Reaction

to my Humira shot produced a bruise where the puncture in my thigh was and a few hours later, a slight raised red swelling of where my 1st shot in December appeared. I thought it odd and will wait another day or two to see what will develop. So far, this is the only reaction that my body has produced to the injection. I will have to revert to the diagram for other target areas of injection and interchange during the bi-monthly process.
Tomorrow is the start of my new bid on the morning shift. After picking up tonight for a co-worker, morning will arrive very soon. Gone is my cherished mornings of sleeping in and enjoying the last bit of warmth from my bed. I will be working a double shift but not continuously, it will be a split shift for a few days this week. In between that time, I will return home and nap for a few hours. Somewhere during that time, I will have packed my breakfast or dinner keeping warm at the same time from the inclement weather of the week and making sure to check in with my son. Enter the Rat race of my life to make money and survive in this overpriced and underpaid society we call California and all the politicians that think a family can exist on an hourly wage of $8.00 an hour. What Podunk country do they live in anyway? I'd like to see them subsist on that wage and work the long hours that I do and have nothing to show for it by the time my paycheck arrives. Election time is around the corner and it will be an interesting race of the powerhouse candidates. Vote!

Finally

relief from mother nature's gusty winds and constant rains in San Francisco. I'm not complaining and i certainly express deep sympathy for my sisters in other parts of the country as well as the world with this incessant weather we've been experiencing. Most of what I do is hunker down, read books and make the best of the situation. My rheumatoid arthritis has not given me any problems since the start of my Humira injections. It has been one week since the lowering of my prednisone (5 MG) down to one and a half tablets daily, one folic acid (1 MG) and one multi-vitamin daily. My (10 MG) tablets of methotrexate is still taken every week on Wednesday, all of which I have faithfully taken and not missed for fear of my stiffening joints coming back to haunt me. The weather certainly doesn't play any part in it's affect on my joints as I so often hear from other sufferers. I sometimes feel a fullness in my hand joints when I curl my fingers and I look for tell tale signs of nodules and deformities as my fingers stand at attention under my inspection. I am afraid of the medications in my ample embodiment of woman and I disengage from the thoughts of what the future holds for me. Four months ago, I was a wretch from my tormenting pain and surprised by the suddenness of it all. A misery I would not wish upon anyone and executed a disguise of my endurance. This disease was altering me so aggressively, that I was not recognizable to myself anymore. Where was that sturdy, vigorous, take-charge woman that I knew? The agony was excruciating. The loneliness was more inviting, yet, lacerating and extracted me from the human race. My advantage was my family and friends who kept in touch with me often with their talk of others with my affliction. Lynn and her ever present spirit and communication, tho sometimes challenging, would be the hand on my heart to uphold and guide me through inharmonious moments in my life.

Third shot, right thigh

Because I have to interchange injection shots on my thigh, I have to keep track of where my last injection was and because my mind sometimes forgets, this is a good reminder for me. I took a little over half an hour to finally administer the shot, again, talking myself into it and each time looking at the end of the needle. That is what takes me longer because I tend to psyche myself out. Once done, it wasn't that bad. I have to stop looking at the needle before injection to quicken my task, next time, that is what I will do. My second day of work was uneventful. I picked up hours for a co-worker, ordered the meals and input the billing. It all came back to me today. Meeting a 757 on jet-way 35 was a different story. Because it's automated with a touch screen, I needed the guidance of a senior agent and Marty was there. Piece of cake! The schedule had me controlling a flight and a full one at that. We didn't have much room to play with when it came to passengers wanting better seating, we did not have any. First Class is always full and the compartment never goes out with an empty seat. Towards the end of my shift, Passengers became shadows and their voices started fading. Their unending repetitious questions became boring. I started to feel the tiredness settle in and I was ready to go home and sleep. Midnight could not arrive quick enough.

Ouch!!

I self injected myself with my second dose of Humira. The first one was in December in the presence of a nurse at my doctor's office. It is entirely different having a nurse eyeball you and injecting yourself on your own with this type of pen needle device. It took me approximately one hour to talk myself into the procedure. Yes, I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to needles. I don't freak out, I just don't like them. I'm hoping that this would be more effortless in the future and I'll be more tolerant of my feat. I did more lab work today and gave blood to my RAtologist. I'll see him again next month unless there are any drastic changes in my symptoms.
Lynn and I tried to see a movie, The Enchanted, last night but it was not playing at the Theatre we chose to meet. Instead, we went to Bair Island's Waterfront restaurant in Redwood City and had dinner there. It is a charming place on the water with huge bay windows offering views of the marina. I'm sure the view is spectacular during the day and just as crowded. We enjoyed the quietness of the atmosphere. Our candle lit table by the water was equally romantic and we hadn't even planned this. It was a nice unexpected surprise. Our conversation was about activities during the day and what we each had planned for the upcoming weekend. We did want to go to Respect (a monthly woman's club in San Francisco) next weekend. After dinner, we strolled around the marina and walked along the docks where the beautiful yachts and catamarans were moored. Conversation flowing and stolen kisses, walking arm in arm and being close to one another was all that mattered and what felt right at that moment. The night was fading and not wanting to leave each other, we babbled on as if we were on our first date. Finally, the arduous task of saying goodnight or goodbye is always the most difficult. It is here that we disconnect, divide, sever, disunite and tear. All of which we have done a thousand times before, each and every time, our most heartsick consequence.