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Return to: THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF BEING MULTIPLY SCLEROSED
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#Post#: 4975--------------------------------------------------
An outing--for a COVID shot
By: agate Date: October 30, 2025, 1:12 am
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Today was a scheduled appointment for a COVID-19 shot for me--my
sixth such vaccine. This was to be at a Safeway supermarket
that is only about 2 miles away, and I went there last year for
a similar shot. Therefore I thought I knew what I was in for.
I even had excellent transportation arrangements. I have two
possible transit arrangements, and if I'm very lucky I can get a
ride with the one I prefer. I did. Not only that--I even was
provided with a driver I've already had, for both trips. This
meant that I could ask him if he might be willing to depart from
the scheduled return pickup time if I was done early.
I always schedule return rides considerably in advance of the
time when I'll probably be done. You never know about medical
providers. They can be running late. Or they can encounter a
problem with your health that needs more attention than usual.
It's very hard to reschedule a return ride, I've found. Often
there is a wait of two hours or more at your pickup point
because it's so difficult for the transit system to rearrange a
ride on short notice.
And it wasn't even raining today although the forecast was for
rain all week.
So I was all set, and when I arrived at the Safeway the driver
offered to push me in my wheelchair all the way to the back of
the store where the pharmacy is, but I declined. Since I'd been
there before, a year ago, I knew my way there, right?
It's a fairly sizeable store but I whizzed along past aisle
after aisle until I saw a gigantic sign at the back saying
PHARMACY, just where I expected it to be.
I went whizzing down an aisle, pointing myself in the direction
of that sign. I got to the end of the aisle expecting to have
clear access to that pharmacy. But no. I encountered a wall of
liquor bottles on display, row after row of colorful bottles
tastefully arranged on shelf after shelf.
With no access beyond them.
So I backtracked and tried an aisle later on. A similar blockade
at the end of the aisle--this time not liquor bottles but
something else. Finally someone who looked like an employee came
along, and I asked her.
"Oh," she said. "Aisles 9, 10, and 11 have all been blocked off.
They did that a while ago. To cut down on theft."
I finally got to the pharmacy, waited while a few other people
received their shots, and got mine.
Then I made my way to the front of the store again, where I was
planning to put through a call, using my handy smartphone, to
the transit people to tell them I was ready to go--45 minutes
before the scheduled pickup time. I had set this up with the
driver beforehand, and he said he'd be able to show up early.
It was a busy time at the Safeway, surprising on a weekday
midmorning. People were buzzing around everywhere, their PA
system was blaring announcements, and vast rows of shopping
carts were being constantly slammed with other rows of shopping
carts.
I tried to call the transit people about five times. Each time I
couldn't hear the person on the line. There was just too much
noise. Hearing aids are fine but they're not perfect. They don't
do much about background noise.
I heard an occasional word. Finally I said, "I guess the driver
will show up when he shows up" and gave up.
But I was lucky once more. No sooner had I settled down with a
game to play on my phone than the driver did show up. Somehow he
must have got the message, and I didn't have to wait the 45
minutes.
This was my day. A very good day. So far the COVID shot has
caused only a very sore arm, and Tylenol helps.
Every 5 years or so I have to turn up at the DMV to get my
state ID card and disabled parking permit renewed but otherwise
the only outings I go on are for medical or dental appointments.
Today's experience with the phone--and the unexpected problems
navigating in the store-- is one reason why my outings are so
limited.
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