I just returned from the rheumy's office. I still have so much swelling and joint pain that its restricting my motility and daily activities. We decided to go with Enbrel, its injected twice a week, so here we go with the needles again!  I'm having a hard time finding a pharmacy that can even get it, I'm stopping at a speciality pharmacy on my way home tonight and hopefully they can have it in a couple of days. The hospital where I was getting my fertility meds says they can't get it right now because its on back order from there supplier! I guess there is some question as to if my insurance will pay for it. They will check for sure when I stop in after work. I figured if it paid for the fertility drugs, it should pay for this drug. If not, I won't be able to take it because its $15,000 a year!!!!! 
They did a TB test and some other tests to be sure I don't have any sort of infections. I guess there have been reported cases of people dying from infections while on Enbrel but I have to do something. As long as I can get the drug by Thursday, I have an appt with the nurse at the rheumy's office to "teach" me how to inject but I can't imagine its too different from the fertility meds.
Hopefully, I'll see improvement in a couple of weeks. However, it can take a few months to fully work and it doesn't work at all for about 20% of people. You can not take it while pregnant but it gets out of your system within 2 weeks. So, if this gets the RA under control, I'll stay on it for 3-6 months until when/if we decide to try to get pregnant again. At which time the fertility doc wants me on steroids to protect the baby from my immune system and the steroids will also help with the RA.
So, thats the plan! Lets just hope I can get the drug, that its covered by my insurance and that it actually works!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Going to try Enbrel
