Taming the Beast

In my Rheum. appointment today, we discussed my inflammation levels. My doctor is putting me on a quick-fix drug that I'm supposed to take for like ten days, and hopefully it will calm down my inflammation for a few more weeks while we get ready for me to go onto some of the more serious medications.

I've sort of got information overload at the moment. I am still trying to process everything we talked about.

We talked about whether or not I wanted to go step-by-step with the drugs or if I'd like to hit it hard and fast with everything. I said hard and fast, because then if I react badly I'll still be at home and within an easy distance from my specialist. In July, I'm moving out of state to Berry College. I figured if I get used to whatever the side effects the month before I leave, and then maybe it won't be so hard of a transition when I'm there.

We're talking about me going on Methotrexate and Humira while continuing with Plaquenil. There are a ton of side effects to these medicines... but if I could knock it out, I could be over with this stuff in a few years. Not that that's a garentee... but I think it's worth it. It's also definitely better to do it now than wait until I am married/am thinking about getting married later in my twenties. I'm sort of nervous about Humira simply because it's a shot... but the alternative is something like an insulin pump that I'd have to go to the doctor's every couple of weeks to have refilled, so really there isn't an option.

I have to talk to my main doctor about another perscription I need as a protection while taking these drugs, and I have to talk to my spinal person about the effects Humira could have on my spine. I have my appointment with the spine person on Wednesday, and then I'm seeing my Rheumatologist and main doctor and Nuerologist all in late May.

I'm sort of overwhelmed, but trying not to be. I'm just trying to trust that God will keep me safe, and that I'll survive working through college with all this junk going on.