Sunday, April 12, 2009

Remicade, Treatment 2



HAPPY EASTER!

It wouldn't be Easter if I didn't blow up a Peep in the microwave! And let me tell you, trying to capture it on camera was no easy feat before it deflated!

So, last Friday, April 3rd, I went in for my second Remicade treatment. It took about 3 hours. Same slow drip to begin that speeds up over time. It was uneventful, yay; no allergic reaction (and I hear that usually treatments 2 and 3 are when you would react: fever, can't breathe, break out in hives, etc.). My husband came with me and destroyed me in rummy...

The real excitement happened 5 days later. Around 3am on Tuesday evening I woke up in horrible pain- the muscles and joints in my legs were on fire, as if someone were constricting my legs until I could not breathe. The intense pain only lasted an hour. Through Wednesday, the aches and pain traveled throughout my body. When I woke up, my lower jaw hurt (could not chew or open my mouth), my wrists hurt (as if I had done hundreds of back handsprings, yes, I was a gymnast), and my knees still had remnant of the pain the night before. I felt very shaky throughout the day, very weak and achy. This was not a "I worked out and my muscles hurt" kinda achy- it was "a bus slammed into me" kinda achy. The pain got progressively better throughout the day, completely gone in 24 hours.

Last night, unfortunately, the terrible leg pain started back up, just in my right leg, and lasted only an hour and a half. Elevation and anti-inflammatory helped a great deal. BUT cutest thing ever, bright light in a very dark moment...my mini schnauzer, Finnegan, knew my legs hurt. She knew I was uncomfortable. While I was trying to breathe and find a level of control and meditation, Finnegan went under the blankets and layed across my legs! She put her cute little head right on my knee and fell asleep. I am grateful for my furry angel.

Question: Has anyone found anything to counteract these aches? Any nutritional or herbal supplement perhaps?




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