Stelara - On Way!

[Angie]

Hi All

Well 9 weeks in the waiting and funding is through, Bupa have called and all kicks off next week.

Skin - pure pants!! using lots of elecon, eumovate, ysp, and Drambuie.

Nurse due next Friday to train me.  So hopefully be easy and manage myself.

I've read to take out of fridge before she comes, and wondering any more tips and what to expect with Stelara?

My derm tells me to not expect it to work quickly and give it 12 weeks.

Hope your all well and will keep updating (or annoying you lot, with questions , ha )

Angie  

[Grizzly Bear]

Great news Angie

Drambuie for P ?

Try Glenfiddich

I better hide quickly before Angie kick's me in the 'sporran' .............

[jiml]

Great news Angie let's hope all goes well I'm sure you will keep us informed ( it's not annoying at all) I look forward to your updates ... Thanks for coming back and letting us know   roll on next Friday and getting you started

[jiml]

Great news Angie let's hope all goes well I'm sure you will keep us informed ( it's not annoying at all) I look forward to your updates ... Thanks for coming back and letting us know   roll on next Friday and getting you started

[D Foster]

Great news Angie , my first injection was fine just a little tired for a few days, next one at 4 weeks just the same but nothing happened however by the time I had the third at 12 weeks I was almost clear ,it kicked in for me a few weeks after the second injection. I know that we are all different and react differently so you may not follow the same time scale but it is the only thing that has worked for me and I am 99.9% clear.
All the best I am sure you will find it fantastic.

[Turnedlight]

Good luck! I hope it goes smoothly..

[Fred]

Hello Angie, good to hear you are getting Stelara and please do keep this thread updated as you go on your journey.

Yes the nurse will train you and they won't leave you to it unless they are happy, so don't hesitate to tell your nurse if you feel you are not ready to go it alone.

Yes it's best to get it out of the fridge before injecting, I would aim for about half an hour before the nurse is do to visit. The reason for getting it out is to stop the possibility off it stinging, because it is cold it may sting a little as it goes under your skin which is obviously body temperature but to be honest it's no big deal if it is still cold.

It's a simple process and once you get used to it you can perform the injection in a couple of minutes easy, as for tips I would say the following.

#1 Don't worry about it, it's a simple small needle that only goes under the skin.
#2 Shove the needle in quick, just pinch an inch of skin and go for it. (It will sting a little more if you try to push it in slowly)  
#3 Inject it slowly, don't try and rush it.
#4 Being in a quiet place by yourself and deep breathing can help if you are feeling nervous.
#5 Just take your time, wash your hands, swab the area with alcohol solution, pinch an inch, take a deep breath, shove the needle in quick, slowly push the syringe till it's all in, withdraw the needle and let go of your inch of skin, wipe with the alcohol swab, dispose of needle properly, job done.

As for your dermatologist saying "don't expect it to work quickly" I think you may be surprised, the 12 week thing is when it's recommended to stop if there is no improvement.

Oh almost forgot #6 I would recommend the Drambuie after the shot and not before.

[D Foster]

If you go on the Stelara website there is a video showing you how to inject plus other useful information .I inject and all my needles are self withdrawing after they reach the end stop so they are really quite easy to operate. All my supply is also through BUPA and as Fred said its very simple ,I always inject in my stomach at 45 degree angle in to a pinch of skin.
Much better than injecting MTX.

[AmandaL]

Best of luck! Looking forward to reading your progress

[Angie]

Thanks for all reply's.

Stelara delivery due today, nurse Friday.

Pretty nervous about it and not sure why, not bothered about injection just always been unsure about biologics.

I hope I'm looking back in 3 months time and wondering what I was worried about!!

Nurse said she will hang about for half an hour in case of a reaction -- I take it that's not a common occurrence?

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks again.

Angie