As a child, I wasn’t too fond of getting needles; I remember cringing and pulling back as the doctors gave me my annual vaccines. So as an adult, when I had to inject myself with Enbrel, I wouldn’t say I liked it, and I was not too fond of the methotrexate needles either. I hated sticking myself in my stomach!

My other issue with the injections was that my stomach began to look like a country fighting a war. I had blue, black, and red bruises all over my stomach; I would call my rheumy because I heard that bruising could sometimes be a sign of a methotrexate overdose, which, thank God, was never my issue. However, my rheumy and primary care physician said the bruising was normal.

I don’t take the methotrexate injections anymore. I asked my rheumy to switch me to the methotrexate pills because I was tired of my repulsive-looking stomach. I am a little more nauseated, but it is nothing I can’t handle; I have my prochlorperazine. I am more fatigued, but I can deal with that as well. As far as my stomach is concerned, I am happy to say my stomach is clear of the bruises; I have won the war this time.