Tuesday, January 22, 2008
What keeps me up at night/I can see clearly now
Yesterday I had PRK (laser vision correction) on my left eye, and while I should be filled with excitement about being free of the tyranny of glasses I cannot. This happy news is diminished when my future feels so uncertain. Everyday is a struggle - a constant battle against the onslaught of fatigue. Provigil worked better than any other anti-fatigue medication, it was approved for coverage by my previous insurance provider and yet somehow my new insurance provider thinks it knows better than the other providers, neurologists specialising in MS, not to mention my OWN doctor!!! Is it arrogance or a sick, cruel way to save a buck? You be the judge.
I recall reading in the news how a girl who had been denied an organ transplant died just after her medical insurance changed it's decision to give her a transplant. The health insurance industry has gone too far and I have no doubt that it's meddling into people's personal health decisions are far more pervasive than is reported.
I recall reading in the news how a girl who had been denied an organ transplant died just after her medical insurance changed it's decision to give her a transplant. The health insurance industry has gone too far and I have no doubt that it's meddling into people's personal health decisions are far more pervasive than is reported.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Back to Speed
The appeals process is over. The verdict has been handed down. My insurance will NOT cover my Provigil drug prescription. Provigil is not a speed drug, how it works is not entirely known but it's not an amphetamine drug. I am desperate to avoid amphetamines but amphetamines are cheaper to produce than the ingredients in Provigil despite the fact that they are less addictive and have less lethal effects on the liver (the decision has nothing to do with efficacy and everything to do with cost). Provigil has been proven to be effective to relieve the effects of MS related fatigue however Healthpartners will NOT cover it!!!! unless you have narcolepsy. Even after trying all the other speed type drugs out there and having little success with them I am flat out being denied. For all you thousands of people out there with Multiple Sclerosis here is a word of advice - do not go to Healthpartners for your medical insurance coverage if you have fatigue. They will fuck you coming and going.
Since I have exhausted almost all of my options my neurologist has suggested I try yet another speed type drug called Cylert which is a type of amphetamine. My livelihood depends on my being awake and alert so I don't have much choice in the matter. I'm afraid that I'll suffer the same side effects as the others have caused, like Ritalin. I became manic, angry, edgy and eventually stopped eating. I barely recognized myself when I was on it. I didn't like what it did to me. Time will tell.
Since I have exhausted almost all of my options my neurologist has suggested I try yet another speed type drug called Cylert which is a type of amphetamine. My livelihood depends on my being awake and alert so I don't have much choice in the matter. I'm afraid that I'll suffer the same side effects as the others have caused, like Ritalin. I became manic, angry, edgy and eventually stopped eating. I barely recognized myself when I was on it. I didn't like what it did to me. Time will tell.
Labels: Cylert, fatigue, insurance, MS, Provigil, Ritalin
