My last two experiences — the fourth and fifth — were not the best. I realize now I should have called my doctor when I experienced the bad side effects after the last treatment. Not everything I experience is lupus related. Some things require a call to the doctor.

I stumbled upon an article recently that helped put everything into perspective. The article, “Giving Credit and Placing Blame Where They Are Due”, helped me realize not every ache and pain is related to lupus.

It’s so easy to pass whatever our newest ache, pain, or symptom is off on our every present companion, lupus. We wake up with a fever and our first thought is that we must be going in to a lupus flare. We begin to suffer urinary tract infections or problems with our kidneys and assume, once again, that it is lupus. We suffer headaches when they are not a normal part of our disease but we pass them off as another common symptom so many lupus patients deal with. Our digestion or eating patterns are off, and we say it must be the lupus. We are more tired than normal, and again we think it is the lupus. So many things can happen to us that we pass off as lupus when, in fact, they could just as easily be the result of something else.

Yes, in my case, the last experience I had was a result of something else. I should have called my doctor. Instead, I self diagnosed and actually felt better but, in truth, my creatinine went up. Not good and the kids weren’t happy. I really should have called my doctor.

This weekend, I opted to do whatever was needed to keep myself out of Hotel Huntington. I stayed low key, got rest, took my medications faithfully, and my supplements, drank plenty of water, and watched my diet. Thankfully, I had no pain, no fluid build up, no extreme nausea, and no overwhelming fatigue. I will admit I was bored to tears but, if bored to tears will keep down the drama, bored to tears it is and will be.

I did inform the doctor at the chemo center about my prior experience and this time I was watched carefully. It did not go in as fast as my last experience. He also showed me my labs and I saw my creatinine was high and my Vitamin D levels are still low. I don’t know what to do about the D sans take an even higher dose than 4,000.

At this point, I now wait to see what’s next on the menu for me. I will see my nephrologist in a week — because of the high creatinine — and more lab work. I’ll probably end up on another drug for a few months, stay with the prednisone, ugh, and hope this thing goes into remission. I could sure use a break. I don’t know if I’ll be doing chemo every three months as I’ve been told. We’ll see.

My Rheumatologist spoke of another drug called Imuran, another immune suppressant — oh joy, oh rapture. It could be my next dance partner.

Anywho, I made it through six consecutive chemo treatments without incident. It was almost called off due to a low white blood count but I rebounded. I did not suffer any infections or strange side effects from the chemo and it wasn’t as bad as I originally thought. I did hear some horror stories and of course I went from 0 to freak-out in less than 2 seconds but, in the end, it really was not that bad.

The chemo did wear me out mid-way the treatments. I did experience some fatigue and pushed through as best I could. I also worked through the entire process. I won’t say that was a good idea, perhaps it was not, but I did it.

I also had some pretty painful experiences. Was it due to the chemo? I don’t know. Was it lupus? Again, I don’t know. Bottom line, before diagnosis I had some pretty painful experiences in my life and didn’t know I had lupus.

On the up side, I FINALLY changed pharmacies.  I had to.  My old pharmacy was the best about five years ago but, like everything else in life, they went bad fast.  The pharmacist from hell — pharmacist nurse ratchet — really did it for me.  I used to love the place.  I loved going in, waiting for the drugs and looking around.  When they changed the store I could no longer wander around, then they stopped selling my makeup and the magazines left much to be desired leaving me with nothing to do but watch pharmacist ratchet’s evil expressions.  If you’re going to be abused, go to a chain.  At least you won’t feel so bad about it.  Now, I’m called when I need a refill, I have a better selection of magazines to purchase while I wait, makeup to try, and they have old fashioned penny candy.  Not only that, I am no longer restricted to weird sleepy town hours or Ms. Bad Attitude — another strange one in that store that loves treating people like dirt.  Good riddance.

Hopefully, my kids will cool and stop being so hot and maybe I’ll have a happy end of year. If not, I’ll be posting soon from Hotel Huntington.