So I goofed up on my scheduling and decided to post when I have time. Things have been busy all around, but laundry’s done, chicken pot pie for dindin was a success, and I have a few minutes to do my thang.

I took 6 tabbies of that awesome methotrexate on Wednesday, so that’s 15 mg of action coursing through my system. I got the nod to proceed with upping the dose after my labs came out clean. So I’m going to sit here at 15 mgs for a few weeks until after the holiday. I will bump up to 20 mgs in January.

It’s hard for me to tell if things are working - my disease is so random and sometimes it’s awesome all by itself and sometimes it’s hell when I’m hopped up on meds. So I’m being cautious with my glee because I don’t want to be all pumped over nothing. Let’s talk in a few months and maybe I can tell you how I’m really doing.

The issue with psoriasis for me (just FYI it’s different for everyone. It’s not like chicken pox where if you have A then you have B. For us it’s you have A and then C, maybe B, and on Thursdays when the lunar eclipse is going down you’ll have Q. And the next person just has C. Those bastards. I digress. It’s basically idiosyncratic…) is that I have SO much of it, and I have SO many versions of it (guttate, pustular, plaque), that it’s hard for my doc to get a sense for what’s going on. She has expressed interest in seeing me regularly to get a sense for what’s going on and what my disease looks like.

It’s tough because things happen over time, and I’m so used to the slow course and disappointment over something not working, so I’m trying to be positive with my freaky drugs. I’m also trying to be positive that I can’t get some of my christmas cheer on with my friends because of the no-drank clause in my meds.

Oh well. Drink well for me, friends.

I can tell you, that at this very moment, my arms look good, and they look clear. The rest, well, is the rest, and we’ll see how that goes. Some days I’m convinced I’m clearing up on my legs (the worst of it all), but on others I feel like nothing’s changed, or worse yet, that I’m not getting better. Oh well. Stay the course. 

My fave thing that my doc said? Don’t scratch. I almost laughed in her face.  A fact of life for me is how itchy I am, and I’m not supposed to do it. Oh boy. Remember how I told you that the disease is idiosyncratic? She also told me that some people don’t itch. Fuck them.

At any rate, that’s week 3. Labs next week and every week for the next month or so. I look forward to further securing my mayorship at the lab and engaging in weird conversations with fellow sickies. Update again next week.

Char

grapesally asked: I've used methotrexate for a really long time and it was amazing for me! I never had any of the problems associated with it apart from an occasional bloody nose. This was a few years ago, since then I've switched to Enbrel and now to Stelara. Good luck and clear skin!!!!

I tried enbrel to no avail…and stelara was on my radar…I’m hopeful about mtx, to be honest. It’s been a long time coming, so we’ll see! Glad you got good results, I’m hoping for the same :-) Thanks for the well wishes. Here’s to clear skin!

Decided to just call it Dose instead of Day. 

Anyway, I went to Kaiser and got the labs done yesterday. Cha-ching, became mayor of the lab. Was simultaneously sad and a bit thrilled to have the honor, but face it, who’s going to say “holler at me, I’m in the lab.” We’re not there to winky wink. We’re there because our health stinky stinks. My labs came back clean (whew), and nothing major changed from the last time I took them…oh, a month ago.

What’s been awesome is that my doc is great about following up. She emailed me at 3:30 yesterday asking me to do my labs because the results weren’t in…And at that time I was actually doing them. Good to know she’s on the team, right? So I get an email from her this morning, she’s viewed all the results and we’re good to go for the second dose. Last week was 5mg, now it’s 10mg. 4 little tablets of awesomeness down the gullet. Next week, 15mg. 6 tablets. Daily folic acid. Cabbage patch dancing.

No bumps in the road yet…I can’t say I’m looking better, but all things in time. Even if this doesn’t work out, at least I know it’s time to move on to find another solution.*

Char

*Most people will say “Go to Hawaii! Get some sun.” I did that 4 years ago and that’s when I had the second worst breakout of my life. But I wouldn’t say no to a trip, FYI.

So today I started my test dose of methotrexate, the drug the pharmacist freaked out on me over .

why are you on this drug?! it’s a cancer drug! - pharmacist*

Yah, it’s hardcore stuff, but it’s been used for years with psoriasis, and, well, it’s time to try something new.

This drug I’ve been dancing around for a few years now - I didn’t want to take it because I didn’t want to do some toxic mambo with my reproductive life, and in general it just sounds funky. But, I’ve done all the drugs out there, and this is a new territory for me, so who knows.

So right now it’s just a test dose - 5 mg. Then a blood test. then another 5mg for a total of 10 mg. Then another blood test. Slowly moving up the ladder of what-the-fuck is going to happen now until I sit on top of 15 mgs. And then who knows. I better be clear because I don’t want to make this a lifestyle.

Oh and here’s the sweet part - no alcohol. The drug likes to tickle the liver, so happy holidays, me. Enjoy it without so much of a sippy sip.

But here’s to new things and new possibilities. I’m looking forward to seeing what is next in the grand scheme of things, and I’m hoping this is the one that’s going to fix it. More updates to follow.

Char

*He looked like Beaker while saying this. So to make me laugh, I bring you: