No here's where the "Sam the medical wonder girl" stuff enters into the equation. When all of the inflammatory/immune stuff started, they checked for both the rheumatoid factor and the level you check for lupus. I tested positive for both. That's why they couldn't decide if I had RA or Lupus. Well, I recently entered a study for UCLA on RA and they checked my blood, and I tested negative for Rheumatoid Factor. So I went back to my doctor and she checked it, still negative. A couple weeks later she ran it again and BAM, they're both positive again. Go figure. These are supposed to remain positive or negative folks, not come and go.
Fortunately, my Neurologist is a rock star and so she is determined to make my hands functional. I don't mean what all the rest of them mean: there will be some limitation due to the disease but there will be some return of function on this medication. Oh, no. She means, my hands will work and she won't stop until they do! So, she took me off of the Enbrel and put me on Humira, which is also a biologic, but it's formulated differently and seems to help people with joint swelling more than other meds. I don't have much joint swelling, but what the hell, I'm game, and this one is only taken once every two weeks! Well, it worked better, but not enough to really return function. I still couldn't cook or if I could, I couldn't pick up the pans to wash them, I still couldn't hold a coffee cup and I still couldn't open jars. So, she upped it to once a week and increased my Lyrica which is the Fibro medication.
Here I am, two weeks later, have cooked THREE TIMES this week, dressing my daughter, doing my laundry, grocery shopping, and typing my blog!!!! Hallelujiah and praise all the little gods. :-) I'm due for my shot tomorrow, so I hurt and I can't sleep, but it has been a great week.
I'll type more tomorrow after my shot.
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