluorescent lighting of the Convention Center, my heart BROKE. My mom crouched to hide behind our table, and cash in hand, quietly did the prayer gesture to thank Lakshmi. Her proceeds go to charity. She should NOT feel scared to pray while pursuing her own dream.

Hasan Minhaj was right. Our parent’s generation was about survival, while ours is about thriving (Homecoming King, Hasan Minhaj). I’m over here trying to actively table by putting our booth number on my sweater and marching through the aisles (CMU Om: Diwali and Holi). Mom is quietly playing Lakshmi mantra.

Meanwhile, I’m over here blasting Soundcloud bhangra to hype myself up. Like a bhangra dancer touches the stage to do a quick prayer before a performance, I’m touching the carpet of the Convention Center every time I enter LOL. Am I turning heads? Sure, but who really cares? Not me, I promise you that.

But there was more. We felt like we were on display, rather than our booth. People would gawk and stare at us as they walked through the aisles of the festival. What was supposed to be a fun time quickly turned us into stressed, introspective, and quiet individuals.

Why is it that every black, brown, and Asian artist I saw were all hiding in a corner behind their booth, trying not to be seen?? I doubt that the average Caucasian male artist did this much reflection.

I love bhangra and I am using this GIF to SCREAM: Support the farmers of Punjab! … one IG story is NOT enough (Learn more at sikhcoalition.org)

I relate to The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014) now. After their original restaurant burned down in a fire, the Kadam family moved from India to Paris to open a restaurant right across a Michelin-star sensation. The film stars Manish Dayal as Hassan Kadam, a talented young chef. Om Puri made his daughter Mahira, played by Farzana Dua Elahe, dress up in jewelry and a sari and stand at the front to *attract* paying customers. (Remember, we don’t chase, we attract. Source: TikTok).

At nexmasfest, while my mom planned, she told me how she wants “pretty girls” to sell her art. I wore my new dress just for her. I would adorn my eyes each morning with golden glitter eye shadow because my eyes are all people would see under my mask.

MANISH HEAR ME OUT: Shaadi?

Epilogue

Hard work, dedication, and passion. These manifest in different ways, seen and unseen. My mom worked year-round in addition to her full-time role to produce her art. I was merely a humble volunteer, doing my best to table, sell, and have fun along the way.

As we reflected upon our experience, we both felt initial anger at the situation, because we could not control the demographics that chose to attend the festival. We talked about reaching out to nexmasfest, and she is going to be in touch with them to share her experience. Also, we did make solid money. Out of 300 artists, people saw something in her art, and maybe even in us as a dynamic desi duo.

Do NOT mess with two ARIES women. We forgive but do not forget. We believe in karma. NO artist should have to feel angry. I wrote this post for my Mom. Bengalis are historically thought to be creative and very sweet. We are both, except when you mess with us.

It is so cool how Aries (fire sign) sounds like Ares, the Greek God of war, the spirit of battle. I choose to pick my battles. Who knows whether the pen is mightier than the sword, but the written word is my talwaar, my sword, my current weapon of choice. Holding my little puppy warrior, Scout, and listening to desi music brought me a bit of sukoon (calm, peace, relief) and a pocket of peace. (Sukoon Mila x Arijit Singh, Nabela Noor).

This Diwali season, I choose peace, love, and light.
However, I will not be silenced.
Our fire and our light burn brightly.

Inspired by The Circle Season 3 and Jane the Virgin (Team Rafael), I titled this post:

Be True, Be You, Be Brave.

Book Review: The Spanish Love Deception

It had been a long time since I picked up a romance novel. After a deep dive into historical fiction, I decided to give this book a try after seeing an amazing review on TikTok by @aymansbooks. I am so glad I read this one! Elena Armas did a great job of setting up a fake romance between our main characters, Lina and Aaron that was full of plot twists, tension, drama, and emotion.

