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Sunday 29 June 2014

Time for a reduction

So since my last blog post, I had been starting to really struggle on the days that I took my MTX injection, even to the point that I was being sick several times throughout the day. My hair was tons thinner and every Friday I would go home from work, have tea and get into bed to sleep off the side effects.

For a while I thought that this is the price that I have to pay in order to have my normal body back and that I should really count myself lucky because it was MUCH better than being on crutches for months. But it got to the point where I was so ill and fed up of wasting my Fridays that I decided to get in touch with the rheumatologist.

This was at the start of May, when I was actually long overdue a 6 month review that should have taken place in March. So I phoned up to find out how much longer I would have to wait for an appointment, to be told that there was a huge backlog of at least 4 months. This would mean that I wouldn't get an appointment until July at the earliest and there was no way I could wait that long.

One of the most important things I have learnt since being diagnosed with arthritis is that you have to fight to get an appointment, if you sit and wait, you could be waiting for months (which has happened to me before). So I stressed how much I need to see a rheumatologist ASAP and managed to get appointment for a few days later as someone else has cancelled. Proof that you can't take no for an answer!

After seeing the rheumatologist, I have been given anti nausea medication for the day of injection and a lower dose of injection. I have also been given folic acid to take every day rather than once a week, which will hopefully help my hair grow thicker again.

I've had three weeks of this new medication and so far so good, I still feel a bit peaky on a Friday, but no where near as bad. Also, Im sure my hair is getting thicker, so I'm feeling much less self conscious.

Hopefully this is a sign that things are on the up!

Thursday 30 January 2014

Methotrexate Progression

So in my last arthritis based post several months ago, I had just started to use Methotrexate injections and I was hoping that this would finally be the right treatment to get me back to normal. Well.. it was! (Although I will never go back to exactly how I was). 

I inject myself in my leg with 20mg of Methotrexate every Friday morning and have done for the past 7 or 8 months now. After a month or so I started to feel much better and by about 2 or 3 months I was almost completely symptom free!

Things that have improved since using methotrexate injections:
  • Like I mentioned above, I am practically symptom free! I no longer need crutches, wrist supports etc, I can walk normally again and best of all, I am no longer in pain. I have met people since starting the injections and they haven't even noticed that I have arthritis.
  • My psoriasis has completely gone, not once mark left anywhere!
  • My tiredness levels have massively improved. I can make it to the end of the day without really struggling, whereas I was previously exhausted by 2pm each day. I do still need extra sleep at the weekends and sometimes have a Saturday afternoon nap too, but through the week there is  definite improvement.
  • General every day life - I feel like I have my normal life back, which is all I really wanted!
  • I am no longer on any other form of medication, I just have one injection and one folic acid tablet per week compared to the 15 pills a day I was one at one point!
  • I have managed to lose the stone of weight that I put on while on steriods.
All of these improvements have been fantastic, and something I wasn't sure would ever happen!




Tuesday 28 January 2014

Long time no blog...

So I must start this post by apologising for the length of time since my last post... 7 months!!

There have been several reasons why I have been quiet for so long:

New Job

In July I started my new job, which is at an accountants in Kendal. I was working at my previous firm in Ulverston for 5 years and decided that it was time for a change. It was very nerve wracking, deciding to start a new job that was an hours commute from my house and not knowing anyone there, but it was the best decision I have made in years! I am extremely happy working for my new firm and the commute is definitely worth it.

I got married!

In November I tied the knot to my wonderful husband Jamie after 2 years of being engaged and 7 years in total of being together. The few months before the wedding were incredibly busy, with making my own evening invitations with, organising my hen do and the big day itself. But I had great support from my closest friends Katie and Ellie, who were also my bridesmaids.
I moved house

After a year of working on our house (scraping walls, ripping out fire places, re plastering the entire house to name a few jobs) we finally moved in the day after our wedding. This was not for religious reasons, it was purely timing of getting finished, but I would definitely recommend moving in the day after your wedding! It was like a completely new chapter in our lives and it was so exciting to start married life in a new house. We had been together for 7 years by the time we got married, so there wasn't any nasty surprises, in fact I was actually pleasantly surprised! We are closer and happier than ever.


So that is why I have been so quiet and in the next few days I will get back up to scratch with posting my developments with living with Arthritis.... there's a lot to tell!