Going Strong!

What an amazing week.

A few days ago I had my first check-up with my doctor since starting Kineret (I should say doctors, there was a quite a parade of them coming in to see how I was doing!)

Although my pericarditis can still be heard through the stethoscope, it was generally agreed that it has become quieter. One cardiologist who's listened several times was sure that it was even undetectable every few heartbeats.

Less bone pain every day. I've even had some completely pain-free days, and I've dropped my pain meds by half - and intend to drop down further over the next week.

The rashes are tolerable, and I've stopped my oral antihistamines. I was given a stronger topical ointment and that seems to be enough.

I can't tell you just how much better I'm feeling as each day goes on. The odd day I've had a setback; it seems that increased sodium intake really doesn't agree with me especially since I've been on Kineret. It throws my heart into an arrhythmia for about twenty four hours but that's fairly easily avoided (but I really had to have that steak wrap last week when we went out for lunch with friends, it's been so long since we'd been out and I'd been craving one since I last visited that restaurant over two years ago!)

This is all great stuff but the real measure of how well I'm doing is what activities I can do now that weren't possible before. Let me sum it up. I shovelled the driveway. Twice this week. And this morning was a pretty heavy snowfall! And not one single twinge from my heart. This may not seem like a huge deal, but for someone who most days had quite a bit of trouble getting up two flights of stairs at once this is of enormous relevance.

Although my doctor is very cautiously optimistic about what Kineret will do, I can't help but be pretty darned excited about how I'm feeling. And I'm feeling hope.