Participate in a Clinical Study

I’ve seen clinical studies on T.V. shows. The bits I’ve seen are always portrayed as a shit show or a joke.  I’m sure it has to do a lot with my choices in shows, but, regardless. This was my exposure to these kind of studies.

I don’t know that this would have originally been on my bucket list. But, when you are strapped for cash, then I guess you will do all kinds of things to ensure you can pay the bills or get to the place you are wanting to go.

I remember donating plasma when I was younger. I have permanent craters in my arms from donating so much. It was relaxing though. Sitting on a semi comfortable medical bed while vampire machines suck you dry, spitting back everything, except, your plasma.  Every once in a while you could feel the needle in your arm vibrate. Likely due to the angle of your arm or position of the needle shifted ever so slightly, hindering the machine ability to suck your human lubrication out of you. I used to volunteer to go to any of the new technicians to see if they would stay.  

My veins are deep and they roll. I’d warn every tech. I even remember one such person was so familiar with me that he would see me sitting on the bed waiting to be attached to the greedy machines and go find someone else to stab me. 

I suppose, either I’m a sucker for being a guinea pig, or , I just like taking risks. ( I doubt its either! Both comes with money. You need money to do things. I like doing things. )

Enter Facebook and all their advertisements and peeping tom skills to find out my interests. Several Advertisements came up with a Covid Vaccine study.

I have plenty of health issues, so – why not. Make some money for the holidays, for the traveling we want to do. EASY! right?

Well…. It really was that easy actually.  I signed up. Got a micro interview and went to a place and let them inject something that even they didn’t know what it was. A double blind study. So, the crew at the clinical study didn’t know if they were injecting me with a placebo or the actual vaccine.

I still don’t know what I have. I find out on 4/19. If I don’t have it – I will get offered the vaccine. If I do have it. They don’t need to do anything further other than continue the study.  Apart from being forgotten in one of the trial rooms waiting for them to ask questions, have me sign stuff and take my temperature a few times, it really has been painless.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but, it has been rather uneventful. Filling out the same thing in a twice a week log stating that I have had no symptoms.

I will update this once I have more to add. But I’m currently in the middle of the study and have another year or so left!

UPDATE: 4/19/21

Just got back home from the study appointment. It appears this entire time – I have been vaccinated against Covid with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine last year.   Super glad I didn’t die. How else would you get to wonder through all my weird bucket list items.

Because I’d like to provide a little insight into what its like to do a drive through vaccine – I am going to see if I can’t get the ole ball and chain to take a picture for me.

UPDATE: 10/2022

Well – We moved out of state. I had inquired about the ability to continue the study in our new state when we signed up and I was provided with a resounding “Yes”. I even told them the state we were moving to.

It really should have been a resounding “No” because  – We moved – tried to get things moved over – and it is not possible.  UGH – There were other studies I could have been making more money on – but oh well!

I guess that is the end of my experience.