What Condition my Condition was in...

I spent a good part of today reading up on arthritis, and stumbled up an article that discussed the A Rising Therapeutic Option For Psoriatic Arthritis And RA .

It is in reference to adalimumab (commonly known as Humira) used to treat PA and RA. My Dr. suggested this treatment as the next step in my pain management, however, I am a bit worried about having to frequently inject medicine into my body. The article did make it sound as though the benefits would be worth getting over my fear of injections and it brings up the always convincing point that "early, aggressive treatment of RA is critical to delaying or avoiding joint destruction and maintaining function. Accordingly, he says adalimumab’s expanded indication for the first-line treatment of RA is a key milestone."

While this is exciting,the cost and side effects sound pretty unpleasant "Dr. Mease notes that injections of adalimumab can be expensive. According to the manufacturer of adalimumab, potential side effects may include headaches, rashes, injection site reactions and upper respiratory and sinus infections." My Dr. also noted that on this medication it very very important to be aware of any and all infections you may have, and if you have signs of an infection (fever etc.) then you should not take the meds for that cycle. WebMd explains this by saying, "This medication can decrease your immune system's ability to fight infections. Though unlikely, this drug may slightly increase your risk of developing serious, possibly fatal, infections. This risk is higher if you are also taking other drugs to suppress the immune system such as cyclosporine."

While I may wait to start Humira for the time being, there are definitely PA and RA sufferers out there who would love to be on this drug, but according to many forums and message boards I have been frequenting, they are not able to afford it. Like many people in the U.S. ,many people with PA are struggling with insurance companies to get this drug covered, and of course there are the great many people who don't have health insurance (who aren't able to work because of the joint pain) and disability checks fail to cover even a small percentage of this costly drug.

It is absolutely depressing and vexing to read the stories of these people. They are crying out in agony knowing there is something out there to help with the pain, but they are not able to obtain that help.

It all comes down to our capitalistic agendas and how we as Americans are not willing to stand up to big business (which, believe you me, health insurance companies are some of the BIGGEST). I can honestly say that I am fearful of a day that I might not be insured (like my significant other who is a student, but too old to be covered under a parents insurance and too broke to buy his own policy), or even worse, that I am covered and my insurance claims my PA had preexisting conditions. Denied.

My fears are not just paranoia; this happens to someone, somewhere, every single day.

Reading these stories reinforces my belief that everyone of these people that are suffering (including myself), and anyone who cares about the unjust manner in which our health care system conducts itself, needs to educate themselves of the policies in the up-coming election, register to vote, and help to change this ridiculous and outdated system.