Inaugural Ride—What a Doozy

Upon waking at 7am today, I researched the Skyrizi injection process to see if I actually needed help from the nurse ambassador. She hadn’t returned my Friday call asking to set up a video chat. After watching the instructional videos about injecting oneself, I felt confident in doing it alone at home. I went back to sleep for a few hours and awoke to find a text from the dermatologist’s office telling me I absolutely must to see them for instructional training to inject myself. A money grab, I was convinced. I told them I have to do it today. Everywhere that I read about this medication, people say they experience extreme fatigue on the first day or two. It worked out that I have today and tomorrow off work, so I was glad to receive the shipment on Saturday from AbbVie. Mike signed for it and promptly put it in the fridge while I was at work. The office accepted my reasoning via text exchange. After twenty minutes of waiting for another text, I called to see when they could squeeze me in. One o’clock, in just over 90 minutes.

After making the appointment to inject, I realized that I had not yet had blood drawn for my gastroenterologist, and figured it may be important to do that before injecting. Would I have fewer inflammatory markers immediately after injection? Would some of the Skyrizi be taken with my blood and thus be less effective? Both improbable.

I hurried to shower and prepare for public consumption, holding my pained head throughout. Of course I had a migraine, of course. Past Andrea had already printed the lab order, so that was helpful.

As I'm sat in the waiting room for the lab tech to call my name, the first dose of Skyrizi chilled between three ice bottles in a lunch box to my left. It’s never certain how long you’ll have to wait for a blood draw, and I did not want to take it off ice too soon.

My name is called, and a man walks quickly to the door, followed by me approaching a very confused phlebotomist. I say my name, he says his. The same. What are the odds? She asks for our last names and confirms that she was calling me. She drew my blood as we laughed at the situation. I told him good bye on my way out, and he says, “nice name!” You too, sir.

My head pounding as I get back into my car, I realized I had enough time to stop at Starbucks and treat myself to some caffeine and expensive food. The featured drinks sign had an iced lavender oatmilk matcha latte and an iced cherry chai latte. I told the barista that both look good. He looked at my shirt and then made a recommendation.

…that I cannot eat because allergies.

After checking into the dermatologist’s front desk, I sat down with my cherry chai latte in their waiting room. A disheveled man with a drooped open, large, black leather messenger bag walked through the door. He said, “I have samples of Opzelura.”

“Oh thank god!” I literally burst out loud with it, and received a few glances. My name was second on their waiting list for more samples of this because they did not have any when I was there a few weeks ago. The nurse came to get me and already had a box of it resting on my chart.

The injection went smoothly. I explained that I had planned to do it after watching the instructional videos this morning, so the nurse said she would just watch me do it and be there in case I needed help. The only question I had was about if the safety button was pressed in far enough. It was.

The injection didn’t even feel like a sting or a mosquito bite. It was hardly anything at all, a pleasant surprise against the backdrop of a migraine that kept pounding the left side of my head and making everything difficult. The nurse then told me that if I don’t let the medicine come to room temperature, the injection would be painful. Score one for following instructions. Score one more for not being charged a copay (so far).

Once I got home and took Jorah out to potty, my phone started ringing: the chiropractor’s office. I had seen him a few days ago. It was a nice surprise to hear that their masseuse had a cancellation today and they wanted to know if I would like to take the spot. Hell yeah, I did!

My friend Matt said that today was the universe making up for the shit I have been through recently. I wholeheartedly agree.

Though, my stomach started hurting after the massage, but at least my head was almost back to its normal. Not normal-normal, cause it never was.