The Girl With Arthritis

The other night I had family over. I have quite a large assortment of uncles and aunts, which means I have various cousins as well. Rest assured, there were a lot of people. And it was quite nice as well- we all truly enjoyed one another's company. And then there was the nice offer of sleeping over a relative's house so it would be easier to go to an event occurring that morning. I was thrilled and quickly threw together my things. And then I remembered something- it was Enbrel night. It had been defrosting for a while and needed to be done- I had missed it the night before. So, I got ready to do my Enbrel before leaving. I held ice on my stomach to try and numb the spot and that's when I began attracting attention. One of my aunts had actually thought I hurt myself. When one of my uncles asked what I was doing, my mum explained and when he went to leave the room saying "I can't watch," my mum told him "oh no, you're going to watch. You're going...

Recently whilst on YouTube, I came across several videos that are supposed to help children cope with going into hospital and getting tests. They are usually live action and consist of the three phrases 'It's no big deal,' 'it might hurt a little,' and 'great job!' These aren't new to me because when I was younger, I would watch them if I needed a test or something. Actually, I still watch them now if I need a test I'm not firmiliar with. Anyhow, one film refered to all the children who got a needle as 'super patients.' So since I give myself shots twice a week, am I an 'extra super patient?' Joking aside, it was nice to see how nurses helped children find coping techniques when they were getting needles and such. I like how holding the child down whilst they cry and try to kick is no longer the only thing we can do for the nervous child- or adult. I've seen videos of kids having Methotrexate or Enbrel injected by their paren...

I've been taking Enbrel for about five months now. I wish we had known how wonderfully it would work for me so I could've switched earlier. I think the biggest thing about Enbrel that most people don't like is that you have to get it through a shot. I know I didn't like this at first, as I read it burnt and stung terribly. However, five months in, I can't see life without it. I now present some of my wisdom. 1. When you are washing your hands before, make sure to run them under warm water for a minute. It's not only hygenic, but cold hands pinching some skin on your stomach or thigh is not comfortable at all. 2. If you use the pen and recieve a lot of pain from it, consider switching to the regular syringe. That way, you can control what force the needle goes in and how quickly the medicine is injected. Believe me, it's not that hard to learn to do correctly. 3. Remember, you don't have to rush. If you feel burning or stinging while injecting the...

So, as you may know I take Enbrel twice a week. Yes, I do inject it myself, typically in my stomach. And I've perfected my needle poke ability over the past few months. I learnt very quickly to run my hands under warm water for a few minutes after washing them before I get started. Not only is this good hygiene, but so I won't go 'Ah!' when I touch my stomach, as has happened when I have cold hands. But it's pretty funny to watch my reaction to touching my stomach with cold hands. :)

I'm extremely relieved that the week is over, it has been quite long. I've been working on homework assignments all week long, often late into night. But not only that, I've had quite a few embarassing blunders that I'm ready to forget all about. Anyway I'm quite sore from the stress and tension lately. I simply can't wait to relax. I don't have much to talk about medically as I feel like I've been focusing too much on that. Though, I'd like to say that I am doing great on Enbrel and have had no problems in doing injections. Besides getting over  that fact that I'm injecting myself. Also I'd like to end off this post with a little wisdom: Don't talk about people behind their backs. Even if it makes you feel better in the short term, it'll come back to bite you in the long run and anyway, there is a very good chance that person will find out. Especially if it's a lie made to look the person look bad.

I've beem doing my own Enbrel injections lately at the doctor's office, but tonight I did it at home. I can't say it was my best Enbrel experience but it definatly was a success. I actually recorded it on my phone to show friends tomorrow before school, so I'm rather excited to see their reactions as some are interested and others usually grossed out. I HAVE gotten side effects on Enbrel: A lot of fatigue and headaches at first that are beginning to lessen, as well as some general weakness and muscle pain. Also the first few days I got moderate muscle cramps in my feet, but it did not last. Nothing out of the ordinary, hopefully they will lessen the longer I take Enbrel. On a positive note, I've been very busy the past week and keeping myself in great spirits with lots of things planned for the coming months. Nothing is better for a young person than looking forward and taking control of their future. :)

My last Enbrel injection was one I certainly will never forget: I injected myself with it for the first time. Actually, I injected my own needle for the first time in my life. It was nerve wracking but I had my mum and nurse right there, and I had experienced Enbrel before. I knew exactly what to do as I had a bit of training and the needle is actually very small. I used my stomach (my current favourite injection spot). I stood for a minute pondering if I was really ready for this. But in a quick moment of bravery, I used 'the swift, dagger like motion' I was taught. When I realised what I had done, I got nervous and started shaking a little. I injected Enbrel slowly, as it is known to burn and last time I got a warm feeling. I didn't feel  a thing: I didn't even have any pain from inserting the needle. What did hurt was taking it out as my hand shook the tiniest bit, but no injury so I was fine. Just a slight pain. The nurse (who knows me very well) was so proud, as...

Yesterday I started Enbrel. I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought. The needle was very short and skinny, and there wasn't much Enbrel to inject. The nurse allowed me to try and inject myself with her supervision. I got the skin ready and I was so close to injecting myself when I chickened out. The nurse said it really looked like I would have though. She injected it for me, which has given me a lot of confidence for next time as now I know what discomfort to expect. The needle itself did not hurt, and the nurse injected it very slowly so rather than a burning feeling a lot of people report, I got a very warm sensation that was somewhat uncomfortable but only last a few minutes. Honestly, nothing to get worked up over. Hopefully Enbrel will help, as the last few nights have been very painful for me, and currently morning pain and stiffness is at it's worse. It will take a while to help, but I'm truly hoping that Enbrel will help.