Things are Going Well

Just a quick update on where I'm at:

• I've taken 5 doses of Copaxone now.
• Still performing MCV JSJ every morning.
• Sleeping well (as long as I don't do silly things like drink coffee in the evening).
• Had enough energy to do some laundry, help set up the Christmas tree, attend a couple of get-togethers on the weekend...

Well, probably should have taken a pass on the second get-together. It was a little too much, but perhaps someday I'll learn to dial it back a little.

Any suggestions on how to make my Christmas any simpler? I'm going to streamline many things this year, the dinner is going to be relaxed (as usual), the presents are going to be oriented towards the children (sorry adults) and I will resist bolting to Victoria to escape the chaos and mayhem of the holidays. Might do that anyway as soon as Christmas is over. Hopefully.

Thinking along the lines of dinner preparation... is it too early to cook the Brussels sprouts? Ha! Perhaps I should concentrate instead on getting the cards in the mail and preparing the house.

First Copaxone Injection Done

The training session with nurse Janine was a success. We reviewed, in great detail, how to administer, store and travel with the medication. Of course we also reviewed how to dispose of the used paraphernalia and syringes - after clipping off the needle first.

Let me introduce my new friend aj.

We practiced injections using a practice injection pad prior to administering the real deal. Janine gave me the choice: manual or auto-injector (aj for short). Not feeling particularly brave, I chose aj. I was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of aj. So easy: prepare aj, locate injection site, clean site, hold aj at a 90 degree angle, press gently until aj is ready, then click on the trigger. “It will feel like a bee sting” she said. Count to ten, remove needle, apply cotton ball. Count to ten. Done. Bee sting? Nope, hardly felt the injection at all.

A few seconds later the fun began. By fun I mean, burning and stinging sensations, lasting 10 minutes or so, followed by site tenderness and redness. Janine told me that the location I chose is actually the most difficult and usually has the worst immediate reactions. Good. I always like to get the worst case scenarios over and done with quickly.

Now, even though the pain has passed, I have a funny taste lingering in my mouth. It’s definitely not the stale coffee taste that I had prior to the injection. I don’t want to say it is a buttery taste, but it’s not metallic, fruity, salty or bitter either. Just different.

When we reviewed the manual method, it really didn’t look too difficult. I think I could manage it if I had to. The main benefit would be that I could insert the needle at a 45 degree angle and reduce the chance, especially in the arm area, of hitting muscle. In time, depending on how things go, I may find that I’ll use aj for the buttocks, thighs and abdomen and use the manual method for the arms.

I’m feeling much more positive about the whole process now. I can handle this. I think I could even easily hand aj off to someone else to perform my injection for me. It’s so unobtrusive, I don’t think it would creep them out at all.