Starting Humira tomorrow...

So I got my first delivery of Humira on friday.  They seem to have given me enough injections for 4 doses.  There are eight pens al in separate boxes, which actually takes up quite a lot of room in the fridge. Each pen injects 40mg Humira.  The first dose I take is a called a "loading dose"  and is a dose of 160mg.  This means I have to use 4 pens in one go, so the stock in my fridge will rapidly decrease after tomorrow.

I have a nurse coming around after work tomorrow, to help me do my first injections, offer support and advice, and to be close to hand in case I suffer any immediate reaction to the injections.

I am partly nervous, and partly anxious to get on with it now.  I have been off the Pentasa for a month now, and have been constantly thinking about my condition. This is mainly because in the back of my mind I am worried that the disease may be steadily getting worse all the time I am not having any medication.  I'm a little concerned about the possible side effects of the drug.  I have been reading up on other people's experiences on  www.crohnsforum.org and it seems that effects of the drug can vary from not feeling anything in particular, to extreme fatigue, right through to a severe allergic reaction!

It's the fatigue that concerns me the most.  I still have to go to work, and "feeling tired" is a difficult one when it comes to support for colleagues and managers.  I've been feeling very tired recently - I'm assuming due to anaemia, and I have found it very hard to be very effective at work.  I suppose there's no point in worrying about it now.  I just need to see how I feel over the next couple of weeks.

I haven't told y boss about my new treatment.  She knows that I am starting some new treatment, but I decided it was best not to brief her on the "possibilities"  If I find that the Humira makes me feel unwell in any way, then I'd be better off explaining it to her then.  My immediate colleagues know all about my illness and the treatment I'm about to start, and they are very understanding and supportive.  I think this is the most important thing when it comes to being open about any condition that you deal with whilst at work.