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.
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.
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
It’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.
As 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.
Over the next month, I’ll be partnering with IBD Healthline. I am so excited to share my journey using the app and explain how you too can benefit from all its invaluable features.
I don’t know about you, but the more people I know with IBD, the stronger it makes me feel as I take on the disease.
and podcasts shared each week on everything from diagnosis to nutrition and self-care tips. The more educated we are about our illness, the better advocates we can be for our care.
Now, nearly 14 years later—her and I have come a LONG way. She’s on Remicade. I’m on Humira. We are both mothers. We are both wives. Alisa didn’t allow her disease to stop her from following her personal or professional dreams. In 2013, she left corporate America and founded 
I multi-task everything, stay on top of my biologic infusions, rest when possible and, plan my diet loosely around a mix of SCD and low gluten eating. Getting help is difficult, but I feel lucky to have a supportive husband and local family network. My travel schedule wears me down– but thankfully most of my disease symptoms are well controlled.
Babywearing helps me effectively multi-task and meet my all children’s needs at the same time. It also helps address postpartum depression, by syncing mother and baby, and raising oxytocin levels. I believe babywearing is a necessity that should be taught to every single expecting parent and caregiver!
As a bonus, a variety of baby carriers can be adjusted to accommodate an ostomy or j-pouch.
As a mom of a 2-year-old and an almost 4 month old, I’m in the thick of motherhood right now. While it’s an amazing season of life, it definitely has its challenges. A toddler, a baby, and a chronic illness. Ah, I’m exhausted just reading that myself! While it’s far from easy—I’ve found some ways to help embrace the ups and downs and everything in between.
No one wants to be hospitalized or deal with pain. Give yourself the best chance for having feel good days and make your disease management a priority. If you feel symptoms presenting and you’re concerned, alert your GI immediately. Be proactive, nip each flare in the bud as best you can.
Yes, I know. Self care. We hear it all the time. It’s something that’s constantly talked about, that seems unattainable. But try and do something each day for yourself, whether it’s taking a shower, eating a meal sitting down, going for a walk outdoors with your little one and keeping your phone on silent, reading a book before bed, you name it. Try and find the moments in your day when you can unplug and relax. Practice yoga and meditate during nap time instead of doing the dishes or laundry. You owe it to yourself!
You were given this role and this family because you were meant to have it and you were destined to live this life.
Find the people who lift you up. Trust in the bonds you create with those who are there for you because they want to be out of the goodness in their heart, not as an obligation. Hold on closely to the relationships that spark joy and don’t extinguish your flame. Lean on those who are willing to give you their hand to lift you up, even when you don’t ask for it.
Meet Emily. This past February she received her chronic illness diagnosis. Even though she’s brand new to IBD life, she’s taking all the pain and all the setbacks in stride.
Her mom was able to reach out to fellow parents on Facebook about a pen pal program.
From a parenting perspective, the pen pal group has introduced Michelle to other mamas going through the same fears and experiences. The connections have brought her peace of mind as she navigates these new waters with her daughter.
making new friends? Friends who understand and continually cheer you on, no matter how far they are. My hope is that Emily will make life long connections and that these letters will serve as a constant reminder that she is never alone.”
studies suggest it may start with a bacterial imbalance in the gut, and several studies have shown that people with IBD were less likely to have been breastfed as infants. Furthermore, a study in Denmark showed that breastfed babies developed certain types of healthy bacteria in their digestive tract, which non-breastfed babies were lacking. A healthy amount of beneficial gut bacteria can promote a healthy immune system which fends off different diseases.
It wasn’t easy, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. We lasted 16-months until he self-weaned and he has a very healthy immune system so far, despite the cesarean and me being on Humira. Best of all? I didn’t have a postpartum flare, which my doctor attributed to the combination of staying on my medications, following my diet plan and breastfeeding.
as possible, especially in the first 24 hours, and provide plenty of skin-to-skin. After a c-section, the last thing I wanted to do was constantly get in and out of bed to pick up a newborn. Instead, I just spent my days with my son nestled on my chest so we could both sleep, heal, bond and get my milk flowing.
Cut yourself some slack. Becoming a mother is stressful, but if you are feeling overwhelmed, talk to someone. Postpartum depression and anxiety are very real and as a mother with chronic illness, you may be more prone to those feelings. Seek out help from your spouse/partner, enlist nearby family/friends for support, and keep in close contact with your doctor to manage your symptoms.
When you’re in the thick of a flare and when feel good days feel far from ever being a possibility, try and remember how fleeting these moments are.
today he’s a rumbustious, adorable, little ball of energy. Sure, we age, too—but we also mature mentally when it comes to our illness. What felt like the biggest obstacle and scare of our life, evolves into something that is a part of who we are, an identity that while not ideal, helps to define us.
But I can promise you, that as life goes on and as the years since that moment of diagnosis get further and further in the rear view mirror, you will find a comfort in this identity.
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