Thank you for the comments on the last journal entry. I really enjoyed reading them and am grinning from ear to ear as I type tonight's post. I think tonight's report will encourage you. If I could jump up and down and type at the same time, I would do so. This was the best Remicade Day I've had since beginning the treatments in April of 2007! Paul Burton was able to drop me off at the hospital on his way to work. This meant that Mom and Qavah could enjoy a leisurely morning without rushing to leave the house on time. Mom was also able to get some laundry accomplished. Meanwhile, I bought a cup of coffee from the hospital's cafe and then headed to the infusion room.
There are several nurses that "know" my veins really well, so it took only one stick to get the needle into my arm. In the past, it's taken twenty to forty minutes for the pharmacy to deliver my Remicade medicine. Today, I only had to wait ten minutes. That meant less saline going into my veins, which is better for my over all health. And because I took a Benadryl before the Remicade treatment began, I didn't experience the burning vein sensation that I've had in the past. So, the nurse sped up the infusion process without me having any discomfort.
I passed the time by using my MP3 player and sleeping. It took exactly two hours for all of the Remicade to go into my vein. I called Mom when I was finished with the treatment, so she could pick me up. I was done by early afternoon, and although I had packed a few snacks, I left the hospital very hungry! Mom, Qavah, and I celebrated the good day by eating at the local Waffle House diner.
I really need to get a picture of the infusion room where I get the Remicade treatment, because it's very organized, clean, and cheerful. I have developed a friendship with the nurses, so they always ask about my family and life in general. Some of them even remembered Qavah by name and asked how she was doing. I took a picture of me playing my harp for the nurses to see, so I got to "brag" on my grandparents. That was fun. Tonight, I'm a bit tired but otherwise feeling better than I have in the last week. Very little pain and no complications sums up today's Remicade Day. Praise the Lord!
There are several nurses that "know" my veins really well, so it took only one stick to get the needle into my arm. In the past, it's taken twenty to forty minutes for the pharmacy to deliver my Remicade medicine. Today, I only had to wait ten minutes. That meant less saline going into my veins, which is better for my over all health. And because I took a Benadryl before the Remicade treatment began, I didn't experience the burning vein sensation that I've had in the past. So, the nurse sped up the infusion process without me having any discomfort.
I passed the time by using my MP3 player and sleeping. It took exactly two hours for all of the Remicade to go into my vein. I called Mom when I was finished with the treatment, so she could pick me up. I was done by early afternoon, and although I had packed a few snacks, I left the hospital very hungry! Mom, Qavah, and I celebrated the good day by eating at the local Waffle House diner.
I really need to get a picture of the infusion room where I get the Remicade treatment, because it's very organized, clean, and cheerful. I have developed a friendship with the nurses, so they always ask about my family and life in general. Some of them even remembered Qavah by name and asked how she was doing. I took a picture of me playing my harp for the nurses to see, so I got to "brag" on my grandparents. That was fun. Tonight, I'm a bit tired but otherwise feeling better than I have in the last week. Very little pain and no complications sums up today's Remicade Day. Praise the Lord!
