Month: June 2019

Saving on prescription costs: Easing the financial burden of IBD

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This blog post is sponsored by Inside Rx. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Inside Rx trademarks and graphics are used with permission of Inside Rx, LLC. 

Sticker shock. Disbelief. Concern. If you live with a chronic illness like me, chances are you’ve experienced all of these feelings when it comes to purchasing prescription medications. The cost to manage IBD can come with a hefty price tag. Whether it’s having to purchase the most expensive insurance plan so you have the lowest deductible or having to fork over money for your daily pills and biologic drug treatments—it’s a lot to handle, from both a physical and a financial standpoint.

According to the CDC, in the past 30 days almost HALF of people (48.9%) have used at least one prescription drug. About 23% of people used three or more prescriptions.[1] This comes as no surprise when you learn that by 2020, 157 million Americans will be living with a chronic illness.[2] This is where Inside Rx comes in. Launched in 2017, the Inside Rx prescription discount card can make saving on prescription medications easy. The Inside Rx card is not insurance and offers eligible users discounts on brand and generic prescriptions.  See InsideRx.com for terms and restrictions, and to learn more.

Inside RX

Here’s how it works:

  • Go to InsideRx.com to search for your medication and find the best deal and closest participating pharmacy near you. The Inside Rx card can be used at more than 40,000 pharmacies across the United States and Puerto Rico.
  • Download a free prescription savings card and see how much you could save on brand-name and generic medications.
  • Show your prescription card to a pharmacist.
  • Enjoy the savings and use the same card every time you pick up your medication.

Adhering to medication guidelines and following through with doctor’s orders is imperative in managing a chronic illness. Inside Rx works to ease the stress off your shoulders so you don’t have to cut back on your treatment or never fill a prescription. Rather than jeopardize your health and wellbeing, check this out and see if the savings can help you. There’s no shame in saving and it’s certainly something you should see if you can take advantage of.

Inside RX2

Be your own best advocate

As you navigate IBD, it’s programs like this that help our community and deserve a shout out. In my nearly 14 years living with Crohn’s, I’ve found that prescription and biologic savings programs are often not articulated by medical professionals. Instead, as patients, we’re just supposed to or expected to find them on our own. This is a shame. Unless you’re told or hear from a family member or friend, you may be paying full price for a medication that has a significant price reduction.

Inside Rx for our four-legged friends, too!

Recently I had to put my 10-year-old Chihuahua Terrier, Hamilton, on seizure medication. There’s even an Inside Rx Pets card, which offers discounts on select human medications prescribed for pets. I went to one store and was told a month’s worth of pills was going to be $86, I went to another store down the road and was told the cost was $26. Now that I know about Inside Rx, I’m able to get his medication for $20 a month.  Savings may vary for your pet’s medications though, so do your homework and visit InsideRx.com/Pets to see if you can save by taking advantage of these helpful tools for patients and pets. And please, communicate with your care team if you’re unable to fill your prescription, rather than not taking it at all. You’ll be thankful in the long run.  Visit InsideRx.com for more information and terms.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm

[2] https://www.nationalhealthcouncil.org/sites/default/files/AboutChronicDisease.pdf

 

 

10 Tips for Ensuring Your Significant Other Can Handle Your IBD For the Long Haul

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This article is sponsored by Healthline. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dating is complicated. Dating can be stressful. Dating can force you to get out of your comfort zone.

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One of my first photos with my husband, Bobby.

When you live with a chronic illness, dating can be downright daunting. When should you bring up your IBD with a significant other? How can you navigate the ups and downs that come along with your illness? How can you reach a sense of comfort when you need to run to the bathroom or cancel plans?

There’s not only one correct answer to any of those questions. But, as a woman who was diagnosed at age 21, who is now 35 and married with kids, I’m happy to share what worked for me. I recently led a Live Chat on Healthline’s IBD app about this topic. The main areas of concern revolved around significant others failing to grasp the severity of the disease. It’s difficult to fault what can sound like shortcomings, but being a caretaker isn’t easy. Not everyone is cut out for it.

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Celebratory post- colonoscopy cheesecake!

And that is ok.

Here are my top 10 tips for educating significant others—whether it’s dating or marriage about what your experience as a patient is like.

