MTX, Orencia & a short whine

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I have been hovering around the edges here for a month or so.

Currently I'm on 7 MTX per week with the required folic acid,

Plaquenil...the MTX has quit working now. My RA doc wants me to stay

on the MTX and folic while he waits to see if Orencia will be

approved by my BlueCross insurance. If it IS approved I have to wait

3 more weeks to take the first I.V. dose.

Does anyone have any experience with Orencia? Is it really that good?

My doc gave me a choice of 4 drugs, described them, & allowed me to

make the decision which to try first. Orencia was his first

suggestion followed by Humira and remicaid? I already forgot the last

one. Honestly, I am afraid of at least the 3 drugs I listed- they are

all I.V. dosed. My veins are a problem- every time they draw blood at

the Dr. appts my veins roll around and collapse. I end up getting

stuck 2-4 times. Is getting an additional needle poke really worth

this extra pain?

Right now I'm taking all the NSAIDs (which don't help much) I can

because I'm one of the few that can't take Prednisone while on MTX or

Plaquenil. I break out faster than fireworks!

My quick whine: next week I've promised my 11 yr old son that I'll

attend his 5th grade school trip to the new Lincoln Museum and events

in Springfield (Illinois) next week. Already I hurt so much that I do

housework in the am and then collapse in pain on the couch in the pm.

This trip will mean I have to be up and walking/functioning from 8am

til 7pm. Anybody got any ideas on how I can survive this? I HAVE to

go- my boy is so looking forward to this " trip with Mom " that he's

talked about it for the last month.