Cari Nogas
- Edna Dibble got her first COVID-19 vaccine just before her 104th birthday.
- She had some body aches and fatigue after the first Pfizer shot, but felt fine after the second.
- Her family has been looking out for her health from near and far during the pandemic.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Just before her 104th birthday, Edna Dibble got one of the best gifts anyone could ask for these days: her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dibble, a resident of a Maplewood senior living community in Connecticut, spoke with Insider about her experience getting vaccinated. Although the first shot slowed her down for a week, she didn’t have any side effects from her second dose and is now fully vaccinated.
She got her first shot of the Pfizer vaccine in January, started feeling ill the following day. For the next few days, she was too tired to watch TV or make her bed. That’s coming from a self-described “fussy housekeeper.”
“My legs hurt, my arms hurt, and I was lazy – very, very lazy,” Dibble told Insider. “I like to make my bed and take care of myself, but when you don’t feel well, you don’t want to do anything.”
Fatigue and body aches are common side effects of the coronavirus vaccines. As in Dibble’s case, they’re usually mild and resolve within a few days, and such symptoms are proof that the vaccine is doing its job by activating the immune system.
Dibble recovered in time for her 104th birthday party, which featured a lobster lunch made special for her as well as cupcakes for the other Maplewood residents. Her son lives nearby and was able to visit, but her daughter lives out of state.
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Her daughter made sure she got her second shot
Dibble said she's grateful for the telephone and the ability to video chat with her family. Not only does talking to her children and grandchildren bring her comfort, but her family also keeps her up to date on current events and the latest coronavirus updates.
"When you get old, you can't absorb everything you want to," Dibble said. "In order to clear it up, I have two people that I call on."
Her son drops off her medication every couple of weeks and is her go-to for talking politics. Her daughter, a nurse, was instrumental in making sure Dibble got both doses of the vaccine, even though Dibble felt hesitant after the first dose.
"My daughter has convinced me I've got to have it," Dibble said in an interview with Insider before her second shot. "If I don't feel good, then I can just take it easy and it'll be alright. But she says I have to have it."
Dibble's daughter is one of three nurses in the family. That instinct to help people translates into a family where everyone looks out for each other.
"I only had two children, and they're both very concerned," Dibble said. "And I'm very happy that they are."
The 104-year-old drinks a lot of water and occasionally some wine
As for keeping up with her general health, Dibble said her family constantly tells her to drink a lot of water. Compared to when she was growing up, people are much more concerned about hydration these days, she said.
She also occasionally drinks a quarter glass of wine "just to relax a little bit," before she watches Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy in the evenings.
Dibble said she doesn't have much trouble aside from her hearing and vision.
"Very few people reach 104," she said. "I knew a lady who was 104 for a little while, but she was on the sick side. But I feel pretty good."
"That's because you got all of your shots," Dibble's nurse added.