(no subject)
i had an appointment with my rheumatologist today.
tangent: i love that woman immensely. i'm not sure why i'm surprised by this, only i've not been to a great many doctors in my life, but i've not had a one that i didn't like. surely, i'm due for my own personal dr. house sooner or later, right? maybe i'm not meant to maim a member of the medical profession (because i'm ornery when i'm ill). good for them.
anyway, i went in with some concerns, because i felt so good after my first shot, but seemed to deteriorate after the second. apparently, two doses a month is not enough, and so now i'm to take a shot a week.
if after a couple of weeks i'm not progressively "better," i'll also have to take methotrexate conjointly with the humira. methotrexate is an immunosuppressive drug that, like humira, will treat both the psoriasis and the arthritic inflammation, and potentially prevent further joint destruction (my two middle fingers may just be out of luck; they'll probably always look a little off kilter [i can use all the character i can get, though]).
i hope this is not necessary, because methotrexate can goof with my liver, and gunk up my already sorry immune system. still, i'll take a bum liver and lazy white cells over the pain and swelling any day. according to the military's and lonelysunday's rather astute pain scales, i usually rate around a 6 or 7, some mornings spiking to a 9 (and i've even had two 10 episodes i'd like never to repeat, thankyouverymuch).
in either case, i'll be off the 'roids soon, so that makes me very, very happy. you see, the very worst part of this particular scenario is that i've become a horribly short-tempered individual, which is the exact opposite of what i usually am by nature. the rheumatologist thinks it's probably because of the steroids, so i'm literally anxious at this point to be off them. it's nothing too serious, mind you; i'm not throwing punches or turning green, or anything. it's only incredibly frustrating, because i don't like being this way. i like it less than the pain.
it nearly destroys me when my mother has to preface any sort of non-happy news with, "now, don't get mad at me..."
kim's not kim grumpy.
tangent: i love that woman immensely. i'm not sure why i'm surprised by this, only i've not been to a great many doctors in my life, but i've not had a one that i didn't like. surely, i'm due for my own personal dr. house sooner or later, right? maybe i'm not meant to maim a member of the medical profession (because i'm ornery when i'm ill). good for them.
anyway, i went in with some concerns, because i felt so good after my first shot, but seemed to deteriorate after the second. apparently, two doses a month is not enough, and so now i'm to take a shot a week.
if after a couple of weeks i'm not progressively "better," i'll also have to take methotrexate conjointly with the humira. methotrexate is an immunosuppressive drug that, like humira, will treat both the psoriasis and the arthritic inflammation, and potentially prevent further joint destruction (my two middle fingers may just be out of luck; they'll probably always look a little off kilter [i can use all the character i can get, though]).
i hope this is not necessary, because methotrexate can goof with my liver, and gunk up my already sorry immune system. still, i'll take a bum liver and lazy white cells over the pain and swelling any day. according to the military's and lonelysunday's rather astute pain scales, i usually rate around a 6 or 7, some mornings spiking to a 9 (and i've even had two 10 episodes i'd like never to repeat, thankyouverymuch).
in either case, i'll be off the 'roids soon, so that makes me very, very happy. you see, the very worst part of this particular scenario is that i've become a horribly short-tempered individual, which is the exact opposite of what i usually am by nature. the rheumatologist thinks it's probably because of the steroids, so i'm literally anxious at this point to be off them. it's nothing too serious, mind you; i'm not throwing punches or turning green, or anything. it's only incredibly frustrating, because i don't like being this way. i like it less than the pain.
it nearly destroys me when my mother has to preface any sort of non-happy news with, "now, don't get mad at me..."
kim's not kim grumpy.