Yesterday I had 2/12 Romosozumab treatments. Today I am feeling pretty puny. The headache hits so swiftly and hard that I think I need to take acetaminophen before treatment next month.

While I paced around the tiny waiting area like an uncertain heron I got to hear another nurse asking a patient if they consented to being weighed today, which is good to know that this does happen. Sitting in regular chairs is really painful right now and no one was wearing a mask, so I didn’t really want to sit.

After last month there’s a big note at the top of my chart to not weigh me, thanks to the high competency of the nurses. Despite seeing this, I was still anxious when I got there but the nurse walked me briskly past the big scale to a small treatment room where everyone had at least a procedure mask on.

I confused my nurse by using the generic name for my medication as she asked me to confirm why I was there for treatment. I gave the brand name and she laughed, saying she can’t remember the generic names for all the meds she gives patients.

Since I didn’t have a serious reaction to last month’s treatment I was free to leave once I had all my instructions about the blood work that needs to be done before my next treatment in February. My calcium and creatinine levels need to be monitored every 3 months.

One nurse attempted to give me instructions about the labs while another was giving me the two injections I receive every month. It was awkward, but I’m proud of myself for loudly saying, “Too much information!!! I can’t hear! It’s injections or instructions!”

This was received with gentle laughter and the nurse giving instructions said, “Oh, sorry! Usually people like to be distracted!”

I noted that she was telling me time-bound instructions I need to follow! “Distracting me would be telling me the best concert you’ve been to or something like that!”

The nurse giving me the interjections immediately started asking me about concerts! This was really great since the injections involve the nurse pinching the back of my arm tightly because they’re subcutaneous. I’d honestly rather just have the injections than that pinch.

This is done twice every time since only so much medication can be absorbed in one spot. Both can go into the same arm, but it’s always two. Romosozumab can also be administered on the top of the thigh or on the abdomen; helpful for patients in the UK who can self-administer this medication. Both of those options sound awful to hellish, and US patients always are given this medication by an infusion nurse, so back of the arm it is.

I also learned that only a physician in this healthcare system can change the chart info about your medications! Something the physicians I’ve seen have not mentioned or offered to go over, despite my repeatedly putting the changes into my pre-checkin for appointments.

Always listen to your nurses, friends! They’re always the ones who know how things really work.

#osteoporosis #Romosozumab #Evenity #NurseAppreciation