happy.new.year.

I had my last research safety follow-up visit to the doc today. No more carbon copy, repetitive questions to answer. No joint counts. Nobody called to let me know this was the last one. My shoulders knew, though. I don't know if I was getting a half or full dose of Okra, but it has worn off now. At least I hope there's nothing more it's masking because I feel like a flare is coming on, and if there is more ... oh, shit ... I think it's been over a year since the last one, and the fear of it is overwhelming.

She switched up my medication in hopes of relieving the constant shoulder pain. (Which began in the left, oddly enough, but is now also in the right but less so.) She added Prednisone. It's cheap. She switched out Ketoprofen (with whom I've developed a love-hate relationship through the past .. man, six years. Hadn't considered that lately.). The new NSAID is Mobic/Meloxicam, the latter, generic, of course, because it's cheap, too.  I am also ordered to start the PAP process for Humira. (Who will "pay" for your MTX for 3 months at the low, low cost of Five Dollars ... even if you don't qualify. ~applause and woooo~) Sigh. Such is life, eh?

Someone stole my urine sample today. I'm actually really weirded out about that part of the visit. I had a new research nurse today. I had a different one last time. Since she promptly informed me this was my last research visit, we got off to an uncomfortable start and I didn't ask for details of the change in staff.  After she took the 5 vials of blood (which really hurt, by the way), stumbled through what she thought she was supposed to do, she left, I presume to do whatever the research girl does with the urine specimen I left outside the bathroom on my way to check-in (like I always do). She came back and questioned if I'd left it. She came back again and asked where I left it; she couldn't find it. It's a cup of pee with my initials on it. Really, you lost it? I left it, the only one with liquid, with the dozen other initialed cups yet to be used that day. She looked again. I went and looked. It was gone. I psyched myself up so that I could produce another. Who Took My Pee?? What is taking the doctor so long to see me? Damn, my shoulders hurt. She returned. She found it "in the bottom of the trash can". WHAT? She claims it was still usable. She showed me with her finger and thumb about the same amount I'd left in it. Strange.

So, that was it.Go back in 8 weeks, on my dime.

Except for that TB test I finally got over to have done afterward. That hurt, too. Plus she squirted it all over the crook of my arm. Nice. We'll see in 2 days.