29th Shot

After putting in a grueling year of returning to my studies I graduated in May of 1984. I was 29 years of age and eventually was hired by the company where I did “on the job work experience” training as part of my studies.

What a sense of accomplishment I felt when I walked across that stage to receive my diploma.

It took me until the fall of 1984 to earn status of full-time employee. Meanwhile, I was starting to feel unwell again with endometrioses and by the late fall I had to have another surgery for the same reason. I had to go off work for six weeks to have this surgery. Good Grief! A new employee, a new job and I have to take time off. However, the surgery was heartbreaking for me. My husband and I were married six years and the prospect of having children was dim. I was having so many problems and this second surgery didn’t have a great outcome. The surgeon had to remove one ovary, tube on one side along with a chunk out of my other ovary. Furthermore, he wanted me to take the steroid type drug that I had taken for a full year following the last surgery. I made it to six months with the meds and then I threw in the towel. I was war weary following two years of surgery and recovery. I just stopped taking the meds as the sides were not great, but I just lost hope.

Friday night I injected the 29th shot of interferon. Since that night I have read on the forum not to pre-clean the injection site with that alcohol rub, but clean it with antibacterial soap. My skin is in really bad shape around the stomach area and I had a light bulb moment when I realized that the irritation is probably from the alcohol. I thought it was from the actual injection, but it only stands to reason that alcohol is drying and irritation and I was slathering it on my stomach. I have to wear a latex glove to use the alcohol pads because they dry my fingers out terribly; therefore, it’s doing the same thing to my stomach.

Saturday I was down for the count with a headache, flu like (mild) symptoms and major fatigue. I wasn’t great the whole day. I went shopping with friends on Sunday afternoon and I was OK, but not great. I just pushed through it. They were commenting on how much better I looked and it was because I had taken Friday off work and it makes a difference in me when I’m not working.

I didn't go to work today (Monday) and I will be taking one day off a week for a while.

I’ll push it a little longer, however, my days are numbered at work.