This morning was my second sub-cutaneous injection of my medication for HAE.
This time I did not hit a vessel so there was a lot less blood (yay), and this will help me keep a schedule a little better.
I will, begrudgingly, admit that my Methotrexate injections have sometimes fallen by the wayside... some weeks I completely forget. Being on this new medication will help. I have to force myself to get up early each Tuesday and Friday morning to do this injection, and I made a new routine that is easy to follow.
The medication itself is stored in the fridge, but I need to let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before mixing and injecting. So, I take the medication out of the fridge, prepare myself for the injection, and then I have time to take my morning pills and (on Tuesdays) do my Methotrexate injection - all while I am waiting to mix my Berinert.
Now, because it is a blood product, it is likely to make me feel unwell and exhausted after the injection, perhaps for a few days after each injection until my body becomes accustomed to it.
Why is that good news?
I should be able to go right back to sleep afterwards.
Plus, my appetite has decreased, which is a probable side effect of this new med. I'm not mad about it either. I have been struggling to lose weight lately and having a decreased appetite will help that - although I DO have to keep paying attention to make sure I eat enough. Sometimes, when a medication decreases my appetite like this, I will actually forget to eat until late supper-time. Can't let that happen.
But...
My legs are WAY less puffy, my knees are barely puffy at all, the shape of my face is back to 'normal', and I feel lighter; all that water weight just dissipates. Not completely of course, but enough to make a difference for me. The real test will be when something exciting or scary happens - see how well this Berinert stacks up to intense and sudden stress.
(A good test would be after going through the haunted houses at Screamfest... last time we went I had a mild throat swell... perhaps this time I will not have that experience). Only one way to find out.
So far so good.
SO happy my hematologist decided to allow me to try this prophylactic treatment. It is already paying off.
:)