Summary: The Spanish Love Deception

The novel centers on Lina Martín, a young woman working at a large company, InTech, in New York City. She clearly dislikes her work nemesis, Aaron Blackford, with a burning passion after he dismissed her on the first day he started. However, Lina desperately needs a date for her sister’s wedding in Spain. Or else, Lina fears that her family will continue to pity her for still being single.

Aaron, although seemingly cold and heartless, surprisingly agrees to be Lina’s date to her sister’s wedding. Lina is very adamant and stubborn at first, but after a lot of convincing in part from her best friend Rosie, she finally agrees to let Aaron accompany her.

The two head together to Spain and in those three days, a whirlwind of events and moments transpire between our two characters. Aaron and Lina truly get to know each other during this time and share secrets with each other that neither of them expected to share. I will leave the rest unsaid as I think this slow-burn, enemies to lovers romance deserves to be read in full to get the complete experience.

Conclusion

I loved this book because of its very real and relatable characters. Aaron and Lina’s romance also had the perfect pacing, and our author Armas does an awesome job of portraying both characters as genuine, caring individuals with real flaws and fears. I definitely recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of romance novels and in the mood for a contemporary romance filled with gripping tension and yet, full of love.

The Circle Season 2 (2021): Netflix Show Review

As a huge fan of Season 1, I was so excited to see Season 2! Never heard of The Circle? Here is an overview:

Overview

The Circle is a reality show centered on social media and gaining popularity in a virtual environment. We begin with a group of eight players who can choose to either be themselves or play a catfish. Since players cannot see each other and can only communicate virtually through the “circle chat”, it is up to each player to decide for themselves who they think is real.

Players try to make friends and gain popularity through their conversations in the chat and through the various online games through the show. At the end of each week, players rate each other, and the two highest-rated players become “influencers”. These two influencers then decide who they would like to block from The Circle. Blocked players can no longer compete. Often, before they leave, they can meet one player face to face. Did I mention that the winner of the show gets $100,000 dollars? Thus, the competition is fierce and the stakes are high.

Season 2

In Season 2 we get to see some familiar faces, including Chloe from Too Hot to Handle and Mitch, who is related to Ed and Tammy from Season 1. A new aspect I saw this season was the inclusion of “The Joker”. This player got to be anonymous and had the chance to speak to two new players entering The Circle, Khat and Mitch. I will keep The Joker’s identity hidden, but it is very interesting to see their strategy in what they reveal to the new players!

This season also had a lot of people playing under a different identity, a lot of which made it very far! We also see two blocked players get a second chance under a new fake identity. These are just a handful of twists and turns that come about with The Circle.

Conclusion

I really like The Circle because I enjoy seeing everyone’s strategy for how they play the game. To do well, I believe one has to really know their identity well, whether real or fake. Players who do well often form alliances with a broad group of players, instead of forming cliques. I also was really impressed by all the new aspects of the game that came with Season 2. I think the winner of Season 2 truly deserved it and played an excellent game with both strategy and wit.

Overall, I encourage you to check out The Circle on Netflix because it is a really interesting game and show to watch! 🙂

The Importance of Weak Ties

As I write this post, we are currently in July of 2021. Compared to where we were a year ago regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, I think it is safe to say we have come a long way. Vaccines have been rolling out, the public has been re-opening, and masks are no longer required in many spaces.

As we remain vigilant as to the latest public health news and advice from the experts, many people are also returning to an in-person work setting. I have seen TikTok videos of people DREADING going back to work and having to engage in “water cooler” chat again, while others simply cannot wait to go back to the office. All of this has me thinking about the importance of weak ties.

What are weak ties? Dr. Meg Jay, the author of The Defining Decade, defines weak ties as:

“people we have met, or are connected to somehow, but do not currently know well. Weak ties are also our former employers or professors and other associations not promoted to close friends … Weak ties give us access to something fresh … like bridges you cannot see all the way across, so there is no telling where they might lead.