  1. Bring your loved one along to doctor appointments.

Oftentimes, people have no clue how severe and debilitating IBD is. Let your partner hear it from the horse’s mouth (i.e. the doctor). By sitting in on appointments, not only is it a source of support for you, but a chance for them to ask questions, listen to the discussion, and hear about all that goes into managing your chronic illness.

  1. Have a social worker or counselor speak with you both so that you’re on the same page.

Oftentimes a loved one isn’t acting maliciously; they just don’t know how to cope with what life with IBD entails. Talking with a professional gives you a safe space and an even playing field to ‘air your dirty laundry’ and gather advice about actionable ways you can improve your relationship.

  1. Communicate when you’re in pain—don’t sugarcoat or downplay your symptoms.
    If you’re hurting, say it. IMG_7446If you’re struggling, tell them. The more you keep your mask on and your wall up, the more your partner will think you have everything under control and that your IBD isn’t much of a “big deal” in your life.
  2. If your feelings are hurt—articulate why. Resentment leads to stress and can activate symptoms. Be brutally honest and open. You can’t expect your lover to be a mind reader. By bottling up your frustration you may take out your anger in a big way, when an issue could be solved and nipped in the bud before it becomes bigger than it needs to be.
  1. Connect with fellow IBD patients on Healthline’s IBD app.

Whether it’s a live chat, reading articles, or matching up with fellow patients, Healthline’s new IBD app is a space where we all get you. We’ve all been there. We’re all standing ready. Ready to lift you up. Ready to answer your questions. Ready to listen to you vent and share advice. Advice that can make a major impact in your most personal and important relationships. Because at the end of the day, you want someone who loves you for all of you, and that includes your IBD.

  1. Share blog articles and social media posts from fellow IBD advocates that may be able to articulate what you’re going through.

Sometimes as patients, we’re going through so much but it can be difficult to put into words. While each person’s disease presents uniquely, chances are we’ve gone through similar experiences. If you read an article that resonates or see a post on social media that hits close to home for you—share it. This is an easy way to casually show the person you love that this is what you’re going through. A simple email with a link to an article—works wonders.

  1. If you want your person by your side at procedures and during hospitalizations, say it.

During the live chat, there was some discussion about fiancés and husbands not going to procedures or being by the bedside during the hospitalization. That a put a lot in perspective for me, as my husband has never left my side when I’ve been hospitalized (not even for an hour) and has gone to every colonoscopy.

Photo by J Elizabeth Photography www.jelizabethphotos.com

Photo cred: J. Elizabeth Photography

I’ve never had to ask. Bobby just does that because he wants to. If you want your significant other there, tell them. The disease is isolating enough, the last thing you need is to be lying alone in the middle of the night with your racing thoughts and the beeping machines.

  1. Be with someone who you can be vulnerable with.

IBD isn’t pretty. There are days where we’re cooped up in the bathroom. There are times we’re in the fetal position for hours. If you feel at ease at your worst with your person, that’s a good sign. Recognize how you feel when you’re at your lowest point and at your best. Pay attention to how they respond when the going gets tough.

  1. When the red flags are waving feverishly in front of your face, don’t be afraid to walk away.

Listen to your gut. You know deep down if you constantly feel like a second thought or if your partner repeatedly lets you down. If they make you feel guilty, less than, or put off by your patient experience, time to say buh-bye. Trust me, you will count your blessings in the future.

  1. Take them along to local Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation events. IMG_8059

By attending local events you’ll be able to connect face-to-face with fellow couples and families living your same reality. You’ll discover how much you have in common right away. This also enables your partner to have someone who “gets” what it’s like to be a caretaker. Set up a double date or a time to hang out outside of public events.

Accountability & Chronic Illness: How Pack Health is leading the charge to empower patients

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This article is sponsored by WEGO Health, opinions and thoughts are my own.

Accountability can be a tough pill to swallow when you battle chronic illness. Often times it feels as though the only person who can improve our overall wellbeing, is the person you see looking back in the mirror. But, Pack Health and CME Outfitters is looking to offer support to patients like you and me every step of the way to make our journeys less lonesome and isolating. Pack Health in partnership with CME Outfitters does this by providing one-on-one support, over the phone and online, to help people regain control over their health. photo (17)

Right now, Pack Health’s work spans across more than 20 chronic conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease. Not everyone has a support network. Not everyone has a spouse or a significant other they can lean on. Not everyone feels like they can take on the beast that is chronic illness alone. Get this—the average patient is only with their doctor 1 of the 6,000 hours that they’re awake each year! Pack Health works to fill in those gaps.

