Argh.

[bwightman]

This is totally a vent, but I am so frustrated! I have been on the phone with the Cimzia people since last Friday getting my prescription shipment set up and trying to schedule a home care nurse to visit and teach me how to properly administer these meds....it's been nearly a week and now the meds are sitting in my fridge and are doing nothing because they're not in my body!

I am seriously tempted to just say "screw it" and find a YouTube video or something and just figure out how to inject myself without the help of a nurse....and this is only the latest of the hiccups I've had.

When the pharmacy called to let me know they were shipping the drugs, they told me it had to be signed for by someone over 18. No one is home at my house during the day, so I asked them to ship it to where I work and was told it would be no problem. I was also told I'd be receiving a welcome kit with all sorts of info, including a cooler to use if I had to take the drug with me somewhere, etc. The pharmacy apparently paid no attention to anything and sent the drugs to my house, which of course were not delivered because no one was home. So I had to go out last night to FedEx to pick the package up. I get home, open it, and there's no welcome kit...nothing but three packs of Cimzia. ARGH. I've been on the phone with the pharmacy (got that straightened out) and the home care nursing people, and was told to call back after 1:30 today because "the only person who would know what you're talking about doesn't come in until 1:30." Very helpful!

I would like to go knock some heads together, but if I get up, I'll just have to go poop! :ymad:

 

[effdee]

Can you ask your doctor about getting someone to teach you to inject it? One of my doc's nurses taught me, so that may be possible. They have a video of someone doing the injection on the Cimzia website you can check out. Have you given yourself an injection before? There isn't anything terribly difficult about it, but it would be nice to have someone to show you how it's done for the first time.

 

[MADiMarc]

Hi. I am sorry you are going through such frustration. Boy, I thought we were to avoid stress? I was very scared & nervous about injecting myself also. Understandable I think. It kind of became routine for me; but like you, I wanted somebody to train me first!
Good luck and let us know how it works out, okay?
Michele

 

[tiloah]

My pharmacist taught me when they pharmacy accidentally gave me syringes instead of pens. She also said they will do it for you for a small fee ($5). Maybe you could do something like that until you can get someone to teach you?

Hope you get to take your meds soon. Must be so frustrating!

 

[bwightman]

So after not hearing from the nurse at all yesterday, even though I was assured I would be contacted by last night at the latest, I called my uncle who's an anaesthesiologist and he talked me through the injections. So the good news is that the Cimzia is in my system and hopefully getting to work. The bad news is that I STILL haven't heard from a nurse! I'm much calmer about things now as I've already dosed myself so am not stressing over that, but I am still going to call the Cimzia program, as well as the local staffing company that was supposed to be sending the nurse and let them know how horribly this situation was dealt with.

Injecting myself wasn't too bad, but it's definitely going to take some getting used to....thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[Jennjenn]

If you still have trouble I would just have the doctors office do or help you with the injection. I remember when I was on humira my doctor and a lady from Abbott was in the room with me helping me inject it. I am possibly starting Cimzia soon..(office trying to find a way to have the cost covered) and my doctor said that it could just be injected in her office if I would like.