Re: Re: In Honor of the Groups 4th Anniversary--success story

[Guest guest]

Add my congratulations for getting approved. And have patience, don't expect

instant miracles as at least for me, the improvement was gradual and it was only

in looking back that I began to see how much I had improved.

I will always have some asthma, but the improvement due to xolair has allowed

me to continue doing things and to start doing other things that I had had to

give up because of asthma.

This is NOT to condemn any one else's parents, nor is it intended to make

anyone else feel badly, but I do want to say that not all parents are

insensitive to their children's physical problems with asthma. I truly ache for

those of you who had insensitive, -poorly informed about asthma- parents

(asthnostics). We have several parents in this group whose children are

asthmatic and are on xolair and we can feel their angst concerning their

children. I did not have asthma as a child, but my younger sister was

diagnosed with asthma at 2 months old and the effects of it is noticeable in the

pictures of her through her childhood and even into adulthood. My parents were

very careful to do everything necessary to try to help her. I can remember

spending many Saturday mornings in the doctor's office waiting for her to get

her allergy shot--at least what the doc knew to give her then. As bad as her

asthma attacks were, she was never hospitalized, but looking back, she

probably needed to be. I think the doc thought Mother would give her better

care at home than she would get at the hospital. (This was in the 40's and

50's.) Throughout her adult life she continued to get allergy shots and live

with asthma, until the age of 45 when her heart gave out. (That is another

story.)

My asthma hit with a vengeance when I was in my late 40's, going into

menopause. I was on prednisone for five years, only being off of it for maybe

one or two weeks at a time. Finally, the doctor set me up with a medicine

regimen that began to control my asthma without the use of prednisone, except

for severe attacks, which would be the result of sinus rhinitis and the

respiratory infections that would follow that always made my asthma worse.

These happened three or four times a year and usually over the holidays. I

never was hospitalized, but did end up in the ER several times and at an

emergency clinic a couple of times. I started out with a pulmo, but he finally

sent me to an allergist who has been my asthma doctor for the last 20 years.

In Jan. 2005 I had a very serious asthma attack brought on by sinus rhinitis,

followed by a severe respiratory infection. After a round of anti-biotics and

prednisone, I still had a lingering cough for another month or so. When I went

in for a check-up in April, my allergist suggested I might be a candidate for

xolair. I read the information he gave me, looked it up on Internet, and went

in for the " test " to see if I was eligible. I was and the process to get

approved by the insurance started. To make a long story short, I was finally

approved through medicare and my supplemental picks up the rest, but I have to

go clear across town to an allergy clinic--small price to pay for the benefits

I've received.

I have not had a severe attack of asthma since starting my shots in August

2007, so I have not had to take prednisone for over a year. I do still have

tightness in my chest from time to time, and shortness of breath from time to

time, but it does not keep me from sleeping nor does it keep me from any of my

daily activities for the most part. Just not having the infections has been the

best thing in a long time--especially not having the hacking cough that lingers

after an infection.

So cheers for xolair--like someone said--NOT A CURE--but certainly one of the

best treatments to come along in a long time! And no side effects like pred. I

am still battling the weight from the pred.

That's my story!

Have a wonderful day today and a wonderful week!!!!!!!

Adah

uca79iii <bme1979@...> wrote:

Thank you for your post and congratulations on getting approved.

You are now among friends who understand and have been in your shoes.

It takes some of us up to a year to see any relief, others it takes

only a few shots. It is my prayer that you are one of the ones who

gets quick results.

Doug

Group founder

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