In 2021 I was studying to become a support worker and in order to get my certificate I had to do 200 hours of work placement. I had already a placement lined up with Pathways, but because I wasn’t vaccinated (I was going to be vaccined the following week) I lost my placement. WITT (Western Institute of Technology Taranaki) put a lot of pressure on the students to get vaccinated as did the providers and I felt that I had no choice but to get vaccinated, as I wanted to get my certificate and I had a mortgage to pay and I felt that I had no other option than to get vaccinated even so I had a sixth sense that this was not going to be a good outcome for me. I had a really bad “vibe” about the vaccine, in fact, I had had a dream where I saw myself in hospital, however as I had lost one placement I saw no other choice than getting the vaccine in order to get a job, complete my studies, get my certificate and get my hours done, I absolutely felt really pressured from all corners and coerced as well from potential employers, as I had to get a job.
I had already been made redundant as sole charge regional cabin crew round one of Covid in 2020, a role that would see me on my feet of up to 10 hours in a day and on the go. Therefore, I felt extra pressured because I had already lost the opportunity with Airnz and as above with Pathways as well. WITT was putting immense pressure on us. We received an email, which has to be completed by the next day to tell them the status of being vaccinated or not, in fact, it was either a red light, green or orange light that you had to confirm that that is un-vaccinated, 1 vaccine or 2 vaccines.
On the 16th of September 2021 my life changed dramatically and not in a good way, in fact I thought I was going to die – I went for a job interview to work with Healthcare NZ as a Recovery Facilitator in mental health and addiction, a job that is much needed and I was successful in getting the job. I was very excited about being able to do my calling with is to help others. The same day I went to get vaccinated, as I didn’t want to miss out on another job opportunity. I was very fatigued over the weekend and lightheaded and raised it with my son, who said it was normal symptoms and consequently I didn’t act in seeing a doctor, as the symptoms subsided. On the 25th of September 2021 I was out walking with a strong head wind and my heart pumping when out of the blue, I got a sudden pain around my heart area that I have never experienced before. It lasted about 5 minutes and I managed to walk home. I remember thinking at the time if I pass out hopefully someone will deal to me and because I trusted the government and the medical profession, I was certain that this was for the greater good and that it was a safe and effective vaccine. I didn’t link it to any heart problems, as I have no medical history, in fact I was healthy and fit and there are no medical history of heart problems in my family, my parents lived until they were 89 and 91.
I didn’t act as I didn’t have a persistent pain and I put it down to exercising too harshly.
Before I was vaccinated I would walk brisk walks regularly. At WITT I would be at the gym on a rowing machine with another student and I would always take the stairs. I used to do high intensity zumba work-outs and I have always lived an active and healthy lifestyle with no pre-existing medical conditions. I have never smoked, I don’t do recreational drugs and I only drink on occasion. Growing up in Copenhagen, push-biking was part of my daily life as was swimming and walking.
From the 25th of September 2021, I got worse and worse and I have had numerous visits to GP’s, ED visits and in October I went from ED to being admitted to Hawera Hospital only to be transferred the following day to New Plymouth Hospital in an ambulance with a nurse monitoring my heart. When I was discharged in October I was diagnosed with low blood pressure and volume depletion. How can you give me that diagnosis when you are transferring me in an ambulance with a Holter Monitor on me? Clearly it is more severe than dehydration and low blood pressure!!!!!
I was admitted to the hospital again in January, as I could barely walk out to the letterbox without getting short of breath, my neighbour had seen me and was very concerned about me in her words “You need to put your foot down and get looked after”, which is hard when you are unwell. In January, the hospital diagnosed me with POTS and chronic fatigue and prescribed beta-blockers. I have also been diagnosed with having complex cysts on my liver post Covid vaccine. The first doctor I saw said myocarditis, but nothing states that in the medical records that I have. The first doctor sent me across the road for blood tests and said to me if I would pass out or get worse to call an ambulance, I was fobbed off numerous times, I could hardly stand up and in hindsight I should have spoken up more, but I was too weak. I found out in December that one of the blood tests was still sitting in the computer system, when I went in for more blood tests, in my world total negligence. On several occasions doctors have told me to call an ambulance should I get worse (worse in what way I have wondered).
