Tag Archives: flare

Actemra Infusion | May 2015

17 Wednesday Jun 2015

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I never updated on my second infusion, did I? My main goal, with these posts, is to archive my progress while on Actemra. This is for my own personal benefit and for those who are considering this medication. Except for the brand’s website there is very little information available. I sometimes feel like I am running blind.

 

But, first…

A quick review of the first infusion. I handled it well. I experienced no pain, dizziness or fainting during the treatment. I felt slightly nauseous but assumed I needed to adjust to the new medication.

Unfortunately, it was more than a little first reaction. The nausea got worse. I could not keep anything down, including water, for three days! The intensity subsided but I was still nauseous for a week. Stomach upset and ulcers are side effects of Actemra but are also side effects of other TNF inhibitors and thiis was the first time I reacted so poorly to a biologic.

I had a history of medication-induced ulcers and chronic inflammation of my stomach lining and duodenum. At the time, my doctors prescribed Reglan. As long as I maintained my insanely strict diet, Reglan maintained my nausea. After my ulcers healed and I received the all clear to return to my normal diet I kept a couple of these pills on me at all times. I rarely needed them but they were effective.

 

Fast forward to Actemra: Reglan did absolutely nothing. It actually made the cramping worse. My rheumatologist contacted my gastroenterologist and she suggested Zofran.

Story time: Saachi was prescribed Zofran 8mg tablets, as needed for nausea, during her chemotherapy. After she passed away, I donated the remaining pills back to the hospital. This was literally one month before I, myself, was prescribed the exact same medication! While my rheumatologist frowned upon taking “animal pills” I personally had no problem with this. Working at a vet clinic I knew these were good human-grade generic medications. It doesn’t really matter now but I just thought it was funny!

 

Zofran was a stronger anti-nausea I took 2-3 hours before the infusion. It made me groggy so my father drove me (best dad ever) to the appointment.

When Saachi took this medication she drooled and drooled and drooled and lapped up water like it was her only job in life. I now know why: Zofran tastes disgusting. It is a quick-dissolve tablet I place under my tongue. BLEARGH!

 

Now onto the second dose…

 

I tolerated the IV well. I was not nauseous during the infusion or even afterwards! I alternated between the Zofran and Reglan for intermittent stomach upset but the nausea was nothing compared to the previous month.

Where am I now?

I am three weeks post-infusion and I am beyond fatigued. I am past exhausted. I became noticeably more tired last week. I slept more deeply during my naps. Usually, I lay down, close my eyes and rest. I am more or less conscious. Lately, I’ve been out like a lightbulb. I also cannot wake up in the mornings. I am not a morning person, but, when I have to, I wake up early and respond well to my alarm(s). Now, I snooze for at least 15 minutes and over the last few days I overslept by an hour and a half (Thanks, pets, for not waking me up)!

I am only two months into this new medication but this is not cool. Just the idea of being awake makes me more tired. Is this how I am going to feel for four more months until I know the full effect of this medication? This is a really unfortunate way to start the summer!

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Ziploc Marble Nail Art for NAIL – Butterflies

24 Sunday May 2015

Posted by in Community, Nail Art

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Check the sidebar for more information.

Have you ever just looked at something and thought ‘this really annoys me’? I opened my blog this morning and I could not stand my layout. I decided to change themes. So far, I do like it. I especially like the background color; I think it is a lot easier on the eyes. What do you guys think?

 

I first attempted freehand wings. I created a Monarch butterfly-inspired marble base but the wings looked really wonky on my short nails. I remembered the Pueen Cosmetics decals but had spent so much time on this first try, I felt too discouraged to re-do it.  Now, a few days later, I repeated the ziploc marble method and applied the decals on top.

I hope you like it!

 

Butterflies on Marbled Base | The Rite of AgingI started with a base of Color Club Wham! Pow!

I added a few drops of OPI Red Lights Ahead…Where?, Serum No. 5 Fallen, and CoverGirl Cosmetics Glosstinis Inferno before I lightly placed a ziploc bag on top to blend them together.

The decals are from Pueen Cosmetics.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

 

Don’t forget to check out the other butterfly manicures below!

Stamping and Ombre Nail Art for NAIL

20 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by in Nail Art

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Check the sidebar for more information.

