As Close to Socialized Medicine as I Will Get

Today marked that special day in my life! My health care is now in the hands of the Medicare System and the Office of Retirement Services of the State of Michigan! Sounds great doesn't it!
Well lets say we will try it out tomorrow with our new shipment of poison and next week at the ACU. Soon we will get our scripts filled and see how that part works as well. I do know that the cost of the new coverage is not cheap! If one figures in a dollar value (equal to Medicare B that we have deducted from our monthly checks) for Medicare A which is supposedly free my total healthcare insurance is about 20 percent more costly than the private plan I was on lately! So much for socialized savings! Wish me lots of luck with the systems! The coverage comes in handy lately!

Well It is Gone!

Here we are in the final hours of February! Summer is almost here! It was so ugly cold today that I took a nap instead of going to Walmart to excercise! The winter hibernation didnt cause me to loose any fat! I think I might have put some on! For spring and summer my goal is to drop the other 15 pounds and put me at the right mass for my height! That of course will require less fast food and more slow food! Slow food is stuff one has to chew like raw carrots and celery.
Well anyway enough of that! I should report that yesterday we used my new Bard Access System for the second time! Sounds like something one would need to get into the White House or somewhere like that huh! Actually its a "port" buried just beneath the skin in my chest on the right side and is connected to a tube going on to my juglar. The "port" is accessed with a needle poked through the skin and through the membrane of the skin side of the device and the dope is then fed though it rather than a vein in my hand! So much handier it is! It would be nice if they would sell food that could be fed directly to the bloodstream and I wouldn't have to eat anymore! Just go to Olive Garden and order up some contrived Italian concoction and inject it! Would save a lot of time! It could be bought from the drive though as a mobile injectable too! Well this is getting down right stupid now but one can dream right?
Enough for now!

New AAT Drug Therapy Trials Underway

Life will get much easier for me and others with this new devlopment in AAT therapy

This from Pharmaceutical Online http://www.pharmaceuticalonline.com

Kamada Is Pursuing U.S. Market With Its Aerosolized AAT
-->10/23/2007
Kamada a bio-pharmaceutical company, has submitted its clinical development program to the FDA for its flagship drug, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) with its aerosolized (inhaled) form for the treatment of Congenital Emphysema caused by Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD). The company plans to commence clinical development in the US concurrently with the trials already underway towards registration in Europe.
“The potential number of AATD subjects worldwide is estimated by the US Alpha -1 patients' organization at approximately 200,000. According to an independent survey, only 5,000 of these are currently treated. We therefore see a significant potential in the treatment of AATD with the aerosolized AAT drug. The cost of treatment with the aerosolized version is expected to be lower than with intravenously administered AAT. Furthermore, there is continuously growing clinical evidence from all over the world indicating that the rationale in treating Congenital Emphysema with AAT is also valid for treating other respiratory diseases, such as: Cystic Fibrosis, and possibly others. Therefore, development of the product for additional indications is underway. We are collaborating with the leading worldwide physicians in this field,” said Kamada's CEO, David Tsur.
According to John Walsh, President of US Alpha One Foundation, “the US Alpha-1 community is extremely excited about this submission and the progress made in Kamada’s European trials for aerosolized delivery of augmentation therapy. The Alpha-1 Foundation has prioritized the development of aerosolized AAT and is committed to supporting this application.”
The AAT drug, also known as API (Alpha-1 Proteinase Inhibitor), is currently indicated for treating Congenital Emphysema. This disease, caused by an inborn deficiency in the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin protein and manifested by a gradual destruction of the lung tissue, may lead to severe deterioration of lung function and eventually to death. To date, the only available treatment for the disease is intravenous administration of AAT. This treatment, performed by means of intravenous infusion on a weekly basis, is time consuming. Kamada's development of the aerosolized version is expected to make a significant difference in patient's quality of life by allowing a simple and non-invasive route of administration.
According to Tsur, “the AAT product of Kamada holds numerous advantages over competitive products, among them its being liquid and its ready to use formulation allowing easier drug handling. These features, together with the product's exceptional purity level and exclusive rights for the use of an inhalation device by PARI (a Germany-based world leader in inhalation solutions), formed the route of a strong and sound basis for the development of an aerosolized AAT drug by Kamada.”
Kamada's aerosolized AAT drug was designated by both the US-FDA and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) as an Orphan Drug for two indications - Congenital Emphysema and CF. This important attribute has granted the company research funds benefits, waiver of user fees and free scientific advise by the regulatory authorities. Furthermore, if Kamada is the first company to successfully complete clinical trials and receive marketing approval in the US or the EU, the company shall gain exclusive marketing rights for the duration of seven years in the US, and for 10 or 12 years in Europe.
At present, Kamada manufactures and markets its intravenous AAT drug in several countries around the world. A Phase III clinical trial in the US is currently underway.
Kamada is a public company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange The company was founded in 1990 and specializes in the development, manufacturing and marketing of specialty bio therapeutics indicated for medical emergencies.
SOURCE: Kamada

Back to Normal!