In October 2021 I was sent to New Plymouth Hospital as an outpatient for an exercise tolerance test, the nurses were brutal and ripped all the heart cords etc. off me, when I said I was hesitant to get a 2nd vaccine, which a doctor had advised for me to wait until I got better. I only lasted 3 minutes on the treadmill then I had to stop, my heart was racing, but all results from all tests would confirm that everything was okay???? well it certainly wasn’t in my world. Going from 1 hour of intense work-out to 3 minutes was a stark difference for me. By now I had noticed whenever I had mentioned the vaccine that nurses and doctors would get agitated with me. In October when I was sitting in a wheelchair waiting to get admitted, a staff shouted out “Oh, so you are the patient with an adverse reaction to the vaccine, if she hadn’t said that I would have been left to wonder what was wrong with me”.
I wasn’t getting any better by December, in fact, I was getting worse, therefore I contacted NZDSOS just before Christmas and was diagnosed with myocarditis and prescribed medication. On the 25th of December I signed up for St. John’s ambulance, at that point I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I had a night of thinking I am either going to have a heart attack or a stroke or both, my left arm felt tingling and I had a strange sensation, but what is the point of contacting a doctor if they’re just going to fob me off and not treat me properly? I was over getting various diagnoses of fatigue, anxiety, volume depletion and dehydration, I knew something was wrong with me – I know my own body – and I knew this was serious.
I was getting really desperate at that point and my friends and family were getting very concerned for me, as were people in my community. I had had doctors look away from me when they were monitoring my heart or waiting until my heart rate had slowed down to take the readings.
Going to bed at night I would think “I wonder if I am going to wake up tomorrow morning” and I would wake up in the mornings with the sense of I am alive today but I am not living life, because I was so unwell that I couldn’t do anything. Some days I didn’t want to be alive, I thought “this is not life” I was so unwell. Words cannot describe the situation I was in. I would have cold, clammy hands and I was very pale with a grayish complexion, not my normal complexion. I would feel seasick, I would start getting unusual headaches (that I have never experienced before). I would wake up in the night with heart palpitations. During the day my son would check on me regularly and ask “Mum are you okay” as all I could do was lie on my bed and rest. I couldn’t cook meals, I simply couldn’t do anything.
In May one of my friends ended up coming down from Waiheke Island to take me up to Auckland to see both a doctor and seek alternative treatment, (Ironically being tested on an EAV machine invented by a German doctor) as I hadn’t had any luck with the doctors that I had seen and I was still very unwell, my friend along with other friends were very concerned. The homeopath/acupuncturist said when she saw me that it was only because I had taken so many supplements and nutrients that I was doing as well as I was (and I was not in a good state), I could barely walk. The homeopath said my body was on high alert and very inflamed and I had reacted as if I had been poisoned. When I was in hospital the staff noted my hands very ice cold and clammy. Later on I went the opposite and my hands would be extremely hot. A friend of mine who is a nurse thought I have produced tiny small blood clots (I took a photo of some blood on my pillow and showed it to her – there is a darker spot in the blood). Up until recently I have had unusual headaches like I have never had before. I have to pace myself, if I do too much I am exhausted the for days after, if I walk I can only walk very slowly and for a little while. My legs can tingle, when my Pots play up, it is light a light shake, something I have never had before.
What is my body like now? How is my heart? Blood clots? My life has completely changed. As I write my energy is starting to go down. I have a small window now of energy, usually in the mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then I have to rest. I can’t stand up for too long. The days of being on my feet for 10 hours seem like a different life now. I feel like I have lost my health. I trusted the Government that it was a safe and effective vaccine, to me it hasn’t been safe or effective but quite the opposite. I have also had Covid and I would choose Covid any day over an adverse reaction to the vaccine. I get fatigued very quickly and I don’t have much energy. Has my body aged 10 or 20 years, I don’t know? I still get pain around my heart area but less frequent.
