Hi I am Steven. I am 24 y/o and was diagnosed with RA 5 years ago. I suffer mainly in my hips and lower back. I live every day in pain and it keeps getting worse. I now can not enjoy a movie in a theatre, have problems taking those long road trips I loved so much. I don't know what to do. I have no insurance so have not been on any meds for 2 years now. DOes any one know if there is some way for me to get some kind of treatment or in to a rheumatologist again with out paying colpeltey out of pocket. I never thought I'd be this bad off at 24. Please someone, anyone give me some advice.
Hi Steven,
I will keep you in my prayers. I do not know specific websites, but I do know there are programs out there for people with no insurance. Others here will know more than me, but depending on where you live maybe you can apply for medicare or other services. It seems a crime that in this day and age anyone should have to suffer form lack of healthcare. I have had ra for 6 years now and I can tell you from my life there have been very bad times, but they do not last forever.
Keep hanging in there, and I am sure that light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train!
Robin
thank you for the reply Robin, I hope I can find something. Is it normal for RA to contribute to depression as well. I know that the pain can get so intense for days on end that I slip in to a depressed state. I am glad I found this site though. Its hard to talk to people who don't have it and hope they can understand my agony.
I also catch alot of looks and comments when i mention it because of my age. I am just glad I found this site though
StevenI think you will find that depresion is very normal for anyone dealing with a chronic progressive illness. It is also hard for the people in our lives to understand what we are experincing. My mother still expects a quick fix for me from a pill or shot even after 6 years! I have to remind myself she loves me and hates to see me suffer. It is also hard to have this illness when you are young. I was 28 and people went. arthritis?! thats an old person thing!! It is lack of education, and you can't educate every person you meet. I just tell people to come to this site and read the description of ra. It is important to address your ra, and also to care for yourself emotionaly. You are not alone, there are people here on this forum who understand your struggle and will do what they can to help you.
Robin
Hi Steven; Welcome. We're glad you're here.
I know the stress you are under. I know I had RA for more than a year before I was diagnosised. I had pain that progressively got worse, and worse and worse....but did not see a RD because I didn't want to be labeled with a pre-exsisting condition before I had medical insurance. My husband and I could not afford health Insurance....but I knew at the same time I couldn't afford to manage a chronic illness without it either. It's such a difficult situation.
11 years later my health insurance is one thing I am very, very grateful for. My medication alone is more than 00 a month. Not to mention seeing the RD and the X-rays and labs that go along with it. It's outragous!! I would be in pitiful shape right now had I not been able to get health insurance early on.
I'm sure you already know this; but you need to start back on some sort of medication asap. Apply for Medicaide if you have to.
I feel for you so much this week. I haven't had my meds in 16 days now due to an infection and the majority of my pain is in my hips and lower back right now. It's very painful.
And for the record; not everyone that has RA is on an antidepressant. There's absolutly nothing to be ashamed of if you do need these, but once your RA is controled it cuts out the depression dramatically and there will be little need for that. Someone mentioned everyone with this diagnosis was on them....and that's just not the case.
Stick around Steven....you'll like it here.
Lovie
Steven Welcome to our group!
Believe me I know first hand what it is like being a young person and having to explain that you have arthritis to people still thinking only older people get it. Im only 28 and was dx with Fibro at 22 and RA at about 24 or 25. And to top it all off it seems like depression comes right along with the territiory. I agree with everyone else, defintlely consider all of your options in getting health care and meds. There are lots of drug programs now that are particpating with docs to help those who dont have insurance to get the meds they need. Go online and check them out! Also see if there are in county facilities near you that bill you according to your income (and if you have none they may not charge you at all). Not all county facilities are that great in some areas (some of them are just horrible) but it sometimes worth the endless waitng if your not paying out of pocket for office visits, tests, and meds. I know all states are different, but in Illinois if you apply for Medicade they also want you to apply for Social Securtiy/SSI first. Are you working right now? If not I would defintely apply for both! If you are go to your local state office and see what you have to do to qualify for Medicade in your state.
Also be ready for a real FIGHT!!!! I had to deal with state and county facilities for years because I did not have insurance. They almost want you to jump throught flaming hoops to get the benefits you know you qualify for. Not saying this to discourage you, but to help not to give up (even when the kind folks at the office are make things look bleak). Just a little more advice for ya.
Take care
Shawnie
Steven;
Here's a bunch of links you might want to check out. I think it's mostly information on financial assistance with medications; but you might could investigate further and find financial aide with medical care as well. Good Luck!!
https://www.helpingpatients.org/Intro.php
http://www.needymeds.com
http://www.themedicineprogram.com
Http://www.rxassist.org
http://www.medicationfoundation.com/
http://www.freemedicineprogram.com
http://www.rheumatology.org/public/acrast.asp?aud=pat
Hey Steven!