Well, Tuesday was back to routine here in the north woods for this invalid! My scheduled infusion went off as clockwork as the dope pump worked its way though the bag of diluted Aralast for two hours. As soon as I got home and had lunch the phone rang and it was Dr.B's people soliciting a new time for a visit. "Can you come in at 3 today?" she asked! I agreed so we got two HIPPA jobs done on Tuesday. By the way he did find a new "stuff" that I should be taking. Its Omega3 pills. More on that some other time because we can't get off the topic of HIPPA appointments! We are going for a record this month remember! Anyway I woke up Wednesday morning and promptly journeyed over to DCH again to Dr Smoot's office where he listened and prodded and asked questions. He then decided that a chest xray is in order and a sleep study is in order and a pulmonary function battery is in order so we came up with four new HIPPA events for October! The girl from Smoot's offfice then led me to the sleep clinic where I was briefed on what to expect Halloween night when I am invited to "sleep" at the sleep clinic! I then had the x-ray right away so that was done. Now its lunch time and I hurry home to get ready for my appointment at Dentist Santini's where he had me try "in" the prototype new chompers! I get them soon but we can't stray from the subject at hand. Today I counselled a friend who is a fellow invalid about life as a disabled former truck driver. He needs to get SSDI and AFLAC stuff coming in as he is no longer fit to work due to a cancer problem. I am counting that session with him as a HIPPA event. All in all, then, this week totals how many? I count 2 Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday, and 1 today which totals to 7. Additional October events will be the sleep in, the pulmonary tests, and an additional dentist stop in for a final fitting. I also need to pick up some drugs at Walmart this week so that is one more. Dr. B's visit in Tuesday was a wash because we had already talked about an appointment which we now cancelled. I can now tell you that this is going to be a record HIPPA month. Wow, it will be an interesting total when we get it all added up! Only a few more days till we total it up!

HIPPA News for Sunday October 14

Ordinarily there would be no HIPPA news on a Sunday except for emergencies of some kind but I did find something non-emergensical while digging into a big box of literature that was in yesterdays mail. The box came from my friends at Aralast, the drug I get duly infused with. Whoops I gave you the link to the wrong Aralast! Here's a better one. Above is pictured what they sent! Now I can keep a personal "diary" of my HIPPA events each day! I can put out down my pressure like 96/56 or 180/139, my glucose like 198 , my aches and pains and infections like swollen left knee or not breathing today, my excercise like walked 5 miles to and back from the mall , my food intake like 3 pork chops and potatoes with pork chop fry pan drippings for gravy, color of my pee like yellow , the number of times i had to go like hardly ever at night like the TV ads say I should , consistency of my stool, how purple my feet are today like light or dark , whether the $2850 dentures were really worth it, how I can now eat cobbed corn, and so on and on and on and on like some sort of hypocrondiac!

HIPPA News for Friday October 12

Today's mail! Four of them. Need I say any more?

Hippa News for Tuesday Oct 9, 2007

Dickinson County Hospital is pictured below. Old fashioned "bloodletting".

Today, as I was being duly infused with my bags of proteinase inhibitor and salt water at the local hospital I, being such an observer of things happening around me, was witness to a real honest to goodness "bloodletting". As pictured above in the olden day the sick guy stood in a tub and the "doctor" poked him a few times and let out a bunch of blood. I had heard of "bloodletting" being done in the early times to treat diseases but would never have believed it still goes on. This old timer came in and sat next to me and grunted a few words and the staff proceeded to take a pint of blood right out of him and throw it away. At least I hope they threw it away. My curiosity was such that I had to ask what the heck was going on! The nurse told me about the client having a high iron level and that by taking a pint out and replacing the blood with salt water the iron level will be closer to normal. Sort of like if you have too much sugar in your coffee and you dump some out and add more coffee the sugar level is reduced. The nurse listed a number of problems that are treated this way. He had hemochromatosis ...HUH what a treatment. I never thought this happens. I learn something new every day! That's Hippa news for today! Happy Wednesday!

