Week 50

It says 50 weeks at the top of the page. That's nearly a year - I state the obvious and everything in this blog. Such a 'must read', eh?

Before Gilenya, I was on nataluzimab (Tysabri), and when I had been on it for the same amount of time, I would be half way between my 12th and 13th infusion. That was 12 whole days spent travelling to London, having the hour long intravenous medication and then the second half of the hundred mile round trip back to Southend in Essex. It was pretty much an all day affair. 

The highlight of the day was the 'pit stop' at KFC on the way home. 2 piece variety meal with gravy by the way. Even though my Mum very kindly drove, I found the day exhausting usually and I always slept like a baby that night. 

Now I just take a tablet first thing in the morning. 

Before my stint on Tysabri, I was on Beta interferon (Rebif). As most of you will probably know, this medication is a three times a week injection beneath the surface of the skin. It is self medicated and the needle is less than an inch long, so injecting yourself really isn't a major issue. You do get given one of those awkward and fiddly auto inject gadgets, but to be honest, by the time you've set the thing up, you might as well do it yourself. 

In 50 weeks, I would've done this 150 times! That's a lot of itchy site reactions and a lot of 'flu-like' symptoms that night and the accompanying broken sleep that leaves you feeling like crap the next day. 

The 'experts' do warn you that you might endure this side effect the first few times you inject, maybe the first few weeks, even. What about the first few months, or the first few YEARS, eh, EH? Seriously, I was getting the same nasty side effects after two and a half years, as the ones I got after the very first injection. 

390 times I subcutaneously injected that stuff. Why did I stick with it for so long? Because I believed it was for the best in the long run. 

Now I just take a tablet first thing in the morning. 

Happy Friday,

Dan