What a Difference an IV Makes!

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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I should not be as excited as I am.

Two weeks ago, I switched medicines…again.

Well, not really.

I took weekly Orencia injections. They worked well. I woke up feeling absolutely healthy.

Most days, I totally forgot I had RA.

Regardless, over the last month any strain on my joints resulted in a flare. Each flare lasted days.

Up until this point, I tried most of the biological immuno-suppresants except for the monthly Orencia IV infusion.

Supposedly, the intravenous formulation worked differently than its subcutaneous counterpart. The IV was 500mg versus the 125mg self-injections.

When I started the weekly shots, I had to sit for the 500mg infusion. On the same day I took one of the sub-q injections. It totaled to 625mg to kick-start the results. I still remember when I sat for that IV I felt good within days. I went for three hour hikes and I rock-climbed without breaks.

When I sat for my first monthly IV after the switch, I worried.

I did not feel good. I still flared and tired easily.

Suddenly, two weeks after the first IV dose, I felt great. I lowered my dose of prednisone and still managed to go about my daily life without hassle. I did not feel as lethargic or painful.

I do not know what happened. It was not a gradual change. I just woke up one morning feeling awesome.

I still have two weeks before my next dose. I hope that the effects do not taper off towards the end. Hopefully, the medication caries me through the entire month.

We will see.

I am trying to deflate my excitement, after all, these medications work for a time before they quit on me.

I can not help but feel optimistic. If I manage the symptoms now the disease will be totally manageable in the future.

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

31DC2013 – Blue Nails

05 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by in Just for Fun, Nail Art

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Blue, just like the green, does not look good on me. Rather, I do not like how it looks on me. Regardless, I still have many blue polishes in my collection because otherwise it feels incomplete.

I practiced the “sugar spun” technique for a few days. It was difficult to get the timing right but I finally managed to get a product I liked!

31DC2013 - Blue Nails

Blue Nails Prompt

I stared with three coats of China Glaze “White on White”. It was runny but three coats evened out any flaws.

I used a toothpick to “spin” Urban Outfitters “Blue Velvet”, Color Club “Pucci-licious”, and Milani “Peacock” from the tip of the nail to the cuticle.

I originally wanted to sugar-spin one nail but I did not like the blue base color on the other nails. The sugar-spun looked so good I decided to go for all of them.

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: Image Displacement

05 Thursday Sep 2013

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To see the accompanying post click on the image below.

After the 31 Day Challenge yellow prompt I have really been digging the yellow polish look. I am also on a watercoloring rampage. It is a lot of fun to do.

The image displacement I experience is very subtle almost like a shadow so I wanted the stamping image light and the gold barely noticeable.

Image Displacement

Image Displacement

I started with three coats of Color Club “Almost Famous”. I am not a huge fan of the polish itself but I can hide the flaws with nail art.

I “water-colored” Zoya “Reece” and “Cheryl”.

I applied Seche Vite top coat and waited for the manicure to dry.

I used Bundle Monster plate “301” in Sephora by OPI “212-Sephora” and Zoya “Goldie”.

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

#31DC2013 Day 4: Green Nails

05 Thursday Sep 2013

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I sat down to start today’s prompt feeling very unmotivated. Green never looks good on me and I do not know how to make it look good. I stared at all my green polishes for a good few minutes before it dawned on me that I had just settled down with a bowl of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.

My favorite!

I then realized I had all the right colors for a Mint-inspired manicure!

Green Nails Prompt

Green Nails Prompt

I started with two coats of Color Club “Twiggie” on my index, middle, and ring finger.

I used two coats of Milani “Mint Chip” (hah…) on my pinky finger.

I used a small brush to apply strokes of butter London “Knackered” on my ring finger before adding a layer of Serum No5 “Happy Special Day”. Unfortunately, the butter London polish was so sheer it did not show up under the sprinkles top coat.

I applied small brush strokes of Essie “Blanc” to my index, middle and ring finger to mimic mint chip ice cream.

I quickly applied two coats of Milani “Sprinkles” to my index and middle finger; and one coat of Seche Vite to my ring finger. I wanted to blur any sharp lines.

Once my ring finger dried I used Bundle Monster plate “BM-307” and Milani “Quick Teal” to stamp a cupcake!

I applied a very light coat of Sprinkles on my ring finger to seal the look.

I am not a fan of the base colors but I really like green mint ice cream so I went for it!

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Image Displacement

04 Wednesday Sep 2013

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For a few months I have had image displacement problems. I hold a conversation with someone and all of a sudden they shift backwards a foot or two. They do not physically move back, they just seem farther than they appear. I also have problems with poor eye focus. My eyes lose focus and I have difficult re-focusing them even with constant blinking.

I visited my eye doctor today and he told me that prednisone can affect my eyesight. I do not have glaucoma or cataracts, thankfully. I have moderate dry eye. There are “dry spots” on my eyes. My eyes are no longer producing enough tears to keep the tear film moist and stable. This contributes to image displacement and poor eye focus.

I need new contact lenses but because I could not focus my eyes, we were unable to find the right prescription.

I now take artificial tear drops two to three times a day. Hopefully this will put off any further dry spots and alleviate the symptoms I already have. I also have to go back to see a contact lens specialist. I had no idea those existed! Though, I think most of it is just a ploy to make more money from extra visits.

I always think I am tired and I am just seeing things but it is nice to know there is an actual reason for my symptoms!

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: August Blues

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

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To see the accompanying post click on the image below.

I tried many blue manicures for over a week. I am not a huge fan of blue polish so I had difficulty settling on something. I finally decided on this one. It had a soothing effect on me because it reminded me of the ocean and the waves crashing on the shore.

While I feel calm looking at my nails, I know that they accurately show how I felt back in August. I had no control over my emotions. I very rarely feel so low and I felt confused and helpless. I could not find a way to boost my spirits.

August Blues

August Blues

I used two coats of Milani “Blue Moon”. I am on the fence about this polish. The formula is thick but easy to work with. It dries quickly. However, the brush is not great. The bristles are uneven which makes it difficult to apply the polish around the cuticles. Otherwise, it is a great color. It is a heavily shimmered navy blue.

I then used a small brush to apply random strokes of Essie “Blanc”, Milani “Peacock”, and Color Club “Pucci-licious”.

For my ring finger, I water-marbled the same colors minus “Blue Moon” and the addition of Zoya “Crystal”.

I finished with Cult Nails “Wax That” effect top coat.

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

#31DC2013 Day 3: Yellow Nails

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Just for Fun, Nail Art

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Today’s 31 Day Challenge theme is yellow nails! I really love yellow. I usually only wear it on my toes since it looks great with sandals. Since I did the red nails, on the first day, I have had fire color schemes on the mind.

Yellow Nails Prompt!

I started with three coats of Color Club “Almost Famous”. I am not a fan of the formula but I love the color. It is a bright neon yellow. The formula is thick and hard to work with. When I try to use thin layers they streak. When I use thicker layers they dry unevenly.

I let the base color dry. I marbled Color Club “Mrs. Robinson”, OPI “Red Lights Ahead…Where?” and Cult Nails “Feel Me Up” on a paper plate before using my finger to pat it on each nail.

I used a mix of nail polish remover (Zoya Remove +) and Feel Me Up to add more yellow while “watercoloring” the red and purple.

I applied one coat of Sephora by OPI “Be-Claus I Said So” before the polish dried to blur any sharp lines.

31DC2013

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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