Long Road to Recovery
I was diagnosed 5 years ago with R/A. I live in Iowa and see a doctor at PCI clinic. They started me on methotrexate, that's all I could afford with no insurance. It was doing ok, I had mild symptoms and was getting along fine. We just got in the Obama care insurance this last year so the doctor put me on some more expensive medicine called Humira. Very expensive but the new insurance covered it, I belelive it was around 5000.00 an injection? I was on it for a few months and I started getting worse. I developed nodules on both elbows. I saw the doctor at pci and he took me off the humira and methotrextate right away. I also had lumps in my back while taking humira. I had to have the nodules on my left elbow surgically removed and waiting on my right elbow to be next. So now they had me switch to another medicine. It didn't work. The doctor moved up to Rituxan by IV injections. I was setup to do that and researched the side effects and decided not to take that medicine due to the possible side effects and problems the other drugs I was on before created. My doctor at PCI won't treat me now after turning down the medicine Rituxan. He said there were no other options left for me and refered me to U Of I hospital in Iowa city Iowa. I cant believe all this, are all the doctors out there just pushing the high dollar medicines for all diseases? It's not right, the cost of some of these medicines. I have no respect for doctors any more. Seems it's all about the money for them they have no respect for sick people just look at you like a number on the wall. Any way the fight goes on with my RA. Not taking any medicines except for pain, looking in to more natural foods that may help, Oh my, just look at the money they would loose if they discovered a cure for this disease or any other.
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