Do you remember my "Can't Do" checklist?
- Unscrew a grape juice bottle for the first time.
- Unscrew a pickle jar lid that had previously been opened.
- Peel a potato with a knife.
- Quickly descend a flight of stairs.
- Stay awake passed 8 PM.
- Open my mouth wide enough to bite into a hamburger.
- Get up off the floor by myself.
- Squat down to talk to a child.
- Kneel on the floor.
In fact, my current rheumatologist and I have joked that I do so well on the medication that I should be a "poster child" for Enbrel. And now I am!! :)
So, what can I do now?
- Sit on the floor and play games with my daughter.
- Push my four year old son on the swing.
- Zip up my 1 year old's pajamas.
- Cut apples into quarters with a knife every day for lunch.
- Brush my daughter's hair into ponytails.
- Take hikes with my family into the New Hampshire mountains.
Enbrel helps me be the Mom (and Wife) I want to be.
And that is priceless.
But it isn't without risks. The pamphlet enclosed with each month's supply (see right) details the risks of this relatively new medication:
"serious infections including TB; nervous system problems, such as multiple sclerosis, seizures, or inflammation of the nerves of the eyes; rare reports of serious blood problems (some fatal); heart failure, including new heart failure or worsening of heart failure you already have; allergic reactions; immune reactions, including a lupus-like syndrome and lymphoma (a type of cancer)."Never mind just having to give myself a shot once a week!!
For me this is a matter of what WILL happen versus what MIGHT happen. I MIGHT have one of those terrible side effects. But without Enbrel (or a similar medication) I WILL have deformed hands in a matter of a few years. I WILL have no energy to play with my children. I WILL be unable to kneel, or squat or sit on the floor.
And so I choose to take the risk.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor do I pretend to be one on TV. This post is intended to tell my experiences NOT to serve as medical advice. If your symptoms sound similar, please consult a physician.
Disclaimer: I have not been asked by a pharmaceutical company or any related organizations to write these posts. I have not been compensated for these posts in anyway (including money, medication, or medical treatments).
1 comment:
Much of life is about weighing the risks vs. the benefits of something. We have to make our choices carefully. Seems to me that you have made a wise choice!
I am so glad that you shared these stories. We knew each other at the beginning of this journey, but I don't think we knew each other well. So I am not sure I really knew or understood what was going on. It is nice to have a clear picture now of the road that you have traveled with RA. I think I have said this before, but I will say it again: I have no doubt that others will benefit from you sharing your experience.
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