Got it in and done in about 2 minutes. 

Sometimes when I’m injecting the Enbrel, I imagine that its giving me cancer.  That’s the extreme; mostly I just mildly obsess over the side-effects throughout the week.

Has anyone read this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Autoimmune-Epidemic-Balance-Cutting-Edge-Promises/dp/0743277759

I wonder if my arthritis is, in fact, environmental in nature.

My rheumatologist gave me a quick look over today, the first time since I started Enbrel about 8 weeks ago.  There is some residual (permanent?) damage to some finger joints, but otherwise, I think my doctor is happy.  Treatment works.

It took me 20 minutes to inject my Enbrel tonight.  I sit there with the needle just touching the skin, pushing harder and harder until it pierces the skin.  But, I’m to scared to to push hard quickly (like the video instructs), so it takes me time.  My least favorite part is pushing the dose into the subcutaneous space.  It doesn’t hurt, but its a weird sensation that I don’t care for.

… its good that there is a little left, because my wife likes to scratch it for me.  I like having it scratched, too.  If enbrel cleared it up entirely, we would have lost one of favorite activities.

My right hip was killing me this morning when I woke up. I thought the Enbrel fixed that sort of stuff.

Not what you might think from the title. I recently took some doses of Enbrel through an airport x-ray machine, and I got to wondering: does an x-ray alter the protein in a way that would make in less effective, or maybe dangerous? I was going to call the manufacturer, but decided to just take it and find out for myself. Its been almost a week since I took the does of x-rayed enbrel, and I think (a) I’m fine, and (b) its working. Or, at least its not not working yet.

I’ve had six doses of Enbrel since I started last fall, and am feeling really good.  The psoriasis is under control.  Not gone, but much more manageable.  The arthritis is quite improved.  I have occasional aches and pains, but I haven’t had to use Advil since I started (I used to take it several times per day).  

I have started working out again.  I haven’t had my initial checkup with my rheumatologist yet (since I started the Enbrel), but I have had my first blood work done.  My sed rate decreased from 38 to 15 (high to normal), and my liver enzymes are normal as well.   So far, so good.  

Joints that I haven’t been able to move in years have started to come back- most notably, my jaw.  I haven’t been able to open my mouth fully without serious pain in the joint that attaches my jawbone for as far back as I can remember.  Now, I can.  Muscle soreness and stiffness have also improved, especially in the neck and upper-back.  A sore-to-the-touch bone injury in my wrist is basically gone.  I’m kind of amazed, and I hope it stays this way.

Before Enbrel, I was taking two Advil before bed every night, and waking up with hours of morning stiffness. Without the Advil, I couldn’t get out of bed.

I haven’t taken the Advil in three weeks, since I started Enbrel. I think my tummy is happy about that. My joint pain is all but gone, my morning stiffness has basically disappeared, and I am sleeping without pain for the first time in years.

I can also work out again.

This year, my 16th year of arthritis pain, my shoulders, hips and neck got involved.  The worst pain was the left hip and shoulder; I stopped being able to lift my arms away from my torso without pain.  I learned to shift my weight when walking so as to avoid pain in my left hip.  I never noticed swelling or heat from these joints.  My neck stiffness, which had always been a constant when trying to turn my head, had become so intense that people were routinely noticing that I could not turn my head.