Boston visit and my meds

Just wanted to update you guys on where I am at with my new doctor. Yesterday we took the drive to Boston to for my appointment. Can I just say I LOVE everyone up at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center! The doctors, the support staff, the nurses; all are amazing to me.

Ok so I am off the Arava (in your face chemo pill!) until the whole kidney stone/infection issue is clear. Because my old doctor put me on Orencia after only 1 TNF fail (Humira) she will be switching me to Enbrel next month. I am very unhappy because I have the port. As you all know this port experience has been the suckiest (is that a word?) thing ever! If you don't know you can read about it here. So basically I have to get shots in my thigh and stomach twice a week and go every few weeks to get my port flushed out. What she said makes sense though and she knows best. She said Humira and Remicade (the I.V. one I wanted to go on) are very similar because you can build up antibodies quicker than Enbrel. For that reason she is optimistic about Enbrel seeing that I failed Humira.

I also need to get an MRI on my knee because it's bad. I fall in that slim percent of people that don't take well to cortisone shots. Apparently the cortisone can form crystals in your joint causing pain. Nice huh? I also have to go to an Orthopedic doctor for my knees and hip. Something every RA patient dreads hearing. When you get sent to that type of doctor it means deterioration has happened and surgery is in your future.

Then she lectured me on not calling her enough. She said I should not wait until my next appointment if I am hurting or something is wrong. I need to check in with her and she wants to hear my voice to know I'm ok. Have I mentioned how much I love her? She's amazing.

I thought I would list for you the medications I am on. Just in case you are on them too or your doctor is planning to put you on them and you have any questions about side effects. I know there are different uses for these medications. I have listed what I use them for.

1. Orencia ~ I.V. biologic that reprograms my cells to not be inflamed.
2. Celebrex ~ inflammation
3. Amitriptyline ~ pain
4. Cartia ~ blood pressure 
5. Clonazepam ~ calms me the day of my infusion
6. Cymbalta ~ pain
7. Folic Acid ~ helps with nausea from chemo pill
8. Hydrochlorothiazide ~ blood pressure
9. Lidoderm patch ~ pain from port (sitting on brachial nerve)
10. Minocycline ~ works with Orencia to get rid of that flu like feeling
11. Lisinipril ~ blood pressure

I think I feel a nap coming on so I'm ending this here.

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