I'm no longer on any drug therapy

hello theresa - i have hd MS for seven yrs., and for 7 months used rebif when it first came onto the market ... it created a problem, so i shied away from injections ..

Prayer is powerful, and i will be happy to in that process .. so sorry you no longer have coverage for both you and your spouse , sign of the times ..

Please feel free to express, as this may help also , and continue journaling , check into the walmart, walgreens drug programs, but never give up .. if you can treat symptoms rather than worry about progression it may help ..

again, some manufacturers have programs , search, search , search ... peace  Agserra

Thank you for your very clear comment that speaks to all of us throughout our lives.

Religious readers will recognize that God is great, but that God works in mysterious ways and one of those ways has been the amazing advances made in modern medicine.

Polio used to devastate hundreds of thousands of people, but now is almost completely extinct. We are developing new treatments for cancers every day.

MS is no exception. There has been outstanding advances in MS research and treatment in the last two decades. Prior to 1993 there were no treatments for MS. Now there are 5 FDA approved medications for relapsing-remitting MS and one for secondary-progressive MS. Companies are racing to develop oral medication and infusions and new targets for MS therapies are being discovered all the time.

Is this not what God wants? While no one would dare pretend to understand God's wisdom and workings, Western religions generally understand medicine to be a permissible and encouraged aspect of our lives. For example, those who believe in Jesus believe that he was a healer, and as many learned in Genesis, we were all created in His image.

Not having insurance is one of the problems we have been discussing on these blogs, but it is not a reason to stop taking medications. There is a mechanism by which you can still receive your medications, even though you have no insurance. I urge you to call the 1-800 number of the company that makes your medications and speak to one of their representatives. In terms of health insurance, you should look to groups you may belong to, like Churches, which may offer group plans. Also, call your city councilors office and see what local resources are available to you.

Remember MS is only one aspect of your health, and you still need the other parts taken care of (blood pressure, etc.).

Should you ignore MS?

No.

Should you let it run your life?

No.

MS is a lifetime diagnosis and like the cable station by a similar name, even when you choose to turn off the TV, it is still going on in the background, and so is your MS.

You may not feel different now, but if you have another relapse not on medication, you could be adding to your problems.

I urge you to seek medical care and to go to your Church and your Pastor for counseling.

I was diagnosed in 1997 and started on Avonex at that time.  Since I could only work part time, I applied for and started getting Avonex through the Biogen program for people with low incomes.  It was such a gift!  Biogen would accept whatever my insurance paid and then sent Avonex directly to me for a small shipping charge.  Then 2 years ago, I was notified I no longer could qualify for the program, not because my income had changed (I can still only work part time), but because Blue Cross decided they didn't want to work with the Biogen program any longer!!   I can't imagine they were paying much for the medication, but those details were never disclosed to me and I had no idea what went on "behind the scenes".  All I knew is there was nothing I could do and like you, I had to stop taking the medication.  Since then I've hung in there, with the same fatigue, memory issues and other symptoms as before, but without the side effects of the medication.  Was the medication helping me??  I'd like to think so, but now I'll never know.  So, here I am... I have no idea what the future holds, but like you, I DO know who holds my future and that is what I'm counting on. I'm not trying to be presumptuous, but what other choice do I have?  For now I have been managing to pay my health insurance premiums, but as they continue to increase, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to do that...  And here's the crazy part... I'm a nurse and am as much a victim of the system as anyone else!  Only thing is I understand a lot more what is at stake and it breaks my heart to see what is happening to the health care delivery system in America...

As a Christian, I've been thinking...  We have so many medical mission outreaches to other countries.  May not be a bad idea to have medical missions for our people HERE I'm a nurse and would volunteer in a heartbeat.  Only thing is, I hate to say it, but if we did start to reach out this way, I'm sure the powers that be would surely step in, regulate it and charge taxes!   It's a tragic thing, but are heading down the path of the the third world countries in which there is a huge division between the "haves" and the "have nots"... 

It's heartbreaking to watch our once great nation sink to such a low, but the fact is, we have rejected God and are starting to reap the natural consequences of our attempts to live live without Him...  The world we live in is fading away fast and the only thing that really matters now is drawing close to the One who is eternal, who loves us and who has promised to sustain us for as long as He needs us here.

I  have no idea where MS or the future will take me, but I am able to rest in the hope of knowing I belong to a God that loves me and HE has a future and a hope for me (Jeremiah 29:11)...

Blessings...

Patti

Hi, my husband has been taking LDN for over 3 years and you would not even know he has MS.  LDN only costs about $20 or so per month.  It is not perfect for everyone with MS, but it seems to work for quite a few people and certianly does not appear hurt them. It is non-toxic and it just tricks your body into producing a ton of endorphens and somehow that helps your immune system. It seems that when your immune system has what it needs then it remembers how to behave correctly (my non science/medical explaination). It is a pill so you don't need to inject.  If you would like me to send you my husbands full story  and some additonal information about LDN, just let me know.  My e-mail address is Aletha@redshift.com.  Kind regards, Aletha

Hello Theresa and thanks for your post.  I am sorry to hear about your current insurance circumstances.  But maybe there is a way for you to continue your medications without insurance.  If you haven't already, you should read the latest posts from two of our members:

Expert MS Blogger Mandy Crest writes: MS Drugs Offer Hope, But Can You Afford Them?

Living With It Member Kristin writes: Some More Information on the Drugs

Mandy's post discusses insurance and other healthcare issues in this an all important election year.

Kristin's has advice and contact information on how to reach the companies that make the drugs who may have programs to receive meds at a lower or no cost to you.

Hope this helps - let us know when you have success finding a way to continue your treatment particularly if its through the pharmaceutical companies.  It is so important to try.

You may also want to contact some of the support groups available who could have valuable information on this topic.