Being BRAVE!
Mood:  spacey
Now Playing: Day 740-The Final Road To Survival

You know the story...All good things must come to an end which is why I enjoy my good days because they are slowly becoming few and far between. I have also been humbled more than just a few times over the past two weeks so might as well add another onto the list when I went head to head with my first round of Relistor.

Luckily I was able to sleep in after this early mornings not so bright idea! My biggest fear is not having control over "some" of my medical situations. Take for instance this new injectable medication. After reading page after page regarding use, side effects, patient reactions, directions, etc, etc, etc I decided to give it a try. So maybe not the full dose right off the bat seeing I was initially given the maximum 12 mg dose and 8mg is the basic. My strength to give it a try came from another GP patient who was also ironically given the A-OK to try it for her moderate intestinal dysmotility. Remember...my intestines don't work so call mine severe or more like as most of my specialists say, "The electric got turned off." I went from A-Z losing my nerve function very quickly without much warning and only after becoming very toxic and sick did everyone realize, "Hey! her intestines no longer work." My fellow GP friend was willing to give her medication a try so there was no reason why this gal can't do the same. Call us "Two GP'ers in a pod." Since each GP patient is very unique our symptoms vary and so can treatment. What might work for one patient will most likely not work for the other. Same with medication.

This new drug is called, "Relistor" or more like "RealistSCAREtor!" Hahahahahaha! Not funny while taking it or trying to give yourself an injection in the stomach. I am fortunate to be a very quick learner and although I made sure to read everything thoroughly I am still a hands on person. Give me the tools and I will learn. There are two boxes which are enough for two weeks worth of injections. Just think about it...$779.99 every two weeks to use this new drug. NUTS!!

Rule #1-Don't assume you won't get most of the possible side effects when your body already doesn't absorb things properly. (How quickly one forgets)

Rule #2-No, its not easier to lay down when self injecting into your stomach. Stand up!

Rule #3-If it burns and bubbles you might want to be a bit easier next time with the needle.

And final rule with self injecting:

If it looks painful it probably is!

Let's just say I didn't get any rapid results as told by the booklet or my Pharmacist. I received a heck of a lot of pain followed by the tremors and dropping everything the past 24 hours. What I also got was some serious retaining of fluids not that my kidneys weren't doing that already for me so its been a miserable day. I did earn myself a call to Walgreen's advanced support team since even my head Pharmacy manager couldn't answer most of my questions but what he could answer was why possibly this medication didn't work the first time. Will it work the second or third time even with a higher dose? Maybe. Possibly. This is if I had more nerve fibers working in my GI tract and not just laying there paralyzed. Trust me, my friend-Caregiver would had been happy to try the first go around but even the side effects and warnings scared him the heck away. GEES!

Funny enough my fellow GP friend-Relistor guinea pig did their first round yesterday and within the first 30 minutes got relief but also a horrible neurological reaction which still is leaving her feeling a bit "off." Will the reaction go away with continued use? Who knows since it seems with this new drug there are many "IF'S" to be concerned about while taking it for a short term therapeutic range as suggested by the manufacturer. Isn't that what I was told by the manufacturer who makes my Hell-In-A-Jug? Yes. I lost track of how many jugs I have consumed on a unsafe level. I dare to ever find out the ramifications of consuming such a toxic poison on a weekly basis but sometimes in life things are better left unsaid. Amen.

Round 1 of Relistor which honestly is made for those addicted to opiates or those who have taken opiates long term for other medical problems and have become severely constipated in which laxatives are not enough-FAILED. Was this new drug made for the rare, elite Gastroparesis patients who lost all nerve function with their intestines? So far my gut says, "NO."