Tuesday 19 March 2013

What happens on Humira Saturdays?

 Well the only side-effects I am aware of is a feeling akin to being smashed in the face with a shovel but as that doesn't hurt as much as having RA does so I can cope with that! Makes blowing my nose and kissing the Fella tricky but then RA makes a lot of things like that tricky too...so having passed my assessment and being able to stay on Humira injections aided by a low dose of Methotrexate which helps to stop my body rejecting the Humira. 

Every other Saturday morning I get up and when I get the milk out of the fridge for my morning cuppa I also get out a Humira 'pen' - it's refrigerated as it needs to be kept between 2 and 8 degrees C but it stings if you inject it when it's TOO cold...half an hour on the kitchen table makes it about right and I'm supposed to check that it's:
a) in date
b) has no flecks in the liquid
c) is not damaged

 Making sure everything is squeaky clean (including my pimply, pale thigh here!) I find a fleshy bit and follow the steps...I have heard that patients using Humira in the States get a talking pen which they can practise with but no such fun here in the UK unfortunately!

The needle is in that white tube and step one is to take the lid off...so far so good!
 Step two is to take the lid that covers the push button off...both recyclable BTW! I'm a bit feeble in the hand department and find it hard to grip so I use both hands to do the job and still struggle a bit but would hate anyone else to have to do it...
 (When I did my first jab on my own I had worked myself up into such a state and it was fine, in fact I barely felt it! The pain from RA is so much worse TBH...)
 Pushing down hard enough to push the white tube back - this makes sure the needle goes in and none of the drug seeps out...urgh! Always makes me feel a bit sick this bit - getting the angle right so I can see the little 'window' is a bit of a palaver but I can just about do it now! I have to count to twenty....slowly and try hard not to *jump* when I press the button!

In answer to anyone who thinks it's 'just a pen, a little prick' it isn't ya know - it's a bloody great needle and waiting for the twenty seconds to be over as you hear the liquid going in (yes, you really can!) seems to take forever!

 But....then it's over! I check the 'window...
 ...place the packaging and lids in the 'green bin'...
 ...place the needle in the sharps bin that sits next to the bleach bottle with the child (and Nic) proof lid that lives in the bathroom...
...go finish my cuppa and get on with my day!

Hope anyone waiting to start on Humira finds this reassuring and helpful, Nic x

PS. I still have a lot of pain in my feet, hands, hips and knees but can definitely see some improvement - I don't have 'sausage' fingers or toes right now and have been wearing normal boots for months now. *smiley face*
 


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