Here’s how it works—the service is more than just a health coach. By teaming up with an IBD coach, you can have someone texting you when you need a reminder, helping your find ways to make healthy living easier and more enjoyable, and someone who has your best interest at heart, every step of the way.

Finding Your Motivation
You’ll map out your goals for the months ahead. Where do you want to be in 3 months? 6 months? One year? Your personal IBD Health Coach will bring this goal into focus so it’s attainable and less overwhelming.

Setting Weekly Goals
Natalie runningIt’s not always the big goals, it’s getting through the day-to-day. Your IBD Health Coach will help you stick to weekly goals through calls, texts, and emails, based on how you like to communicate. Support will be right at your fingertips.

A Network of Resources
Rather than wasting hours on the internet trying to find dietary information or drug discount cards, the IBD coach will get you what you need to succeed.

By working with an IBD Health Coach patients are more likely to take their medications, stay on top of recognizing symptoms and improving their overall health and well-being. nataliepackhealth2As a chronic illness patient, myself, even though I try and manage my Crohn’s the same each day, sometimes life and being a mom gets in the way. I tend to put my needs and my care at the bottom of the totem pole. As a parent, I know I’m not alone in that. Having a Health Coach standing by ready to listen, educate and inspire me, is a reminder that I’m not in this alone.

Click here to learn more and try it for yourself.

How Sharing Your Narrative as a Patient Benefits You and Your Care Team

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This post was sponsored by AbbVie Inc. Personal opinions and thoughts are my own.

I recently attended Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in San Diego, California as a patient advocate. The experience was much more than a conference—it opened my eyes to all the work being done on a global level to understand this disease, ease the burden on patients, and improve quality of life.

At DDW, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Miguel Regueiro, Chair of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and Vice Chair of the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute at Cleveland Clinic, to discuss our respective points-of-view on clinician-patient communication. I share more about our conversation below, along with a video of part of our discussion. You can also find resources to guide your conversation with your own doctor here.

There’s something special about being a Crohn’s patient and witnessing firsthand all the research, advancement and dedication for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While the exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown, it is believed to be caused by an overreaction of the immune system. As a result, damaging, chronic inflammation can occur along the GI tract and lead to symptoms. Crohn’s isn’t contagious, and, as far as we know, it isn’t caused by anything a person has done or eaten.

AbbVie article

During my time at DDW, Dr. Regueiro and I had a chance to discuss the importance of patients and their physicians creating an ongoing, healthy dialogue about everything the patient is going through physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.

We talked about the importance of goal setting. In this age of personalized medicine, treatment plans are tailored uniquely to each person’s needs, which often go beyond the inflammation in our bodies or our latest symptoms.

“When I meet a patient initially, I sometimes ask ‘what are three things you want out of this visit? What are the three problems that you’ve had?’ Some of it may be related to their IBD, but a lot of it might be related to ‘I’m feeling depressed,’ or issues with sexual activity and intimacy. As a physician, and as a healthcare team, we not only want to treat your IBD, we want to treat the whole person,” said Dr. Regueiro.

One of the biggest stresses associated with IBD can be the unpredictability factor and the progressive nature of the disease. As patients, we never know what the next hour or the next day will bring. Symptoms might worsen or change altogether. Physicians want to hear about changes. Changes in our symptoms. Changes in something that may be related to our medication. And changes in our health beyond our digestive tracts that help our care teams treat us and not just our IBD. By recognizing these changes, your doctor can address them and make sure there’s not a bigger problem festering.

Crohn’s is a lifelong disease, it’s not just about thinking about tomorrow or the next few weeks, it’s really looking at the long-term. If you live with IBD, it’s important to be open about all your symptoms and meet routinely with your doctor to ensure active monitoring of your disease, regardless of symptom severity. Create a proactive treatment plan and set goals that are right for you.

The narrative you choose to share with your care team can truly shape the type of care you receive and your ability to improve your quality of life. Prepare for your next trip to the doctor by visiting CrohnsandColitis.com for tips on managing your appointments and working closely with your gastroenterologist.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by AbbVie Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, and should not be construed to constitute medical advice. Personal opinions and thoughts are my own. I am not a medical professional and am not qualified to give medical advice. Please talk with your doctor about your individual medical situation.