ER Visit

I had to go to the ER, and the bill is over $4,000. They are saying charges are still being added. No clue as to how I will pay that. I can't even save that much in a year... looks like more than the next year will go towards paying off this bill. Bleh.

Stomach Pain :(

I've been having more stomachaches in the last few months. I assume it is just from taking all kinds of medicine non-stop for almost a year now. It is more of a dull pain but still no good.

I have been exercising alot more recently, hoping that if I get back into shape that would help things. In the past I'd lose close to 10% of my weight in the first few months when I got back into exercising after a long layoff. Not now! I know I am getting older but I also feel (literally) that it is because I am not 'regular' and that the medicine is slowing weight loss.

Having said that, getting back into the gym is great so I will stick with it!

New doc says...

I went to the new doctor, he was impressed(?) with how many meds I've tried so far. He Rxed Cortifoam, which will cost me $250/month. He didn't have much new to say, except he agreed with my previous doctor and said that I should be in remission even though I am not.

I got even more nauseous than usual over the weekend, not cool.

Remission Impossible

Doc said I should be in remission after 6 weeks. It's been 6+ months, time to see a new doctor! Since I've started the medicine it has helped, but not enough. Even my old doctor agreed. I am headed for my 3rd insurance plan of the year, I am sure the ladies in the doctors office love me!

Balsalazide still makes me nauseous a little almost all the time, just like Asacol HD before it. Strange that I have had to adjust to and accept that feeling 24/7. The good news is that sleeping enough isn't as big a problem as when I first started UC meds.

Probiotic pills at Target

30 probiotic pills for $10 at Target, it is their store brand. They will help me save a little money since I take these regularly. It is hard to say if these help my condition improve but I doubt it can hurt. Doctor recommended!

Balsalazide Fun!

The cheapest medication I have found for UC in my current pre-existing condition, bad insurance state is Balsalazide for $150 a month. Pay $20 a year for Walgreens discount Rx drugs plan and you get about $150 per month off the big B!

Is it effective? Well it is hard to tell, because aside from UC I have hemorrhoids that bleed alot and must take Citrucel regularly to keep things moving. I will have to be on Balsalazide a bit longer to tell if it is worth it. I don't think it makes me as nauseous as Asacol HD, and nowhere near as bad as Rowasa.

Rowasa costs me $150 a week but the doc said I could take them as I can afford them...

Rowasa Side Effects

Taking Asacol HD every day made me a little nauseous but I got used to it. I took Rowasa regularly, and it was much worse. I'd get warm and it made me almost want to throw up a few times. I guess it is better than the alternative. I have run out of it now, but despite the strong side effects it seems to work the best.

I would continue taking it but it would cost over $500 a month out of pocket. I would actually recommend it, seems quite powerful. I will probably take it later if I can afford it, since I am aiming for 'remission' as the doctor calls it.

Recommended UC Support Group - CCFA

I called up CCFA and they were very helpful. They have a new forum here that should help people with UC support each other. I added a link to CCFA in my sidebar because they sounded very professional on the phone and I'll take any support that I can get!

They were eager to provide info and I think their site has alot of good stuff to read, too.

The next step.

Since Asacol HD is too expensive now, the doc prescribed Balsalazide. He said they have it in generic form. I will still pay the full cost of this medicine but I hope it is cheaper. I will also take Rowasa but that is not a long term thing, again because of the cost.

Nothing has been too effective so far, hopefully Rowasa will help more since it is basically directly applying the medicine to the effected area.

We are trying a patchwork of things at this point. I hate having to put so many different drugs into my system, especially steroids, but there doesn't seem to be a good alternative because of insurance issues!

The discount card program for Asacol HD changed started this year. I paid $50 monthly last year and only get $50 off now. Apparently if you have a insurance plan that covers Asacol HD already, with the changes to the plan you could pay nothing for the meds. Good for some but not for me. =/

Wow.

My Asacol HD meds cost me $640 this month! Insane. The discount card program ran out at the end of 2010, I called the manufacturer to check. Now they just give about $50 off... which still runs me over six hundred big ones.

I called Humana about insurance for me, they can only offer me supplemental insurance. When I told her how much my meds cost this month, their rep on the phone said 'Wow.' Wow, indeed.

The lady at the pharmacy looked at how much I had to pay and she said 'God bless you.'

I am not sure what to do. I will look into ordering from Canada, I suppose.

A nono from the doc!

Doc says a big NO to taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It seems like it may aggravate the problem for those with UC. This includes Aleve, ibuprofen and others like it. I don't like taking painkillers anyways unless I absolutely have to. Maybe I just have dull nerves!

Probiotic yogurt etc.

My doctor recommended I eat probiotic yogurt and other such products. Anything would help me at this point. He also suggested Accuflora like I wrote about previously. A pill is ok but I really prefer solid foods for this kind of thing, like most people. Kefir tastes great, it is kind of strong but mixes well with my protein powder.