hi Paula,

i totally understand the paranoia you feel but try and think that you have been told that it can go unfridged for a long time, and i bet you get through security unscathed. i did post on one of the threads that my friend said a frozen small water bottle stays frozen for the best part of 2 days in a cool box .. so that might be worth a try while you're at home.

totally understand you being a little sharp with Hubby, if i'm stressed i do the same .. they mean so well but i don't think anyone understands what we go through with each stage of RA and taking new drugs.

have a word with the Nurse on Friday like you say, but i think you've been given good and re-assuring information and if you can keep it cool while travelling i think you will feel you'll get the optimum result.

looking back i was exactly the same with starting Methotrexate .. took in on a week day morning so that i could phone my Surgery if needed, it's a coping mechanism and a security blanket that i need and i have to do what i feel is right for me.

do let us know ho you get on on Friday and i will be thinking of you,

Suzanne x

P.S. after posting about the freezing of a water bottle .. i've just realised that could be classed as liquids, i was thinking more that it would keep the cool box colder for longer, so not sure that idea would work in an Airport?

Suzanne

Husband and myself have been talking about it yet again this morning, it seems to be our main topic of conversation at the moment. There is a camping shop near us so we are going to go there and see what they have on offer. Just incase we do have the ice packs taken off us at security I have come up with the idea this morning of buying a babies wide neck bottle and ask for some ice at one of the bars airside. When I had them for my girls they use to have a round disc that you put on the top of the bottle before screwing the top on to prevent if from leaking. I don't want anyone reading all of this thinking that I am panicking about nothing, but with me just starting the drug I need it to be in tiptop condition when I use it so I will hopefully get the best result possible from it, once you start taking it the clock starts ticking off how long they will let you try the drug.

Merielpb

Thank you for replying so quickly, so pleased to see that it works for you and you had instant results straight away. The specialist nurse told me that they have had a few patients that this has happened to. Pity about your blood test results, but fortunately for you it was sorted out quickly. I have just checked and I will be having a blood test done two weeks after starting so if there is any problems it should show up then...............fingers crossed I will be OK.

Just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who's replied to my thread I really do appreciate it all. I will start a new thread in the Blog section on what happens on Friday. I hope that it will help anyone else in future who starts the drug.

Bye for now

Paula xxxxxx

Hiya Paula

Good luck for Friday!
You are a lovely lady.......your postings help others with dilemas, and others with their experiences help people like me to get my head around the next stage for me!

Huge thanks to you all....you take my fear and edge off what could happen soon. Shame I have to wait until after my knee op and knee wound is dry before my journey starts for anti tnf's.

17 weeks and counting for op (no date yet).

Thank u again my lovely people!
Jane
Xxx

Hi Paula,I was shown ONCE by a nurse at the hospital how to inject enbrel,when it gets delivered by a fridge van i then put it straight into my own fridge,then take it out for half hour before i use it,Also i was told at my hospital it takes up to 6months for it to kick in,so do not give up give it time,i myself still have flare ups,yet i take 20mg mtx 30mg every day steroids along with sulpfalazine every day.Yes!!! 6 months have long gone.
All the best Valerie-R

Had my first injection, I've started a new thread in the blog section.

Suzanne

Husband had the idea of freezing packs of baby wipes and using them instead of ice packs, there is moisture in them and they won't take them off you at security. Nurse who came to watch me inject was quite impressed with the idea. We have seen some wide necked flasks in Asda, it does say that they keep things cold for 24 hours. Husband said that if we put the drug into a plastic container and then pack something cold around it in the flask to keep the air space cold it should work. We are going to start experimenting. I said that if the flask didn't work we could always take it back and get our money back if it didn't keep them cold for 24 hours.

I've been thinking about keeping drugs at the right temperature when we go away. MTX is suppose to be kept at room temperature, when I took the grandchildren back to Gibraltar last September believe me it was above what you would class as being room temperature. Never crossed my mind at all about keeping them cooler.

Paula x

Your hubby sounds like a diamond geezer!!! Brill idea about the baby wipes - Sylvia xx

Yes, he does come up with good ideas, he does come in handy from time to time

Jenni...........the nurse when she rang Health Care at Home about my prescription asked if Enbrel supply a cool bag, she thought that Humria did. Was told that neither of them do now, but Health Care at Home will supply one at a cost of £25.00.

Got a bit annoyed today. I rang up my consultants secretary a couple of weeks ago to ask for an up to date letter from the hospital with all my drugs on it for airport security, I know letters from consultant takes a few weeks to get typed up so thought I would give them plenty of time to do it. I've already got two from Health Care at Home about Enbrel and MTX but I like to play it safe. We are flying with Monarch and I have read their hand luggage policy and it says that if you are carrying any medical equipment onto the plane they would prefer it to go in your hand luggage. So this morning I emailed Monarch telling them what was what and asking if it would be OK to carry the cool box/bag as an extra item on the plane. They replied yes, (going to print the email off) but then I read that I need an up to date letter from my doctor, dated no more that two weeks prior to flying to verify it all. Are they real or what????? i was straight on the phone to consultants secretary, she did say that she had just done the letter I asked for a few weeks ago and it is waiting to be signed, so now she's going to do me another one dated 1st December, get consultant to sign it and send it out first class......just such hassle.

Paula xx