High on Health

Good news – I’ve kicked the drug habit. Today I visited my doctor and reported that I have successfully tapered off Prednisone. This is cause for celebration with a deep glass of wine.

I have been on this drug for two years and, while it has kept me from surgery, it certainly didn’t keep my symptoms in check. In fact, it actually brought new issues into my life. Oh, how I’ll miss the long black chin hairs, really, hair everywhere. Except on my head because I’m losing it there at an alarming rate. I could knit a sweater for a small dog with the hair I collect in the shower every morning. And skin issues – oh, the skin issues. Not to mention the aggression, the mood swings, the general compulsion to shift something that is NOT in my crotch every five minutes…. Steroids = BAD.

Of course, I had to switch to the big guns – Remicade – in order to get off prednisone. It was worth it. Do you remember the pictures of Christopher Reeve – the puffy face, waxy skin etc? All side effects of Prednisone. Of course, side-effects of Remicade include, but are not limited to, Lymphoma, Heart Disease, Liver Disease and an overwhelming desire to eat entire pounds of nuts and dried fruit in 2 minutes (the last side-effect is my own observation).

I’m not wild about being hooked up via IV to a suspicious liquid that freezes my arm as it slowly enters my blood stream (I imagine it’s akin to how Clark Kent’s veins turn green when he’s exposed to Kryptonite) nor do I relish the $$$ bills that have begun to arrive, but I feel so much better that I suddenly realize how sick I was before.

I actually RAN around the lake the other day. That’s right, I deliberately jostled my viscerae – and nothing tragic happened. Seeing as how I could hardly get through the grocery store without having to, well, you know, this running around a lake is a BIG DEAL. I am so happy. And so is my doctor, who hugged me twice and said I made her day.