My experience with my first Remicade Infusion

I've been holding off on the Ramicade infusion because of all the bad stories I read about it.  My doctor finally convinced me.  After taking two necessary vaccines 2 weeks apart (vaccine for shingles and for pneumonia), my appointment was set for Aug. 27 at 9am.

I started getting a little nervous the night before the infusion.  But I had a restful night.

The next morning, I woke up and had a big breakfast.  I was told by my Doctor to have someone take me and pick me up on the day of the infusion in the event something went wrong and I was not able to drive.

I arrived and was escorted to a room with about 12 comfortable looking chairs with IV hanging from each one.  Two elderly women sit there talking happily while getting the infusions.  The nurse told me to pick a chair and I picked the one closer to her just so she could keep a close eye on me.  She asked me if I had taken my Allegra D and Nasacort for my allergies and I responded that I had.  She asked me if I had received the vaccine for Shingles and Pneumonia---I said yes.  She asked me if I wanted to take one Tylenol in case I felt any discomfort---I said yes.

She proceeded by looking for the perfect vain on my arm and inserted the needle---the IV first dropped saline and then the Remicade.  The nurse constantly asked me if I was ok.  At some point he gave me a TB skin test on my forearm and asked me to come back in two days to check the reaction.  I was done with the Remicade in about 1 hour and a half.  Time flew quickly since a lot of people came in and out of the room----we also had a small TV.  The whole infusion went great but my day wasn't over---I was asked to go next door to the lab to get a blood test to make sure all my organs are ok.  I can say that I've been kind of sickly for most of my life and gotten MANY blood test.  I don't like them, but it's the necessary evil....so I thought nothing of it.  I walked next door and waited until they called my name.  A few minutes later, a young guy called my name and takes me to the back.  He's very friendly and we have the usual friendly conversation.  He's looking at my arms looking for a good vain and seems not to have any good luck.  He looks at my left arm and I tell him that I was just given the infusion on that one, so I made the comment to him that I think the ‘good vain's taken'....he smiles and goes back to my right arm.  He slaps it a little, tells me to squeeze on a foam ball and slaps it again.  He inserts the needle and I turn away (I will pass out of I see the tube being filled with my blood) so I look for things on the wall to read so it takes my mind away from what's happening.  I start feeling as he's moving the needle around inside of me----I start panicking in silence. He continues to ‘swing' the needle back and forth----an older nurse approaches as if she knew what was happening----as soon as she asks if everything's ok, the needle must of hit something that made it hurt like a B&*^%!  I make it know that I'm in pain.....the older nurse takes over and pulls out the needle and tells me everything's going to be ok.  I suddenly feel dizzy as if I was going to pass out.  I ask her to give me a few minutes to compose my self---she hands me some water.  I start to feel better and in about 3 minutes I tell her I'm ready to do it all over again.  She looks at me and re-affirms that I will be ok.  She puts think rubber band around my upper arms and tells me to squeeze the rubber ball.  I feel a slight prick and in no time she done.  I kept thinking to myself how important it is to have someone with more experience do these kinds of things.