Re: Xolair at home

[Guest guest]

I'm a little puzzled about why my message from yesterday didn't go through?

Meryl

[Guest guest]

>

> I'm a little puzzled about why my message from yesterday didn't go

through?

>

> Meryl

>

>

Meryl,

That is very strange. I did not delete or hold any messages yesterday.

Go ahead and post again

Doug

[Guest guest]

Hi Doug:

You want to know why doctors won't let you inject yourself at home? It has

nothing to do with health risk and everything to do with reimbursement. Doctors

are being squeezed, and they get their money any way they can. I have an

excellent doctor in another specialty and whenever I go in for one problem, if I

ask another non-related question, I have to pay a second co-pay and he double

bills the insurance company, and apparently that's legal.

Carol

My nurse asked him specifically if it is ok to let patients inject

themselves at home.

He said a definite NO! I guess you folks who are getting it at home

use brave doctors or something LOL!

Epi-Pen form? The rep said, that it was not even on the drawing boards.

Sigh! One day, I will be able to give myself Xolair and save the $$$$$$$

Doug

[Guest guest]

Carol,

Nothing suprises me anymore about insurance, clinics, and how they

charge and bill the insurance and their patients. Sometimes, I think that the

almighty dollar is more important to them than the patient.

I have no choice but to be on Xolair. I have no choice but to use the

one doctor in my area that gives it. No other Pulmo or allergist

within 150 miles gives the shots.

The allergist I use is probably one of the best doctors I have ever used in my

life. He and his staff are very caring and compassionate but the company who

owns his practice leaves more to be desired.

My doctor and his staff truly care about their patients, his company only cares

how much they can bilk the insurance company for and then the patient once the

insurance says no.

I have examples of this but I posted them a few weeks back if you want to read

about them. I don't want to get started again. I get too upset.

I pay 12k a year out of my own pocket just for my coverage and I have to put up

with junk like this!

Sigh!

Doug

[Guest guest]

Your medical history sounds exactly like mine. I have 30% lung

capacity and the pulmonologist and my allergists all agree that the

damage was caused by asthma and untreated gerd for a period of

several years (about 10!) I am also very allergic to mold (no escape

from it where I live) and mountain cedar and have very mild allergies

to other things. I have had five xolair shots and the amazing thing

is that so far I have made it through the moutain cedar (at times

very high the last few weeks) with only a few minor symptoms. In

past years, the consequence of the high mountain cedar has been a

sinus infection followed by an upper respiratory infection which has

greatly exacerbated my asthma, which in turn necessitated the use of

antibiotics and heavy doses of prednisone to clear it up--then a

residual cough for another 4 to 6 weeks.

I am beginning to believe that the xolair has helped already. It has

now been a year since I had to take an antibiotic and prednisone for

an infection and the asthma that followed.

The amazing thing about my health is that I am not on oxygen, I am

still very active, but the best I can do on the pft is about 33%! I

have never smoked, have never lived with anyone who smoked, but at

one time was exposed to second hand smoke in the work place from time

to time.

One other thing--I am getting my xolair shots at an allergy research

center, although I am not a part of a research group. This doctor

happens to be the only one in town who takes medicare patients for

xolair, although my own allergist is trying to get set up to take

medicare xolair patients. It evidently takes some extra capital for

them since the xolair is so expensive! So far the only reaction I

have had to the shot has been a bruise from the last shot--that was

the way the nurse gave it! I have had no reaction of any kind to the

shots.

Great that you will be able to give them to yourself, though. Hope

xolair helps you.

Adah

--- In , " instdesgn1 " <instdesgn1@...>

wrote:

>

> Today my doctor and I agreed on my using xolair pending insurance

> approval. (I think they should but who knows - they've approved it

in

> other states.) It's my understanding that the drug company will

send

> an RN to my house, show me how to handle and inject the Xolair and

I

> will be left with the drug to inject by myself at home from there

on.

> I was a bit surprised as I had the strong impression that it was

> important to be injected and observed in a clinical setting. Is

this

> the new protocol? Yes, I'm bright and well educated and have some

> medical background (not a nurse or doctor, though) but am

wondering.

> Doc doesn't seem to be concerned as I educated myself about xolair

> extensively and could recite it back! It adds $ and lots of time

to go

> to doctor's office so don't want to do a " look a gift horse in the

> mouth " type of thing.

>

> My lungs have been damaged by a lifetime of allergy and asthma and

> treatments not to mention other body systems that have reacted to

the

> drugs. I'd like to feel better. I'm allergic to mold that's in

the

> air all the time and other things from which I cannot escape. As a

> result I'm not getting a normal exchange of air.

>