So here's an update on my Enbrel use...
Today's injection was an event. I iced as usual, inserted the syringe, expecting the usual gradual insertion due to the resistence, but after a brief moment, I was in without resistence... then it occurred to me-I entered a vein or something-oops
... I injected, and by the very end upon withdrawal, there was blood in the syringe... that which I had feared, had come upon me!!!
So I called the Enbrel peeps for support... the nurse was very gracious. She explained that I likely entered a capillary. She said that if it had been a vein, the force of the blood would have gone into the syringe at the very start and then contaminated the solution, but since it happened at the end-no worries. Said I'll likely develop a bruise, and recommended pressure and icing after.
So I asked her a few questions that had been floating about in my mind.
First off, how do I rid myself of the dreaded bubbles... She recommended I don't spritz, cause I could lose too much of the solution. Eliminate by drops in a controlled fashion. I told her that today's bubbles just didn't want to leave-I even tilted plunger up and flicked the syringe several times, but 2 tiny bubbles remained stuck inside near the tip. She said no worries, they don't want us to inject the large gap at the tip-tiny wee bubbles do not present a great threat.
I asked about the red blotch where I inject. I asked if these were injection site reactions, which she confirmed. Ben -aB
-is absolutely right-it's the body's way of acknowledging that it's there and working. I asked if the solution remained in there and the body took what it needed to "do it's thing" which she affirmed.
Then I asked her about my use of Oregano Oil. I explained that this is an anti-bacterial/antiviral substance, and asked if this could harm the Enbrel. She explained that Enbrel is a protein, which works against the TNFa protein-2 proteins duking it out. I have a cute picture in my mind's eye of a little weight-lifter (Enbrel protein) who just jerked and lifted 350 lbs over his head, with his foot on the neck of the TNFa protein, telling it to "submit." Just thought I'd share that...
So that sums up some of the questions we've discussed here...