So You Think I Do Nothing?`

I just counted! I have 11 medicallly related appointments in October! One is already done at the dentist's place where he is making me some new chompers! Also in October is the 6 day trip to Lansing for the GLI Horse Show! Such is the life of the retired horse pulling invalid!

What's Happening?

Holy smokes, its been a few weeks since I did anything here on Driving Around. I guess I've been so busy doing nothing except a couple of horsing around trips and appointments to see what's wrong with me now. The horses most recently made a good show better at the local fairgrounds with Bud the driver and Curtis the new ranch hand! Next week has us scheduled to show at the Sandwich County Fair. Its southwest of Aurora, Illinois. Otherwise I had to take matters into my own hands yesterday and stop taking some medication until I see the good doctor. Too may reactions from that one. The Parkinson's pill has to stay in the diet since stopping that results in some other consequences but I think it such big time mind altering that I was hallucinating a sort of light show that's not welcome to come again. Thursday my stop at the hospital for my Aralast turned fiasco because as I check in the infusion is ordered from lab and then eventually a nurse is assigned to do me. That nurse however decided to call to my doctor because I mentioned some of problems with the previously mentioned drugs. The doctor communicating through his staff here was in Marquette advised that we postpone today's infusion He probably was unaware that we had a very expensive mixture which went down the drain. In that department ....this week be better I hope! Other than that I need to sleep, eat, take a walk, take a nap, eat, and get ready for bed! Good Night! Well I do need to mention that I did go shopping a couple times! Food....you know!

Walking Around

I can't leave out dieting around and infusing around and "biking" sitting still! There was no "horsing around" this week so I've been sitting around watching the weather for a good camping window. It was nice Thursday but I figured I had better stay home to wait for any reactions to my proteinase inhibitor infusion. None showed up. The phone, however, kept ringing with calls from the good folks at Baxter Heathcare Corporation developer and manufacturer of Aralast, the stuff the IV dribbled into my veins, and Accredo Health Group supplier of specialized biopharmaceuticals checking to see how I am feeling and of course hoping that I was still living so they could depend on me for bunch of profits spanning the course of whatever number of years they can prolong my life! Then on Friday I decided it was nicer to sit here on the patio and get a good dose of sun instead of fighting the hoards of campers out for the weekend! Upon taking a walk I decided this walking around the neighborhoods stuff is really hard on the local dog's naps so I decided to go to Kmart and get me a stationary bike! So now I can ride in peace in air conditioned comfort! As far as the dieting and finger pricking go I think I've managed a bunch of successes. Most days of the last three weeks I have managed to stay at 1500 or fewer calories, fewer than 200 carbos, and fewer than 60m grams of total fat. In the past couple of days I have started to boost protein consumption (for those abs) to about 100 grams a day. Look out Charlie! We all know scales can lie but belts can't. In May prior to departing for The Netherlands I was forced for the sake of comfort to make a last minute longer belt buy at the Big Lots near my motel in Green Bay. Now I have gone down to the third hole on the belt which was too short then! Congratulations to me! And then there is the finger pricking! Hey this blog sounds like a doctors daily journal! But anyway it answers the question everyone asks like "How are you doing?" I'm sure they aren't concerned about my checkbook or how badly the stock market recently insulted by investments or if I am succeeding at my retirement or whatever! When people ask an invalid, "How are you", I presume it to mean that they want a rundown on my health. Anyway, most of the finger pricking results are very low so either the $4 per month Metformin, the diet with absolutely no donuts, and the exercise is doing the trick or I was misdiagnosed. Oh, I almost forgot a few things. The heart is pumping with reasonable pressures, the cholesterol is under control and the foot tingles might be subsiding with the daily dose of Parkinson's pill (be sure to follow that link and hope I WIN BIG) and I've been a month on only one Albuteral inhaler! Let me know if I missed anything because its hard to remember it all! I started out talking about looking for a camping window and maybe one will develop by tomorrow! Want to come along?

Walking Day!

Somewhere I read that this tingling feet syndrome might be helped a bit by walking so that's what I've been doing in my spare time. Maybe the walking loosens up the plaque so blood can flow through again. (The plaque then is destroyed by the plaque grinder in the liver) The other day I had a test done in the doctors clinic and that apparently told of a problem for which we will have further tests done on the MRI machine at the hospital. The test is called an MRA (arteriogram done with magnetic resonance) and can locate clogged arteries which cause PAD. So I've walked the neighborhood a few times and enjoyed it. I should also go for a drive in the car since it might be one on the last times I can reach the pedals before the amputations begin! No just kidding. I guess they do some bypass, or roto rooter, or stint type stuff to get the blood flowing again.