I Feel Like HELL Today!

First I want to apologize as this will not be a funny or happy blog day...Yesterday was the Rheumatology appointment I've been dreading for weeks. The night before I didn't sleep and my morning sucked if you read my other blog you will totally understand http://blendingdogandcatfamilies.blogspot.com/ ... it was truly horrible. My other errands didn't get done because of me, myself and I - I thought I was SO organized - geesh!! I did have a nice lunch at the Gluten free restuarant with my dear friend who was very patient with my grumpiness yesterday.  We got to the MD office a bit early and registered to be seen - there was a balance that my insurance didn't pay so I had to pay $199.00 instead of $35.00 - that should have been a hint of how things would go. My name was called and off I went with my walker and friend in tow into the back - I gained 2 lbs (It was my tennis shoes - lol) - my other vital signs were fine and then we waited and waited - Wednesdays are the days my Dr. double books himself so you know you will wait. About 30 minutes later in he came - he looked really tired (he had been off a week with his kids for spring break) but was pleasant as always. Then the bad news - my labs were worse than last time and the insurance company had denied his appeal for Orencia both of those things left me with little choice but to go with a TNF inhibitor there are so many choices but I chose Enbrel (Etanercept) because it only lasts for a week in the body http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etanercept - this was something I DID NOT want to use because of the increased risk of Multiple Sclerosis, Lymphoma and Optic Neuritis - some of these are higher risks with Psoriatic Arthritis - which I have. The worse news - I would get the first shot in the office, then they would give me my next dose and insurance might not cover the additional doses - an authorization would have to be done. I had to get new labs drawn - 10 tubes later I wondered how much blood I had left and it was time for the shot. It is a subcutaneous injection and I had it in the thigh- it hurt like HELL - http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/subq.pdf. I will give myself the next injection in a week. Today I feel like CRAP - flu like symptoms which they told me I might have but no fever - that would be a disaster with this medication on board. I was supposed to go with another dear friend to run the errands that didn't get done yesterday but just don't feel like getting very far from my bed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optic_neuritis, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphoma. Links for some of the things listed above.