This past week has been crazy. Since my diagnosis on Monday, I've had a lot of decisions to make.
On the work front, a job was available, and I was being interviewed yesterday.
On the health front I had no idea how I was going to react to new drugs – I'd decided to take Methotrexate and Enbrel aka etanercept (if my insurance company would approve the Enbrel).
Behind the scenes, my life was changing.
What to do? What to do?
The extra money a promotion would bring would come in handy. After all, this arthritits thing could get bad, couldn't it? I've done a lot of research, and while many people manage well on meds, there are plenty who don't. Plus, I really wanted the job and had for a long time. I'd worked my butt off, quite frankly, and was the person who filled in for it as a matter of course.
In the end, thought, the decision was easy: my health was the most important thing.
How do I feel? Sad, but life goes on, and now, the big decisions on the job will be someone's else responsibility. The only big decisions I have to worry about are my own.
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Welcome to the gang. Hope you can get off the prednisone as soon as possible. I've been 'hooked' on it since 1999 and can't seem to get off, because it helps me function.
ReplyDeleteThere are a ton of NSIADs out there to try if one isn't working so well or is hard on your kidneys (might be a cause of the foot swelling). I've taken Daypro and feldene which seem to do not too bad. Daypro was better and I've had to add Tylenol Arthritis (stronger than extra strength tylenol and is a bit more time released) to the feldene. But Daypro and feldene are 24-hour pills, so a little less to take.
Make sure you get your folic acid from the pharmacist asap - it's just better grade and is needed to counteract some of the potential methotrexate effects.
Hope you get this under better control soon, and that the job works out for the best for your situation!
Chelsea
Hi Chelsea,
ReplyDeleteGlad you stopped by!
I'm going to try to start weaning myself off the Prednisone next week, 5mg per week, if I'm feeling well. I've also tried today to stop taking Tylenol (Extra Strength) as often. I've been talking it 4x/daily and I skipped my 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. doses today and so far so good, so we'll see. I'm all for drugs if they help, but would rather take as little as possible.
Re the folic acid, my rheumatologist has prescribed 5mg/daily every day except the day of methotrexate injection. I've bought over-the-counter pills for now, until they can fill the prescription, so no worries on that end.
Thanks for your kind words and advice; they're much appreciated. I hope you're doing well, too!
Laurie