Thursday, August 16, 2007

My Life with "Arthur"

Yes, I've been married to Juan for 36 years but I've lived with "Arthur" for 27 of those years! Okay, okay, don't start calling all of your friends! "Arthur" is what I call my rheumatoid arthritis. It may sound silly to name it, but it's been around so long I don't think it will mind the informality!

"Arthur" has been treated with many medicines over the years. Some were extremely effective in the beginning. During the last couple of years the medicine I was on just wasn't doing the trick; meaning I had intense pain every day. A few months ago I found a GREAT doctor here in Arizona. He met with me a few times, took plenty of tests, then met with me to discuss my medicine options. He felt strongly that although I would always have "Arthur" in my life, he would be A LOT easier to live with! Cool, I'm all for that! So what are my options doc? Option one, I can self inject medicine A once a week...not liking the sound of that one; what's option 2? I can self inject medicine B every other week...you're getting closer doc, what else do you have for me? Option 3, I can come into the doctor's office once a month for a THREE HOUR IV drip of medicine C!!! Are you serious doc? THESE are my only options? If you want your pain to gradually, practically be gone and get on with your daily activities, YES, these are the options for you. Well let's see here, sound's like a no brainer...I'll take option 2, self inject once every 2 weeks. This medicine is called Humira, you may have heard the commercial for it, the dumb song plays in my head every other Thursday! (I won't even get into the fact here that my California health plan carrier would rather pay UPS to deliver this "special" medicine rather than allow me to pick it up at the local pharmacy 5 minutes from my house!)

The next step in this journey was to be trained by the nurse on how to give myself this injection. WHOA! I'm not really even afraid of shots, but to give them to myself?! I tried and tried but just couldn't do it. She ended up doing it for me and my sweet, kind, adorable husband, who has been on insulin injections for 10 years, volunteered to give me the shots; and when I say "volunteered", practically before the nurse was even finished with my injection he was like, I'll do it, I can do it, Let me do it! Gee, isn't that sweet?

Did I say sweet, kind and adorable? I'll let you judge for yourself. So every other Thursday I have to have this Humira injection. On Wednesday night my husband is like, tomorrow's your shot...do you want your shot before you leave for work...what time do you want your shot....do you want it after work....it would be easier first thing in the morning...

Do you all see where I'm going here? So every Thursday morning when I step out of the shower (I don't mean I only shower on Thursdays!) my husband is standing in the bedroom with the needle in his hand. Are you ready? Are you ready now? When will you be ready?

I am REALLY not trying to read anything into his actions...but I ask you, is it normal to be so gosh darn HAPPY to be injecting your wife????

1 comment:

Janette Waite said...

That is a person that really LOVES YOU! I see it as he does not want you to endure this painful thing alone and is willing to share the pain however it is administered. Koodos to you JUAN.

Love you CUZ!