You know that situation you get into, where your medication isn’t covered, and you have to choose between taking the medication or having any money at all? No? not familiar to you? Well, I know that story all too well.
This spring, I was prescribed an injection called Xolair. It’s for allergic asthma, chronic urticaria, and related conditions. Without insurance, it’s very expensive. Because of my test results, I would need to see a nurse every two weeks, and each dose would cost over $1300.00. And unfortunately, for drugs like this one, you sometimes have to be basically knocking on Death’s door to get approved. Sadly, I’m not sick enough for insurance to deem it necessary. I know that sounds weird, why would I be sad I’m not sick enough? My life is basically a constant cycle of being too sick or not sick enough. Some months, I barely feel like I’m sick at all, besides my chronic cough and shortness of breath. Other months, I’m in and out of the hospital, hooked up to IVs, begging for medications that give me horrible side effects and make me better simultaneously. On my absolute best days, I still run out of breath mid-sentence. On my worst days, I can’t breathe enough to form a word. Xolair could have really changed my life. I have so many unavoidable environmental allergies. I was so excited for this medication, even if it meant biweekly trips to get jabbed. I was so hopeful. And if you know me, I don’t usually get hopeful for stuff like this. I’ve been let down enough by doctors, nurses, and treatment options to know that hope usually brings disappointment. Hope is often more devastating than a drop in lung function. Hope often feels like a huge waste of energy. But this time, I let myself hope. And now I’m let down. I’m sad, and angry, and I don’t know what to do now. I’m running out of options. I’ve tried every over-the-counter allergy pill. I’ve tried most inhalers available in Canada and I currently take four. I’m on so many medications and still keep feeling worse and worse. I’m running out of treatment options and not sure where to go from here.
Chronically Ashley 