Today I received my first Luporn shot, and my plan is to document my experience here. I am hoping any women who are using this medication will share their story too.
I have spent the last 12 days in pain so great that I was in the hospital on morphine to get through it. I am planning to have the best possible experience, as a choice I am making. Although there are many horror stories out there, I resist taking them to heart, as we are all different.
Within 5 minutes of getting shot (at 3:40 pm), I was hot flashing and sweating. I had read horror stories about the pain of the injection itself, and I did not experience anything more than any shot.
Within an hour, I cooled down with a wet bandana around my hairline, and stayed outside on the patio until about 7:40 pm. I live in San Diego, so this wasn't unusual. No other noticable side effects on day one.
I also must note that I have been on a healthy pain medication regime, with a combination of Percoset and Dialudid, alternating them every two hours.
I was dizzy and groggy, but that was the same as I have felt with all the pain medication I have been on for 14 days.
I committed myself to taking this experience as a positive step, although I am expecting there to be rough spots along the way. I an also committed to document this, in hopes of both sharing, and learning as much as I can about Lupron Depot's effectiveness in the treatment of stage 4 Endometriosis...and the unimaginable pain that I have been locked into.
4:30 am- Approximately 12 hours after the shot...I woke up to take my pain medication and was hot and sweating in the face, hair and chest. This is not that unusual, since I have been doing this before.
When I got up to take a shower, I notice that my right hip was stiff and painful. Not at the injection sight, but more in the joints of my hip.
It is now 10:30 am, and I also have pain in my left shoulder. The original pain in my lower right pelvis is still there too. This pain is tolerable, thanks to the percoset/dilaudid combo, but it is still there, for sure.
Noon - All my joints have stiffened up, particularly noticeable in my fingers...making it impossible open my many medication bottles. Also noticeable stiffness in neck, shoulders, knees and toes.
Had the best nights sleep since the beginning of this ordeal, even with waking every two hours for pain medication. I had the pleasure of sleeping in untio 10:39 am.
The joint stiffness was very noticeable all day, but I made a point to keep moving, getting up and down, cutting fabic, drawing and painting. I spent the afternoon with friends, very helpful.
My hands were so stiff that I could not open my medication bottles. I could not put pressure on my palms, very sore.
The good news is, that I was abloe to keep a good attitude, and spirits are up!
I go to my follow up appointment with my family doctor, whom I've been seeing for 26 years. He hears about the Lupron Depot, and disagrees completely with that as the proper solution to my endo. He recommends a complete hysterectomy. He recommends I use the three months I have to decide, until I would need another shot.
This means getting all my doctors on the same page, first of all being my nephrologist, cardiologist, and OB/Gyn together on a game plan...whichever it may be.
I've cut the pain meds to one every 4 hours, and one every 6 hours...10 per day
Down from 18 last week. Still very groggy, sleepy, weak and slow. No improvement in the joints, especially the hands and fingers. Moving them helps.
What is most noticeable is how active I have been creatively...not my best work, but documented any way. I have been spending the days quitely, writing...and a couple hours each evening drawing and painting current events.
Concerned about the pain and swelling in my hands I give a call to the OBGyn, who wants me to come in right now. She informs me that I should not be taking the medications she just gave me (?), because they are causing the swelling and water retention.
My effort to reduce my pain medication came to a halt, when the pain broke through with vengeance. I spent a few hours getting it back under control, using an emergency Dilaudid that I saved for just this purpose. Two left.
So the pain is not gone, for from it. The doc said to give it 10 days, so I am halfway there. Woopee!
I fall asleep in the afternoon, and sleep till bedtime. My days and nights are mixed up, which I dont mind at all. My single responsibility is to get my son off to school...with breakfast.
After being up all night, I have an appointment with one of my other specialists..the pulmonary doc, who monitors my sleep apnea, my cpap, and my RLS. The least of my concerns right now.
