Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Derm Visit 12/11/06

Saw my dermatologist on Monday afternoon. My labs were disappointing--Cholesterol 236, Triglycerides 265, Creatinine 0.9, bp 132/82, CBC and AST all normal. It's normal for Chol and Tri to be elevated, but they have been so as long as I have been on the Neoral.

I will continue the Neoral 300mg and Enbrel 50mg twice a week about 8.5 weeks done. The Enbrel website says that some see results within two months. I definitely have seen results but it is up and down. Thankfully the injections are with pre-filled syringes--I used to have to mix four vials of medicine a week (with four injections).

Emotionally I'm not doing as well. I thought with dual therapy (plus topicals) I would see fantastic results more quickly. It is an expectations game with psoriasis and I almost always expect more than I see on my skin. So I'll need to readjust my expectations and see how the next two months go before I see the derm again.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Fall/Winter

I never noticed winter being that tough on my psoriasis before. But this Fall/Winter is definitely different. The Santa Ana winds in SoCal bring very, very low relative humidity. I can use my humidifier for my bedroon, but everywhere else I go, including my office, is bone dry. I use Eucerin cream each day to moisturize, but it still isn't enough.

As far as the Enbrel goes, I have completed 14 injections, about seven weeks. I saw improvement on the trunk and legs about two weeks ago. The sores have become whitish/pink--though with many different shades of pink. Still hopeful that the Enbrel can take over the duties while I take a break from the Neoral (still taking 300mg/day). Will see the derm next Monday. Not sure if I want to taper just yet...

I've also endured a cold virus these past four weeks. My asthma has been flaring. It's never that severe, but the heaviness in my chest and wheezing are uncomfortable. I don't know if it is related to the immune suppression or not.

The stress of adjusting to a new place is not as bad as I thought it would be. Although I am still developing friendships/relationships here, the work is not as stressful. While it is more demanding than my last position, I already find it more rewarding. We just bought a townhouse about four miles away from the church which helps minimize the stress of commuting.

Every year I joke that I want clear skin for Christmas. We'll see what's under the tree this year!