If I die of a heart attack in 5 – 10 years, is anyone going to link it in to the vaccine?
No doctor has wanted to give me an exemption and I have been declined a referral to a cardiologist. It was deemed not necessary to see a cardiologist. I have been recommended by a doctor to get a 2nd vaccine, while I was lying in a hospital bed and not being discharged because I nearly fainted.
ACC have declined my 1st claim put through from the hospital saying that I have had an adverse reaction to the vaccine. ACC have also declined my 2nd claim saying that Pots and chronic fatigue are symptoms not injuries. If this isn’t an injury I don’t know what is!!!!
I have lost my career, as it is a role where you are on your feet and I don’t have the energy. Every day I have to go and have a lie down to re-charge. According to my senior lecturer I was “a positive and energetic lady, who who have been an asset to any employer”. The cruelty of not being treated, being unwell, having financial pressure and on top of that having to go through and get your kiwisaver when you are unwell – that should be a given that you should be able to get your kiwisaver out, it is too late when I am dead !!!
Comments from doctors,
Heart rate good, blood pressure fine “there is nothing wrong with your heart” according to the doctor I saw in February 2022. I could hardly walk in to his office from around the corner where I was sitting without getting shortness of breath. He waited for a while then took my blood pressure and pulse. A 3 month course of beta-blockers was prescribed.
Another doctor from the same medical centre, whom I have never met, also added medication for depression and anxiety to my prescription but no one explained when and how to take the medication or which side effects to watch out for and why I needed to take them. Ironic that I had been prescribed anti-depressants, as a recovery facilitator, you cannot work if you have the above issues, it doesn’t add up, does it?
I had bad side effects from the beta-blockers I got very faint and in January I was advised from the hospital to purchase an oximeter, but it was not explained to me how to use it. Overall, I have had to do a lot of my own research. Some days the figures from the oximeter would be very low, but no one wanted to treat me and when I rang the medical centre to see the doctor, I told to continue with the beta-blockers and go to ED, if I got worse, at that point my blood pressure was extremely low.
I have chosen to speak up, as I am absolutely shocked with what has happened and is happening and I feel no one should have had to go through this journey.
ACC have said to me “you haven’t had an act of care, you have had lack of care”. What is worse than going from being fit, healthy and full of energy to this state is that doctors are not treating injured patients. I haven’t had a CT scan on my heart, I haven’t had an MRI, but instead I have been prescribed with medication for depression and anxiety, which is unreal given that I have been given a glowing reference from my senior lecturer in mental health. I could hardly work in mental health and addiction if I was depressed or anxious. I feel enough is enough and if anyone had told me my story, I would have found it hard to believe and yet it happened to me, my medical records prove that. Nurses have panicked when they have seen me, one nurse told me she had asked the doctor what is wrong with her to which the doctor had replied “we don’t know”. I have walked in to see a doctor in a very unwell state, my blood pressure wasn’t taken, no physical examination was done and I was basically sent home, full of questions. Another doctor told me directly that we don’t know what these vaccines do. Another doctor me that I have had an adverse reaction to the vaccine, but diagnosed me with anxiety.
No one should have had to go through this journey.
I have had a very concerned son who has had to take me to ED and the hospital several times and who has kept checking on me to see if I was okay, it has been heartbreaking. This has been a nightmare for family, friends and myself that no one should have had to go through and it has cost me a lot of money in the path to recovery and seeking alternative medication.
No one should have had to go this. I thought doctors would have sworn the oath of “Do no harm” and to care for patients. What if this happened to you, your wife, your mum, your sister, your best friend?
Regardless, of what vaccine has been administered, if you have people severe reactions, compensation should be a given, when there is a job loss and loss of good health. Home care should also be a given and proper medical attention as well. I don’t know what has happened to me, do I have permanent scaring, have I healed what should I do and not do? Am I still at risk? Has my life span been shortened?
Thank you for reading my story.
Charlotte