Since I’ve managed to stop bleeding and my lungs finally sound
clearer, I’m finishing up one last day of IV antibiotics and fluids and then
calling it quits for this round. After being on IVs for a full month, I am very
much looking forward to freedom and a full night’s sleep! Next task: Getting
back to pulmonary rehab and rebuilding my stamina. I’ve been trying to keep
somewhat active since the bleeding settled, so hopefully I haven’t
deconditioned too much. I’m also hopeful that maybe I’ll manage another few
months of relatively good health like I did after the last round of IV
antibiotics. Fingers crossed!
One less exciting bit of news is that I’m starting to show side
effects from long-term steroid use. A scan showed that my bones are thinning,
not quite to the point of osteoporosis, but definitely on the borderline. It’s
not a huge deal, but it’s something to be aware of. That should become less of
an issue as we slowly taper the Prednisone down, and hopefully I’ll be able to
get down to a maintenance dose that’s low enough to have minimal long-term
impact. In the meantime, I’ll be starting medication to help rebuild bone
density and hopefully prevent osteoporosis.
On the other hand, I also got some unexpectedly good news!
Apparently by the end of May I reached the out-of-pocket maximum on my medical
benefit, which means medical is now covered at 100% and I no longer have any
medical copays (though I still have prescription copays, as the pharmacy
benefit has no out of pocket maximum). I was surprised, as I have spent less
than half of the $6,700 I was anticipating. It turns out that some of my more
expensive specialty medications are covered under the medical benefit instead
of the pharmacy benefit, so those copays made a significant dent in my out-of-pocket
maximum. Even better, I have a grant that covered those copays, so I didn’t
even have to pay them myself! Having my out-of-pocket maximum essentially
halved was a HUGE relief and will make the rest of the year MUCH easier.
Additionally, I got two other prescription copay assistance programs set up,
and my pharmacy expenses finally hit the catastrophic coverage phase, which
means that my prescription copays have dropped significantly. Now that I have
everything set up, next year should be much smoother financially!
It’s been a difficult summer, but B”H things are finally looking
up. Looking forward to getting back on track and hopefully squeezing in a few
good months before the next round!
