Hi All, Hope you are all enjoying the sun, not been on for a while, update on my Enbrell injections and how i've been getting on.!!!

Hi All, Sorry i haven't been on for a while a number of reasons but won't bore you with the details,

I have had my 3rd injection of Enbrell on Monday and have noticed i had two hives come out one on my neck and one on my face just jaw line and my stomach is quite bloated. I have also noticed my ankle is a little more swollen and the only other thing is when i inject it really stings now and it didnt before . Apart from that i have seen a big improvement in my RA my hands, wrists, shoulders and toes have very slight pain now still some swelling but not too bad. My knees and elbows have pain but moderate i still have to walk with my walking stick as my knees have that loose feeling inside and ache and pain after 10 minutes of walking and still tend to give way. But all in all a huge improvement but i'm not sure whether its the enbrell or my flare has calmed down or the steroid injection or a bit of all three.

Well i have been out shopping have been able to visit my daughter more at her home and my beautiful grandsons :)) , I have been out with my hubby to a country pub for lunch over the bank hols and have in general been able to get out more and feel more confident in doing so and happier.

Unfortunately my Aqua tone came to an end due to instructor leaving over an arguement with the management of the pool about her classes been cut into by other users of the pool. So i have to try to find another one. I am now under physio to try and get my legs stronger and due back thursday 9th may . I am walking my little king charles pip around the block of our estate again which i feel good about as i havent been able to do this for about three months.

The only bad news, I had an accident with the car door two weeks ago and ended up in tears , it was my 2nd trip out by car on my own to the local shops. I parked up and was trying to get out of the car by twisting myself roundin my seat and pushing the door wide open and hoping the wind didnt catch it as i stood up with the aid of my stick and moved to the side of the doo , yes it blew back at me with the wind and caught the side of the knee i had previously banged severely off a bench weeks ago. It absolutely knocked me sideways the pain was excruitiating and took my breath away, but after regaining my composure instead of sitting and waiting for the pain to dull down and rubbing it , stupid me thought walk it off it will be fine stay strong dont cry your in public people will look at me . So like a fool i tried to walk to the front of the shop. By the time i got to the posts outside the shop i was in agony and ended up holding onto the post and my walking stick in excruitiating pain and crying. Well i felt such a fool embarrassed and angry about what i had just done. All of a sudden my son appeared from no where he helped me back to the car , the relief of seeing him and having some help was enormous. He had been inside the shop shopping and had spotted me outside hanging onto the post . Thank god for my son. He sat with me in my car and talked to me so i calmed down then he drove me home . He made me a cuppa and stayed with me for a while . I was so grateful . My knee is my bad one anyway with RA and the bang from the car door didnt help , the bruising has gone now but left a small dent in my knee and still suffering some pain . I think it will take longer to heal. But as i said earlier my RA is better then it was so i'm just thankful for that. Yes i'm not fully recovered but i'm better than i have been.

My parathyroid scan results came through it has shown i have a large adeoma on the right flank but they say it is quite benign which i dont understand it either benign or its malignant not sure what they mean but have to wait till May 28th to see consultant to explain , i do know i have to have an operation so just have to make the most of getting out and about as it will be short lived . As when they operate i will have to stop my Enbrell and will probably go back to square one again for a while . I dont mind though because i know its only temp while i recover from surgery then hopefully can get on with getting better again.

I am reading through your bloggs to catch up hoep you've all enjpoyed the bank holiday sun and having a pain free day but if your not i send softest hugs to you and hope you feel better soon . hugs lena xxxx

[Hidden]

oh dear, poor knee!!, re the growth, that is good it isnt malignant and the were trying to emphasise this badly by saying quite benign!!, hope you find another class, most places will offer aqua aerobics which shouldnt be too different from aquatone xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

hi Ali, thankyou for putting ,my mind at rest ref the growth big hug to you hun for that. Yes knee took a bashing but i'm getting there . yes i have rang a couple of swimming baths and they are going to send me the aqua lessons timetable in the post so just waiting for it to come. but thankyou for the advice so helpful Ali hope you are feeling better today ive been catching up on the bloggs and have read you have spent a weekend in bed , hope your on the mend hun . Softest hugs to you Ali. Lenaxxxx

[sylvi]

Ludlow it is a right downer isn't it when you suffer like that isn't it. I hope your knee will soon be better and wasn't it great that your son was in the shop when he see you were struggling. He is a good lad to take you home and get you a cup of tea as well. I hope things will soon be ok with you.xxx

[Hidden in reply to sylvi]

hi Sylvi, hope you are well , yes it was a god send to see my son, he is a good lad very caring , i was so thankful to him. I am feeling alot better although i have a large lump still on the side of my knee, but feeling alot better.Thank you for your kind support soft hugs sylvi lena xx:))

[Hidden]

Hi, Firstly to say sorry to hear about the accident with your knee, it made me 'ouch and wince' for you, even though it happened a couple of days ago. Sons and Daughters come in handy sometimes don't they? After all the rescuing we did for them as children it's nice to have it done for us.

Secondly, your Enbrel injections, at first I was like you and they did not sting now they have a real bite at times, I sometimes wonder if I may have injected near an old site and that's when it happens, as I have tried areas where I know I have not done so and the sting is not so fierce. I have had no reactions to the injections like you mention so am not sure if these are as you are still new to them you should still have contact with the nurse who came to your home, I would give her a call and see what she says.

What I do get at times and more so at the start of this treatment, is quick stabbing pains in my toes, they make you automatically yell. I don't get it so much now and so I have assumed this meant that it was working and the foot was fighting the good things. Now I think my body has given in and that's why I don't get it so much now. That's my theory anyway.

I hope you will better soon with your knee and take care. xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi georje, hope you are well, yes i agree its nice whe n your children return the care that we gave them. I really was relieved to see him .

The injections can be quite painful on administrating i too wondered whether it was because it was an old site where i injected. I will have to monitor this . I havent had any shooting pains in my toes but as you say early days yet. I have contacted my rhuemy nurse who said just to take antihistamines and rub on hydrocortisone ointment onto the rash and she said the sting is because i am showing allergic reaction to the preservative in the injection which the antihistamines will take care of . She has said to monitor this and if it gets any worse to contact her again. I contacted the enbrell nurse but she said the same as my Rhuemy and said if it continues to speak with my rhuemy.

I will see how it goes, good you are getting on okay with it though. Thank you for your kind words of support Georje hugs Lena :)) xxx