(You can also check out my review of her book here)

My girl Leslie Jones explaining it for us

Dr. Jay goes to explain how the people who are “weak ties” in your life can actually be the most useful for professional networking purposes. Another article my cousin told me about stressed the importance of weak ties for our emotional well-being. I could not help but think how true this is. These simple and perhaps transient connections are so crucial for opening avenues for serendipity in our everyday lives and fostering a sense of fulfillment. Whether I am chatting in the break room with my coworkers about the mediocre cafeteria pizza, listening to my hairdresser give advice to a guy going on a date tomorrow, or hearing my eyebrow threading aunty tell me about why she decided to come to America from Nepal, these interactions create a sense of community and belonging for us.

I am definitely grateful for these seemingly small aspects of our everyday lives. Although counterintuitive, these weak ties can be extremely powerful. As we slowly and carefully welcome more in-person social interactions and reconnect with close friends and family, I also wonder at the possibilities of new connections that we may form. To me, that potential is really beautiful.

Book Review: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings

Initial thoughts

When I first read the description of this book online, I was immediately drawn to the suspense and adventure alluded to in the description. The story of how Lydia and Luca escape a dangerous drug cartel and venture North reminded me a lot of the 2007 film La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon), in which a mother and son separate in Mexico and eventually re-unite in the United States. I excitedly started reading Chapter 1 of American Dirt and already felt like I was hiding in the bathtub along with Lydia and Luca from the gang members in Acapulco.

This was also my first time listening to a book on Audible, and I really enjoyed the experience. While there is a unique satisfaction that comes with holding a book (kindle) in your hands while reading, I enjoyed being able to listen to the book while coloring to ground myself.

Plot Description (without spoilers)

Lydia and Luca are a mother and son duo trying to escape the dangerous gang violence that has slowly but surely overtaken Acapulco. Sebastian, Lydia’s husband, is a journalist who has just published a piece exposing the drug cartel, Los Jardineros, and their leader Javier, also known as La Lechuza. After this piece is written, Javier orders for Lydia’s family, including Sebastian, to be killed. Lydia and Luca hide in the bathtub, breathless and not moving, while they hear and later, see their family members being murdered. When Lydia first met Javier in her bookstore, little did she know that he was the notorious drug lord responsible for the state of their town.

The novel follows Lydia and Luca’s journey as they venture North and try to escape the miserable violence and danger that awaits them in Acapulco. Trigger warning, there are instances of sexual assault and sexual violence in this novel.

Opinion and Reaction

I really loved this book because I felt like I was there with the characters. Cummings does a great job of using vivid descriptions and figurative language throughout the novel, so you really experience the pain, loss, anger, relief, and numbness along with the characters. The journey that Lydia and Luca embark on is an arduous one, and I felt like I was right next to them every step of the way. The emotions I experienced while reading this novel were a rollercoaster of sadness, relief, suspense and thrill, and just a general strong sense of hope that they would make it past each of their numerous hurdles.

At the end of the novel, I was so glad that I had read it. I felt truly honored to have been on that journey with the characters and realized the immense difficulty that Mexican and South American immigrants face in crossing the border to the United States. I could tell that Cummings had done her research when portraying her characters’ struggles and experiences. Her descriptions of Lydia and Luca’s reactions to trauma were also very vivid and real.

Controversy

It was only after reading this book that I saw the controversy about American Dirt. Many felt that this story was not the author’s story to tell, as a white woman writing about a fictional story involving a Mexican woman. Another term being used is trauma porn, which is “when the plights or traumas of a culture or race are used for entertainment”. After reading articles about how this is harmful to minorities and how some minority authors feel as though they are expected to write about issues like immigration, slavery, etc., while white writers have more freedom in what they choose to cover, I felt a little more educated about the issue. I can definitely understand the controversy and different viewpoints. While I do not identify with the Latinx identity, as a South Asian woman of color, I do strongly care about advocating for minorities and bringing light to their experiences. I am glad that Oprah decided to have a conversation with Latinx writers after hearing about the controversy after announcing the novel as part of her book club. I am glad that she used her platform to highlight this issue, and bring awareness to the lack of diversity in media, including the publishing industry. I hope that these conversations continue to be had and we continue to address these issues and advocate for change.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed this book and was absolutely blown away by how drawn I was to the characters. I would definitely recommend this book as a good suspenseful read and would also recommend anyone reading this book to also read about the controversy and issues brought up. I also enjoyed using Audible to listen to the book and am definitely pro-audiobook, (in addition to being pro-kindle). Let me know if you end up reading this book!

