rue-madame's Diaryland
Diary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damn you Enbrel!
I was excited when my rheumatologist put me on one 50mg injection per week instead of the two 25mg�s. That was before I tried using the syringe. Oh, the needle is the same size as the one that comes with the 25mg shots. It�s still a 27 gauge 1/2� needle. The problem is that the needle�s tip is protected by a rubber cap which DULLS it. The first time I tried to shoot myself, I couldn�t get the needle into my skin. I tried three times, in different sites, and every time I jabbed (or as nurses say �used a dart-like motion�) I had sharp pain and couldn�t break through skin. It made me cry with frustration. I mean it�s bad enough that I am in pain to begin with, I don�t need the added stress of a medicine delivery system that makes me wince. Needless to say, I was depressed. And covered in more red prick marks and bruises than ever before. I decided the call the medicine help line and talk to an advice nurse. Her suggestion? �Try these comfort measures.� What the fuck kind of doublespeak is that? Of the 5 �measures� she suggested, I already do 4. The fifth--to ice before and after injection--just seems like an afterthought. Amgen and Wyeth, YOU SUCK! If one 50mg injection is supposed to be more convenient than two 25�s, how can adding ice to the process keep the routine simple? This just seems like backpedaling on the drug manufacturer�s part. Of course, the ice helped. It numbed me enough that I didn�t feel the needle going in, but I sure as hell felt the medicine being pushed into my skin. And that sucked because it didn�t feel so great. Then once the whole injection was over, I was sore in the injection site for a half an hour afterwards. I�m not so sure the pain and inconvenience of the new shot is even worth the trouble. I�ve called my doctor to see if she�ll represcribe the 25mg shots. Maybe I can do two 25s in one day? I have enough shit to deal with in my life without having to add anxiety-provoking painful shots to the mix. Lately, my hands have been more swollen than usual and I�m wondering is it the lack of wheat in my diet? That is the only thing that has changed for me in the last few weeks�
4:07 p.m. - 2006-03-21
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
previous - next
|
