I wanted to let you all know that I got a letter from my insurance company last week telling me that my appeal was successful and I am now approved for starting the new medication my doctor prescribed - Humira. Praise God! Even though I've had reservations about taking a drug like this, Mike and I believe that this is the right choice for me at this point, and I am feeling hopeful that this could make a significant difference in how I feel. It's nice to at least have something to try!
It's still quite a process, as I have to apply for financial assistance from the drug company, schedule a nurse to come teach me how to use it, set up deliveries with a specialty pharmacy, etc. So, it looks like I won't be able to begin until I get back from our 4th of July trip. But hopefully I'll get started some time the week of July 8th. Finally!
Some of you have asked for more details about this medication, so if you are interested in all the detail, read on. If not, just know that I'm relieved and even a bit excited to give this a try.
- Humira is very new drug developed for rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and a few other related conditions. (It's only available in name brand and is very expensive, which is why it was hard to get approval from insurance.) For some people, it makes a life-changing difference, for others, a smaller impact, and for some, no difference at all. It's a "biologic" type drug, specifically a TNF blocker - which inhibits the body's production of tumor necrosis factor, which is part of the inflammatory response that is out of whack in my body because of my AS.
- So, basically, it's a specific type of immune suppressant - inhibiting my immune system so it will stop attacking my joints, eyes, and tendons. The unfortunate side effect of this is that my immune system will be less able to fight off other infections - from common things like cold or flu to more serious things like TB or weird bacterial or fungal infections. So, I'll need to be a little more cautious about trying to avoid catching anything, and if I do get an infection of any kind, I'll have to suspend the Humira and watch things very closely. (I might have to become an obsessive hand-sanitizer user during the winter months! And Mike will likely have to handle taking care of the kids if they get sick, while I stay away.) The possible immediate side effects like headaches, nausea, and injection site reactions are usually not very severe, so I'm not too worried about those.
- A nurse will come teach me how to do my first injection, and then I'll be giving myself an injection in my stomach or thighs every other week. I'm not super excited about giving myself shots, but I've never had too big a problem with needles, and I know I can handle it. Definitely worth it if this helps.
- Some people start to see results within a few weeks, and most see improvement after 6 weeks. If nothing improves after 3 months, you stop treatment. I'm hoping I'll be lucky and start feeling a lot better really quickly! One can hope, right?
So, that's the deal. Now that we've made the decision and got approved, I'm impatient to get going and to see if this will help. I've had some bad days recently and have been feeling a little frustrated with my limitations, so I'm glad to have the hope that I might start feeling better, maybe even a lot better.
If you would like to pray for me, I have two specific requests: First, that this drug helps me feel better. Second, that, regardless of what happens with my physical health, God will give me the strength to remain hopeful and to continue to serve others (rather than giving in to the temptation to become too self-focused). I know I need God's help with the emotional part of this just as much as the physical!
I'll keep you posted. Maybe my next email will be telling you all that I'm feeling a lot better already! :)
Thank you for all of your love and support! I appreciate you.