I Tried the Viral Baked Feta Pasta and it’s 10/10

There’s a trend circulating on TikTok and the internet for a baked feta pasta, and honestly, it’s worth the hype. I was so excited to try this recipe because my love for both cheese and pasta. Check out my TikTok for the video and other fun recipes!

Baked Feta Pasta

My experience with the COVID-19 Vaccine

Last week on CBS Sunday morning, there was a segment about overcoming COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The piece included an interview Reverend DeWitt, who runs a nursing home located in West Baltimore. The reverend talked about how the majority of his staff did not trust the vaccine and were resistant to receiving it.

This mistrust is not unique to that nursing home. The Tuskegee experiments that were done in the 1930’s on African Americans for untreated syphilis are one of the most ill-conducted studies in American history. In fact, it is partly the reason why clinical studies today require informed consent, or, for a patient to understand the risks and benefits to a study and give written consent before they can participate. The Tuskegee study is one of the reasons why African Americans in particular are hesitant about receiving the vaccine.

I can understand why one may have questions about the vaccine or be hesitant until they know all the facts. I can also understand why African Americans may be more hesitant about receiving the vaccine because of past history, general mistrust, and experience with institutional racism in the healthcare system, police system, and more.

I thought I’d share my personal experience with getting the COVID-19 vaccine. It is important to note that side effects may vary person to person.

First Dose

Day 1

I received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The fact sheet for this vaccine can be found here. As a healthcare worker, I was able to schedule my vaccine through my employer. On the first day of receiving the vaccine, I did not experience any symptoms. The process of receiving the vaccine was very smooth: there were multiple nurses stations and someone by the door ushered me to an available station. The nurse asked about any known allergies, gave me the fact sheet for Pfizer vaccine, and got the dose ready. It hurt just as much as a flu shot. After receiving a Bugs Bunny bandaid, I was told to wait in the next room for fifteen minutes to make sure I didn’t have an immediate allergic reaction.

I waited for fifteen minutes along with others who had just gotten their first shot, before I was given a vaccination record card. Upon receiving this card, I could schedule my second dose for three weeks later.

Day 2

The next morning, I woke up with a sore arm in the arm I had gotten the shot. Besides this, there were no other side effects and this pain went away by the third or fourth day.

Second Dose

Day 1

Due to shipment delays caused by the snowstorms in the Midwest region, my second appoint was actually rescheduled from a Wednesday to the following Monday. That Monday, I got my second dose. The process was very similar to that of the first dose. I was ushered to an available station and handed the nurse my vaccination card. She asked me about allergies, any side effects from the first dose, and filled out my card. Surprisingly, the second shot actually hurt less than the first one. I was asked to wait fifteen minutes in the next room, before going about my day.

That day, I did not experience any immediate side effects. This is understandable given that your immune system takes time to build a proper immune response.

Day 2

The following morning, I woke up with a sore arm as expected, as well as a general feeling of fatigue. I had slept eight hours, but I felt like I could go for at least four more. Besides that though, I was surprised. I had no fever or chills. I took a Tylenol that morning as a preventative measure. Besides feeling tired, overall I was okay, and went into work that day.

Later that day, I experienced some mild headaches that would come and go, but nothing severe enough to affect my ability to work or anything. That night I went to bed early to try and get some extra rest. The following day I felt much better.

Final thoughts

Overall, I only experienced mild fatigue and a slight headache from my second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. I expected it to be way worse given what I had heard from coworkers and friends. Nevertheless, I am glad that my experience wasn’t too bad, although I know it will vary from person to person. Resting and taking Tylenol or something similar definitely helped me. I encourage you to get the vaccine when you can, as with each vaccinated person, we get one step closer to a relatively normal life. 🙂