More prone to get sick?

[Hawkgirl]

I finally got my husband to talk a little about the Ty treatment. (Although it will be a miracle if I ever get started, because it's starting to look like I won't have prescription coverage in 2012; I enrolled online in a Medicare D plan from Humana and now have hit a brick wall: Humana claims it didn't receive the application and Medicare at first was saying it didn't have a record of the application, even though I had a confirmation number. I finally got someone to admit that the confirmation number was blarney but they would put in a complaint with Humana.)

So anyway, I was asking point blank what my DH thought about me doing the Tysabri. And his answers were that (1) he thinks it will be so expensive we'll have to live like paupers, and (2) I will be more incapacitated than I already am, because I'll catch every bug that's going around, because we have 3 kids who certainly do bring home whatever is going around. So he feels like I'm already sick, but the Ty will make me sicker, because I'll not only still have all my MS problems, but I'll always have colds or stomach flu or whatever. Plus if the Ty makes me tired or weak.

Long story short: he feels like he's already pulling the wagon with me helping only a little. And he's scared that with the Ty he'll not only have me helping a little, but I'll have to ride in the wagon he's pulling, along with a ton of expenses.

And I'm wondering if he's right.

[0485c10]

Tysabri isn't covered by medicare part d..instead its covered 80% by regular medicare and the last 20% is covered by my medicare supplimental insurance...so tysabri cost me less out of packet than betaseron did. And i was on a prescription asistance program for betaseron and only had to pay mailing cost for of about $20 every three months for beta seron.. Ty costs me less than that.

some people get more virus on tysabri, i don't. you have to see how it works out for you. but if you get sick often your neuro is likely to switch you from ty for that reason, as people who get sick often are at an increase risk of pml.

the trouble is if you have a 8 month streak of getting virus, he might wait a little longer to see if your just having a bad streak you will get over.its a bear waiting for that kind of thing,while not feeling good, it makes the time seem to move slow. especially in that PML risk free zone of the first year & low risk zone of the 2nd year.

its a new drug for you, there is no way to pre -geuss its affect on you.

[Hawkgirl]

Yeee-ouch! The power of the FedGov ... Humana just called to tell me I've got my Medicare D. Took less than a day to get that straightened out, when I'd been banging my head on the wall for a week!

I hope Ty is affordable for me. This is something we are still waiting on, to see what the cost will be. I'm a little nervous that after Jan. 1 when I am only on Medicare, I will have to jump through all the hoops again. But what will be, will be.

I was interested to learn what DH was thinking with the Tysabri. In a sour mood I interpret his concerns as: he's worried about him, not me. In a more positive mood, I can really see his worries and wish so much he had someone to help him. Maybe I should talk to my step-dad. DH's father has been dead for many years, and his brothers are not very friendly with him. (Something going on there that I don't know and probably will never know.)

I guess all we can do is see what happens! God will take care of us.

[Scooter24]

I've been on TY for over 18 months now and have not had even the slightest of a cold or anything else, the rest of the family has had colds, flu, stomach viruses and other misc sicknesses. My wife and daughter both work in a nursing home and are always picking up some kind of a bug but so far so good for me.

[REG53]

Hello Hawkgirl,

I will have #60 next month and in that time I have had two bad colds. I have not been prone to sickness but I also try to keep my distance from people who are sick and I always try to keep my hands clean.

Hope you are able to start TY and it will be good for you.

Please keep us informed on your journey.

[wallflower]

hub has been on tysabri for 4 years since his onset of ms. he has not gotten sick more often than before, but when he does get sick he has a hard time fighting it. that could be any immune-suppresant drug effects tho. idk that its just because of tys.

[Hawkgirl]

Tysabri isn't covered by medicare part d..instead its covered 80% by regular medicare

See, if I would *read* people's replies, I'd save myself a lot of nonsense. After ignoring 0485c10's response and calculating carefully to estimate when I would go in and come out of the donut hole, someone with the TOUCH program explained to me that Tysabri isn't covered by Medicare D. News to me! (where's the little embarassed-face smilie?)

But I now have it worked out, and it will cost me about $50/mo, which I can manage. And I start in 2 weeks!!!! I am both scared and hopeful.

[Sarah26]

Medicare/Tysabri

Biogen told me my 20% would run about $500-$700, after my Medicare B so signed up for a Medigap N policy which will pay all but $20 copay at Site. Find an online broker to help you with it. I will have to wait out a 3 months waiting period due to MS being "pre-existing" condition. AARP has the least medical questions.

Good luck

[MSSINCE09]

Illness

Hello Hawk Girl. I am glad to hear that your cost is going to be affordable for you. When I started on Tysabri I was working at a primary care docs office at the front desk. I was exposed to everything you can imagine and did not get sick once. I found I got sick all the time when I was on rebif and avonex. I hope that you find as much luck with ty as I have. And once your dh sees that you are actually feeling better sometimes maybe he'll warm up to the idea as well.