Break Required

Is this what they mean when they say "unable to tolerate":

The above picture was taken exactly 2 weeks following the injection in this arm. Knowing that my arms are the least painful to inject, this wasn't a terrible injection. But the aftermath is shocking! There was no blood spill, not even a trickle. Just a little pea sized lump...how did that get there? First time for everything. This bruise in large, and it isn't getting better. I'm now at 3 weeks, and it still looks like this.

Prior to the above injection, I had taken an "injection vacation": one week of giving my skin a break, injection free. Too many red spots, faded purple blotches, and sore areas.

Last night, I checked my right arm in the mirror, looking for a spot to inject, only to discover the entire area was taken up by a red and purple tinge. Outer thighs, same thing. Back hips, same thing. So I'm on another injection vacation.

 A "normal" red mark

So I ask, is this what they mean by not tolerating the medication? Are there long term consequences to these injection reactions? They only seem to be getting worse: I have been on Rebif for 3 years.

Another Video

I made a video of last night's injection with the Rebismart. The audio and video aren't perfectly in sync with one another, but it will do. Also, I show how I inject into my arm.




Emily

Independent Injector

I am an independent injector! On Thursday night, I injected my right bum cheek - all by myself. I was so alone - Jason wasn't even home. The cats were sleeping. The people in the television were ignoring me.

I did have to psych myself up. I straddled a chair, and made sure that I could reach the spot - I made sure that Rebi would beep, which she does to tell me that she is ready to go. I also had to make sure that I could hold Rebi steady for the entire time (11 seconds post injection, while the needle is still in my skin, plus the time the evil solution comes down the needle...maybe 5 seconds).

This means that I am able to do all of my injections, comfortably, by myself. Arms, thighs, bum and stomach. I don't need to have "Otto" and "Manuel" on my staff anymore.

*Otto and Manuel are Jason's inner injection-personalities, designed to make injecting easier for both him and I. Otto uses the auoto-injector and Manuel uses the needle manually.

Now all I need is the larger purse that I desire, so that I can carry Rebi anywhere.

Emily

It's a Crazy Life

That did not go as planned...or hoped...or imagined. My first Rebif shot in over 9 months, is one for the books.

And what did we learn:

Jason has a bad habit of beating himself up.

Things can happen so fast.

I may remain calm, but not necessarily smart.

I think that we were too casual. Or I was too casual, and Jason was nervous. That's more like it. I try to be casual and relaxed when it comes to injections. If I'm not anxious, then Jason won't be anxious. I don't anticipate pain or discomfort, as I don't want him to feel as if he is responsible for any pain that I may experience.

I thought we had it in the bag.

I rolled up my sleeve, found a prime spot in my arm, and reviewed the steps of pinch, poke, release, plunge, remove.

When Jason missed the release, the needle popped out...or something like that. The drug was still mostly in the needle. Some dribbled on the floor, and on my arm.

If you read the beginning of this post, you know what happened next. Except for this part.

I blindly stuck the needle back in my arm and finished the task.

I don't care about what happened. I care about Jason's reaction to what happened.

I hope this is just a blip...

Emily