Prednisone

So I was pretty depressed at my January 3rd appointment. It’s been 2 months since I began seeing the PA. I’ve been told I cannot take NSAIDs because I have anemia. The PA has not heard whether or not I’ll get Humira or Enbrel at some kind of affordable cost. Vicodin has not touched my inflamation although it dulls some pain if I take it faithfully. I am still defiantly taking Advil as needed for pain and inflamation. I left the office with a prescription for prednisone. I’ve had dose packs before and they really helped.

I was shocked that I would be taking 6 10 mg tablets the first day. The most I ever had in a single day is 1/3 that. It was after 5pm when the prescription was filled. I decided to start on the morning of the 6th. I had to prepare myself for a huge eating binge and becoming a real bitch by the end of the week anyway.
It is now the 13th. I cheated a bit and split the last pill in two instead of taking 3 pills the last 3 days. Just to taper it off. And the treatment has worked to some extent.

The first day, I had a headache bordering on a migraine after the 5th pill. I stopped and took 5 pills the second day, too. No sense ending up in the emergency room with a headache. The second day I didn’t notice anything - except I slept better. The third day, I noticed my brain was less foggy, I had more interest in what was going on around me. I could be attentive to other people.

I am doing things I have not been able to do for a while:

• Picking up a coffee mug using only one hand.
• Standing up from a seated position without counting and rocking.
• Standing up on my feet for more than 3 minutes. I stood for 10 minutes today while I assembled my lunch. I picked up the kitchen after the grandkids’ breakfast yesterday.
• Have enough grip strength to open my coffee ground pod
• Seal a plastic zipper bag, even if a joint in my thumb displaces
• Bent all of my fingers without pain today.
• Wore rings I haven’t had on in over a year

I’d like to go to Target or the grocery store tomorrow. Just to see what it’s like getting into the car. And the house.

I thought most of the swelling had disappeared. Since I can wear the ring my daughter made for me twenty years ago, since I could take in the straps on my sandals two buckle holes - I guess there was even more inflamation to be calmed than I thought.

I do not have the mood swings. My last prednisone pill is tomorrow morning. I am very afraid I will just slowly start slipping back into inactivity again.