Koumpounophobia (Ahhh it's a button!)

Well once again it's been far too long since I've updated my blog.  Since I last updated I have discovered I have a button phobia.   Well actually  it's not really a button phobia more of a phobia of pressing buttons, such as the one on my Avonex pen. I shouldn't joke really, I know two people who have Koumponophobia (phobia of pressing buttons), phobias are distressing so apologies to anyone with a button phobia. So I was being a little over dramatic saying I had a button pressing phobia.  but I definitely have issues with pressing that damn button on my Avonex Pen!  Why I don't know.  I now have a new Avonex device the Avonex Pen.  It's a pretty nifty device.  Great for people who hate needles because once you've attached the  needle it's completely covered so you don't need to look at it.  It uses an orange needle which is normally used for injections under the skin but because of the way the device works it doesn't need the longer blue needle.  It does make quite a loud clicking noise which I find makes me jump or certainly did the first few times I used it.  I say when I used it, but apart from the first time I used it when the Avonex nurse came over to show me the new pen and I managed to do it myself and the time after that when unfortunately it didn't go as well and  I cocked it all up, Hubby has had to do it for me!

 I've had the new pen for 5 weeks now.  When the nurse came over, she showed me everything, I did test runs on a piece of sponge, then it came to me doing on myself and I found it really hard to do it! It took me a little while to build up the courage to press the button.  When I did as always it didn't hurt and all went well. So the following week I get the Avonex pen ready, put it in position. It took about 5 minutes for me to press the button and when I finally did I jumped at the clicking sound and managed to pull out the injection before all the liquid had gone in, which resulted in most of it going everywhere but inside my muscle!  Doh! Not good and it hurt! This meant when it came to my next injection the following week I was too nervous to do it myself.  I was worried I would cock it up again and hurt myself and get it all wrong.  So Pete did it, no dramas, although I did jump a little bit which meant it hurt more.  The last two times it has been fine though, Hubby's done it for me and it's all gone well.  This week I'm going to get him to hold the Pen in position and I'm going to press the button! Well that's the plan, we'll see.  I really want to do it myself.

Now on a happier note, I'm really pleased (and lucky from what I've read of some people's experiences)  the side effects post injection really are minimal now.  Which I am sooooooooooooo happy about.  I still need to take regular paracetamol or Ibuprofen otherwise I get quite achy but otherwise all good.  I have changed the time I am doing it which I am finding much better.  Apart from last week I have done the previous two injections early on the Friday morning before going to work.  I made sure I took paracetamol regularly and I felt so much better.  May be because I was busy I didn't think about things much?  Who knows but it worked better for me doing it this way.  Last week I did it in the evening again, around 19.30.  I didn't feel as good that eve or the next day?  Could be coincidence but I'm going to stick with doing it on the Friday morning.  It may be because when I do it in the evening I don't have as many painkillers obviously because I'm sleeping at night so I end up with more symptoms. I also seem to be less grumpy and irritable when I do it early on the Friday morning,which Hubby is quite grateful for ;o)

Well whatever the reason I'm glad the side effects are more controlled now.  I am even happier that it appears to be keeping the dreaded relapses a bay!  If you look at my history of relapses then another one may have been due over the summer which thankfully didn't happen and if I get through Christmas too without a relapse I will be the happiest girl ever as the last two Christmases since my diagnosis I have had relapses the last one resulting in about 8 weeks off work which I don't want to be repeating any time soon.

Ok best be finishing my glass of red wine and get myself off to bed, off to Winchester tomorrow to have a look round and get in the Christmas mood with the Christmas market there.