I'm on vacation and I could have saved hundreds of dollars

This will be a short entry because I'm on vacation, woohoo. As mentioned in today's title, I could have saved hundreds of dollars with this vacation. "How?" you ask. Inquiring minds desperately want to know.

My neurologist's visit today is what brought forth my vacation. "I'm off my Rebif again!" Woot, woot. It's vacation time.

Rebif is a medical drug that is used to try to halt the progression of multiple sclerosis (I think that's what it's supposed to do). It's a shot given subcutaneously (into the fat which I have lots of, not into the muscle) three times a week. My recent invoice shows that 12 syringes of Rebif cost the insurance company $2,039.92.

Thank goodness I have great insurance and my co-pay is a mere ten dollars. Most people are not that lucky and pay far more each month. Some people have no insurance at all and try to pay for this out of pocket.

One week of Rebif could have cost $509.97.

Today's medical provider-patient discussion covered the fact that my QOL (quality of life) is somewhere above lichen and one-celled organisms. It's far below what it was six months, let alone a year ago.

There was discussion about a possible move to another MS treatment called Tysabri which isn't an injection. It is a once monthly infusion, something Sally Field can probably get behind with her strong interest in Boniva. (I mean who could possibly remember to take one pill a week for a whole month. I mean, that is NOT easy, my friends.)

Tysabri will probably cost me more than ten dollars but if it will help me to regain my QOL, then it deserves some serious consideration.

My doctor mentioned that you can't tell I have MS by looking at me. I don't need any assistive devices and outwardly I'm just weeble-shaped. Surprisingly, my muscle tone is good which is probably what allows me to get around as well as I can in my wobbly manner. However, it doesn't stop the neuropathy or burning pain in my hands, my overall loss of strength in my limbs, the crushing fatigue which makes me sleep at times for up to 16 hours, the spasms in my legs and the rest of my body, or the feeling of wearing a terribly tight brassiere. (I bet Sally Field doesn't know about any pills for that!)

I may be on vacation but I won't need to pack the sunscreen.