Every Wednesday evening for the past three weeks and for the foreseeable future just before the main evening news start on TV I wash my hands really well, tear two little sachets with sterile wipes, twist open the cap of the injection set, screw on the needle and remove the safety cover. I clean a bit of skin just below and to the right from my belly button with the first sterile wipe, stretch it between index finger and thumb of my left hand, take a deep breath and with my right hand insert that fine needle into my skin and push down the lever - or what ever it's called, must get the proper terminology eventually - to inject my weekly dose of MTX. Next, I use the second sterile wipe to clean any spills as I've been told they can cause skin irritation. I pat my belly and lean back and hope for the best.
Needless to say I never imagined I would end up doing this, injecting heavy duty medication with a list of potentially life threatening side effects into me AND feel grateful for being able to do this.
One restless night later: What went fairly well for three weeks appears to bring about fairly unsettling side effects. I feel as if an electric current is running through me. Another thing to bear out.
Side effects are the bane of my existence, i swear, but i don't think most of the anticonvulsants even compare to some of the steroids and immunosuppressants out there.
ReplyDeleteThere are some that totally tweak you out though and result in terrible insomnia. It's maddening. Sleep is imperative to any sort of healing. Such a catch-22. Not fair.
Should take a picture one of these days of my belly after 12+ months of injections, it looks "different" as my prince remarked recently.
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