The plan

I thought I'd add a little more info about the overall plan here... Before I started weaning off my meds, I was stabilized on three medications that were treating my lupus and RA. I had been on Plaquenil for about 9 years, then on methotrexate for about 2 years, and Enbrel for about 1 year. Before I start trying to conceive, I had to be off of the methotrexate as it is a category X drug, most dangerous to the baby. So I went off of that first, in the fall of last year. Then after Christmas, I started weaning off of the Plaquenil. There were some aches and pains here and there, and little hints of symptoms from the past, but nothing I couldn't handle. Recently though, the pains have been worse and more frequent, without much of a change in medication, so I'm thinking that maybe the last of the Plaquenil is finally out of my system. The Enbrel is typically a once a week injection for me and we have started to wean that down and I'm now taking it once every 10 days. I love that part because I absolutely hate this shot. It only takes 10 seconds to go in, but the pain is ridiculous! Then I'm left with this lovely red patch on my whiter-than-white skin for about 2-3 days. That's hot.

I'm working with my rheumatologist, new OB, and soon a high-risk OB in managing the medications and my health. So far I'm hearing that things are where they should be and tests are looking good. I meet with the high-risk OB for the first time on May 6th. My tests are negative for a common clotting disorder that lupus patients may have that typically is the culprit in causing miscarriages in lupus patients. So being negative is good, although they may start me on a daily prophylactic baby aspirin just in case. I meet with my rheumatologist next on May 1st and either he'll draw out the Enbrel to once every 2 weeks or discontinue it altogether. I consider lying about my symptoms so that he'll just discontinue it, but so far I've been honest!

Friends and family have been very helpful since this blog has started and have some great ideas for ways to make my life a little easier. Thanks Maggie for the pump idea, I'm going to look for those. Jeff has already put my juice in a smaller container. We just went to BJ's and I tried not lifting anything heavy, but come on, it's BJ's! Jeff did most of it but I helped because I don't like just standing there watching other people do things that I could be doing.

On a side note...I'm so happy that it's spring! My hands feel so much better when they're warm. My bulbs that my Dad and I planted last fall are coming up and I'm so excited to see the blooms. We also just bought lilac, rose, and hydrangea plants to plant too. Unfortunately, we have hungry deer lurking around and they have eaten some of my tulip leaves and pulled up some bulbs. I'm off to the garden store today to get some help. I'm also going to hang pieces of Irish Spring from my bushes because I've heard this will keep the deer away. We'll see. Happy Spring everybody!