It sounds as if you're getting good care. Hopefully the steroid injection will kick in for your holiday and the etanercept will start to make a difference soon. Enjoy your break and take care.
You know the injections have the skinniest needle ever (for Humira anyway, I bet it's the same with etanercept). Or there's the auto-injector which I hear makes it super quick. I use the injections and don't feel anything .... nothing, zilch. The needle slides into my midriff bulge like a knife into melting butter. You might even start to think of it as 'fun'. I do, but then perhaps I've just completely lost the plot!
Good luck, hope you get a great result, so many of us do with biologics.
I've been on Humira since 2014 and have had one cold in all that time. I get a little apprehensive sometimes, for example when I realised I'd absent-mindedly eaten half of pot of yogurt that had been out of the fridge for 24 hours in a hot kitchen. As I understand it, anyone on biologics should avoid salmonella etc. like the plague. (Not sure if you can get salmonella from festering yogurt, but you get my drift). But I was fine.
I think that on balance my immune system must still run a little high ... and biologics don't knock out the immune system, they just target a specific part of it, they're smart drugs. I realise that some may be more prone to infections but a lot of us find that it's quite the opposite.
The injections are so simple to do, and quick! Hoping your new meds make a real difference for you as it has done for me! Really didn't want to start it when it was first discussed with me - now I would hate to be without it!
I've been on entanercept since end of 2012. At my first twelve week follow up appointment was in remission and still am. No side effects at all. This drug gave me my life back. I forget I've got RA. Hope it works its magic for you. Xx
Hiya....please don't worry about the injections, put it into perspective....take your day and it's literally a couple of seconds...inject then done, just be positive and imagine less pain, less stiffness = happier you....be positive!!!!
New Etranacept is Benepali . Changed from Enbrel 3 months ago. Just an pen . Push into leg and it does th rest. Very easy. Hope it works as well for you as for me. Have been in remission for over 3 years. I think I am so lucky to be able to have a drug like this. Has helped me so much. Hope it does the same for you
Yay!!! The steroid injection should kick in very soon and hopefully have you feeling much better. Best of luck and here's hoping you can be feeling great long term!
All the very best - I hope that Etanercept works as well for you as it did for me. I was very nervous about injecting myself but I got used to it quickly and the miraculous results made any slight discomfort more than worth it.
It worked for me for 12 years and after a bit of trouble I am now on Rituximab which is working (fingers crossed)
Hope you have a lovely holiday and a pain free future
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First rheumatologist appointment 
Visit to my rheumatologist 
Does anyone prefer seeing rheumy nurse to Rheumatologist?
