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Four weeks seems to be flying by these days.  A small sign that life is getting back to normal I guess.

Once again, it is drug trial day.  Woo hoo!!!  It has been a couple of weeks since I have been at the Cedars campus, so it feels weird driving up.

First stop as always, vampire Paul's lair.  He always has a smile to greet me.  Today he only had 8 tubes to fill.  He did tell me his record for another patient was 22 tubes.  I'm happy with the eight.  After a little light banter, to help pass the time to fill the eight tubes, off to see the doctor.

The usual run down of symptom check and drug check.  And, the always, any new symptoms.  This time it is muscle pain in my right leg and ankle.  For the past few weeks I have what feels like a slight sprain in my ankle.  The doctor believes that is is a response to my immune system working on the drug being injected into my right leg.  He suggests some Motrin or another anti-inflammatory to help.  And, of course if it gets worse to contact him.

Now it is time to get settled in at the infusion center.  Take some Ativan.  Rub some Lidocaine cream at the injection sites and wait.

The research nurse dropped off the injections from the pharmacy.  Today they came quick, so the lidocaine rub has not had much time to settle in.  She says that we have about fifteen minutes before the injections "expire" so we wait to let the cream hopefully set in.  Let the silliness ensue.  As the Ativan sets in, the goofiness begins.

We got this in the bag.

Southpaw takes one for the team.

Southpaw faints.  Even he can't take the pain.

After a few minutes of silliness behind closed doors, it's time for the real deal:

Injection time.

Today, not so much fun.  Did not give the Lidocaine cream enough time to really set in so each of the injections was a tad bit painful.  Although, none of the four injections reached a 9 or 10 on the pain scale this time, they still pack a nice ouch!  Now we hang out for a bit to be monitored.

Watching a little Animaniacs while being monitored.

After about an hour, the nurse comes back to check my leg.  The injection sites are nice and red, starting to well up nicely.  The itchiness is also beginning.

One hour later

 Time to bandage them up and head out for some lunch.