OT May Chit Chat

[SuzE-Q]

Gary, I'm just prancing around, like Mick Jagger, in my new underwear today! START ME UP!!!......

Move like Jagger, Howie!

So sorry to hear about Jamie, Jeanie. Healing vibes sent her way. Glad you got a housecleaner referral!

Sally, glad you got your A/C working! It's a necessity for me too.

Gary, just makes my blood boil knowing the ACTUAL cost of these meds and the mark up which puts them out of economic reach for so many. I forget if you've called the drug manufacturer to ask for some assistance in lowering their cost?

Happy mom's day this weekend to all the moms here!

[Howie]

SuzE-Q, just imagine what a cure will cost us!

[Howie]

And now that I'm on the subject of cures, I don't think one will ever be found. Money is so tied into MS, for senseless research, for drug companies that provide the "not quite a cure" drugs that many take. MS is a money maker!!!

[Frog42]

I think you're right, Howie, but also because researchers are treating MS like it has one cure. How many people do you know with MS whose symptoms are wildly different? Some surf while others are confined to a hospital bed. There is no way there's one drug to treat all of them.

It's a big cash cow for the drug companies though.

[Howie]

I'm sure if a cure is found, or has already BEEN found, it would be bought and silenced by BIG PHARMA!!! Vicky.....LET'S GET 'EM!!!!!

[agate]

Cures? You want cures? Cures R us!

There's this one:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

The guy in charge, Dr. Michael Arata, is a phlebologist in Newport Beach, CA. I have nothing against phlebologists but they're not neurologists....

[Cat Dancer]

I disagree. (But then, don't I always?? ) I think that because MS is such a complex disease, that there won't be one cure, but a number of different cures, each attacking a different set of symptoms, or different levels of damage to the nervous system. Like, something for brain lesions, getting past that blood/brain barrier. Something for spinal lesions. Something for the disability already afflicting many of us. And so on. I don't believe in all the theories against "Big Pharma", or that there is some other conspiracy to halt research, or make more money for the researchers, or whatever.

I remember when I was first diagnosed back in 1985, when the only research I could find told me that "MS is a neurological disease..there are no treatments....and is terminal after about 6 years...." We've come a LONG way from that.

Yes, the cost of drugs is outrageous So is the cost of research, testing, retesting, failing, starting over, researching, testing, retesting, finally getting somewhere...at least in mice. And I strongly support any / all plans to reduce drugs costs including "ObamaCare", which I know many of you hate. But it HAS saved money for people, both for health insurance in general, and for drug coverage, for both younger people, and those of us on Social Security. Yes it's complicated to get signed up, and many people think it way too expensive without first talking to one (or more) ombudsmen who can and will identify for them the many ways they can reduce...even eliminate...the cost of the insurance entirely. The Affordable Care Act is far from perfect, but a blessing for many of us who otherwise would be uninsurable, without any sort of health coverage at all.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

Cat..a card carrying liberal, probably more Progressive, further left of center than Obama in most instance....... ouch....

[Howie]

This brought me out of bed. It started playing in my head. Put it your search bar, David Bowie / Wild is the Wind. It's such a beautiful tune!

[Parsi]

I do fully understand why new drugs would be expensive. Research, etc, does cost a lot and that cost must be recouped. That is also why generics are not allowed in the beginning so that the drug companies can recover their initial costs. What I don't understand is why the price continues going up years after the drug is in the market. At some point the initial costs should have been repaid so that the price would drop down (or at least steady) closer to the cost of actual production and operation costs.

[Cat Dancer]

The cost goes up.for the same reason that costs go up for everything. When I was first buying groceries for my family as a kid of twelve or so, the cost of hamburger was 29 cents a pound. My mother had fits when I came home with a package of ground round, one day, at thirty three cents a pound. If town had been closer I would have had to walk back and exchange it! Now hamburger here is nearly five DOLLARS a pound. Cause we haven't changed in size, they're more easily gown (coming to a cow factory near you, where you can have hundreds of them!), but they, their feed, the cost of the land they're standing on, the cost of the barn, the utilities supporting if, the wages of the field hands helping, all.has increased. So the price of beef has increased. Basic economics teaches the theory of supply and demand, too. The more something is in demand, the more it will cost.

[Pegakafarmgirl]

beef is at its all time crazy prices,, try to buy a butcher calf, you're looking at 2200 dollars at t he low end..

have anyone ever had spine stenosis ?,, my MRI pointed it out,, the spine doctor said lets just keep a eye on it,, with my MS things could take a bad turn,, so we do what he says..

our grandson Thain's birthday party is today,, so gotta go get ready,, Thain will be 8,, his big sister Nora will be 10 next month,,

later..<waving>

[agate]

Peg, happy Birthday to Thain! Hard to believe he's 8!

Being 8 is nice. You may not realize how nice when you're 8 but there will be all kinds of good things ahead of you instead of in the past.

No spinal stenosis here but I've heard that the surgery they sometimes want to do for it is being reconsidered--not a very good idea after all. I think the surgery is called spinal fusion?

Anyway the experts decided that there were too many spinal fusions being done with not very good results.

Yes, costs of everything are skyrocketing. I've seen some outrageous prices on clothes and furniture--and of course food.

But a 700% increase in the price of MS meds over the last 10 years or so? That seems out of line to me, but the stockholders must be very happy.

[Jeanie Z]

:) Hi everyone. I just got home from having Mother's Day lunch with my son Jim. Andy called and Jamie will be in the hospital until Monday. He hopes they send her to rehab. The daily copay is $150.00 so it will be close to one thousand dollars.

I am tired so I am heading to the bed for a nap.

All of you who are Mothers have a nice Mother's Day. Jeanie :)

[SalpalSally]

Happy Birthday to my DD Julie today.
Born on Mother's Day 1970.

And Happy Mother's Day to All of you Mommies!!!

[agate]

Sally, do I see a resemblance there? She looks happy and healthy--and is a credit to you!