 

I am still down with the hip flare and am using a combination of a cane and  walker to get around. Last Wednesday I went climbing but I felt really good afterwards. My current flare did not start until mid-Friday so I don’t know if they are related but I cannot see any other correlation!

Unfortunately, I was supposed to clean my room and bathroom this weekend but could barely get out of bed without assistance. A cluttered room does not usually bother me but when I am sick it gets on my last nerve. I just can’t stand laying in a disorganized environment when I cannot do anything about it. Do you feel like cleaning more when you’re ill, too?

Sometimes, if I do not have the luxury of a full clean I lightly tidy. During a bad flare I am unable to move very much so I incorporate a little re-organization when I do get up. It only takes a couple of extra minutes to put little things away and I feel a whole lot better! Of course, this is not the time to do any heavy lifting, like vacuuming, but a little dusting goes a long way! If I have to get up to go to the bathroom or get something to eat I might as well do a little housework as well. I feel like I am actually getting something done without tacking on extra movement.

 

I wanted something quick and easy for today’s nail art. The ombre style is very RA-friendly and a no-hassle way to include multiple colors! I hope you like my slightly embellished ombre look!

 

Blue Stamping Ombre | The Rite of AgingBases (from index to pinky nail):

Glitter Gal Bluemerang

China Glaze UV Meant to Be

Pop Beauty Pacific Hoot

Anise Neon – Make Waves

I stamped with Pueen Cosmetics plate PUEEN 76 and Konad Special Polish White.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Pink and Purple Asymmetrical Dotticure Nail Art

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by in Nail Art

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As a kid, one of my favorite past times was “sailing”. I placed an empty laundry basket in the middle of the laundry room floor, fill it with snacks, hydration, books, and blankets and pretend I was in the middle of the sea. I was shipwrecked until I reached land.

After my father helped me out of bed I grabbed anything and everything I could possibly need for the rest of the night. Once I stand up and am leaning forward, I can move around relatively easily. Relative, of course, to getting out of a sleeping or sitting position.

I grabbed my various technologies, books, magazines, nail polishes and anything else I thought I might need and curled up for the evening. I was not in the mood for too intricate a nail art so I settled on a fun asymetrical dotticure! I hope you like it!

 

1-DSCF6367_fotorI started with Pahlish Reinette as my base.

I detailed with Milani Power Periwinkle, Barry M Grapefruit and Rhossilli.

 

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Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Blue Saran-Wrap and Water Decal Nail Art

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by in Nail Art, Reviews, Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Question: Would you prefer I separate my RA and nail art posts so if you are only interested in one or the other you don’t have to read both? I will provide links to and from each post.

 

 

I posted this on Instagram last night as I had some weird hip pain and struggled to find a comfortable typing position. Right now, I have no range of motion. I am in excruciating pain every time I move.

I’m not sure this is a flare. During my typical episode, I am painful throughout my body, I am nauseaous, tired, and fatigued. Today’s discomfort is acutely concentrated in my hip area and just when I move. I feel alert, hungry,  and in any other manner, great. I am struggling to move yet I want to. I don’t know why this is happening. I woke up in the morning and I felt great I was in no pain I climbed the stairs and all of a sudden it hit me during breakfast. My morning routine was the same.

 

But, before I get into the nail art…I’m going to quickly talk about how I clean the house.

I clean house on my days off from work. This way, I can “schedule” tasks around my high and low pain points. I mentioned in another post, my sweet spot for pain is about two hours after I take Tramadol and Tylenol. This would be when I start the heavier cleaning like vacuuming. I rarely ever start before this two hour mark.

Once I’ve finished vacuuming I take a nap.  I’m serious. Personally, Vacuuming takes the most effort and when I’m done I’m usually very tired. This is the perfect time for a nap. It’s okay though I have the entire day.  two hours is usually the longest I allow myself to sleep, otherwise I I cannot go to bed at night.

 

When I wake up, I eat and hydrate and finish by dusting. I use a Swiffer duster wand so with one quick swipe I’m all set. Laundry is for another day.

