I didn't start off telling myself that my mild rheumatoid arthritis was no big deal. I have a low tolerance for pain, and I'm too active to want to be slowed down by pain flares.
So I got several x-rays and two MRIs. I had sessions with three different physical therapy providers over the course of six years. I pretty much gave up white sugar when I connected its consumption with severe pain flares. And I went on Humira. And I stayed on Humira. For three years.
I don't think any of this worked; I think that my knee and hip pain has simply become more like the back pain I've experienced since being hit by a drunk driver in 2002- something that is Just There, a minor annoyance. It doesn't keep me from doing anything. Does it limit by ability to enjoy movement? I'm sure it does. But it doesn't stop me from participating in movement.
Would Rinvoq work for me? I don't know, because my insurance doesn't cover Rinvoq. It covered Humira. Which means it paid out tens of thousands of dollars on a twice-a-month injection that did nothing (I've been off it for more than a year now. No difference.) I'll probably never know if Rinvoq would work for me. Maybe there will be an affordable generic version that my insurance will cover in the future. We'll see.
*especially today, my 61st birthday. I feel pretty young today. Some days I feel very old. Pretty much depends on how sore I feel from one day to the next. But I watch my weight, take my cholesterol meds, and my doctor says I have the heart of a 25-year old** so I guess a few aches and pains are no big deal.
**I don't know how he found this out, and until the police get a search warrant, it can't be proven either way.
No comments:
Post a Comment