Happy Blog-iversary!

It's been a year. Wow! Yeah for me!

I've taken some time to read over my musings from the past year, and take note of how I've grown and things have changed. A year ago I was literally tormented by needing to resign from work - now I am happily employed in the hi-tech world working with more great people. My family is great, I am on roughly the same medication, swapping out Enbrel and inserting Humira, and hoping to reduce some Prednisone. But really, what's new about that? Reducing my Prednisone seems to be an ongoing theme throughout my posts - like that closet you never seem to clean out. I'm sure I'll get there someday, but right now I'm not in a big rush...

So what is the biggest difference?

I think focus and control. I am less focused on my arthritis and more focused on my life, I have found a level of balance I am comfortable with. While life is busier with working almost full time - I feel I have more control over it. Work offers flexible hour, which is new for me. If I am 5 minutes late, there is no issue. I can take a longer lunch, I can come and go when I need to and they know I am a professional who will take care of my work. This is new and wonderful for me. Small amounts of control can make a big difference.

I'm proud of what I have written. When I re-read it, it certainly continues to reflect me and my journey. I am grateful for the support of my RA blogging friends. Your comments and posts remind me that there are others out there with the same struggles, frustrations and sources of humour.

I read a post tonight (ok, I'm behind on my blog reading), but Lauri Grassi had a post almost two months ago about MTX bubbling up over her leg, and I laughed out loud. It happens to me all the time and it's comforting to know it happens to others.

Thank you for listening, and commenting. I'm looking forward to another year of growing, learning, making new blog friends and keeping up with the old ones.

Well, that was kinda stupid

So, I am usually a pretty smart cookie. I am intelligent, educated, intuitive, learned person. Most of the time. About a month ago, I started my Humira injections. And I incorrectly placed and injected one of my vials. Umm, that was an $871.00 mistake. The auto-injector is different from Enbrel (which is idiot proof, as it turns out, since I didn't have a misfire in 15 months of weekly injections).

So I used the 2nd injector of my 1 month supply and thought I would deal with it later. And "later" never came. And it was a sad Thursday before Thanksgiving almost 4 weeks later, when I was in so much pain at work at 5:30 pm which prompted me to call my pharmacy and renew my prescription.

I am working now, and much busier. If all my family members show up where they are supposed to, when they are supposed to and everyone is fed, I am considering that a successful week. But I can't recall a time when I was too busy to take care of my health. I could have called the drug company and asked for another dose. I could have called my benefits provider. I could have done something. But it wasn't until the pain kicked in that I actually did something. I'm still not sure what to think about that, it's just so not me.

On a side note, the week after my first Humira injection I felt like a rock star - I'm looking forward to what the next couple of months have to bring.