Bad news and good news

[Guest guest]

I haven't posted here in some time, but I thought I'd share what's

been happening with me.

I had been unemployed for two years. I finally lost my insurance in

January because I just didn't have the $1000 per month to pay COBRA. I

was on Xolair for four years with dramatically positive results. I

also failed to put in an application for Xolair assistance for a

number of reasons. Happily. I got a job in April, but have had to wait

under the pre-existing condition clause the extra couple of months to

make up for the time I was not covered. It was one month for every

month you were not covered in the last six.

My asthma has deteriorated from using my rescue inhaler once a week

with no evil candy or even inhaled steroids under Xolair to being on

30 mgs of prednisone daily and having to take my neb to work. I was

afraid I might have to go to the hospital this weekend. The pollen

count is very high now, and my asthma is very brittle. This was what

life was like before Xolair for me. We even got to the point of

discussing supplemental oxygen. My lung capacity isn't great after

forty-nine years of asthma.

After a lengthy battle to get pre-approved with my new insurance

company (even with the stunning success I had on the drug before, they

still rejected it until my doctor actually talked directly to their

doctor), I am happy to say it has been approved. No news on whether

they will deliver it to me directly or if I'll have to have them

deliver it to the doctor. My doc is a maverick and knows that, being a

pharmaceutical chemist, I am probably better at mixing the drug than

his staff (Hmmm, I'm wondering if I can sneak my vials onto one of

the mixing platforms at work...). I have self inject ever since the

first six months and have had no adverse episodes, so as long as I

have my trusty epi-pen, Doc trusts me to self-inject.

Meanwhile, I hope I can hold out until the drug takes hold. Who knows

if I will see results quicker since I was on it before. Anyone else

gone off and come back on it? It originally took four months to see

any difference.

Fran - you are an inspirational and wonderful person, and you are in

my prayers that you come through this latest trial quickly and easily.

--Kitty