Shawnie is right on track with her advice. Check into the county hospital system if just to get you started on something to get you some kind of relief. The county hospital that I started off in did have a rheumy but I had to wait 2 1/2 mos. just for my initial visit with him. My advice would be though not to depend on them for a lot. I was mostly treated for my pain.
Check into Medicare and Medicaid. Apply for SSI to recieve Medicare and don't be discouraged when your turned down the first time. Most people will tell you that no one gets it on the first application. Keep trying till you get it. Medicaid will be a state program and here in TX, the application process, I believe, is accessed through the Dept. of Human Services. These two agencies are well worth the time and aggrevation that it will probably take to get into their programs. I know, they payed for 2 TKR's and 2 THR's when I was not much older than you are right now.
Just a little FYI. When the dust settles and you are finally seeing a rheumy, Remicade does have a program for people with no insurance and below a certain income range. This is also well worth checking into because everyone will tell you that Remicade is very expensive. I'm sure that Humira and Embrel have similar programs.
I know this is all very discouraging for you right now, but you can't give up. Do some research, ask a lot of questions. There is help out there.
I'm only 25, and i know those looks! currently struggling to get around on crutches because of back and hip stuff and its killing my hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, etc....
I can't help with advice other than to send you some hugs and hope you get some help soon
I'm sorry to hear you have been in such pain for so long and have to face a battle to get the care you need. I'm glad you found us here, it is just a wonderful place full of advice, support and friendship.
Please follow the advice here and do whatever you need to do to get the help you need. Don't give up.
Please keep us posted, you'll make some really great friends here!!
I agree with someone else here who said maybe you can start with a good GP to get prednisone or something for the pain. In the meantime, you must take charge of your healthcare and make calls, investigate all these websites--do whatever it takes to feel better. And dont delay. Your GP may well have some contacts or resources to offer.
Are you secure in the original diagnosis of RA? Will the doctor who diagnosed you confirm it for whatever entity ends up helping you? That would help. Also, perhaps you should have copies of your records for the fight for care. Are you working?
Stay with us, Steven. These folks will lead you down the right path--you just have to take the steps, no matter how painful. It'll be worth it. I promise.
That was the point I was trying to get at too Sara. Depression is not just a typical side effect of RA. It can be very depressing when you're sick and hurting for days, weeks...months on end, but once you've found the proper combination of drugs all of that subsides. At least that was my experience.
I still have pain, but I've learned to cope with it better than I did at first. That makes a huge difference in my mental state as well.
I'm in no way knocking those who take antidepressants; but depression can be managed a different ways and medication for it is not always a quick fix.
Steven, I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but if it makes you feel any better you have come to the right place. I'll be 29 and have been dealing with arthritis since I was 9 yrs old! I didn't have any insurance for the longest time as well and had to rely on charity care at the hospitals and clinics around here. I got my Enbrel from the encourage foundation for several years before getting RX drug insurance. You really should try your local Dept. of Health and Human Services or whever you may need to go to apply for Medicaid. If you worked for any length of time pre-diagnosis, you may also qualify for Medicare. I would also try and apply for SSI. In my state, if you qualify for SSI you automatically qualify for Medicaid services.
I know it's very hard, but you can't let this disease beat you!!
Good luck
Bob
I want to thank you all. The care and warmth i feel from just reading these replies is overwhelming. Thank you. I have started looking into the health dept and the sites u all gave me. My bf is also helping me research too, now that we got some beginning leads from all of you.
Steven
Have a great time!
I'll bite--what's a bf?
Hi Sara
You are too cute
bf is boyfriend
Steven, have a wonderful trip!!
Pam bf could also be bestfriend.... Have a great vacation Steven. I'm leaving Thursday on vacation as well!! (With a little luck anyway; Mexico seems to be slightly troubled at the moment
Pray, pray, pray for me and my little family. We worked so hard to make this trip happen and then Mother Nature comes through and screws it up. We so badly need this FAMILY vacation. Just wanted to welcome you Steven. I'm from the UK so I have no clue about the health system and insurance over there so my post isn't very relevant. You all should come stay over here, my meds are free on the National Health Service. If you do come please bring the hot weather with you though! Oh and Mickey Mouse because he is great. Anyway apologises that I am useless on this topic but I thought I would say hi and although I was only disagnosed a few months ago, I am just 20 so I completly know how you how you are feeling right now having just experinced the same as you. Come back and keep us updated! x PS: The suggestions on a few of the posts about getting some Prednisone from your GP is a fantastic idea! Thanks Toni, Our resort was really damaged in the Hurricane; but our travel agent was finally able to relocate us to another resort in Cancun. Thank goodness!! I can't wait.
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