 

Now, onto the nail art! I decided to go with a blue cling wrap. I loved the marbelized water look. My new Chanel polish called to me so I centered the entire color palette around it. I needed to add more but a black decal would not show up. The pack of Pueen Cosmetics decals I bought came with an assortment of white ones as well. The last time I tried one it disintegrated while I removed it from the backing. I had low expectations of these flowers but they worked quite nicely.

I hope you like it!

 

Blue Marble Cling Wrap Nail Art | The Rite of Aging

Blue Marble Cling Wrap Nail Art | The Rite of AgingI started with 3 coats of Glitter Gal True Blue Aussie as my base. Llarowe was having a massive sale on this brand and I picked up a few on a whim. This dark blue polish was very squishy, almost jelly-like and dried very glossy. However, it pooled into my cuticles and stained them badly.

I bubble-wrapped with Chanel Mediterranée, Glitter Gal Bluemerang, and China Glaze UV Meant to Be.

Blue Saran-Wrap Polishes | The Rite of Aging

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Purple Waterspotting Nail Art

11 Monday May 2015

Posted by in Nail Art, Rheumatoid Arthritis

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I’ve been asked to blog a bit about how I  live day to day with RA so I will start incorporate that in next posts.

 

This probably goes without saying but I never do anything before I take my medications in the morning (except make the breakfast to eat them with). I’ve made the mistake of replacing my bed covers, playing with the pets or typing which all ended in pretty bad flares and even worse days. When I’ve slept well I feel energetic, I have reduced pain and I forget I have RA…for the time being.

 

I take some of my medications two to three times a day depending on my pain level. If I have errands to run or, on the rare occasion, I go out or climb I time my medications a couple of hours before I need to be “alive”.

This timing varies per person but after some trial and error I realized my “sweet spot” for feeling my best lies around two hours after I’ve taken my pain medication.

 

For today’s nail art, I have an easy RA-friendly water-spotting look. I got the Color4Nails Crystalline Nail Veil today and was super excited to try it out! It works really well, though, it may be easier just to tape my fingers with the water techniques. Otherwise, I’d use way too much product.

 

1-DSCF6047_fotorI used American Apparel Neon Purple and Color Club Pucci-licious as my bases.

I waterspotted with hairspray L’Oreal Paris Sexy in Sequins, Color Club On the Rocks, and Julie G Butterflies & Rosebuds.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

RA-Friendly Glitter Gradient and Water Decals Nail Art

07 Thursday May 2015

Posted by in Nail Art, Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Did You Know?

Rheumatoid arthritis is often diagnosed late or after joint damage begins. Symptoms are often mistaken as having a less severe cause.

When I first noticed symptoms it was six months before my diagnosis. I sustained a wrist “injury” that took six months to heal. In retrospect, this type of problem should not have eaten away at my mobility, let alone over six months. This was a huge indicator of a larger problem. As the wrist healed, I noticed issues in my other joints.

Thinking even further back, I may have experienced symptoms during college! I lived on the third floor of my dorm and I thought my knees and ankles and hips hurt because I carried my textbooks and heavy backpacks up and down the stairs all day, all over campus. I was unhappy, excessively tired and I just assumed it was stress. How wrong was I?!

I was always healthy before this. I got the occasional cold and sinus infection but there was no indication I could be seriously ill. I just chocked these symptoms as “college life”.

Here’s a tip: NEVER EVER blog before you’ve taken your medications. I woke up at 5 am this morning because I needed to pee. Prednisone is a diuretic and the higher the dose, the more urgent my bladder becomes. I forgot I cannot drink water after 11pm at night before and well, I did. After I woke up I remembered I Love Lucy was on and then I was fully awake.

I thought about using my Dragon Dictate (voice recognition) software but didn’t? I have no good reason for not using it.

As a result of this second of stupidity, I was tired, run down, listless, today,..(heh! [minus the listless]) and I had a boatload of errands to run. So, today, I present a seriously RA-friendly nail art: sponged glitter and water decals.

 

Sponge Glitter and Water Decals | The Rite of Aging Early

 

Sponge Glitter and Water Decals | The Rite of Aging EarlyI started with 2 coats of Color Club Twiggie as my base.

I used a sponge tip applicator to apply a generous helping of Serum No. 5 Happy Special Day! to the cuticles.

I applied Pueen Cosmetics water decals to random fingers.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.