Wow, Clo! That sounds horrible. I would never go back to a place like that again! The nurses acted like they were the high school mean girls! Since you liked your GI before, have a talk with him...
Hope it continues to work and you reach the promised land of Remission!!...
I did a lot of research on this and thought I would share what I found out. If you are still working when you turn 65 and have employer insurance and work for a company that has more than 20...
Sounds like you are going in the right direction, Aussie. What all are you taking now? You mentioned several things in your posts. The problem with trying several things at the same time is that you...
Clo ... you should compile these stories into a book. Your writing style reminds me of Erma Bombeck and just as entertaining! Glad you survived!!...
Most of my scopes were when I was flaring and I have always used the miralax prep. Most of the time I get really lightheaded after the first couple "flushes" and have to lay down for a few minutes...
I agree ... carry COBRA until the new insurance kicks in. It's expensive and keeping Stelera covered with no gaps should help with getting the new approval. With this disease you never know what...
See if you can find a new GI. You need one you can trust. This disease if for life and you need a good relationship with your doc. I just read on Rusty's thread that you never had a full colonoscopy....
My doc says every 2 years. MagicBeans -- how long since you have been diagnosed? I am surprised that you have never had a full colonoscopy. Age doesn't matter when it comes to UC (or the risks that...
IVX was one of the infusion centers in my area I checked out in case I need to switch sites. It was really nice and the people were friendly. If I have to switch that is the one I want. You could...
Haven't heard from her. Her email address is in her profile. Have you tried sending her and email?...
hahaha ... we can all relate. One time I told my doc that the day before I had a perfect poop and I felt like taking a pic of it. He looked at me like I was so bizarre that I hastened to add that I...
Are here other infusion centers near you besides the one they want to "transfer" you to? If so, go check them all out until you find one you feel comfortable with. Since there's a good chance that I...
Do you have separate deductibles/oop for drugs and medical? If so, not sure how that works. My insurance has 1 max out of pocket that covers drugs and medical so once I reach it the rest of the year...
Zeposia is fairly new and I don't think there are a lot of people on it here. I did a search on this forum and there have been a few threads about it so if no one comes along with any comments you...
Bacon Girl There are 2 kinds of shingles vaccines. The older one was 1 dose and a live vaccine, Doc had me get it before I started on azathioprine. The newer one is Shingrix (which is 2 doses about 2...
So you are retired, but NYC still pays insurance as part of your retiree benefits? Is it possible to opt out of them paying and you just get your own medicare and supplements?...
I have a $3000 max out of pocket with my insurance. I've had different programs for different meds, but none of them were based on income. You just have to have private insurance and not be on...
fwiw -- when I tapered off mesalamine I did my decreases a month at a time before I decreased further. I was scared of being off it completely but it's been about a year since I discontinued...
Flowers -- I was looking at Plan G supplements and not all the prices are the same. They ranged in price from around $100/month to about $400/month. I don't know what the difference is between the...
In addition to the glucosamine-chondroitin you could use voltaren gel as a topical to help with pain relief....
You should let your doc know about that reaction. Even if the test comes back with low antibodies and high remicade levels he might want to have you pre-medicate before your next infusion. I think...
I use arthritis strength tylenol for pain. Maybe try that since it's OTC? Sometimes if my knees are aching really bad I will take 2 buffered aspirin along with the tylenol. I know we're not supposed...
Good news on the labs, Spring! Hope your recovery from brain surgery is going well. That sounds like it was pretty scary!...
I sometimes feel like that, but I have blamed it on getting older. Is the stiffness in your knees, hips, or back?...
The last flare I had 40mg of pred wasn't doing anything and after 2 weeks my doc upped me to 60mg. Thankfully that kicked in pretty quickly, otherwise I would have needed to be hospitalized for IV...
It's ok to try alternative treatments ... and they do sometimes work. Just know when to say when if they don't work. Following internet experts can be a very deep, never ending, rabbit hole. There...
Glad you are feeling better, Keith! Very few people wear masks here anymore. I get the evil eye from many because I have one on but I ignore them. Mostly I don't mind wearing a mask for the short...
Sounds like you are heading in the right direction!!...
Have you asked your doc for rectal meds? You really should be on oral and rectal meds. Preparation H is for hemorrhoids -- it doesn't treat UC. There are a lot of other meds besides mesalamine. It...
Since I have several high risk factors I suspect I will always be wearing a mask when I am in public. Plus I like that I haven't had a cold or flu for years. Mostly I am not around a lot of people...
Good news about the HPV! That has to be a relief!...
I haven't had that problem with a gyn ... it would have freaked me out too. When I had to get iron infusions they were done at an oncologist's office and the doctor did an exam the first time I was...
Any idea how you got Covid? (Just curious. I am still very careful to avoid crowds and wear a KN95 mask wherever I go.) Does Paxlovid have full approval yet? I worry that insurance won't cover it...
If that side effect gets worse or lasts longer I will talk to my doc about it. I suspect insurance would want me to switch to a different biosimilar rather than go back to Remicade. Given the huge...
Ha! I was just thinking about when a new booster would come out. It's been a while since I had the last one (the bivalent booster). Thanks for posting this....
Aussie -- keep us posted on how you are doing....
I totally agree, Sara....
Had my 2nd Inflectra infusion today and the same thing happened on my way home -- intense waves of sadness/depression. I fought tears the whole way home. So weird. It's mostly passed now thankfully....
I remember when I first went on the internet back in the 90s. I was amazed that I could find so much good info about anything I wanted to learn about. It was amazing to me. Game changing. Good...
That's good! This is definitely a good impression of the Doc. Let us know how you make out....
FF -- I never heard that before. I had the colon cancer screening a couple years before I developed UC so doubt there was a link in my situation....
Since I was hospitalized a couple times during the time I have been with my current employer they are well aware that I have UC. We are a large employer and self insure through United Healthcare, so...
Make sure you check the expiration date since you have had it so long. It's probably ok, but best to be sure....
That is great news, Rusty!!...
Have you had a scope recently? That will tell whether a mild flare once a year is doing damage. It doesn't sound bad to me. I was never like that ... when I flared I kept flaring until I changed meds...
Just bleeding? No diarrhea or urgency? You could ask your PCP to do some stool tests to check inflammation and pathogens, They might be able to prescribe something for you. July is far too long to...
Doubtful. When I was first diagnosed I blamed it on popcorn (it was a busy time at work and that was often my lunch). It was years before I started eating it again, but I don't have any issues with...
She often stays away a long time, but it does seem exceptionally long this time. I just sent her an email. Will let you know if I hear from her if she doesn't stop by....
Wow! That all sounds like quite an ordeal! I've never had to do a stool test like that. I have done them different ways. The only one I ever had to mix was one where I put just a tiny amount of stool...