10. My Final IVIg Series - Begun!

Близо́к локото́к, да не уку́сишь.

So near and yet so far. Literal: Your elbow is close, yet you can't bite it.

I've just begun my final series of IVIg (intravenous immune-globulin). I'll be here 7 hours today, tomorrow and Friday, absorbing the immune globulin cells of more than 1000 donors - the very expensive but life saving "goo" that we all depend upon to keep our immune systems from desolving the myelin sheathe from our nerves.

I've depended upon it for over 3 years now, and it's served me well and allowed a lot of healing to take place, but it's not without cost.

IVIg side effects can include blood clots, (pulmonary embolism is most common); elevated blood pressure (though some Dr.s will tell you that's not true); migraine and it's more serious condition, aseptic meningitis).  I've had elevated BP from it and seriously debilitating migraines for the last year. I feel like I'm in line for septic meningitis, the natural progression.  I'll be happy to leave this serious treatment behind me.  There is also the remote chance of getting some disease from the IVIg, itself.  Or, as happened to me, MRSA or staph infection from all the time spent in clinic.

And it's the one that comprises the biggest share of the $244,000 per year my 'illness maintenance' costs.

Someone is profiting from my suffering, and that of so many others with CIDP, MS, other serious autoimmune illnesses.  And keep in mind, the majority of these have lost their job, had to go on SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) in order to get medical care.  Taxpayers, make note.

HSCT eliminates this expensive maintenance treatment and is a one-time fee of $45,000 to $150,000, depending on where you go to have it done.

There is a wonderful new award-winning (architecture) hospital I can view from my house, in the valley below us.  So near and yet so far.  They do HSCT for cancer patients, safely and routinely. They won't yet do it for people like me.  So I must pay out of pocket and travel to Russia to get healed.

So near and yet so far!