Mike Has MS
Monday, July 16, 2007
Coping with MS
Having MS sucks. There is no other way to put it.
Yesterday, while Reggie and I were visiting Beth and Paul, I just felt really wiped out. In fact, at one point, I had to go upstairs to lie down for a while. It sucks to always be tired, especially when you go someplace exciting like New York City. But living with MS has taught me to take it easy and not get myself too worn down.
The other thing is that you need to become a pro at navigating the insurance system. I work for a great company, and we have outstanding health insurance. But you have to know how to work navigate the system. I started the process of ordering my prescription last week, and today I got a letter from the insurance company that stated my Rebif had been approved. The prior authorizations for medication are always a pain in the ass, so having that taken care of is a huge relief. So tonight I called the pharmacy to find out the status of the order. I have enough on-hand to last me another three weeks, so I’m in decent shape, but I don’t dare let them know that. They think I’ll be out early next week, and that causes a sense of urgency I need to get this process moving without running out of meds. When I called, a very nice woman named Carolyn explained that they requested the prescription from Dr. Stein but hadn’t received it back yet. This means tomorrow, I’ll be calling my doctor’s office to poke them. After they send in the prescription, then I’ll have to call the pharmacy again, who will tell me it’s held up for insurance reasons, at which time I’ll fax in the prior authorization letter from the insurance company.
Yeah, I’ve been around this block a few times. It’s a pain in the ass, but I absolutely have to do it.