I got Julia to work this morning around 8.30, and waited patiently as someone backed out of a parking space in a leisurely manner. He made a mess of it, but when I was able to see the driver I could tell why – he had a peeled banana in his hand and it was clearly slowing him down. After dropping her off I was able to join a queue behind the banana eater and wait patiently behind him at two more junctions, as he appeared to stop and reflect on his life before each manoeuvre. Not the best start to the day, but far from the worst. That belonged to a man who was in a collision on the ring road just before I turned off to the shop. He had been hit from behind, his rear offside wing was chewed up and the rear window of his van had disintegrated. That’s far worse than being delayed by a man eating fruit.
Having said that, the addition of a hyphen could have made my day a lot more interesting. being held up by a man-eating fruit really would have been worth blogging about.
The rest of the day wasn’t even as interesting as the dull version of my day. We did the parcels, put a few things on eBay and I went home for a night of quiz shows, where I didn’t do very well.
Last night was slightly more exciting. After several months of putting it off I finally started injecting myself with adalimumab. Who comes up with these drug names? It’s another immunosuppressant to deal with my arthritis, and has, I’m told, side effects like cancer, heart failure and liver failure. And, in the middle of Covid, it can also mean that I become ill a lot more. Just what you need, isn’t it? I had a telephone consultation today and the rheumatologist was keen to check I had had my winter flu and Covid vaccinations. It’s a shame they can’t prescribe isolation – I’d happily spend the next three months avoiding human contact as long as I was paid. I doubt that will happen.
I used to inject myself with an anti-coagulant at one time. It was just for a few months after coming out of hospital, and it was done using small, pre-prepared syringes with fine needles and a plunger you pressed yourself. I’m a bit of a coward but I made myself do it and it all went OK.
The injectors for the new stuff are about twice the size and much less pleasant. You don’t put it on the injection site then complete the job with gentle finger pressure. You press firmly, release a spring loaded plunger, and feel your eyes bulge as a spring-loaded needle (which feels about the size of a hosepipe) stabs you violently and spends two seconds pumping the stuff in before clicking a second time to signify it is complete. Self-injection with the anti-coagulant was like the gentle caress of reading a Shakespearean Sonnet on a summer’s day whilst sipping elderflower cordial. Self-injection with adalimumab is like being beaten over the head with the screenplay of Terminator on a wet Thursday evening in Hartlepool. Fortunately I only have to do it once a fortnight, so I have another thirteen days before I need to do it again. Not that I’m counting, or anything.
🙂
Thank you for the laugh, Simon! What made the man-eating banana story funnier was imagining your face and what you were saying while all this was going on! I have a husband who has small patience with idiot drivers so I have quite a good idea what was going on. I’m sorry you now have to use an injection pen instead of a syringe. When I had to change from a syringe to a ‘pen’ for my methotrexate a few years ago I was very upset but I am used to them now but they do cause more damage to the injection place.
I’m fortunate in being able to take my methotrexate as pills – though it took a bit of getting used to. Ditto regarding subcutaneous injections – plenty of abdominal fat to absorb the impact. 🙂
The vocabulary of husbands is an artform which does not get enough positive attention in my view.
I think you’re right! 😀
The injection routine sounds horrible. I find it hard enough to get injections from professionals. DIY jabs might well be too much fir me. I try not to read any information that comes with medicines as I prefer to possibly suffer with unknown side effects than definitely get a heart attack by reading about them.
I don’t normally read the leaflets but this came with a book and all sorts of stuff. I should have known better . . .
The psychological part of self injection is far worse than the reality – now that I’ve done the first one I am counting down the days (11 to go) until the next one.
Have fun!
It will liven my days up a little, tat’s for sure. 🙂
Definitely not for the squeamish, Quercus. I would hate it. And I don’t much like bananas
I like bananas, I’m resigned to self-injection, but my idea of hell would include tourists and livestock clogging the roads up. One man’s idyllic life is another man’s worse nightmare, I suppose. 🙂
When you are retired time may matter less
It’s possible, but will retirement make me a nicer person? 🙂
Despite your descriptions of yourself I don’t think that will be necessary
🙂
ouch ! !
That was roughly what I said as I released the plunger. 🙂
I hope the new drug works, Simon. The list of side effects not to mention the pain of injection sounds pretty rough.
The side effects are probably exaggerated and the pain of the injection soon passes. I’ve got to a stage where pride in conquering my fear of needles is making me feel quite good about it. As long as the drug works I will be happy. I would say “fingers crossed” but if I could cross my fingers I wouldn’t need the drugs. 🙂
This gave me a giggle as I tried to picture what kind of fruit would eat a man. 😉
By the time we see the release of “Maya and the Garden of Doom” I expect you will have sorted this one out. How about a venus Flytrap that camoflages itself as an old armchair, you sit down with a grateful sigh and “Snap!”. Gone.
Now that’s what I call a horror story.
🙂