Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
So I will tell you this...I am not a patient person when it comes to beauracracy. I hate it to no end and my job is actually built aruound elimitaing things that don't add value.
My pre-authorization is now in the hands of my insurance company. I called them today to make sure they had it. They said it will take 7-10 business days to reivew. I was kind to the customer service agent and let that go.
So let me get this straight...my insurance company has up to 2 calendar weeks to figure out if they will approve my biologic therapy while I have been home all week with yet another flare and back on Prednisone?
Generally speaking, I am a nice man who is wiling to work things out. I am about to light these people up so they understand the need for this med. I was told by my wife to stay hoeme today, and my compqnt is telling me to WDH the remainder of the week and work whatever hours I want.
Don't these people get our pain? If not, I plan to make it an issue shortly...and not in a nice way.
Insurance comanpies are about as evil as anyone I have ever met.
You are lucky that your job is working with you. Mine did not. Job has a mandatory time frame for you to be 'well'. Insurance company provided by the job has a time line they are going to follow. I got crushed in the middle. Talk about kicking a girl when she is down.
Humira is the industry standard, so maybe it will be easier for you. My doc had to show why I couldn't try Humira first to get another biologic.
Do your best to control your stress levels or it will make things worse. Help should be coming soon. You are in the home stretch.
That is actually a genetic for of relieving stress, I think. I makes me feel good..
But I will try to be nice, In the meantime I have steroid shots in each of my hips for inflamed bursa. I could do without that stress,
First one is tomorrow,
Before I went on Humira and MTX had stopped working for me....Kenalog in the joints was a life saver.
Just get it done by an orth surgeon who gives these shots day in and day out. And uses guided imagery.
For me - and we're all different - the 36th hour was when the magic happened and I felt relief.
My one word of caution: you're going to feel so good that it's important not to overdue the activity. Give the shot about 4-5 days to "sink in."
Feeling relief would be awesome at 36 hours. But was about in the hours after the shot? I am trying to stay active by playing in my church's band. We are a rock-n-roll kind of church, and I enjoy the camaraderie and playing itself. Will I be able to move after this procedure is done?
I've always told my worship director: Health first, band second. If i have to I can and will skip out on rehearsal tonight. Just wondering what others have experienced. I know we're all different and affected in different ways.
you don't want to do physical exercise like go to the gym after is what my interventional pain management (aka needle sticker) MD stated cause what will happen is you will lessen the beneficial effects of the sticks. I have gone to work before and after these things - but I am sitting. I have not mowed the lawn after. They don't hurt. the novacaine shots that go in first don't even bother me. I put a portable ice pack - that soft one that i have from PT in the car. I then drive myself home with the ice pack.
Some places will make you get a ride there and back per their protocol. I don't even follow that. I just stash a car.
i have also had these done with propofol under guided fluroscopy (supposedly so they say so they can get the needle sticks deeper) and it was a waste of my time. too much runaround just for the light anesthesia part of it and it ruins an entire day brain wise (anesthesia)
i get temporary relief sometimes (a matter of months only) and sometimes I get longer (maybe 6 months to a year)
it is all individual. some folks will say they are a waste and that they felt better for only weeks and some will say they are awesome and relief lasts years. trial and error.
My rheumatologist has done some simple ones, the interventional pain management MD others, and I have had an ortho do some on my back, and a neuro did my neck years ago before the neck fusion.
There is no limitation to my movement after except to take it easy for 24 hours to get the better benefit of the shots themselves and not disperse the steroid into my nose (hyperbole intentional)
can you sit and or elevate at rehearsal - I don't know what instrument you play - just go by how you feel
say IF the insurance compay approves - it is still going to take some time to get the script through the stupid specialty pharmacy
can you ask your rheumatologist office if they have free samples (mine has in the past) sometimes if you inject every other week - one free sample can get you two weeks ahead.
your rheumatologist might have the pre filled syringe samples (which are cheaper) in her med fridge rather than the auto injectors.
it's worth a shot (no pun intended ) asking.
the pharmacy is going to ping your insurance with a pre use claim to see what happens. don't forget registering for the humira co pay program if you have commercial insurance
(you can also call Humira - due to the huge amount of money they make on your prescription they will keep you on the phone and tell you they love you and do every manner of stuff to expedite the pre cert process cause of their profit). Milk their desire to assist you on behalf of their wallet - because it will help you
depot
I play bass guitar this week. Other weeks it is electric or acoustic. I can likely get a chair to sit on during rehearsal. That sounds like the best option. We'll see how everything feels. If it doesn't work to go, then I have to bow out. No harm in that - I've done it before. Not my preference but it can work.
Mike
The only thing I can think of to be aware of is if you have Diabetes. What happens is that the cortisone kicks up the glucose, but it starts to normalize about 4 days later.
I've never even felt sore at the injection site. I've got nothing but good things to say about these injections, though they're just a stopgap until the DMARD drugs kick in.
I can't wait to get this and get it going and see how long it takes to help.
Things (I hope) are looking up.
Mike
Has your doctor told you to make an appointment with the office nurse to show you how to do the shot? If not, no big deal. Lots of us can walk you through it. Again, it's simple, but lots of people have a fear of shots......
See? Today is a really good day!
Yes, I got to give a shot to a small, pink, plastic thing on my last visit to Mayo. Seems straightforward. I am sure there will be some anxiety at first, but overall I am comfortable with the process:
Clean the area with alcohol swab and let air dry - 2 inches from your navel and last injection site (which will be none the first time)
Push it in like a dart (that's the sucky part)
Slowly push the medicine in - about 7-10 seconds
Pull the needle out and use a cotton swab to let the wound close up.
I have no fear of shots. I will be interested to see how I do giving myself a shot. And hopefully my wife won't be watching so she doesn't freak out. Now she has a complete and utter fear of needles.
And thanks, katie...I am going to push through and play on Sunday. Sometimes music is complete therapy for me.
Didn't they mention anything about icing the area first?