Update

I had sort of forgotten that I'd planned to keep a record of how my progress with my new medications was coming along. Whoops!

Some brief notes for you.

I'm still sore sometimes, and still on prednisone (but only 4mg/day!). BUT - Many days I forget that I have arthritis. We went to the PNE on Sunday, and were walking around for 6 hours, and by the end of the day I was wet, cold and tired, but not sore at all!

Work is interesting sometimes. The kids know that some days I'm sore, and some days they can't hang off my body. I think it's a good lesson for them, too. To learn that people have their own boundaries, and one can't exactly jump all over them.

Tim is, as always, awesome. Since we've bought our townhouse, he's been even more supportive. He reminds me not to work too hard, and fetches things for me when I have.

Speaking of townhouse, it does have stairs. I thought that it would be alright, but I have noticed my legs aren't such fans of the stairs. I try to balance it out by using them as little as possible.

I'm coming up due for my... 4th? 5th? infusion... I've lost count! But I'm used to them now, and actually enjoy an excuse to take the whole day off from any work :)

Joint Update

I had the drug infusion five days ago (almost exactly, actually) and I figured it was time for another update.

My joints have been kind of sore lately. My right ankle (which never bothers me) has been hurting, and my hands and elbows have been feeling especially stiff today. I was talking it over with Tim and I said how I'm unsure as to if the soreness is because the new meds. don't work as well as the old ones, or if it's because there's a switchover time period between when I had my last drugs and when the new ones work properly.

Plus, with RA there's always the possibility of having a bad day. For no reason other than it's a bad day for my joints. They just happen.

Things I had trouble with today:

• turning the taps on and off completely
• washing my hair
• using cutlery
• getting up off of the couch (from a sitting position)

Overall? I don't feel nearly as bad as I did the Christmas of 2006 when I was first diagnosed. That is what I always compare myself to when I have a bad day. I tell myself, "Hey. At least you can walk. At least you can open your mouth wide enough to properly brush your teeth. Buck up."

Drug Infusion

On Wednesday at 1pm I had my first remicade infusion at the clinic. I have to say, I was terrified. I had no idea what to really expect. The only thing I knew for sure was that they were sticking me with a needle and pumping me full of drugs for 4 hours. Not a great way to spend an afternoon in my opinion.

Anyhow, we got there and met the nurse. She did not seem very impressed that Tim was there with me, but that was too bad for her because I needed him there. I sat down in a chair and she got me ready for the infusion.

The insertion of the IV into my hand was the worst part out of all of it. I cried like a baby. I think that was more because I was scared and nervous though. After that, it was fine. I told Tim he could go home, and I watched a movie.

At one point another patient came in for his infusion, too. We watched the movie together.

After about 2.5 hours my drug infusion was finished. Because it was my first infusion I had to stay for an hour afterwards to make sure I was fine. Which I was.

After everything was done, I felt fine. I didn't feel dizzy, or sick, or anything at all like that.

Today my ankle is a bit sore, and my fingers feel a bit swollen. But it's hrad to tell if that was because of the drug switch, or because of me being broken. Who knows!

I have my second drug infusion on April 23rd.

To excercise...

I decided today to start exercising. No, that was a lie. I decided last night to start exercising, but couldn't implement said plan until this morning.

Tim and I woke up, got dressed and headed over to Bowen Park to do some running. I didn't run very far, or very fast. But I felt good about it.

I admit that I wasn't in the best shape before I was diagnosed, but if i was in bad shape then, I'm in dismal shape now. So I feel good about this decision.

Pain: After running I had some stiffness in my knees, around the joints but not in them. It went away. My ankles (which constantly are bothersome) were sore for a greater period of time, but nothing too painful, and I wasn't even limping.

So +1 for me!