After fighting with my insurance for a few weeks, they finally approved the new infusion medication. Today was that appointment. It couldn't have come soon enough. I was a few weeks over due from the last Remicade infusion and that one started to wear off a couple of weeks before my next one was due.
My appointment was for 12:30. I am use to having my appointments at 8:30 in the morning. I tend to sleep through them as well. The Remicade infusions last 3 hours, where the Actemra lasts a little over an hour. Soo much nicer.
I get to the infusion center in the hospital and in my chair and my nurse, Cindy, gets me all hooked up to the IV and starts the saline drip. Normally when Cindy puts the IV needle in my hand, it doesn't hurt, just feels odd while she moves it in my vein. Today it really hurt. It wasn't her fault, it is just my body being stupid. My fibro has been bothering me lately, so I figured that was the reason for the pain.
Cindy goes over the new meds and the process and such. She said that mixing the Actemra was a lot faster than mixing the Remicade. Well, she wishes she never said that. It took about an hour to get the meds. There was a question about the dosage because I lost weight since my last infusion (I am now 173 lbs). Once that gets all figured out, the meds showed up sometime after.
I had my iphone with me as well as a magazine to help pass the time. I read a little and played Candy Crush and solitaire on the phone. I did get tired and wanted to take a little nap, but I knew I wasn't going to be there that long, so I never did.
Once the infusion was over, I had to wait 15 more minutes to make sure I had no reaction. I only had to do this today, because it is a new medicine to me. All the future Actemra infusions I won't have to wait. I had no reactions, but I do have a headache now. I just think I am dehydrated though. I am also super tired, but that is because of the lack of sleep I have been getting. Getting old sucks. Oh well.
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