I find this very Humiraous.
All right, I'll stop with the bad post titles involving Humira. I promise. Maybe.
I received some great news from my GI at my appointment last Monday... the test results came in, and I don't have the antibodies to Humira! This means that I can continue taking the medication that I can inject at home, as opposed to going to my doctor's office once every couple of months for an infusion.
I'll be injecting myself once a week now, instead of once every two weeks. I'm really hopeful that this will help put my Crohn's into remission. I usually feel some improvement in my symptoms a day or two after injecting, so with any luck (and the help of SCIENCE!), the additional medication will be the push my body needs to bring down any remaining inflammation.
Naturally, additional medication means additional hassles. Once she saw my test results, my doctor immediately requested approval from my insurance to double-up the injection... so it was already pre-approved at my appointment. One less thing I need to worry about... especially considering the fact that a typical month's supply of Humira costs around $5,000 (and I'm about to double that).
Beyond the money aspect, I need to now be more aware than ever about side effects. I've experienced some small injection-site reactions... redness, bruising, a little itching that lasts for a day and then disappears. More concerning is that, as an immunosuppressant, Humira already increases my risk of catching an illness or getting an infection. So doubling the dosage means suppressing my immune system even more, right? Theoretically, yes, but Dr. J. assured me that she's never seen it in practice. I could take extreme caution against illness or infection by wearing a mask when traveling or if people around me are sick. But its more of the day-to-day stuff that will keep me healthy.
When I first began taking Humira, the advice I received when it came to having an illness was extremely simple. I know my body, so I'll know if something seems a bit more 'off' than usual. I'm not expected to report every sore throat, cough, or bout of nausea that I have. Its when a sore throat that I've had for 5 days without reprieve seems a little odd that I need to flag my doctor. And so far, since starting Humira, I haven't had any illnesses that I can speak of (knock on wood). I plan on keeping it that way, so a daily dose of Emergen-C, washing hands regularly, wiping down gym equipment before I use it, and most important, as that time of year rolls around... a flu shot. I made my GI really proud when I asked for it, and she delivered (apologizing for a 'big' needle the whole time... she's such a doll).
Hey, I figure that since the 'I voted' sticker selfie is such a big thing, maybe I could start a trend by showing off my 'I'm vaccinated' bandaid (seriously, bandaids should say that, especially for flu season).
In all seriousness, this is so important to anyone who could potentially have an easier time of getting sick. With this change in my prescription, I'm about to inject myself once every week, possibly for the rest of my life. You can get one injection a year, to help me and others like me out. Support your friendly neighborhood immuno-compromised person and go get your flu shot!
So that's my update. With the end of the year approaching (and the last races of 2018 already done), its time to start looking forward to what 2019 will bring... more races, more improvements (running and health-wise, hopefully!), and more sharps containers under my sink.
I received some great news from my GI at my appointment last Monday... the test results came in, and I don't have the antibodies to Humira! This means that I can continue taking the medication that I can inject at home, as opposed to going to my doctor's office once every couple of months for an infusion.
I'll be injecting myself once a week now, instead of once every two weeks. I'm really hopeful that this will help put my Crohn's into remission. I usually feel some improvement in my symptoms a day or two after injecting, so with any luck (and the help of SCIENCE!), the additional medication will be the push my body needs to bring down any remaining inflammation.
Naturally, additional medication means additional hassles. Once she saw my test results, my doctor immediately requested approval from my insurance to double-up the injection... so it was already pre-approved at my appointment. One less thing I need to worry about... especially considering the fact that a typical month's supply of Humira costs around $5,000 (and I'm about to double that).
Beyond the money aspect, I need to now be more aware than ever about side effects. I've experienced some small injection-site reactions... redness, bruising, a little itching that lasts for a day and then disappears. More concerning is that, as an immunosuppressant, Humira already increases my risk of catching an illness or getting an infection. So doubling the dosage means suppressing my immune system even more, right? Theoretically, yes, but Dr. J. assured me that she's never seen it in practice. I could take extreme caution against illness or infection by wearing a mask when traveling or if people around me are sick. But its more of the day-to-day stuff that will keep me healthy.
When I first began taking Humira, the advice I received when it came to having an illness was extremely simple. I know my body, so I'll know if something seems a bit more 'off' than usual. I'm not expected to report every sore throat, cough, or bout of nausea that I have. Its when a sore throat that I've had for 5 days without reprieve seems a little odd that I need to flag my doctor. And so far, since starting Humira, I haven't had any illnesses that I can speak of (knock on wood). I plan on keeping it that way, so a daily dose of Emergen-C, washing hands regularly, wiping down gym equipment before I use it, and most important, as that time of year rolls around... a flu shot. I made my GI really proud when I asked for it, and she delivered (apologizing for a 'big' needle the whole time... she's such a doll).
In all seriousness, this is so important to anyone who could potentially have an easier time of getting sick. With this change in my prescription, I'm about to inject myself once every week, possibly for the rest of my life. You can get one injection a year, to help me and others like me out. Support your friendly neighborhood immuno-compromised person and go get your flu shot!
So that's my update. With the end of the year approaching (and the last races of 2018 already done), its time to start looking forward to what 2019 will bring... more races, more improvements (running and health-wise, hopefully!), and more sharps containers under my sink.
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