^^I was feeling like this last night and for those unaware this is a "Predator"^^
Today it’s been 4 weeks since I've worked full time. I still haven't gotten into any kind of
schedule, but a few things are getting there.
Tuesdays are my grocery day if I’m not having a flare affecting my feet
or knees. Fridays is my go out to lunch
day, again pending knee foot issues. I
love banh mi sandwiches from my local pho shop so I've been having lunch there
every Friday. They have great food and
are happy that the white girl likes Vietnamese style coffee.
I’m a planner and like structure in my life so I still feel
like I need more of a schedule. I had
hoped that with less stress and more sleep my illness would improve, but the
reality is if anything it’s worse. I
went yesterday about the breathing issues I had been experiencing, and since
quitting smoking (yes I do have a drag here and there when I’m out with Mickey)my
lungs are actually stronger and better looking than they have been in
years. I had clear lungs, the xray was
clear, 98% O2 levels, EKG was good and high end of normal on the lung capacity
test. The decision has been made to send
me to a cardiologist just to be on the safe side. I told the Dr that my pain is constant so he
prescribed me a Butrans patch. It is
supposed to be less powerful than Fentanyl, and I will be able to take vicodin
on days when I am in REALLY bad pain(HA, that’s every day lately), but should
give me more constant relief with a
steady stream of narcotic in my system.
He also cleared me to start taking Arava. So I got home feeling a bit dejected with all
the lack of any news good or bad. I mean
I don't want bad news, but at least with bad news there’s a direction to go
in. Anyway I slapped my patch discreetly
above my voluptuous butt bump, and downed a Arava pill. About an hour later my system had a
rebellion. I’ve experienced these
feelings before when I was on Remicade.
It is like every nerve in your body has little needles and anywhere your
body is touching anything is getting needled, also every joint has a sudden
flare so there isn’t a bad joint, they all hurt like hell and then comes the
fever. With Remicade I would leave the
Dr’s office after my infusion and get home, crawl up in the fetal position, and
moan myself to sleep. This reaction has
no “fatigue” at all. If anything I’m
hopped up and zooming. I figured since I
was going to be in this torture at home or out I would go try to play poker. The hope being that some social interaction
would give me some distraction. Also
besides the grocery store, Dr, and 3 hours at Urban Crust I really hadn’t left
the house since Sunday morning. It was time to get out and be social. I sucked at poker as usual, and stayed a bit
to spend a little time with the boyfriend, but by 9 I was ready to go home and
resume the fetal position with crying added to the ritual. I really wished I could remove all my joints
“predator” style (You’d have to see the movie to get it).
Upon waking this morning I do feel better. I’m not sure if the Arava or the Butrans was
the reason for the reaction. I took the
Arava this morning and not having the extreme reaction of yesterday. I am still pretty flared up everywhere, but
the fever and nerve pain has stopped. I won't know which it was till I change the Butrans patch next week, and may
never know for sure which caused it. My
bet’s on Arava since it was SO similar to my Remicade reaction. You have to remember when you have these
immune diseases that are your immune system over working that they are going to
react to medications designed to suppress them just as they would a virus. Having an initial reaction to DMaRDS and
Biologicals or even a recurring reaction like I did with Remicade is not
unusual or unexpected. It does suck and
it is your and your doctors call if these reactions are livable or not life
threatening. On Remicade I’d still tell
you I’d gladly give up 1 day out of 30 to function and even excel the other 29
and I’d do it without a second thought.
So there you have yet another ride on the side effect
roller coaster. I’m going to finish
eating my sandwich, egg roll and Vietnamese style iced coffee and get to work
on my novel I was supposed to start yesterday.
I’m now 4000 words behind. As you
can tell I’m a bit long winded so that shouldn’t really be a problem. See y’all soon!
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| No idea what's going on here, but this came up in the Predator movie google search. I say you go Danny Glover! If I'd just survived what you did in both Predator and putting up with Mel Gibson in 3 Lethal Weapon movies I'd think about giving the other team a trial run before the world ended. |
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