Cross your fingers this one works!

**Multiple postings today!! Crazy, I know!!**

Wednesday is a big day in the journey of my RA treatment.  I am beginning a new drug treatment that will hopefully give a great deal of relief!  In the last few months, I've had some major tweakings of my RA and TB drugs due to some rough side effects.  Hopefully this new addition will allow me to drop some others as well.

The new treatment is in the class of RA drugs called biologics.  The particular drug I will be taking is called Orencia.  We have decided that the infusion route of the drug will be best in my situation.  That means, I will go to the doctor's office and have the medicine infused via an IV.  At the beginning, I will have to go every 2 weeks for 3 doses.  After this "loading" dose, I will be on a monthly schedule for the infusion.  Wednesday morning is my first appointment.  The actual infusion should last around an hour or so.  I'm hoping this is a restful hour and I can just sit and read a book.  Not looking forward to the IV, but hopeful that the results will be worth it.  This medicine does continue to further suppress my immune system.  Given the fact that I have 2 young kids and I work in a public high school makes it a bit difficult to reduce coming in contact with germs.

Prayers that this one works!  My new doctor is wonderful.  He even informed me that there is some new research that young people with RA, who have the blood markers and symptoms like me, can possibly be sent into remission by attacking the disease with these tough drugs.