Hi Donna,
Hope everything turns out well for you. Is there anyway to take a bank loan
for the $500 and then submit for reimbursement to pay the loan back right
away?
GaryZ

Donna,

Please  keep us posted to what is going on with the isp. If you can let
someone know so that they can post for you I would appreciate it.

I sure hope you get the meds that work and that you get pain relief soon.

I hope the ears and the hand surgery go well. I wish you the best in all
things.

I feel for you and I don't want to lose touch with you. So if you can let
someone know, then maybe someone can keep us posted to how you are doing and
such. I worry about you alot.

I wish I had seen this before I posted my previous reply. I so hope the
Rituxan works, especially when it's going to be such a financial burden.
Could you contact the drug company and find out if they've got a patient
assistance program? Maybe they could help.

The ear drum sounds awful! I hope that it's easily, and painlessly, fixed
and you get your full hearing back soon. Mostly, I hope you get some major
pain relief, and thus some sleep. Nothing is worse than being exhausted on
top of being in pain! *big, squishy hugs* I'm sorry life is so crappy right
now.:(

Kelly C.

Hi Donna,

Sorry to hear you are feeling so poorly.  I hope the new meds help.  As
far as going off line I get peoplepc for 9.95 month.  They are always
running specials.  For the first three months you sign up you can get
it for 4.95.  Check into it.  We don't want to loose you.

debbie m.

Do you have your own room at the hospital? Or have they named a wing after
you yet?

DeeTee

Donna, you just have too many bad things going on now and in the near
future.  Pray that the pain meds and more steroids will relieve the pain,
that the ear surgery will go fine, and also the hand surgery.  Hope you will
be able to stay on line and keep us posted how you are, but I can understand
the financial situation; I'm about ready to stop cable TV for the same
reason.  Pamper yourself when you get a chance.
Gwen

w0w and holy c0w!  what a load on your plate, sweetie!  you're amazing to
sound as good spirited as you do in your post!  very
gentle((((((((((((((donnag))))))))))))).  will keep you tucked in my prayers
and prayerful thoughts, that everything goes better than even you hope it
all will.  take good care of you, hon.  i think you can get free internet
service though yahoo, cuz a friend of mind still does (she just doesn't
believe in paying for internet service, but her sil helped her set it up).

lovingly,
kate

Hi ASA Family,

Well, after a very rough last week or so, and my RA leaving me in
terrible pain and in tears these last few days, finally saw the RD this
afternoon.   Told him I couldn't go on any longer like this and that we
either had to start a new med or put me back on the enbrel.   He was
quite surprised to see how really poorly I was doing.   He said, wow,
you look like you are in so much pain!   I said I am, and wouldn't even
let them take my blood pressure as I am in so much pain that I didn't
want anyone to touch me today!  Poor RD took pity on my and offered me
any pain med I wanted and upped my steroids to try to give me some
relief.   He also told me to come back if both of those things weren't
enough and he would do a systemic injection.   Hopefully the increased
pred dose and the extra pain meds will at least take the edge off enough
for me to get a bit of sleep at night.

Am having my ruptured ear drum repaired on friday, as I have had quite a
drastic loss of hearing due to the hole in the ear drum.   ENT doc said
I should regain most of the hearing loss once the eardrum is repaired.
He will repair the ruprtured drum on friday and then place another set
of ear tubes to help cut down on the number of ear infections I get.

Then will have my hand surgeries done on the 21st of september and
hopefully somewhere in there also, we will start the rituxan infusions.
Whew, it's gonna be a bust couple of weeks there for  while!   I don't
mind though if it brings me some very much needed relief!

So, I think we have gotten things worked out to a certain extent.   I
will start rituxan and have to pay a $500.00 dollor co-pay for each
infusion.   Thankfully the local hospital will bill me and let me make
payments.   I suspect it will take me a year or two to pay this amount,
but once I pay it, I can then submit it to the healthwell foundation and
they will reimburse me.   I sure hope the rituxan works and gives me
some very much needed relief for the financial burden it will run me
over the next year or two or so.   I may end up going off line for a
while to save the $22.00 bucks each month that I pay to be online.   So,
if I disappear for a very long while or it my account suddunly becomes
not active, you will know what happened.   I soooooooo hate financial
crisies!!!

anyways, thats about it and I sure hope each of you finds the perfect
magic bullet to get you feeling well and back in the ball game of life!

Hugs to you all!!!

Donna G

Hopin' the Rituxan works for ya and it's good you're getting the ear
tubes. They oughta make it easier for ya, DonnaG.

Hugs from Rosie